Escape From Skull Island #3 Review

 

Cover A: Harvey Tolibao & Kevin Tolibao

Escape From Skull Island #3 Review

Writer: Simon Furman

Artist: Christopher Jones

Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Letterer: Andworld Design

Editor: Louis Yamani

Designer: Dan Bura

Cover Artists: Harvey Tolibao & Kevin Tolibao; Christopher Jones; Fred Pham Chuong

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 15, 2025

 

Charlie provoked Kong into fighting a Kraken. Kong may have prevailed. But while Kaia’s tribe tended to the Titan’s injuries and treated the infection raging through him, Yuggoth rose to usurp Kong's dominion. When Kong returned to health, Charlie and the others forced Yuggoth to retreat. But when Charlie's dad, Cap, and Sam depart to discover what the mercenary Druid is up to, the monsters from Yuggoth’s domain start to reappear.

 

Annie isn’t a native of Skull Island. But she has lived long enough on the neighboring island to see how Yuggoth threatens to disturb the balance of life on the surface. When she heads to Kong's temple with a plan, Yuggoth’s creatures frustrate her efforts. Like Charlie, her plan may have succeeded. Still, someone pays the price for Annie's victory. What has Charlie’s dad learned about Druid’s plans? And will Yuggoth find another way to threaten Skull Island? Let's grab our weapons, leap into Escape From Skull Island #3, and see!

 

Story

They don’t have a body to bury. Still, they made a grave marker for Irene. But that’s not good enough for Annie. While she fought her mother tooth and nail, Annie refuses to let Irene’s death go unavenged. So, she leaves to find another way to prevent Yuggoth from returning to Skull Island.

 

Charlie arrived on Skull Island as a reluctant visitor. He didn’t care if he endangered Kong’s life. Nor did he realize how Kong protected the inhabitants from dangerous plants and even more aggressive monsters. When her king lay injured and helpless, Charlie told Kaia that he wasn’t sorry for his actions. But in Escape From Skull Island #3, Charlie assures Kaia that he stands by the island's protector. And despite missing out on college, Charlie realizes he's starting to feel as comfortable with their back-to-basics lifestyle as Annie did on the neighboring island.

 

The stakes are high in Simon Furman’s story. While Yuggoth still seeks to return to the surface, one of the people Irene hired plans to exploit both islands. Once his people complete the bridge between the islands, Druid hopes to lure rich thrillseekers to hunt the ferocious beasts. But Kaia’s tribe sought refuge on Annie’s island when Yuggoth and his monsters invaded Skull Island. Once Druid completes the bridge, Yuggoth’s monsters can easily attack Kaia’s tribe in Escape From Skull Island #3. 

 

 

Cover B: Christopher Jones

 

 

Art

Annie knows these islands can be deadly. Still, seeing the wooden cross protruding from the rubble knocks her for six. Yet when Charlie reaches for her, she snarls. Despite Kaia's claim that Charlie and Annie have strange courtship rituals, Annie stalks away and climbs atop Dog. As the maned creature trots away, Mike embraces Charlie instead. As they stand on the patio of Kong's Temple, rubble nestles against the broken edges of the stone platform. In the interior courtyard, Kong pauses amid the plants and statues when a stream of light transfixes him.

 

As Christopher Jones crafts engaging characters and spectacular settings, Charlie Kirchoff applies rich colors to the drama and action in Escape From Skull Island #3. The vivid greens imbue the islands with a tropical feel, while the surrounding sea and sky fill panels with a range of blues. The gray stones, boulders, and rubble link the majestic temple of the island's protector with the mercenaries endangering his island. And as Charlie vows to stand with Kong, Mike's red shirt and Kaia's red cloak link them as his greatest supporters.

 

Andworld Design fills white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes with black uppercase letters. As yellow block letters locate us in time and space, Kong’s roars enlarge the letters and deform balloons. Sound effects accompany a surreptitious mission and a battle for survival as smoke and lightning emerge from the Hollow Earth. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy. 

