Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor #4 Review

 

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Kelsey Ramsay

Colorist: Valentina Bianconi

Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Jonathan H Wilkins

Art Director: Oz Browne

Cover Artists: VV Glass; Photo; Pedro Andreo & Charlie Kirchoff

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 13, 2024

 

The Doctor saved Ruby from a fiery death. But then the Scream Sommelier stole Maria. Will his Cybermen kill the girl like they shot the shoppers in the last mall on Earth? Let's grab our sonic screwdrivers, leap into Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor #4, and see!

 

Story

The Scream Sommelier wants to hear the Doctor scream. He traps the TARDIS in a pocket dimension, but the Doctor refuses to add his fear to the god’s collection. But Ruby’s scream gives the TARDIS a roadmap back to Earth. Now, the Doctor stands in Sanctum Shopping and Dining, wishing the shoppers had nabbed the complimentary tickets for the Holo Theater on the fifteenth floor.

 

Still, the shoppers feel remorse over letting the death of their friends transform them into a mob. Perhaps they can help the Doctor rescue Maria. The Scream Sommelier craves the Doctor's scream. But maybe the shoppers can offer him something else.

 

In Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor #4, the Doctor wants to rescue Maria. But he also wants to know where she belongs. Unlike the shoppers, the little girl didn’t choose to remain in the mall when the last spaceships left Earth. But Maria’s fear is a potent force and gives the Scream Sommelier the means to kill.

 

Dan Watters’ story shows how fear drives us to acts of hatred and intolerance. But fear can also inspire others to acts of hope and inclusion. As the Doctor seeks to frighten the Scream Sommelier, he discovers that what he fears is instead a strength.

 

 

 

Art

Kneeling before the TARDIS, the Doctor clutches Maria’s teddy bear. But when he pulls open a fold of fur, what hides inside the bear spurs him into action. Maria stands amid rows of bottles, their labels marked by writing more akin to a serial killer than a sommelier. The Doctor clutches Maria's bear as he addresses the shoppers from the top of the escalator while Cybermen march across the cobblestones between the shelves of bottles.

 

Valentina Bianconi lavishes vibrant color on Kelsey Ramsay’s art in Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor #4. Swirls of yellow smoke surround the Scream Sommelier. A woman with pink hair shares similar features with other women the Doctor and Ruby met in their travels. Blues and greens dominate the last shopping mall on Earth, belying the residents' fears of Earth's fiery death. But red energy infuses the yellow atmosphere below the surface as the Scream Sommelier opts for a consolation prize.

 

Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith conjure large black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes bordered by character-specific colors. Words embolden for intonation and swell for volume. Enlarged scarlet dialogue fills pages with fear while rounded Vworps banish it. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a copy for review. 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Maria's visit to Sanctum Shopping and Dining was birthed in catastrophe. Ruby's attempt to emulate the Doctor ended in heartbreak. While the Doctor seeks to turn tragedy into triumph in Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor #4, he demonstrates that sometimes a perceived ending is a new beginning.

 

Rating 9.5/10 

 

To preview interior art see my preview at The Dragon's Cache.