Revolutions of Terror [COMIC/2014.7.23 ~ 10.8]

★★★★★

  It's rare that a new companion takes my heart away so completely, on their first outing. Call this a minor miracle, but the lovechild of Nick Abadzis's compassionate, lifelike writing and Elena Casagrande's beautiful drawing managed to do just that and more besides. Meet Gabby Gonzalez, a girl from Brooklyn with a family that misunderstands her and a mind full of hopes and dreams. She's one of my favourite comic companions -- possibly one of my favourites full stop -- and a large part of the overwhelmingly positive reaction I had towards her has to do with Revolutions of Terror itself and how magnificent it is.

  Ever wondered what a perfect series opener (i.e. companion introduction adventure) would be? The comic medium presents us with the quintessential example right here, with a breathless pace befitting the new series and a deeper look into the companion's life and their personality that the comic medium can accommodate. Gabby is such a heart-on-her-sleeve, lovably young-adult character (and she's American as well, which makes the Life in Strange comparisons even more fun), and she gels with the Tenth Doctor so instantly that you can't help but fall head over heels for her. It's perhaps a bit tried-and-true in the way that Abadzis opts to make her first taste of the universe a confrontation of her fears -- after all, how better can you first get to know a character than to see how they cope with what they are scared of the most? -- but what's important is that Revolutions of Terror has such fun with the idea and runs with it in many unexpected ways. This story touches the young-adult fantasy nut in me; it pulls me in like few other Dr. Who adventures do. Invisible emotion creatures only visible with certain gadgets (straight out of the Spiderwick Chronicles), magical portals that spring from laundromats, and a college student main character who meets a man from the stars... it's the stuff of YA heaven, I'll tell you that -- and I'm enjoying every panel.

  With Casagrande's colourful and emotive artwork on display, and Abadzis seemingly pouring his entire heart into making Gabby as lifelike as possible, this is one Titan comic you don't want to miss. The Doctor's compassionate, funny, energetic and ruthless, and he and Gabby are an instant, lightning-in-a-bottle duo. Like many Doctor-companion duos, they're one of the best elements of their whole run... but like only a treasured few of them, they're what I come back for every single time. Add into the mix a beautiful story about accepting your fears and how parents should open up towards their children, and an evocative Brooklyn setting, and I honestly cannot give this a lower score. This is Dr. Who firing on all cylinders for me, and it's incredible that the Tenth Doctor range for Titan began on such a high note. I love Gabby so much. She's hilarious, cute and smart, and I hope she one day makes it into other mediums of Who (because Titan doesn't seem to be doing anything with the range lately).