 

 

Cover C: Fred Pham Chuong

 

 

Final Thoughts

There's a little bit of everything on Skull Island, but not always where you expect it. As Annie seeks a way to complete her mother's mission of destroying Yuggoth, and Cap and Sam try to escape Druid’s clutches, Charlie makes a surprising discovery in Escape From Skull Island #3.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Escape From Skull Island #2.

 

For how this series started, see my preview of Escape From Skull Island #1.

 

For how the previous series started, see my review of Return To Skull Island #1. 

 

 

Escape From Skull Island #2 Review

 

Writer: Simon Furman

Artist: Christopher Jones

Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Letterer: Andworld Design

Editor: Louis Yamani

Designer: Dan Bura

Cover Artists: Diego Yapur, Christopher Jones & Eduardo Mello

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 11, 2025

 

Finding the Hollow Earth was a dream come true for Cap. But his son regards life on Skull Island as a nightmare. While Irene sides with Charley, her daughter Annie calls Skull Island home. But whether they like it or not, Skull Island is changing. People like Druid have plans for the island and its neighbor. Kaia, the leader of the indigenous inhabitants, believes Yuggoth remains a threat. Will Skull Island prove as difficult to escape from as Gilligan's Island? And why haven’t Cap and Sam returned? Let's grab our weapons, leap into Escape From Skull Island #2, and see!

 

Story

As long-time residents of the region, Kaia and Annie have much in common. Yet both are displaced. Kaia's people now live on Annie's island, while Annie resides on Skull Island. But the beasts rising from the pit don't care about upsetting people's lives. So as they ride together, Annie resists Kaia’s leadership, even if Kaia’s trying to save her life.

 

Charlie created this war with the Hollow Earth. For a long time, Kaia couldn't look at Charlie without blaming him for Kong's distress and the creatures rising from the Hollow Earth. Yet while Charlie yearns to return home, Kaia grows more comfortable with him. In Escape From Skull Island #2, Kaia tries to help Charlie achieve something she believes he wants.

 

Simon Furman spins a fast-paced yarn. Scenes interweave through time, placing the thrilling finale shortly after the story began. While Annie’s yearning for independence dominates the drama, the mystery surrounding Druid deepens. Once again, Irene yearns to get closer to Annie. But while Irene tries to build bridges to her daughter, Druid’s crew is building a bridge between the two islands. When his workers complete it, the horrors that arise from the pit will threaten not just the castaways, but also Kaia’s displaced tribe in Escape From Skull Island #2.

 

Art

Mushrooms sprout from the flagstones while vines and foliage grow over Kong's temple. His sculpture and a waterfall provide a scenic backdrop to the titan's residence. Yet as an insectile creature climbs from the dark pit, a paw bursts through one of the strange egg-like sacks hanging from support beams. As for Kong, Christopher Jones shows Annie and Kaia charging through a swamp on their steeds. The ladies speed past trees with twisted aerial roots. But the two battling titans tumble faster toward them.

 

Charlie Kirchoff lavishes a loaded palette of vibrant colors on Christopher Jones’ action-packed art in Escape From Skull Island #2. Even as darkness falls, the rich blue sky matches the gentle waves lapping against the shore where the castaways have pitched their tent. A yellow and white fire dances around the cookpot hanging from a tripod above a stone ring, while Kaia stands on lookout, clutching her spear. Annie crouches next to Dog, while Charlie sits apart. A haze obscures a memory of their last explosive battle between Kong and Yuggoth. But the purple and gray hull of the Leviathan links with Sam and Cap’s clothing, as they ponder Druid’s plans.

