I love the sommelier's apparent 4th wall break when he neatly folds away some of the comic panels. the main plot and the sub plots tie together quite well with everything resolving in a satisfying way. the art style and colouring are stunning and make the characters stand out in the settings especially Ruby and the doctors impromptu fashion show at the start.

First of all, I really love this new art style for the comics, very textured and rough; it makes it feel more organic.

Second, this story was really fun! I loved how the comic kept in line with the show's focus on gods and the supernatural. The Scream Sommelier was a fun addition to the growing pantheon with an intriguing gimmick.

I also liked how Ruby got a subplot of her own with the cockroach aliens and some early-onset Doctorfication with (seemingly) tragic consequences. Poor girl really went through it in this one.

(Reviewing the Untitled Free Comic Book Day 2024 Story and Everyone Must Go! together.)

Wow. This is the first Doctor Who comic story that I've REALLY fallen in love with. The atmosphere is completely terrifying. I LOVE the Scream Sommelier.

S.

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

“EVERYONE MUST GO! – A RETAIL NIGHTMARE ON A DYING EARTH”

Everyone Must Go! marks the Fifteenth Doctor’s comic debut in an era of visual storytelling that fits his energy, empathy, and wide-eyed wonder. Set immediately after the 2024 Free Comic Book Day prelude, this four-part Titan Comics run flings us into a crumbling, climate-ravaged 29th-century Earth, where the last shopping mall limps on amidst the wreckage. The few humans who remain are too scared to leave, clinging to routine in the face of solar storms and encroaching madness.

In classic Doctor Who fashion, the shopping centre is much more than it appears. The lower levels are filled with chittering half-human, half-Cyberman hybrids – metallic terrors with insectoid traits. These creepy creations, however, are not the return of a familiar foe, but manifestations of fear. They are phantoms summoned by a new villain: the Sommelier.

THE PANTHEON OF GODS RETURNS

The Sommelier is another member of the Pantheon of Gods introduced in the Fourteenth Doctor specials – a collector of fear who bottles screams like fine wine. He lurks in a yellow-hued fear dimension, manipulating reality and thriving off terror. It's a genuinely great concept, equal parts twisted and whimsical, and ties nicely into Doctor Who’s long history of monsters that feed on emotion. Sadly, despite the build-up, he is ultimately defeated too easily, leaving his potential feeling a little undernourished.

The Cybermen, though teased as the main threat, are really just fear-puppets pulled from Maria’s memories. As such, they end up sidelined and contribute little beyond atmosphere, becoming distractions in what is ultimately a mindscape war.

THE DOCTOR, RUBY, AND MARIA

Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor is written with a strong grasp of his character – he’s passionate, energetic, and deeply empathetic, especially in his mission to protect young Maria. There's a great moment where he sets off on a classic rescue mission, leaving no one behind, and offering fierce comfort to the fearful humans. He’s also shown doing a bit of proper TARDIS tinkering, something we've seen less of on screen so far.

Ruby, meanwhile, has less to do. She spends most of the story trapped in a basement with cockroach-like aliens terrified of light. While her scenes offer some fun horror flavour, she’s more a witness than a player here. The young girl Maria, central to the plot, barely speaks until the end. She works better as a symbol of fear than as a developed character, which limits the story’s emotional weight.

DYSTOPIA, DENIAL AND THE LAST SHOPPING CENTRE

What sets Everyone Must Go! apart is its quiet commentary on climate change and class. Humanity has abandoned Earth, but those left behind include people too anxious to board evacuation ships or too dedicated to their retail jobs to let go. It’s a surprisingly sharp touch of satire, reminiscent of the Russell T Davies school of grounded science fiction.

The mall setting evokes the decay of late-stage capitalism, with retail clerks selling pointless products in a world with no customers, and fear being the last commodity worth anything. It’s absurd, but tragically relatable.

ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES BUT VISUALLY STRIKING

The comic’s art is a bit divisive. At times, it's rough, with soft and indistinct detailing, especially on character faces. But when it leans into surrealism – particularly in the yellow-tinted fear dimension and the surreal Hall of Bottled Screams – it becomes strikingly memorable. The design of the hybrid Cybermen is also disturbing in a way that works well on the page.

