The Fourth Wall [COMIC/2016.5.11]

★★★★☆

  Whenever I think of Titan Comics, I think of Rachael Stott's illustrations. Maybe it's because I first delved into the comics group with the Thirteenth Doctor series, but I just love her art style. She excels with the Twelfth Doctor here as well, with a short comic adventure bursting at the seams with spirit and imagination. The artstyle here is right up my alley.

   It's almost a get-out-of-jail-free card to write and draw a comic about breaking the fourth wall because of how limitless the comic medium can be with that sort of premise, but both Stott and writer Robbie Morrison produce a wild ride with The Fourth Wall. Ever wanted to see what the Boneless (yes, those Boneless from Flatline) would get up to once they got control of the comic medium? You're about to find out in this comic, and it's delightfully playful with its premise. People fall inside and out of panels, entire pages are dedicated to creating these giant vistas of intergalactic/dimensional collapse, and the Boneless are as terrifying as they have always been. Clara taking the lead as the Doctor gets partially sucked into the comic dimension is very much in tune with what Steven Moffat was aiming for with the character (and it's a nice callback to Flatline as well); the comic's full of these lovely moments that capture the imagination, and for that, I cannot give it a lower score. It's pure fun, and it's a nice setup for the "real-life" comic version of the Doctor and Clara -- something that Titan would explore shortly.