Memories of a Time Lord

"A man...is the sum of his memories, a Time Lord even more so..."

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As you may have read either here or on Comic Related, I was not a big fan of IDW's Doctor Who comic. It seemed to pander to too many different groups at once - classic series fans, comic fans, and didn't quite match the flavor of either the new or classic series of Who.

But for some reason, I had some hopes for Tony Lee and Pia Guerra's Doctor Who: The Forgotten mini-series, and I have to say...those hopes have been rewarded, as this is the series that IDW should have launched their Doctor Who line.

Much like Rich Morris' "The Ten Doctors" online comic, "The Forgotten" is in the tradition of a multi-Doctor story, but with a difference: in it, the Doctor and Martha (who is a smart choice for a companion - she doesn't have Rose's baggage, and there's no "foreshadowing" for Donna) encounter a museum with all sorts of items, including an exhibition specifically focusing on our intrepid Time Lord. (Any story that name-checks the Voord shows that Lee has done his homework) .

But it's Pia Guerra's art that shines, especially on this two-page spread:

(Yes, I know it's small - but quite frankly, the only way to truly enjoy it is to buy the comic and see it on paper).

This is a series that is the product of two people who love the series...and Rich's "Ten Doctors" also plays the same kind of spot-the-reference game. Both are fun, inviting, intriguing...and quite simply, "The Forgotten" easily appeals to the non-fan. In fact, the story is structured in such a way that it invites the reader to explore further. (I loved the fact, for example, that the First Doctor story was in "black and white"...and I wonder if the "unseen enemy" is who I think it is...even though the initial suggestion would not be likely, given that the story takes place during Series Three. And that's about as spoilerish as I will get in this review)

IDW had a mis-step with their "flagship" book (which, quite simply, I gave up with after issue 3) - if you must choose a really good mixture of classic and new Who in comics, "The Forgotten" is mandatory reading.

And if you want a good, rip-roaring, just plain fun comic, check out "The Ten Doctors".

Doctor Who: The Forgotten - Highly Recommended
The Ten Doctors (online) - Highly Recommended