by Victoria Irwin
Contributing Writer
The latest issue of Doctor Who, The Eye of Ashaya: Part 1 begins with the Ponds waiting not so patiently in a Majorca airport to make their way back home to England. Their delayed departure is further pushed back by the Lady Christiana, DeSouza, which die hard fans of the newer Doctor Who episodes will recognize as a notorious thief from the television special Planet of the Dead. As usual, the Doctor arrives just in time to keep things interesting. Presenting the Ponds with tickets about a Luxury Starliner, he whisks his companions into another galaxy for their most recent adventure.
Andy Diggle appears to be an actual fan of the show, and not just a writer in need of the paycheck. The issue very much seems like a collaboration of what seems to be favorite key details of the lesser watched Tenth Doctor television specials from a few years back. References to luxury Starliners and the Lady Christina being a “bus driver” give fans of the show a quick thrill of recollection. I will admit that as a fan of the notorious thief, instant giddiness overcame me almost instantly with this issue. Her shoulder-riding companion, a cat-like alien creature named Neko, acts as a sort of sarcastic guardian as Lady Christina mingles with creatures not of Earth and works to unravel the security systems of the Starliner.
The artwork in this issue is delightful, with Josh Adams penciling very peculiar alien life forms about the Star Liner. Marc Deering and Charlie Kirchoff do an excellent job of bringing the pencils to life with their inking and cheerful color work, respectively. The familiar characters are kept true to form and drawn to be iconic and recognizable.
Overall, the issue is entertaining and fun. The issue breaks at a logical portion, leaving the reader in a place where they truly are interested in where the story is going. Diggle succeeds in following in the footsteps of the show’s current creative director, Stephen Moffet, by connecting past experiences to current adventures. This issue is highly enjoyable for those who have a background with the television show, and those who are just looking for a quick, light, read.
