Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time the Complete Series
IDW Publishing
Story: Scott Tipton, David Tipton
Art by: Simon Fraser, Lee Sullivan, Mike Collins, Gary Erskine , Philip Bond , John Ridgway , Kev Hopgood , Roger Langridge , David Messina , Elena Casagrande , Matthew Dow Smith , Kelly Yates

Some things in life will never happen. I’ll never get to see Queen, and I mean REAL Queen, live. The new Fantastic Four movie will never be good. And we will never get a Doctor Who episode where all the Doctors meet. And I don’t mean previously recorded footage and sound. I mean a real gathering of the hopes and dreams that fans have been waiting for all their lives. Don’t get me wrong, the 50th Anniversary came close. For anyone desiring that rush of having all the Doctors in one place, then thank the maker for comics.

On the surface, it’s 12 (this series was released before Capaldi took the reigns) individual stories showcasing each Doctor and companions dealing with a problem in their own unique style. That is, until those companions start disappearing. At the same time. Yes, all companions, throughout time, disappear. How can the Doctor save his friends when he doesn’t even know they’re about to be taken? Who has the means to carry out something of this magnitude? It takes more than one Doctor and more than one friend to solve this problem.

There is no problem with this series. Each issue featuring a different Doctor could be a huge failure. Thankfully, the writers, Scott and David Tipton, know their trivia. Every time we are shown a different version of the Doctor he has his own voice. They really found the correct persona for every Doctor. What’s more, none of the issues feel pointless. They may be standalone tales but each one gives you that classic power the show gives off. Like any great “Doctor Who” series there is an underlining story throughout, building tension with every bit that is given to us. The Tipton’s masterfully balance storytelling with character showcasing, especially amongst the companions. That’s the thing, while this is an epic story about the Doctor, (all of him) it’s really about his friends. And while there have been so many it’s difficult to give them all ample screen time, they are there. They’re there and they do it for him. It’s why the single issue showcases are so important. The Doctor solves the problem but it’s how he interacts with his companions that is the interesting part. It’s really the focus of the story even if it’s cleverly disguised beneath an amazing adventure.

With a different era showcased in each issue, they all have different artists, and each one is a direct fit. Some names are bigger than others but each one took their assignment seriously and worked out a beautiful contribution to one of my favorite mini series of the year. Scott and David Tipton are a perfect writing team for “Doctor Who.” If their names are on a book it’s worth checking out. Even if I’ll never get to see a crossover of this magnitude on screen it doesn’t matter because “Prisoners of Time” has provided me with that thrill and more.

Jo Schmidt