Doctor Who: The Road To The Thirteenth Doctor

Someone is trying to contact the Doctor, and they’re reaching across time and space to do it. Attempts to contact the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth incarnations of the Doctor have proven fruitless, so they’ll have to try again with the thirteenth iteration of the famous Time Lord. But in the meantime, let’s revisit those past personas in preparation for the new Doctor’s imminent arrival.

The Road to the Thirteenth Doctor is an intriguing experiment in storytelling, even by Doctor Who standards. The comic consists of three new mini-adventures for Thirteen’s predecessors, plus a mystery tied into classic episodes of the new era of DW in which time was in flux.

This collection teases more than it delivers, which is frustrating. The mini-mystery doesn’t offer us enough information to figure out where it’s going before we’re left behind once more. And as for the adventures of the 10th, 11th, and 12th Doctors, those are a bit hit or miss. The 11th and 12th Doctor sequences are great fun, reminding you why you love the character in all of his (and her) forms. The 10th Doctor’s adventure, however, ends on a down note with a bit of a thud.

Proving to be more about setting up the chess board for future games rather than answering any questions for the audience, The Road to the Thirteenth Doctor is intriguing, but ultimately, a frustrating and unsatisfying read, despite the fun trappings.