Review of Empire of the Wolf by dema1020
3 September 2024
This review contains spoilers
You know, I haven't really connected with the Jody Hauser Doctor Who Comics out of the ones I've read so far. I still have a number to check out so hopefully that will change, but at least I can say I largely enjoyed Empire of the Wolf. So far all of Hauser's comics have a Dan Abnett style problem of featuring excellent set-up and world-building but struggling with endings and pay-off, with the effect much more prominent in the Hauser-written Missy and Fugitive Doctor comics. Empire of the Wolf is very much suffering from this too - the Sontaran army that threatens to be an antagonist is easily hand-waved away in the last issue and never actually sees combat or conflict of any kind. But I credit this story for not relying on that conflict - it feels more like a detail than the main thrust of the story. The focus is on the characters like these two versions of Rose, the Eleventh Doctor, and the Eighth Doctor, all of which get their moments to shine. It's fun getting a glimpse of what Rose and the Meta-Crisis Doctor are up to and I really thought that part was well realized. I'm glad I read this and I think Doctor Who fans of all sorts would appreciate this one on some level, even if it is just to see 11 chastise Rose for bringing 8, who he refers to as a "child." That was great and it's a good example of how Jody had a solid handle on all these characters. It's fun to see them all in a story like this, even if it is relatively simple and crowd pleasing, it's at least creative and builds on the world as much as it is living in it and bringing all these different characters together.