Doctor Who Volume 1: Fugitive by Tony Lee


Doctor Who Volume 1: Fugitive
Title : Doctor Who Volume 1: Fugitive
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 1600106072
ISBN-10 : 9781600106071
Language : English
Format Type : Paperback
Number of Pages : 150
Publication : First published January 1, 2010

An anomaly in the space-time continuum brings the Doctor to Hollywood during the Roaring Twenties, where he makes new friends and new enemies. But his actions attract the attention of the Shadow Proclamation, which puts him on trial for his life!

This book collects the first six issues of the ongoing series, written by Tony Lee (Doctor Who: The Forgotten), with art by Al Davison (The Dreaming) and Matthew Dow Smith (The Keep).


Doctor Who Volume 1: Fugitive Reviews


  • Kemper

    I lost my taste for comic tie-ins to movies and TV shows somewhere along the life journey that has left me the cheerful and upbeat person you know here on Goodreads. However, I’ve been seriously craving some Doctor Who while waiting for Peter Capaldi to make his debut so when my wife came across a great deal on Humble Bundle for a large pack of digital Doctor Who comics from IDW it seemed worth a look. Plus, part of the proceeds go to charity. And I just like saying ‘Humble Bundle’. Try it. You’ll see. It’s fun, right?

    Anyhow, this collection features the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) in the time period when he was traveling without a companion shortly before the end of his tenure. In the first of two stories, the Doctor is in Hollywood during in the 1920s where he meets famous actor Archie Maplin (Get it?) and as usual there are aliens up to shenanigans. In the second, the Doctor is captured and put on trial by the Shadow Proclamation for breaking numerous laws about interfering with timelines that were established by the Time Lords. Not surprisingly, there are also alien shenanigans in that one too.

    Overall, the comics do a nice job of feeling like they could be episodes of Doctor Who, and you can almost hear Tennant doing some of the dialogue in the frantic speed-freak way he did so well when called for. I enjoyed the smaller scale Hollywood story more than the big interstellar space one for it’s clever integration of silent movie style gags and segments. Plus, there was a different artist for each, and I preferred the style in that one.

    Nothing fantastic or mind blowing, but it was a couple of solid and entertaining stories that made me a little nostalgic for the 10th Doctor even though the 11th remains my favorite. This first collection makes me think that I’m going to get more than my money’s worth out of the rest of the Humble Bundle. (It’s even fun to type!)

    The sale is going for the next 10 days from now (May 18.) if anyone is interested:
    https://www.humblebundle.com/books

  • Nola Lorraine

    This graphic novel contains six episodes/issues featuring the tenth Doctor (the David Tennant one). I'm a big fan of the David Tennant era of the TV series, so was interested to see what they'd do in a graphic novel. The doctor is travelling alone and starts out in 1926 Hollywood, where he has to foil a plan to steal the hopes and dreams of young actors for a darker purpose. No sooner is that situation seemingly resolved when the architect of the Shadow Proclamation arrives and declares that the Doctor is to face trial for crimes against humanity. However, the false charges have been brought by the Krillitane and the Doctor has to join forces with past enemies like the Sontaran and Ogran to save himself and the peace talks on Luna IV. Or something like that - LOL

    The voice of David Tennant's doctor comes across well and there's some humour along the way. It finishes on a cliffhanger, but there is a Volume 2. As a whole, the story didn't really grab me, but I liked it enough to keep reading. Fans of the show would probably enjoy it, but some parts could be confusing for Dr Who newbies.

  • Devann

    actual rating: 3.5

    The first two issues of this are decent enough but it's hard to get past the incredibly awkward art to really enjoy them [seriously, someone teach this person how to draw faces and proportions]. The last four issues were a separate story [that I think will be continued in the other volumes] with a separate artist and were a lot more fun and interesting. Definitely interested to see where this series goes [and crossing my fingers that they don't go back to the first artist lol]

  • Mary Bronson

    I thought this was a great graphic novel story of the 10th Doctor. I loved how he went to early days Hollywood and then he was arrested and went on trial for disrupting time and history. Then another plot unfolded and was very entertaining