 

Andworld Design fills white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes with black uppercase letters. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered voices. As yellow block letters locate us in time and space, Kong’s roars enlarge the letters and deform balloons. Sound effects accompany injuries, cries, and shrieks, as gunshots and explosions rock the gateway linking the castaways to Yuggoth’s growing army. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Kaia is a stranger on her island home. Her new comrades seem divided physically and emotionally. Yet as the newcomers bicker and fight, the tribal chieftain attempts to guide a visitor from “civilization” through one of the most difficult stages of life in Escape From Skull Island #2.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Escape From Skull Island #2. 

Star Trek Voyager: Homecoming #1 Review

 

Writers: Susan Bridges & Tilly Bridges

Artist: Ángel Hernández

Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Letterer & Design: Neil Uyetake

Editors: Heather Antos & Cassandra Jones

Cover Artists: Ángel Hernández, David Nakayama & Photo Cover

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 3, 2025

 

It is a time for celebration. The USS Voyager has traveled through a heretofore unexplored region of space. Forget the USS Enterprise’s five-year mission. The crew of the USS Voyager has spent the last seven years returning home after the Caretaker abducted them. They return with a treasure trove of information on the Delta Quadrant.

 

Captain Janeway may have made some controversial calls during her captaincy. But she accomplished the impossible and got her crew home. How will Starfleet Command welcome them? Will any problems arise as the crew stands down? Let’s grab our phasers, leap into Star Trek Voyager: Homecoming #1, and see!

 

Story

The crew welcomes Admiral Paris, Admiral Kittim, and their associates to the bridge. The Admirals commend Captain Janeway for enhancing her crew with former Maquis and Borg soldiers. Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres introduce Admiral Paris to his grandchild. While most of the crew is relieved to achieve this Endgame, the ship's Second-in-Command suffers. Tuvok looks forward to mind melding with a relative before the disease ravaging his brain inflicts permanent damage.

 

Trouble arises in Star Trek Voyager: Homecoming #1 when Harry Kim disturbs Captain Janeway during her final cup of coffee in her Ready Room. The Ensign reports that he cannot access his controls. Other officers report similar difficulties. Captain Janeway looks out her window and discovers that they are leaving space dock. The crew should be transporting to Earth. Instead, someone has hijacked the USS Voyager.

 

Janeway and her crew must once again adopt controversial strategies to uphold Starfleet ideals. Technically, they have handed over control of their vessel to the Admirals. Perhaps Janeway and her crew are breaking regulations again. But they're determined to return to Earth, whatever the cost. Susan Bridges & Tilly Bridges deliver a taut sci-fi mystery. The drama and action build as the crew investigates their abductors. As Starfleet President Laira Rillak will one day say, "Reasons do matter. It’s the only way justice can be just.” But in Star Trek Voyager: Homecoming #1, their abductors aren’t asking for leniency.

 

Art

Ángel Hernández begins with a splash page of Voyager approaching Earth, before showing snapshots from their journey. Despite their elation at returning home, only Harry Kim stands facing the Admirals as they enter the bridge. But Captain Janeway turns to face the welcoming party. The camera shows Earth on the viewscreen as Janeway transfers power to Admiral Owen Paris. Then Tuvok clutches his forehead. Two hands, one alien, the other human, sprout from the deeply spiritual Vulcan’s face.

 

Charlie Kirchoff lavishes a loaded palette on Star Trek Voyager: Homecoming #1 as the action moves throughout the ship. Starfleet may have relegated Red Shirts to the records banks. Still, red unites the crew, as many wear it on their shoulders or necks. Blue links the ship's interiors and Janeway's materializing coffee mug with Earth's oceans. Yet in this series that celebrates found family, the highlights in Janeway's auburn hair link her with the sickbay wall behind Tom Paris, B'Elanna Torres, and baby Miral.

