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“TIME LADY OF MEANS: OR, WHEN ROMANA MET THE BIRDS AND A SOCIALITE”

Time Lady of Means throws the Fourth Doctor and Romana II into a rather absurd, oddly illustrated adventure in New York City, but unfortunately, it lands more like a parody than a polished piece of Doctor Who. With cartoonish visuals and a script that leans heavily into awkward exposition, this short comic is more "Time Lady of Mess" than anything truly memorable.

STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE (AND THE STYLE IS... QUESTIONABLE)

Let’s start with the art: it’s a strange blend of childlike simplicity and exaggerated expressions, like Scooby-Doo meets a crayon box. It doesn’t quite suit the dry wit and restrained theatricality of the Fourth Doctor’s era. The visuals undercut the tone, making what should be a slightly whimsical but sharp story feel like a Saturday morning cartoon gone awry.

ROMANA TAKES THE LEAD (AND DESERVEDLY SO)

On the bright side, Romana II is very much in character here—confident, composed, and clearly the one doing most of the heavy lifting. She shines as the sharper half of the duo, as was often the case during the late Graham Williams era, while the Doctor mostly bumbles about and lets his scarf trail dramatically through the streets of Manhattan.

Their trademark banter is present, but the dialogue often feels clunky and overwritten. It’s trying very hard to be clever, and as a result, it lacks the natural wit of the show’s best moments with this pairing. It's Romana at her sassiest and the Doctor at his quirkiest, but the lines just don't snap the way they should.

ALIEN BIRDS AND PSYCHIC SOCIALITES

The story revolves around a psychic object held by an extravagant socialite named Mrs Oppenheimer-Mason, who is drawn as a caricature of wealth and oblivious grandeur. Two desperate alien birds want it back—but beyond that basic setup, not much else is really developed. The stakes are low, the pace is slow, and the resolution is forgettable.

The entire narrative feels like a piece of fan fiction cobbled together from vague memories of City of Death and The Horns of Nimon, but without the spark or satire that made those stories sing. It's more of a mildly amusing diversion than an actual adventure.

📝 VERDICT: 4/10

Time Lady of Means wants to be witty and whimsical, but it ends up reading like half-baked fanfic with mismatched visuals and a story that doesn't know what it's trying to say. Romana II gives it a bit of dignity, but it’s all too silly and shallow to leave any real impression. Not a total misfire, but definitely a forgettable entry in The Many Lives of Doctor Who.

Oh, huh, there’s no way. An actual plot. Like, there’s a story here. And not just “there was monster and we defeated them by doing… something”, I’m talking an actual introduction to the subjects of the comic, approaching the conclusion by doing something, and then finishing it off and making sense of it all. Wow. I’m impressed. Like it’s nothing outstanding, or great for that matter, or good for that matter, but it’s there.

I like the cartoonish art style quite well. The character designs are really lovely, and the city looks lively! Apparently the artist is Arianna Florean, who I mostly know for colouring Elena Casagrande’s stories, so it’s really nice to see her own drawings here. It’s incredibly reminiscent of Gabby’s sketchbook in the Tenth Doctor Titan comics, so maybe she was actually the one who drew those? Curious. Oh yeah and now that we’re talking about colours already I might as well mention that they’re basic but good. They go for a certain type with a flatter shading and it works well enough imo.