  • LaToya Davidson-Perez

    Arguably the truly great thing about Doctor Who can also be the most frustrating thing. Time travel. I will say that it took me a while to get used to the campy creatures and antics as depicted on the television series but one you're hooked, you're hooked. This was my first Doctor Who graphic novel and I am anxious to read more. It doesn't hurt that this novel focuses on the 10th Doctor (my personal fav). As I mention, time travel can be frustrating but it certainly does lend itself very well in this Doctor Who novel. It is a compilation of the six issues of an ongoing series (the next comes out in October 2010) and has the Doctor starting out in the 1920s. For someone who may know little about the general Doctor Who premise, much like the television series, the book does provide you with a great deal of background information intertwined into the plot including past enemies and character quirks. It does in some way seem to be aimed at a more American audience as there is even a reference to even American Idol, I think. I would assume that it would've been to the X Factor. Additionally, the initial part of the story is set in Hollywoodland (as it was originally in the 20s prior to its loss of the 'land' in 1949). While it is evident that the Doctor is from across the pond, it was nice to see, unlike the television show, a storyline that include the USA. In this story the Doctor is put on trial (a very short sequence in the book that still manages to take up the majority of the plot) and also calls attention to his lack of a companion, having previously 'lost' Donna Noble. The artwork, done throughout the primary portion of the book is by Al Davison and Matthew Smith. While the artwork does at times capture David Tennant's look, it is a bit lacking. Also, the plot, while interesting at times seemed a bit off. You go from the roaring 20s to encounters concerning the Shadow Proclamation, and then back again. I will say that my reason for picking up this graphic novel is because I immensely enjoy Tennant as the Doctor and was curious how it would translate on the page of a book. The number of 'companion' types in this book was a little bit of a concern, but it was nice seeing so many of the Doctor's adversaries/convenient allies. While the end of the first trade doesn't leave you completely hanging, it does have you wondering about what happens next. This is a nice little walk in the Doctor Who universe and worth the read.

  • Sarah

    I got this graphic novel in a pack that is currently on sale at Humble Bundle. I've never read a Doctor Who book, but I was excited to be able to sit in on more adventures with the Tenth Doctor, since he is by far my favorite. This graphic novel did a pretty spot on job with the humor and general demeanor of the Tenth Doctor. Interactions with his companions and reactions to dangerous situations were exactly like something right out of the show. I really liked the fact that, at least in this first volume, we get to see the Doctor companionless. On the show, he is usually followed by a companion or two, which at times can takes away from the focus of the show: the Doctor himself.

    The story moved along at a good pace, although there were times when the plot felt a bit flimsy and in need of further explanation. Maybe this is due to the fact that I have not watched all 26 of the original seasons of Doctor Who. Either way, there were times of confusion for me when reading this. Thankfully, this confusion was not so overwhelming as to ruin the story. The only other aspect of this graphic novel that I didn't particularly care for was the art. There were some panels that captured David Tennant's likeness very well, and some that were so poorly sketched out that it took me a bit to figure out who the Doctor even was. That being said, it was nice to spend some more time with "my" Doctor, and I will definitely be continuing reading the rest of the novels.

    I'd recommend this series of graphic novels to fans of the Tenth Doctor Who. If you are a hardcore graphic novel reader, you are probably going to be horribly disappointed in the artwork. If you are a hardcore Whovian, you also might be disappointed in the lack of substance of these stories. They are fun, but this first installment does not really offer anything new or groundbreaking. It is, however, a nice, fast, light read for Doctor Who fans looking to gobble up any extra Tenth Doctor tidbits they can find.

  • Just a Girl Fighting Censorship

    2 1/2 Stars

    The first story in this volume takes place in Hollywood during the silent movie era. The Doctor meets Archie Maplin, who is meant to be a Charlie Chaplin knockoff which beings me to my first issue...why not just use Charlie Chaplin? Or Buster Keaton? Or someone who was an actual silent film star?

    Anyways...it's no big surprise that the Doctor uncovers a dastardly plan hatched by some misplaced aliens just trying to make it in Hollywood. I suppose the best parts of the story are all of the references to silent films from being tied to train tracks to hanging from the face of a clock and even a black and white subtitled Keystone Cop-esque chase scene.



    The end of this comic leads directly into the next story where the Doctor is put on trail by the Shadow Proclamation that we are always hearing so much about. Thus we get some Judoon action along with appearances from Ogrons, Draconians and Sontarans. The baddie is Mr. Finch the Krillitane which we met in the episode "School Reunion".





    Overall I have to say that I was somewhat bored with the plot and characters. Also, the personally of the Tenth Doctor got a little wearing, he just came off as annoying. All of that topped with the always disappointing artwork in these comics had me just waiting for it to be over. The beautiful alternate artwork at the back of the book only adds insult to injury (my poor eyes). This is just okay, mediocre, not a must-read.

