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"MANCOPOLIS – MOTHS, MAYHEM, AND MANCHESTER IN SPACE"

Mancopolis, the five-part comic adventure from Doctor Who Magazine, penned by Alan Barnes with art by Lee Sullivan, offers an energetic and visually stylish romp through a dystopian Manchester of the far future. Set in 2424, it’s a satire of capitalism, a cyberpunk-infused mystery, and a political thriller wrapped around one of the Fifteenth Doctor’s more outlandish alien foes. And it’s a lot of fun.

FUTURE MANCHESTER, SAME OLD ROT

The story’s setting is a triumph of design and tone—Manchester has been reborn as Mancopolis, a gleaming sci-fi mega-city of glass towers, neon lights, flying cars, and deceptive cleanliness. The surface appears perfect: smiling citizens, ultra-productivity, and a sheen of prosperity. But peel back the layers and you find a crumbling reality beneath—a theme wonderfully evoked through the decayed ruins of the real Manchester hidden below the digital façade.

There are strong echoes here of Smile, The Happiness Patrol, and Magra Terror, but with a 2020s political sharpness. The enforced cheeriness hides a crumbling economy and a sinister secret, with public morale controlled not by ideology but industrial deception. The real kicker? Mancopolis isn’t even real—it’s just a digital reflection, a hollow simulation of prosperity.

MOTH-MAYOR AND MONSTER MACHINATIONS

Mayor Mulberry is a standout villain, and not just because she's secretly a giant alien moth. Originally a populist saviour who pulled Mancopolis out of economic ruin, she’s now a paranoid despot keeping the machinery running on cosmetic charm and monstrous compromise. The twist that Mulberry is harvesting the skins of beautiful young people to use in production lines (yes, really) is darkly inventive—and exactly the kind of grotesque flair Doctor Who comics can get away with.

The moths themselves are terrific creatures: looming and creepy yet delightfully logical in their weaknesses—drawn to light and repelled by noise. It’s classic Doctor Who: take a relatable Earth creature and supersize it into something terrifying and weird.

Mulberry’s villainy is reinforced by his trapdoor elevator of doom, which teleports victims into a pit of hungry moths—an idea so Russell T Davies-esque it practically screams 2006. It’s a fun nod to the kind of bureaucratic barbarity that Who often critiques best.

DOCTOR, RUBY, AND THE UPRISING

Fifteen and Ruby are very well realised here. The Doctor gets to be clever, theatrical, and righteous, while Ruby has a bit of a traditional companion arc: captured, cocooned, nearly digested, but still returning in time to help defeat the baddies. There’s a touch of The Long Game in her journey—she briefly vanishes from the narrative while the Doctor teams up with locals, only to swoop back in for the finale.

The uprising subplot, echoing the real-life Peterloo Massacre of 1819, is suitably dramatic if a little undercooked. The rebellion feels a bit sudden, with little groundwork laid among the citizens for a full-on revolt, but it works in the moment, especially with Mulberry literally summoning lightning to crush dissent using weather control tech.

LITTLE GEMS AND STRAY THREADS

The story is filled with clever flourishes. The use of moth biology is inspired, and there’s even a sly reference to the capitalist obsession with youthful beauty becoming a literal resource. A highlight is the resolution involving Ruby’s childhood bank deposit, which earns enough compound interest over five centuries to effectively cover the debt Mancopolis owes

—witty, ridiculous, and peak Doctor Who.

That said, there are a few dropped stitches. The brave local who initially helps the Doctor disappears from the plot once Ruby re-enters. And while the uprising is satisfying, it might have had more impact with stronger groundwork or a bigger supporting cast.

Still, the satire lands. Whether it's on capitalism, surveillance states, beauty culture, or civic decay, Mancopolis has something to say—and it says it with moth monsters.

📝THE BOTTOM LINE:

Mancopolis is a sharp, slick, and slyly satirical sci-fi comic with strong world-building, an inventive villain, and a satisfying blend of absurdity and political commentary. While its pacing can feel uneven and a few characters fade into the background, it captures the Fifteenth Doctor’s era with flair, and serves as a strong entry in the DWM comic tradition.

Rating: 7/10