 

Neil Uyetake opens Star Trek Voyager: Homecoming #1 with uppercase black letters in white narrative boxes. A red stripe, accompanied by four gold pips, adorns Captain Janeway's contemplation. Letters shrink for lowered voices. Com transmissions appear in balloons without arrows and with blue outlines. The hijackers’ words inhabit puffy clouds. Yet their outrage fills the air as a volley of phaser fire shoots toward them. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

As they hand over control of the USS Voyager, the crew is jubilant. But their jovial mood fizzles as Lieutenant Tom Paris notices someone is acting weird. Once again, her remark to Ensign Harry Kim, “Weird is part of the job,” returns to haunt Captain Janeway in Star Trek Voyager: Homecoming #1.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For a two-page preview and more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Return To Skull Island #2 Review

 

Writer: Simon Furman

Artist: Christopher Jones

Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Letterer: Andworld Design

Editor: Louis Yamani

Designer: Dan Bura

Cover Artists: The Knott, Christopher Jones & Diego Yapur

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 6, 2025

 

Charlie provoked a fight between Kong and the Kraken to save his friends. The Human inhabitants of Skull Island regard Kong as their king. So Kaia, their queen, is displeased that Charlie would endanger the giant ape. When she sacrifices him to the beasts, Charlie's father rescues him. But now they are both prisoners of Kaia. And while Kong triumphed over the Kraken, he is now injured. Can Charlie and his dad appease Kaia? And can they help heal Kong? Let's grab our weapons, leap into Return To Skull Island #2, and see!

 

Story

Giant insects, carnivorous plants, and prehistoric animals call Skull Island home. It's a toxic mix, particularly when you consider its Human inhabitants. But Kong keeps everything in balance. At least he used to. Now Kong sits in a cave. While Kaia's people tend his wounds, the Kraken's poison flows through his veins. Each time another giant animal, bug, or insect attacks her people, Kaia reminds Charlie how he endangered her tribe. Charlie may not be a college student yet, but her lesson is starting to sink in.

 

While Skull Island shakes and roils, Annie struggles to fit in back home. She's been alone for so long that Irene feels more like her jailer than her mother. And this new life, where she must attend school and obey society's rules, feels more like a prison. But then, things aren't any easier for Irene in Return To Skull Island #2. She lost her husband and child. Irene told herself they were gone forever. Suddenly, she has her daughter back. Yet all Annie wants to do is return to Skull Island.

 

While Simon Furman transports us between Skull Island and the United States, he leavens the action and drama with humor. Still, we see that everyone on Skull Island is in peril. In the United States, everything hinges on Irene finding a way to protect her daughter from her short-sightedness. On Skull Island, Charlie assists the native inhabitants he has endangered, while his father helps tend to Kong’s wounds. But in Return to Skull Island #2, everything hinges on Kong. Charlie hopes Kong will arise to put all the animals and wildlife in check. But Kaia senses a greater evil than another monster like the Kraken.

 

Art

Mike and Annie find their new gray, white, and blue school uniforms constraining. Outside the gray and terracotta Cooper Academy, the green lawns, bushes, and trees beneath the cloudy blue sky evoke Annie’s former home. Charlie Kirchoff links Irene’s red SUV with the blood splattering an animal that used to live in harmony with her tribe. Pink and gray surround Kaia as she reenacts Han Solo's rescue on Hoth in reverse. But after she leaves, dark specks rise from the slain animal and drift over an orange centipede.

 

Christopher Jones contrasts Charlie’s nightmare on Skull Island with Annie’s struggles in suburbia. Like the imbalance on Skull Island, appearances can be deceiving in the place Annie came from. Irene and her new husband observe Annie sneak out of the house and race across the walled compound. The blue night sky outside the window contrasts with the purple, heavily inked figures inside the bedroom. Yet inside Irene and Sam’s red barn, Annie finds technological marvels in Return To Skull Island #2.

 

Andworld Design fills white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes with delicate italicized black letters. The letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. Creatures growl and roar as a native in a guard tower shouts words into spiky balloons. Sound effects fill panels as Something Wicked Looking This Way Comes. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Charlie doesn’t want to be on Skull Island while his dad loves it. Annie hates living in the place of her birth. Her mom looks on, feeling her dream of a happy future together dissolving. Return To Skull Island #2 reminds us of the sacrifices people often make to help a family member live their dreams. 

