With the 1st/14th/30th (take your pick!) series of long-running British sci-fi serial Doctor Who finishing just over a week ago, the beginning of a new comic run featuring Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th iteration of the Doctor alongside Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday offers further adventures for a time-travelling pair that I quickly grew to love over the short span of eight episodes. I wasn’t always sold on some of the stories crafted for Russell T Davies’ return as showrunner, with a handful of episodes exhibiting an uneven quality to the storytelling that left proceedings feeling slightly cobbled together at times (‘73 Yards’, ‘Empire of Death’). I also have my reservations about the ultimate revelation of Ruby’s origin, having been billed as the central mystery of the season; I do understand the point the Davies was trying to make, particularly as a response to the reveal of fellow sci-fi orphan Rey’s back story in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, but then the events of Christmas Eve 2004 on Ruby road make very little sense as a consequence, and not in the usual ‘timey-wimey’ get-out way.

However, I did finish the season with nothing but praise for Gatwa’s interpretation of the Doctor. Gatwa turned in so many outstanding performances across the season, with a number of highlights and already iconic scenes that other Doctors have taken seasons to accumulate. Further exploring Time and Space alongside Gatwa’s Doctor and Ruby Sunday in comic book form is a welcome addition current incarnation of Doctor Who, with this first issue from Titan Comics penned by Dan Watters (Arkham City, Loki: The Liar, Homesick Pilots and more) with art from Kelsey Ramsay (Dark Spaces: Good Deeds, John Constantine, Hellblazer) kicking things off on a high.

In issue one, the Doctor and Ruby land on Earth in the 29th Century, having discovered hidden coordinates within a Cyberman artifact in 18th Century England (see the Free Comic Book Day release that acts as a prelude to this series). Setting down the Tardis in a futuristic shopping centre on a version of Earth that has almost entirely been abandoned by humanity after the effects of climate change took its inevitable toll, Ruby immediately comes across an advert that reads ‘Everybody must go’, a statement she assumes to be a typo. As knowledgeable as ever, the Doctor informs Ruby that the sign is in fact correct and that the now isolated shopping outlet is a last refuge for a small pocket of humanity that stubbornly refused to leave the world behind.

Echoing the approach of this season’s best episodes ‘Dot and Bubble’ and ‘Boom’ (as well as any number of previous Doctor Who episodes over the decades), Watters’ political commentary – concerning consumerism, climate change and those that deny its impact – is apparent from the get-go, with the writer utilising the genre to do what it does best – address real-world issues. Complimenting this narrative is Ramsay’s striking artwork, which successfully renders both Gatwa’s and Gibson’s likenesses whilst still allowing room for stylistic touches. A double-page respite from the central mystery, featuring the Doctor and his companion momentarily indulge in 29th century fashion typifies the fun that is also to be had with this incarnation of the Doctor. I think what struck me most is how easy I found it to hear Gatwa’s delivery of Watters’ dialogue as I read the comic, a testament to both the writer’s evident understanding of this new incarnation and also the strong impression that the actor has left upon the role already.

Titan’s Doctor Who comics have always been incredibly fun reads and it’s always great to pick one up and dive into further stories with your choice of favourite Doctor or era (or some combination – I recently read The Four Doctors by Paul Cornell, a crossover event featuring the 10th, 11th and 12th Doctors). Issue one of this new series promises that the fun will continue, an enticing promise given we will be waiting until Christmas to see Fifteen again!