Titan Comics, out now

Writer: Jody Houser

Artist: Roberta Ingranata

 

Having tracked the Stilean Flesh Eaters through time, the Doctor and her crew are headed to the Battle of Ridgeway in Canada, but is it a trap?

The final instalment of the Hidden Human History four-parter lacks the grand finale that the previous issues suggested, but ultimately the explanation is rewarding and places the story in the ‘not all aliens want to take over the world’ camp. It’s a key moment when the Doctor finally confronts the H3 podcast that everyone’s been listening to, and we get to meet Bethany Brunwine, the mysterious podcaster.

Jody Houser continues to write dialogue for the Doctor that could easily be spoken by Jodie Whittaker, and she breaks up the narrative with plenty of asides for the trio of supporting travellers. Roberta Ingranata is also enjoying mimicking Whittaker’s wide range of facial expressions from gurns to wide-mouthed awe.

Verdict: The Stilean Flesh Eaters are ultimately not the monsters we thought they’d be, but there again that’s part of the moral of the story. With some subtle use of time travel, Hidden Human History is a gentler take for the Doctor, looking at evolution and consequences, and is never less than solid entertainment. 7/10

Nick Joy