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Return To Skull Island #2. 

Star Trek Red Shirts #1 Review

 

Writer: Christopher Cantwell

Artist: Megan Levens

Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Letterer: Jodie Troutman

Cover Artists: Chris Shehan, JJ Lendl & Declan Shalvey

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 16, 2025

 

Ensign Chip Miller was elated to graduate from Starfleet Academy. Then, Starfleet Command made Miller a Security Officer. Despite his unsatisfactory combat skills, Miller survived his first away mission when the rest of his squad died. He regards the future with a scarred face and a pale eye. How will Ensign Miller fare when Lieutenant Midge DeMatrio assigns him to Operation Squawk Box? Let’s grab our phasers, leap into Star Trek Red Shirts #1, and see!

 

Story

Once, he served on the USS Constellation under Commodore Matt Decker. For the moment, Ensign Miller calls the USS Warren home. Lieutenant Midge DeMatrio has selected Chip for an away mission. Miller doesn't know his teammates. But his faded cornea and facial scars are excellent ice breakers. There's a camaraderie among the Security officers DeMatrio has assembled. Some want to be there. Others yearn for glory. But they’re red shirts, and that means they stand by each other.

 

In Star Trek: Red Shirts #1, someone has hacked a remote antenna array. Lieutenant Webster Cromarty has been on Arkonia 89 for nine months, but cannot determine who is monitoring the stellar wind data. He prefers to continue investigating on his own, but his superiors demand answers. Who is using the antenna to access Federation networks? Tasked with the assignment, Lieutenant DeMatrio hand-picks a landing team to bait a trap. When the snoops arrive to investigate, her team will capture them.

 

Ensign Chip Miller takes a dim view of Security. Like Lieutenant Cromarty and some of his teammates, Miller believes the Federation views red shirts as disposable assets. But Christopher Cantwell’s story reminds us that space travel is inherently dangerous. Accidents happen. Even if the Federation of Planets is devoted to peaceful exploration (and forming the occasional “humanitarian armada”), battles occur.

 

Some members of Operation Squawk Box survived the Klingon War. Even in peacetime, seemingly safe decisions can have disastrous consequences. If Commodore Decker hasn’t lost his entire crew, he will soon. Still, that doesn’t mean that every leader exercises the best judgment when planning away missions. Lieutenant DeMatrio proves that in Star Trek: Red Shirts #1.

 

 

 

Art

Charlie Kirchoff opens the first page with a splash of scarlet. Blue light shines into Miller’s eyes. Commodore Decker, clad in his yellow shirt, clutches Miller’s shoulder. Despite Decker's sympathetic words, Miller sees the world through one brown eye and one gray eye. Likewise, Kirchoff opens the next chapter of Miller's life aboard the USS Warren in spectacular fashion. The Constitution-class starship flies through space, undaunted by the orange flames licking its hull from a blazing sun. In the light gray hangar bay, a sea of red shirts gathers amid Class F shuttlecrafts like the Galileo.

 

Megan Levens opens Star Trek: Red Shirts #1 by transporting us through space and time. The first page takes place on the planet Neural, and the second aboard the USS Constellation. Nine images fill the third page, as Ensign Chip Miller shares memories of the missions he has survived. Megan Levens pairs this with a similar page in the hangar bay. This time, Lieutenant Midge DeMatrio occupies the center panel among seven. Her expression reveals an acceptance of death that Ensign Miller has yet to learn.

