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“RETURN OF THE VOLSCI: NINE, ROSE, JACK, AND A WASTED JAPANESE SETTING"
Return of the Volsci kicks off with an inspired premise: the Ninth Doctor, Rose, and Jack land in 14th-century Kyoto during the Battle of Mintaogawa – a rarely explored era rich with visual and cultural storytelling potential. But any hopes of an engaging historical are quickly dashed when the story promptly hops onto a spaceship parked in the area and forgets the historical setting entirely. What could’ve been a standout period piece instead becomes a by-the-numbers space standoff.
WHO ARE THE VOLSCI, AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
The titular Volsci – an all-female warrior race – are the invaders here, threatening to obliterate the local samurai for… reasons. But there’s no time to explore their culture, backstory, or motivations. They exist mostly as an aesthetic concept and a vehicle for clunky action and diplomacy. The Doctor talks them out of violence, and that’s that. A promising idea completely undercut by its rushed and shallow treatment.
CHARACTERISATION MALFUNCTION
The TARDIS team doesn’t fare much better. Nine is mostly in character – stern, talky, diplomatic – but even he gets weighed down by awkward dialogue. Rose gets barely anything to do and fades into the background. Jack, meanwhile, feels completely off – written more as a generic action sidekick than the flirtatious, witty wildcard we know from Doctor Who and Torchwood. No one feels quite right, and there’s zero chemistry among the trio.
ART ISSUES AND A STRANGE STAR WARS GAG
Visually, this comic is far from a highlight. The art style is messy and inconsistent, especially in character faces, which often look oddly proportioned or flat. The Volsci designs have a certain flair, but everything else – backgrounds, action, even the TARDIS – feels rushed. Worse, the entire historical setting is reduced to a throwaway Star Wars reference (you know the one), which lands with a thud and only underscores how little the comic is interested in the actual era it claims to be set in.
📝VERDICT: 4/10
Return of the Volsci squanders a brilliant historical setting for a generic sci-fi story with underdeveloped aliens, off-key characterisation, and forgettable art. The idea of the TARDIS crew in 14th-century Kyoto could’ve been magic, but it’s reduced to background noise for a spaceship debate and a Star Wars gag. A disappointing, confused outing that misses the mark on nearly every level.
MrColdStream
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