Titan Comics' Doctor Who: Missy TPB Review
- WRITER
- Jody Houser
- Artist
- Roberta Ingranata
- Letterer
- Comicraft's Richard Starkings
- Cover Artist
- Claudia Caranfa
- Publisher
- Titan Comics
- Price
- 17.99
- Release Date
- 2021-10-13
- Colorist
- Enrica Eren Angiolini
Even when she acts as a force of evil, Missy manages to be one of the most endearing characters in the Doctor Who universe. Her sense of humor and moral ambiguity makes her a compelling character and one of the Doctor's greatest foes. It makes perfect sense for her to reappear in the Doctor Who comics after her time on the beloved television series ended. Writer Jody Houser, artist Roberta Ingranata, and colorist Enrica Eren Angiolini -- who have worked together on multiple other Doctor Who stories in the past -- reunite for the excellent four-issue series Doctor Who: Missy, published by Titan Comics.
Doctor Who: Missy begins at the maximum-security prison, the Stormcage Containment Facility, where Missy arrives disguised as the Doctor with a plan to help the Master escape. Missy tells the Master that she needs his help finding a fragment of the key of time. The classic villain begrudgingly agrees to help the woman he believes to be his sworn enemy. Missy puts her Doctor impression to the test as she and the Master travel through time and space in search of the key and put the strength of their tenuous partnership to the test.
Houser does an excellent job of building tension throughout the story. Missy and the Master are constantly on the verge of betraying each other, and Missy's true allegiances remain mysterious for much of the book. This uncertainty adds a degree of danger to every new development and keeps the audience excitedly turning the pages. Missy's personality shines in these nebulous and dangerous dynamics. Houser flawlessly captures the character's sense of humor that is at once cynical and whimsical. Almost every line feels clever without becoming unnatural or detracting from the narrative's fast-paced nature. The sequence that shows Missy and the Master rapidly traveling into the Master's past and future is particularly entertaining and full of great references to memorable Doctor Who moments.
Ingranata's art compliments Houser's writing beautifully. Her design for Missy's Doctor disguise is emblematic of the thoughtful and playful nature of all of her art. Her depictions of these familiar characters are immediately recognizable, but they still carry some of Ingranata's style. Her impeccable linework and cinematic compositions add a sense of gravity to the comic. The sword fights are as well-drawn and carefully crafted as the scenes of the Tardis hurtling through space. Ingranata's impressive artistic range is on full display in this volume and is made all the more interesting by Enrica Eren Angiolini's dazzling colors, which help take the reader from the harsh environs of the Stormcage Containment Facility to the warm comforts of the Tardis.
Missy and the Master are a dynamic duo. And, while the end of their adventure finds them both almost exactly where they started, it is a thoroughly entertaining story that is sure to keep readers guessing. Longtime Doctor Who fans will be delighted by a cast that includes both contemporary characters in addition to fan favorites and serves as a reminder of just how much history the Tardis has seen. Houser, Ingranata, and Angiolini do an excellent job adding their signature styles to this fun comic that proves that the Masters can be every bit as fun to follow as the Doctors.