 

Jodie Troutman locates in time and space with yellow letters in black boxes. Black uppercase letters fill white balloons and boxes. Comm transmissions occupy blue balloons with lightning bolt arrows. Color tags identify the speakers. Energetic and colorful sound effects enhance transporter beams, explosions, phaser beams, and animal roars. And on the planet Arkonia 89, anyone can hear a centipede scream. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy. 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Every leader knows they will suffer losses. But not all leaders are created equal. Some make every effort to protect their people from harm. Others deploy Security Officers like pawns in Tridimensional Chess. While security officers aboard the USS Enterprise regularly die, Star Trek Red Shirts #1 reminds us that not every Federation captain or admiral cares about their crew like James T Kirk.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Return To Skull Island #1 Review

 

Writer: Simon Furman

Artist: Christopher Jones

Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Letterer: Andworld Design

Editor: Louis Yamani

Designer: Dan Bura

Cover Artists: Inhyuk Lee & Chris Jones

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 9, 2025

 

Charlie was supposed to go to college. Instead, he helped his father pursue his dreams. Now, the natives hold Charlie at spearpoint. While Kong battles a Kraken, the islanders bind his wrists and ankles and drag him along the ground. Charlie tries talking with them, but if they understand him, they don't answer. When they reach their village, the warriors toss Charlie at their chieftain’s feet. How did Charlie get here? And what will Kaia do to Charlie? Let's grab our weapons, leap into Return To Skull Island #1, and see!

 

Story

Validating his beliefs of Hollow Earth meant everything to Cap. So, when he went on this mission, Charlie accompanied him. Charlie got separated from his father. Then, fate prompts Charlie to provoke a fight between Kong and Kraken. When the village chief asks Charlie if he's sorry, Charlie explains that he did so to save his friends. But Annie and Mike can’t return the favor as Kaia orders the natives to bind Charlie to a wooden platform.

 

Return To Skull Island #1 follows Charlie’s ordeal among the natives. As he hangs above the chasm, Simon Furman interweaves past and present to summarize how Charlie got here. The story's point of view switches to the camp where Cap, Mike, and Annie are. Then, it follows Cap's search for his missing son.

 

There’s more going on than Charlie’s contretemps with the natives in Return To Skull Island #1. In provoking a fight between Kong and the Kraken, Charlie risks Kong getting injured or killed. Kaia and the islanders live in fear of this happening. They revere Kong because he keeps them safe. Worse creatures than the Kraken inhabit the Hollow Earth. Without Kong to protect them, who knows what would take his place?

 

Art

Christopher Jones opens Return To Skull Island #1 with a splash page showing Charlie in trouble. Then, he celebrates Kong's battle with the Kraken with a two-page spread. Thereafter, the irregularly shaped panels that fill the pages enhance the story's savage, prehistoric appeal. The natives have cobbled their village together with what nature provided and wreckage from the surface world. Giant birds and creatures populate this island. While some are readily recognizable, Annie's "dog" takes nods from apes and lions. Yet it evokes the same feelings as Aang's sky bison Appa in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

 

Charlie Kirchoff contributes bright colors to this jungle island. While Kong seems closer to us with his brown fur, the bright blue Kraken seems alien by comparison. Kaia's short red cape provides a link with another animal that helps Humans survive in this savage land. As the natives strap Charlie down on a greenish-beige bamboo platform, Charlie relives past events in muted tones or sepia colors. The brown skulls adorning the surrounding pillars hint at Charlie's future if he doesn't pass their test.

 

Andworld Design fills white dialogue balloons and beige narrative boxes with delicate italicized black letters. The letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. Creatures roar and squawk as larger colored words in dialogue balloons. Sound effects accompany battles that could change the future of Skull Island. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

As Humans, we tend to think of ourselves as the dominant species. Our impressive cities, technologies, and the interconnected systems that unite people across the planet make us feel like we’re in control. Return To Skull Island #1 reminds us how little we know about other people and that an unexpected event (a car accident, an illness, or a kaiju rising from the ocean) can strip away our illusion of control. 

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To look inside and view other covers see my preview of Return To Skull Island #1. 

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.