IDW Publishing Forums

[Tony Lee]

So rejoice, kiddies... One more day to wait if you're in the US, two for the rest of the world...

And with #3 already finished, it'll be a far shorter break between issues from now on!

Doctor Who: The Forgotten #2

Tony Lee (w) Pia Guerra (a) Nick Roche (c)
Trapped in a strange Museum and hunted by a gun-happy waxwork, an amnesiac Doctor must regain his memories of each of his incarnations-including a Second-Doctor memory with Zoe and Jamie... and a Third-Doctor remembrance with the Brigadier and Jo! But can he succeed before a familiar, bearded figure in the shadows kills him? This all-new series written by Tony Lee (Starship Troopers) features artist Pia Guerra in her first monthly comic since Y The Last Man!

Format: FC, COMIC Price: $3.99
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Tony Lee

www.tonylee.co.uk

[PatBorg]

The cover: On the "Regular Cover" Nick Roche continues to show that he knows the personalities of the Doctors. Number two looks as stoic as ever, Number twelve looks like a schoolboy "caught in the act," while Doctor three strikes a gallant pose, but couldn't he have been drawn a little bigger? Yes, I support the Doctor "Equal Time and Size" Measures. A fun cover all around. The "Retailer Incentive Cover" is a fantastic shot of The Doctor and Martha. Oh when will trading cards come to America with photos as nice as this? Overall grade: A

The story: Tony Lee has got to be going through several asprins while trying to place Doctors, companions, and settings so that they all fit seamlessly together. I enjoyed this issue more than the last, but found myself liking the flashbacks more than the perils in the present. Martha brings the Doctor back from the dead in the first two pages, and his response in panel five is dead for dialogue that I would expect him to say, as his her response. Nice to see which villain on display is activated to pursue the pair. The second Doctor's story is fantastic. Nice way to transition from the present to the past, and vice versa. Big thumbs up, Tony! And to see Zoe and Jamie again running about--heaven! Doctor's dialogue at the bottom of page 8 was also spot on! Banter between Doctor twelve and Martha again good as the story goes into Doctor three. The Brig! Jo Grant! Bessie! Even Captain Yates! Woo-hoo! This flashback is a little weaker than the first one, since the readers don't know who, what, or why the aliens are doing what they're doing. The Brig has the best lines, at the bottom of page 14 and panel three on page 17. However, it was fun just to see this Doctor back in action. Back in the present the Doctor and Martha evade one enemy, only to find something gone. This cliffhanger stopped working for me ages ago. True, it's a staple of Who, but I was hoping for something else. Overall grade: B+

The art: When doing a comic involving licensed characters, the artist has got the hardest job of anyone involved: if the characters don't resemble their actors, the comic, no matter how good the story, is a wash. Pia Guerra only has three flubs, but let's start with the splash page. I love the look and layout of the museum, if that's what it is. It's simple and very reminiscent of a Who set, especially in the budget saver days. And I'm happy to see a splash page begin the comic! His Doctor twelve and Martha are very good likenesses, and when Doctor two and Zoe appear, they are even closer! I admit that I thought Patrick Stewart was getting a cameo in that flashback, beginning on page 5. Jamie is the first flub for me. He doesn't look a thing like Frazer Hines. The aliens in the story are tops, especially the one outside! Patrick Troughton's final appearance in the issue was a sad affair, since I love that Doctor so much. In Doctor three's story the likenesses are a little poorer. The Doctor looks younger than he appeared in the show. Jo only looks like like herself in profile. The Brig and his men look fine, but when the two "stars" don't resemble themselves, it's a major letdown. Doctors two and twelve look okay, but Doctor three was a bummer. Overall grade: B

Flashback sequence inks: Kent Archer is the inaugural artist in this newly created credit (though I'll give IDW credit, at least they're starting to get specific about who does what on their books). I have to say that I couldn't tell the difference inking-wise between the flashbacks and the present tale, so kudos to Kent for not making them horribly different; they blend perfectly well together. Overall grade: A