  • Nicholas Whyte


    http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2085481.html[return][return]A collection of linked Tenth Doctor graphic stories, the first two issues set in Hollywood in 1926 with the Doctor collaborating with film star Archie Maplin (an obvious duplicate of Charlie Chaplin) and the following four taking him through a struggle with the Shadow Proclamation, or more particularly with Mr Finch / Brother Lassar from School Reunion, aided by a Draconian, an Ogron and a Sontaran. Lee is sensitive to his material and there were several great squee moments for my fanboy heart (including shoutouts to Big Finish continuity).[return][return]Unfortunately I felt the artists failed to quite capture David Tennant's (or Anthony Stewart Head's) facial features, with Matthew Dow Smith, doing the second run of four issues, slightly better than Al Davison, doing the first two. (The frame shown here is Smith rather than Davison.) If you can swallow that, the story is quite good, and I will work through the next volumes happily.

  • Mikael Kuoppala

    So begins Tony Lee’s trilogy of books about the 10th Doctor in the interim of "Journey's End" and his swan song in "End of Time". There's a sufficient amount of angst and foreshadowing involved to make the setting ring true, sufficiently epic and faithful to the mood of that time period.

    The first story begins as a rather standard but pleasant nostalgia trip, as the Doctor lands the TARDIS in Hollywood during the 1920's. Invading aliens are of course involved. But this basic- although very well written- tale stems something a bit more, as it connects to events leading the Doctor to stand on trial in front of the Shadow Proclamation.

    Some compelling sci-fi concepts and political intrigue fuel the opening to what promises to be a big tale of conspiracies and probable plot twists with some rich character content. I got hungry for more.

  • Angela

    The Doctor goes to a silent film set because Donna had wanted to go, and he feels he owes it to his memory of her. However, there's something odd to do with time going on, and things get worse from there on. The shadow proclamation and baddies from the past are involved. A great story and amazing characterisation. I loved the spin on the ogrons, and there were lots of memorable moments. Even Charley Pollard was mentioned. This is the Doctor knowing his end is near, but is determined to have fun with it. The artwork in the silent film section is very clever, and the page layouts are original. A great read, can't wait to read volume 2.

  • Hazel

    The story is somewhat interesting, but the gags don't work as well as they do on video. I don't think that the graphic novel form translates the doctor who feel very well. The artwork is also a bit ugly.

  • Nancy

    Interesting. This has other parts so this is just the first chunk of a plotline but it is a stand alone tale as well. It has some vague bits that don;t seem to fit as smoothly into things but it was an , overall, good read. It was also fun to read some throwbacks to some of the Doctors history as previous regenerations. I remember the tv episodes with the Sontorans and the Dracconians. That made those parts pretty cool. It was interesting to see the Shadow Proclimation again but somehow, her reasoning for events seems forced by the author. Some sections just do not flow smoothly. Still worth the read though.

  • Timothy Pitkin

    Always good to see the Tenth Doctor and a nice surprise to see Mr. Finch and the Krillitanes. Also nice call backs to old doctor who stories like with the Draconians and Jo. Also it was really cool to see the Doctor participate in silent movie comedies and I will love to see where this story goes next.

  • Andy Hickman

    Stories of the Tenth Doctor.

    The Fugitive
    #1
    The Tenth Doctor goes to 1920s Hollywood and introduces himself under several names: Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Michael Caine and Pee-Wee Herman.
    Fun allusions to having inspired Charlie Chaplain and Buster Keaton.

    #2
    Young local aspiring actors Matthew and Emily rescue the Doctor from an oncoming train, “Thank you – that was a train I DIDN'T want to catch!”

    Clever insertion of silent film images. The plans of the invading Terronites are thwarted.

    #3
    “Well, if the Time Lords made the rules – and I'm the LAST Time Lord – I REPEAL THE RULES! Huzzah! ICE CREAM FOR ALLL!” (p49)

    #4
    When the Doctor manages to sneak in a sheet of suggestibility paper, “That's the problem with Judoon, they always examine the shoes .. but never what's in your socks!”

    “'Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops' – I have no idea where that came from.”

    “Come on, I can do this. I can fly an aerodynamically unsound blue box through an asteroid field. I can DO THIS!”

    #5
    Kraden: “It looks like those stories I heard about you in the GREAT WAR were WRONG, then. They said you were a WARRIOR.”
    Doctor: “Those stories weren't wrong, Kraden, I was just a DIFFERENT MAN then. Hyperspace jump in three, two, one -”

    #6
    Kraden: “When our people last saw you, there was a girl. A companion. And now you travel alone.”
    Doctor: “Yes – Jo Grant. That was a while ago for me, though.”