There are some lovely character moments too, like the Doctor and Ruby trying on clothes in a playful montage – a sweet and whimsical interlude that perfectly captures the tone of this new TARDIS team. Also notable: the Doctor wearing a long scarf over his regular outfit, a nice nod to past incarnations.

TIES TO THE CURRENT ERA

Fans of the TV continuity will enjoy the subtle tie-ins. This story appears to take place shortly before the events of The Legend of Ruby Sunday, with hints that the Doctor and Ruby are just about to arrive at the UNIT tower. And unlike much of Season 1, this adventure actually has an extensive sequence inside the TARDIS, giving us more time in the newly redesigned console room and showing off the Doctor’s technical side.

📝 VERDICT: 8/10

Everyone Must Go! is a solid if slightly uneven debut for the Fifteenth Doctor in comic form. The Pantheon of Gods continues to be an intriguing concept, and the Doctor’s battle against bottled fear is a clever and colourful slice of high-concept Who. While the plot sometimes fumbles its best ideas, and the art can be hit or miss, the energy of the characters, thematic sharpness, and eerie setting make this an enjoyable read – and a promising start to Ncuti’s adventures on the page.

Everyone Must Go is one of the stronger Titan comics, featuring interesting art, a good script, and an interesting new villain who will hopefully return. Fifteen and Ruby are characterised well and each get some good moments, the story slots very nicely into series 1 and the cybermen are used well. A great start to Fifteens comics!

Woah this art is a HUGE improvement on what we've had before in titan comics. The story was great, the villain was quite dark and I liked the depth we got to Ruby in this. Nice continuity ties and unlike a lot of titan comics it wasn't too reference heavy.

This is in a different league to most Doctor Who comics, and certainly beats a lot of the other more recent output that I have read. It’s flawless on several counts from its world building; unique and stunning artwork; and brilliant villains - one a new take on an old classic and another something completely new entirely.

There is a perfect mix of dark and shade. Seriousness and camp. Back references (Starship UK!) and newly developed premises. It also fits neatly into the themes and lore of the most recent series - I could not have asked for more.

Everything comes together with such flare that it leaves me desperate to see more from this team in the future. I’ll be there on day one picking up the next issue.

AMEI ESSA HISTÓRIA. Uma das minhas favoritas do 15th instantaneamente. Que daora. Feifa com carinho e ampliando a mitologia da série em pontos interessantes e que agregam ao Doutor, à Ruby, e ao universo da série.

Firstly, wow, the art in this strip is nothing short of beautiful. I love this style and I hope Titan continues to work with Kelsey Ramsay, the artist. It's such a big improvement from the other post-Covid Titan strips.

It's not just the art, though: this comic has an excellent premise which is executed really well. It's an enjoyable and gripping read, feeling cohesive and purposeful. It also ties into the Fifteenth Doctor's televised material which is unusual but great to see. Overall, an excellent strip.

The Fifteenth Doctor #14

'Everyone Must Go!' (2024) from Titan Comics.

Quite easily one of my favourite stories featuring Fifteen thus far. Just really jaw-dropping artwork on every page, some great moments of The Doctor and Ruby both while together and separated, and honestly, my favourite Doctor Who villain in quite a while! The Scream Sommelier has it all: awesome design, frightening presence, scene domination, as well as a bit of campiness. The imagery of his scream cellar is so visually lush, and there are just countless panels featuring him that are so cool. Even most of the alternate posters for the comic series. The Scream Sommelier's little final Toymaker-esque moment was a lot of fun. The Cybermen design is also great, and they serve a good purpose in the story, adding some worldbuilding to them in the Doctor Who universe as they are manifested from the fear of a young refugee of their attacks. I also really enjoy the Cankaranka too despite their brief presence in the story. Ruby's time spent with them, and her dealing with the consequences of her Doctor-like actions harkens back to companions like Clara in a really great way. Her characterisation here is worlds above her characterisation on-screen.

This was a perfect way to start this range of comics off

it was honestly an amazing read so many moments that made me feel so many mixed emotions anger sadness joy just wow