Review – Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor #2.1

Written by Nick Abadzis
Art by Eleonora Carlini

The adventure continues for The Doctor and Gabby in the aftermath of the Four Doctors event.  Just when they thought they were going to get a break, the pair find themselves in a place called Wupatki.  The city in the clouds is plagued by a virus that is affecting living musical beings called the Shan’Tee.

There is a lot of setup in the beginning of the issue.  A lot of explanation about what the Shan’Tee are and how the planet lives in harmony.  Once you push through that, things start to escalate rather quickly.  The cause for this virus is somewhat amusing, and may even be a subtle jab at the modern music business.  There was also a little jab about the Wupatki being a place where humans were able to live in harmony with the planet’s natives instead of forcing them out.  Sound familiar?

This truly ends up being a “race against time” kind of story, with a climactic pause at the end of this first issue.  This being a two part arc, it almost reminds me of the old Adam West Batman show.  Part one ends in potential disaster with part two being the “epic conclusion”.  The art by Carlini won’t knock your Tardis over, but it works and has some good detail.  The story was interesting, but it feels like it went from one extreme to another, and I didn’t get that sense of danger I was hoping for.  Whovians may be inclined to stick with it, but I will reluctantly have to pass.