It would be difficult to imagine any Doctor Who comic now having the freedom that DWM had in 2001.Izzy’s body has permanently changed to that of an amphibian! Removing the guardrails of having to fit into a broader narrative makes this comic the main show.

They use this change to tell us something about The Doctor’s changing experience of the world, but also how it differs from the experience of someone who this is not meant to happen to. It’s a really thought provoking one shot.

This was almost certainly a strange place to start with The Eighth Doctor and Izzy but I was particularly taken with how multilayered and inspiring the storytelling was. Scott Gray moves the story from scene to scene in a linear fast moving way which subverts the normal structure and rhythm of a comic. I particularly like the abrupt ending with a cracking cliffhanger. Martin Geraghty draws the most beautiful rendition of the “jungle” inside the huge space snake. It’s a feast for the eyes.

There are so many plates being spun in this. Plots and sub-plots. Surprising motivations and entertaining character encounters. If the bulk of the Eighth Doctor DWM comics are of this quality, I am in for a treat!

I was really taken by this one. The framing device of the master storyteller was charming and gave it a sense of scale and emotional depth that it wouldn’t have otherwise achieved. It enhanced the Ancient Chinese setting and harked back to Marco Polo - a story which has always fascinated me. The many Cindys were used to good effect and I loved the way that The Doctor and Gabby made their way beyond the damn and infiltrated this amazing environment. The world felt rich and “full”. I was so swept up in the story that I was even able to forgive it it’s technobable-filled conclusion. Had it been able to stick the landing with a more authored ending I think this would be an all time classic.

A breathless story full of trippy visuals and little surprises, I especially like The Doctor briefly believing he had been turned into an Auton. It manages to avoid a lot of the “dream world” cliches i.e. “try and remember that this is not real!!” and instead is pleasingly straightforward once the characters realize the situation they are in.

I unfortunately barely remembered Noobis from the last time I’d picked up these comics, I’m not sure how much he brings to the table for me, especially given how well established Gabby and Cindy are at this point. It’s so rare to build up non-TV Whoniverse characters this well, it makes me just want to see more of the regulars.

Once the evil plot is uncovered it’s an extremely straightforward story which doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.

There’s some cute ideas here. I am a big believer in comedic one shots, so am happy to see the, going strong in DWM. The issue with this one though is that the ending is a bit abrupt. Perhaps one more page to flesh out the idea could have done it.

This episode’s shock and awe worked on me. Davros as a child! Missy stopping planes! The Doctor on a tank! Every Dalek ever! There’s nothing subtle about it, but these big bold ideas enable effective storytelling. The hand mines are a very clever conceit. And being a loose sequel to Genesis of the Daleks, gives The Doctor the motivation to kill Davros as a helpless youngster.

Perhaps the best thing about the episode is the way in which Missy is used as a protagonist and Davros as an antagonist. I prefer this more cerebral , reflective, talkative Davros. He is far more compelling than the megalomaniacal shouting dictator from 2008. I like to think about him as a duplicitous, creeping villain. Missy goes to lengths to show that she is still evil, she hasn’t gotten cosy, at the same time she is teaming up with The Doctor in a way not seen on screen for decades. Michelle Gomez is bags of fun and lights up the screen. A fantastic contrast to The Doctor, Clara and Davros.

The softening of The Doctor was much needed and I am feeling a sense of relief having a bit more fun back at the centre of the show. It doesn’t mean that he is not dangerous, he clearly a complex character in this, but it finally feels like the right balance.

If I had to find fault, it would be that Missy and Clara’s deaths do not feel permanent or emotionally real. I would have fathered they saved this for the finale, or later in the series, where a viewer could possibly believe it could happen!

I was incredibly invested in this beautiful four part story from Jaqueline Rayner. I didn’t read it all in one go, and between issues I was wondering where the story would go next, eager to learn more.

There was a proper concept. Baddies with understandable motives and interesting plans. Genuine character development for both Clara and The Doctor. An unfolding mystery which explains itself at a good pace and has consistently satisfying answers.

It is a much needed, cathartic moment when Clara meets one of her splinters, it ties the end of series 7 up neatly. Especially good to see this in the Capaldi era, showing that these actions have consequences and impact beyond the televised finale. The fact that Raymor simultaneously brings us to the same location of The Doctor’s fist regeneration without it feeling haft or crowbarred in gives it a satisfying extended universe feel, tying all the eras together.

The artwork, the bold blues and crisp whites look fantastic and make the most of the Arctic setting.

My only quibble is the indispensable use of the sonic screwdriver in part four to replicate a frequency. It was such a smart, deep and fresh script that I was hoping for no cheap tricks. Having said that, it’s still a corker.

It’s a story that warms up as it goes along, but I think is fair to say is slow going. With the fairly obvious morale of the story more and more coming to the fore. The animation doesn’t do much to speed up proceedings, it’s not a very exciting presentation, but it is a definite boost to the visual appeal. Oddly the slow pace might actually suit the telesnaps though - I wonder how I’d feel about the original.

The concept is perfect for a short Doctor Who story, and it’s well explored in the first half. Unfortunately the protagonist is very boring, there’s not much to him other than being a good person and a bit of an everyman. Made worse by the fact that the upper class villains are cartoonishly drawn. The moral of the story is so blindingly obvious that you already have a firm grasp of it within the first 5 minutes.

This story has the best looking aliens (bar from the daleks) that have appeared in the show out so far, they really stand the test of time and look perfect in black and white.

I liked the concept of having the story set in lots of different places over 6 episodes, the fact that the show can be set anywhere is one of its inherit strengths, which it exploits here.

The scenes where Susan was kidnapped were the best part for me. The worst part were the unlikely ways in which the Doctor picked up clues for the court case.