Writer: Jody Houser

Artist: Rachael Stott

Titan Comics, out now

After their run-in with The Hoarder, the Doctor and her ‘fam’ make a trip to 16th Century Europe and discover monsters hiding in the woodshed.

One of the Doctor’s character traits is being an insufferable know-it-all and this is neatly addressed when our favourite Gallifreyan starts Doctorsplaining to her fellow travellers where and when they are, only to find out that they’re one step ahead of her. You see, while the Doctor has been worrying about sheep taking over the universe, Graham, Yaz and Ryan have been listening to H3 Hidden Human History podcast and learning about the 1500s Guelder War.

The crew run in to local girl Magda who is on the run from the Habsburgs’ demons. This leads to a splash page of the Doctor getting to do one of her grandstanding ‘this is who I am’ speeches, which is authentic to the latest season, but no less grating.

Verdict: Houser and Stott have created a classic ‘Part One’ set-up, meaning that it’s all about the scene setting. Little is explained, with the payoff being the introduction of a new alien species. With everything to play for, the plot is deliciously preparing to share its secrets. 7/10

Nick Joy