The colors: So much for IDW being specific as to who does what: Charlie Kirchoff and Kris Carter share the credit. The coloring was the real standout for me in this book. The museum for Doctor twelve and Martha shot me into the intensity of a television episode, just the perfect amount of darkness and light, as it should be. The Doctor two story was in glorious black and white! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! If IDW would like to do an entire black and white Doctor Who story that would be more than fine with me! Hey, it worked for Sin City! The Doctor three story was presented in an English countryside that I've come to expect from this era. Though after watching many episodes on DVD, I'm surprised the sky was so clear, since Doctor three always seemed to film on overcast days. Though I did get my cloudy sky at the bottom of page 14, it quickly went to blue at the top of 15. However, I really liked the variety of color in this issue and my congratulations to both of you, whichever part you did...grumble, grumble, grouse, grouse. Overall grade: A

The letters: Comicraft's Richard Starkings provided all the lettering in this issue and there was a nice variety to cover. There was the dialogue that every comic needs, but also a lot of emphasized yelling, as with Martha on the splash page. Also some coughing, musical notes, electrical sound effects, missile launching, explosions, and some dropping of devices. This was the largest collection of sound effects I've read in an IDW book. I loved that in Doctor two the sound effects are 1960s-ish and in color. This enhanced my reading of this story. Now that I think of it, this story was very sound heavy in the plot. Noise was the solution in both flashbacks. Could it be pivital to the overall story...? A superb job. Overall grade: A+

The final line: How much of the flashbacks are essential to the story in the present, I still can't tell; time will tell. I'm enjoying the flashbacks more than the present story, but I do want to see how all of this will come together. Who is the villain?! ...not the Doctor, obviously, but--oh, nevermind. Nice teaser cover for issue 3 at the end of this issue. I'm all for it! It's worth purchasing. Overall grade: B

[DanielW]

Fascinating read.
In fact, I read it thrice on the train home.
I love all the "fan details" like the stuff in the cabinets.
I laughed at the Brigadier's "Sonic Screwdriver" joke.

A wee musing though: When we saw preview art for issue #5 (the Doctor lying on the floor of the console room, in a pose very similar to how he was lying in issue #1 I thought "aHA it's all in his head, that's why there's no "after tenth Doctor costumes".

But, this issue gives us the Halo from from of the Voyage of the Damned Angels. So this leaves three possibilities:
1) It's not in his head, but organised by someone who only knows him up to body ten.

2) Thre story is set post-Voyage of the Damned, pre-Partners in Crime, and Martha is a delusion.

3) Pia made a mistake.

I discount 3, because she's a professional, and everyone involved is a bit of a fan, and not likely to make such a mistake.
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Ohh 'Eck!

[Darth Bombshell]

[oneGemini]

I have a suspicion of the who the villain is, and I don't think it's who they're leading us to believe.
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[Darth Bombshell]

[Drivaaar]

[Tony Lee]

[oneGemini]

[Tony Lee]

Nope, just lil' ol me fracking over each and every one of your hopes and dreams.
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Tony Lee

www.tonylee.co.uk

[DanielW]

WAIT I missed the "doctor" line from Martha.
There is something fishy going on, I love it.

Could it be set post-Journey's End? He'd be travelling alone, he knows Martha's a doctor... (this is, of course, assuming that it is all in the Doctor's head, which I still think it is).

I wonder why Ace's rucksack or Nitro-nine didn't trigger a memory flash.
Maybe "Martha" is trying to communicate with the Doctor via the memory flashes? Maybe...
Maybe "Martha" is the TARDIS?

Lets see, both the second and third Doctor stories, according to the Doctor were about communication. In a way, so was the first Doctor's story. It was also about a trap.
I wonder what the fourth and fifth will be about? Escape perhaps?
Trust?
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Ohh 'Eck!

[oneGemini]

[DanielW]

So far, the triggers have all been items that were from the clothes exhibit.
That's got to be important (and explains why the can of nitro and Ace's rucksack didn't trigger any memories).
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Ohh 'Eck!

[Darth Bombshell]

[Cygnia]