The Old Doctor and the Sea…Devil.
Creative Staff:
Story: Robbie Morrison
Art: Rachael Stott
Colors: Ivan Nunes
Letters: Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
What They Say:
Chaos descends on the private Scottish school of Ravenscaur, as secrets sunk at the bottom of the bay are dragged into the light! As the Doctor investigates reports of a Tunguska-style event that shook the heavens decades previous, Clara unravels an establishment conspiracy that cuts to the country’s heart!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The Sea Devils are a classic Who monster we haven’t seen much of in the past twenty-thirty years. As if to make up for this lost time, they’re coming back in a big way in “Clara Oswald and the School of Death.” In this issue Robbie Morrison and Rachael Stott utilize the comic medium to tell a story that would be rather difficult to pull off on television. Plus, it’s a stupid-fun read.
When last we left our intrepid heroes, Clara and the Doctor were investigating the Ravenscaur Academy—the crème de la crème of higher education in the UK and the proving ground for future British leaders. A friend of Clara’s taught there, and then disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Working in tandem, Clara investigates the academy (getting a job there as an English teacher) while the Doctor tries to blend in with the locals (to hilarious and disastrous results). Both discover that Ravenscaur is run by the aquatic Sea Devils, who have created human-Sea Devil hybrids and placed them into positions of power in order to create policies that will make the Earth more inhabitable for the Sea Devils and less inhabitable for pretty much everything else.
I have to say, Rachael Stott draws a mean Sea Devil. The art is gorgeous in this work, highlighted by Ivan Nunes’ surprisingly soft and bright colors. The art team takes us from subterranean caverns to a gloomy, Gothic academy with equal ease, creating a bright and rich world populated by expressive and vibrant characters. As I’ve said numerous times, when a comic adapts a television show or movie (any medium where we have a clear and unified picture of the characters), it’s vital to make sure that the depictions are both recognizable and natural. Stott manages to capture the physical likeness as well as the body language and facial expressions of Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, and others in a way that’s natural and fits with the rest of the art.
And the story is a real corker. I love how it switches from pre-Cambrian danger to moody Gothicism, to political intrigue. As I said before, this creative team seems to really know how to take advantage of the medium. One of the great things about comics is you don’t have to worry about budgets, actors, or the limits of technology. The artist can draw anything, allowing for larger, crazier ideas that might be unfeasible in other genres. Certainly that’s the case here. The Doctor manages to reveal the Sea Devil’s plot, but all that does is hasten their timetable. At the end of the issue, Sea Devil battleships and war machines rise from the sea, ready to make war on humanity. It’s a big scene that would be difficult to pull off on the television show, and it highlights, once again, the power of the medium.
In Summary:
Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor, Year Two #3 is a fun, exciting adventure featuring a classic monster. The art and writing are both top-notch, and the creative team takes full advantage of the medium. I had a blast reading it. Dr. Josh gives this an….
Grade: A
Age Rating: N/A
Released By: Titan Comics
Release Date: March 9th, 2016
MSRP: $3.99
