‘Tis the season for a spontaneous, Christmas themed edition of Kate (and Dan) Read Comics!
(Much cheering)
Dan: Check it out, Kate. IDW’s Doctor Who #12 is all SILIENT NIGHT-style. I usually cringe when a comic book has Santa in an adventure, but this could be cool.
Kate: With all the catch-up we’ve been doing with the Who DVDs, it’s nice to see Matt Smith as the Doctor again. Even if he’s all animated-style.
D: Matt Smith- Kate’s “Who Crush.”
K: STOP TEASING ME EVEN THOUGH IT’S TRUE! SHUT UP I HATE YOU!
D: ::whistles, wanders into kitchen::
K: Yeah, you better whistle off into the kitchen. I’ve seen you looking at that goofy looking redhead Amy Pond! I’m on to you, pal. Now get back here and give me that comic!
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K: The Doctor lands the TARDIS and thinks he’s landed on the beach somewhere. Silly Doctor!
D: Actually, that opening sequence with the Doctor joyfully running out onto the beach, then running back into the TARDIS for his long coat because it’s so cold? I think it’s my favorite part of the book. It’s just a neat little sequence and it translates perfectly.
K: Whatever. ::turns the page:: Looks like the Grinch sent his robot gang down from Grinch Mountain to hassle St. Nick. Those robots must have hearts that are 3 sizes too small. Grinch Robots!!!
D: There’s no such thing as “Grinch Robots.” And the Grinch is a completely different property than Doctor Who. In fact… ::looks around:: I don’t even know if we can talk about the Grinch here.
K: Because of the Grinch Robots?
D: No, because of the Copy Write Robots!
::reads on::
K: For as chatty as the TV Matt Smith Doctor is, the comic Matt Smith Doctor is awfully quiet. Did he lose his tongue in a bizarre timey-wimey accident? Why isn’t he saying anything?
D: Because it’s a beautiful riff on Silent Night. Now get into the beautiful Christmas Spirit of the Time Lords saving Father Christmas from Grinch Robots already!
K: But you said there’s no such thing as Grinch Robots…
::reads on::
K: Seriously, the quiet is beginning to creep me out a little. I don’t like when things are that quiet
D: I know.
K: In the North Pole no one can hear you scream if you don’t make a sound.
D: ::bangs head on kitchen table::
K: I really like the deceptively simple looking art in this issue.
D: …yes…
K: No, really. I dig Matthew Dow Smith, the book’s regular artist, but Paul Grist does a fantastic job conveying mood here.
D: Yes!
K: And for a story that is told purely through action, without any dialog or even captions, Grist translates Tony Lee’s script perfectly.
D: YES! EXACTLTY! Well said. I guess you have been paying attention while we’ve been doing these reviews. Well done.
K: I also like the parts when the Doctor makes the Grinch Robots heads explode. And the panel where it looks like Santa is making the Robots smell his finger? When he’s really yelling at them and lecturing them on True Meaning Of Christmas? That part was my favorite.
D: And we’re back to square one…
K (and D): HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!
Dan and Kate Malmon are a happily married couple (except when Dan forgets to light the Menorah) in Roseville, MN. When not working, reading comics and mysteries or watching sports, they hang out with Franklin the dog. You can find both Kate and Dan on Twitter.
