In Review: Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor #1

Synopsis: The Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday have followed a mysterious signal to a shopping mall in the last days of Earth. It’s sure to be a trap, but to find the source, The Doctor must face his greatest fears…

The Story

Having found some cyber technology in the 18th century. The Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday trace its origins to Earth of the 29th century and find themselves in what appears to be an empty shopping mall. As the Doctor and Ruby explore they find that the mall is not so empty after all when they see a group of human beings shopping. This is highly unusual given that humanity had supposedly left Earth to settle on other worlds when it became apparent that the Earth could no longer support them. When the Doctor introduces himself to one of these remaining humans he learns that a small group was in denial about the solar flares eventually making the earth uninhabitable.

When a storm comes forth, the mall kicks into protective mode, which allows for the Doctor and Ruby to explore the lower levels. However, this little adventure brings forth an old nightmare that Ruby used to have as a child when they find an abandoned little girl and find themselves being chased by Cybermen. However, Ruby becomes separated from the Doctor and the young girl. Her childhood nightmare is about to manifest.

The Artwork

Kelsey Ramsey puts together some brilliant panels for this book. I loved how they managed to make an empty shopping mall look so menacing. However, it is the art toward the close of the issue when the Doctor and Ruby are confronted by a quite different type of Cyberman.

Overall

Dan Watters has put together a really interesting story here. I loved the beginning where Ruby is telling the doctor about her scary dream about being lost in a shopping mall and how the writer and artist juxtapose that story with the imagery of a lonely little girl hiding in the lower levels of a shopping mall with only her teddy bear for comfort.

Overall, this is promising start to a story that really explores The Doctor and Ruby’s friendship.