Writer: Jody Houser

Artist: Roberta Ingranata

Titan Comics, out now

The Doctor and her crew have been taken captive by the mysterious Mr Henderson – who may or may not be Santa Claus – and he’s the reason they all have different memories of the same event.

The concluding part of Titan’s two-part Holiday Special is a bit like one of those festive drinks from your favourite coffee chain – fun, colourful and a little too sweet for every day consumption. The emphasis here is entirely on fun, and there’s no genuine sense of threat or jeopardy, just a light-hearted romp with all the trimmings.

That mysterious figure in the shadows who recognised the Doctor at the end of the first issue is safety elf Baxter (elf and safety?) who is rather good at wielding a candy cane to release the Doctor and her ‘fam’. It’s then a case of travelling through the workshop until the villain’s true identity is revealed, and it’s certainly a fitting reveal. Trouble is, once the baddie is called out, the Doctor put a couple of wires together and puff, problem solved. Next stop, the kitchen to make Christmas dinner.

Verdict: Unashamedly a light confection that’s not meant to be taken too seriously, file this away under ‘romp’ and consume with tangerine, nuts, Christmas cake and your favourite tipple. 7/10

Nick Joy