In Review: Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor – The Prison Paradox #1 – Monsters, Myths, Misfits

Synopsis: Experience a Doctor Who adventure like no other as the Doctor, Belinda, and an unlikely band of allies infiltrate a prison packed with monsters and villains from across the cosmos.

With new friends, old foes, and a few enemies who might just be turning over a new leaf, this is a journey that leaps across the Whoniverse—and beyond.

The Story

The story begins with the Doctor locked in a prison transport alongside a small group of alien detainees, all being taken to the infamous panoptopolis — a colossal detention complex orbiting a black hole and operated under the authority of the Shadow Proclamation.

The Doctor has infiltrated the transport deliberately, determined to track down Belinda after she was seized and taken to the prison without explanation. But his plan for a quiet arrival collapses instantly. When he uses his sonic screwdriver to subdue an overzealous guard, the entire bay erupts into chaos. The panic spreads like wildfire, igniting a full-scale riot that sweeps through the docking area.

With alarms blaring and guards overwhelmed, the Doctor seizes the opportunity to search for answers. He quickly learns a chilling truth: Belinda has been flagged as a “person of special interest” by the panoptopolis’s ancient warden — a figure who has ruled the facility for over eight centuries and rarely involves himself directly with new inmates.

Caught in the middle of a spreading prison uprising, the Doctor forms an uneasy alliance with several fellow prisoners — each dangerous in their own right — and together they push deeper into the panoptopolis in the first steps of a desperate rescue mission.

The Artwork

Sami Kivelä and Valentina Bianconi deliver fantastic artwork throughout this issue. The opening sequence of the prison transport approaching the panoptopolis is stark, tense, and beautifully dramatic. I especially loved the spacescape — the mix of colours Bianconi uses gives those first panels a vivid, cinematic quality that immediately draws you in.

Kivelä’s line work really shines in the exterior shots as the ship nears the prison’s silhouette against the black hole, but she’s just as strong with the characters themselves. Her likenesses are spot-on without ever feeling stiff, and there’s a real sense of personality in her interpretations of the inmates. The Adipose and Slitheen, in particular, look fantastic — recognisable yet given just enough artistic flair to make them feel fresh.

Together, Kivelä and Bianconi create visuals that perfectly balance tension, scale, and humour, setting the tone for the Doctor’s unlikely alliance with this mismatched team of monsters.

Overall

I really enjoyed this issue, especially the idea of the Doctor forming an unlikely alliance with some of the galaxy’s most notorious criminals. It’s a fun twist that gives the story a fresh dynamic, and I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing how these characters develop in future issues.