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“THE TRANSFORMED: A SUPERHERO CROSSOVER THAT DOESN’T QUITE LAND”

The Transformed explores a unique dynamic by bringing a post-Journey’s End Mickey back into the Ninth Doctor’s world. This isn’t Mickey the Idiot—it’s the battle-hardened, Torchwood-trained version of Mickey, though the Doctor remains unaware of how much he has changed. The story sets up an interesting conflict as Mickey struggles to keep the web of time intact while trying not to reveal too much about the future.

SUPERHEROES, MONSTERS, AND A DISJOINTED NARRATIVE

Meanwhile, Rose and Jack explore a near-future San Francisco plagued by superpowered individuals, gargoyle-like monsters, and mysterious Northern Lights. The superhero element, however, feels forced. The powered individuals contribute little beyond flying, punching monsters, and arguing with each other. One of them even serves as a brief love interest for Rose, though he’s more irritating than compelling.

Adding to the strangeness, Rose gains powers herself and promptly ditches Jack, while the Doctor is randomly flown around by the gargoyles or the superheroes. It almost feels like a Doctor Who/Marvel crossover fanfic—ambitious, but ultimately clunky. The different concepts don’t mesh well, making the whole thing feel more chaotic than engaging.

ALL ACTION, NO SUBSTANCE

The narrative is mostly action-driven, with little time for explanation or depth. As a result, the story feels shallow and underdeveloped, and the resolution comes out of nowhere. There’s even an alien ally of the Doctor who suddenly appears, yet contributes next to nothing. Jack gets a bit more involvement than usual, but even he doesn’t have much to do beyond reacting to the chaos.

A CLEVER (BUT STUPID) WAY TO INCLUDE MARTHA

One of the more bizarre twists is the inclusion of Martha, albeit in a way that prevents the Doctor from recognising her—by turning her into a monster. It’s both a clever workaround and a completely ridiculous idea at the same time.

A STRANGE BUT INTRIGUING ENDING

The story concludes with an unexpected scene in the 1970s, showing that UNIT has encountered similar gargoyle problems. The brief cameos from Harry Sullivan and Benton are a delightful surprise, teasing a potentially more interesting follow-up in the next collection. The passing mention of The Forge is another nice touch, as references to the wider extended universe always add a layer of connectivity.

STRONG ART, MIXED EXECUTION

Visually, the comic is impressive, with bold colours and dynamic panel layouts. However, facial expressions can be inconsistent, occasionally making characters look slightly off.

📝VERDICT: 6/10

The Transformed is an odd mix of Doctor Who and superhero tropes that never quite comes together. While the return of a more mature Mickey and the UNIT tease at the end are intriguing, the overall story lacks cohesion, depth, and a satisfying resolution. There are flashes of good ideas, but they don’t connect in a way that makes for a compelling read. Fans of action-heavy, fast-paced comics might find some enjoyment, but for those looking for a well-structured Doctor Who story, this one falls flat.

I'd heard about this story before, and honestly, I was expecting to like it a lot less than I do.

I mean, the story itself, I'm not really a fan, but the idea behind it is really fun. Mickey calling The Doctor for help, and ending up with Nine instead of Ten is a great pitch. Even better factoring in his knowledge of time travel stuff so he knows Jack and Rose can't see him. Even even better when you've got Martha there as well, who needs to hide from even The Doctor to not cause a paradox....

But then you have the actual execution. The story itself never really explains why the energy gives people powers and then turns them into monsters, other than that San Francisco 'has a history' which, I think I'd prefer if it just didn't explain it at all. The amount of characters who have powers here as well just feels unneeded, could easily have cut it down, streamlining it to just two characters instead of the four you have in here, it takes away a bit from the intended emotions when we don't really have time with these people.

And then there's... well, everything to do with Martha. Turning her into a gargoyle person who can't speak is certainly one way to deal with the potential paradoxes. It's also a way of making it so that Martha just gets sidelined with next to nothing to do for the whole story, and given that was a big part of what happened to her on screen..... not great.

Overall a fun idea for a story, with a... less than stellar execution