    Doctor to Matthew and Emily: “I was thinking of visiting Rome – or maybe seeing King Arthur.”
    Emily: “King Arthur doesn't even exist. He's just a story.”
    Doctor: “Really? Then you can tell him that to his face when you meet him.”
    Matthew: “You knew Arthur?”
    Doctor: “Of course! He even had a nickname for me. He called me 'Merlin'...”
    - - - -

  • Gwnhwyfer

    I'm a late-comer to the Doctor Who universe and have only started watching the series (beginning with the 9th Doctor) earlier this year on DVD. I have only (I'm putting off the inevitable, I know...) gotten up to the end of season 2 (since I'm borrowing from my local library/interlibrary loan and there were "issues"). However, I'm really enjoying the series, the characters, everything. Which led me to pick up the books - and this graphic novel.

    Since I'm lagging in my watching, there were some continuity issues for me, but for the most part, I was able to enjoy this collection. The artwork (like most traditional comic books) was not to my personal taste (besides the Doctor, Emily Winter in particular). It seemed to be more "harsh" at the beginning and softened in the second half. On a side note, there is a decent portrait of the Doctor at the end of the collection by Tommy Lee Edwards. The story is the real winner of the comic, however, having captured some of the Doctor's voice and the feel of Doctor Who. I was more inclined towards the second half of the story (the trial and beyond) rather than the first, as it seemed particularly more "Doctorish" (though special mention to the Charlie Chaplin-esque bit near the beginning).

    Overall, not a bad collection, but not something that I would ever buy. As for volume two, it's not something that I'll actively go searching for, but if I happen across it, I would read it.

  • Matt Niehoff

    So this was my first Doctor Who book, and really one of the first comics/graphic novels I've ever read (especially all the way through). I have taken a harsh skepticism against this and may revise it later after I read more of them but in general this was something I really liked.

    After the initial nostalgia of finding more adventures featuring my doctor (not that bastard Matt Smith, although the last couple episodes haven't been too bad), I settled in to enjoy a decent episode of the 10th Doctor's travels. The art was nothing to write home about, especially in the second half, but it really is the story that makes it. There are a lot of the Doctor's mannerisms here, but at time he just seems more awkward than he should be. Perhaps this is because it is something I can sit and look at and over-analyze as opposed to the live action of the TV shows.

    Overall it was enjoyable and I am looking forward to reading more of these. Even as I wrap this up 3 stars seems a little harsh, but I don't want to average 4.8 on my ratings and I think it reflects an optimism for future editions :).

  • Yoda Bor

    Ma première impression sur ce volume a été pour le dessin que je trouve particulièrement moche.
    Si vous arrivez à reconnaître Ten, vous êtes très doués !

    Sa caractérisation est également très étrange. J’ai bien souvent eu l’impression de retrouver plutôt Eleven et sa tendance à papillonner. J’ai gardé le souvenir d’un Ten moins foufou.

    La première partie est un hommage aux premiers films tournés. Poursuites à vélo, chasse à l'homme, horloge qui s’effondre, … on retrouve tous les grands classiques.
    Si j’ai bien apprécié ces moments, l’intervention de la Proclamation des Ombres entraîne un virage plus grave dans la deuxième partie et ce scénario m’a encore plus emballée.

    J’ai beaucoup aimé les multiples références. A Charley Pollard, Jo Grant, … Et la Proclamation des Ombres salue le travail effectué par le Docteur contre Davros dans The Stolen Earth.

    On retrouve également M. Finch, le leader des Krilittanes, rencontrés dans la saison 2 de la NuWho.
    J’apprécie beaucoup quand les différents supports de Doctor Who s’imbriquent entre eux.

    Une aventure à suivre, mais pour l'instant le scénario me plaît beaucoup.

  • DDog

    This comic was surprisingly good. I'd never picked up any of the non-TV Doctor Who materials, and this was the only thing in the county library when I searched for Doctor Who, so I checked it out.

    The writing was spot on; I could hear the voices of the characters I'd met before in my head and the plot was engaging.

    The art style was not my thing, or this would've gotten five stars. There were a couple of pages where I said "hey, this is more like it!" and then it went back to the kind I didn't like. Since two artists contributed to the book, in the supplemental art in the back I was able to pick out which one had done the pages I liked and which had done the other pages; unfortunately there were far more of the latter and it was distracting for me. But art's as personal as writing style, so others will probably like it better than I.

    Now I just have to find the rest of it somewhere.

  • Drew Perron

    Better than expected! Has some pretty strong themes, and some good exploration of actions and their consequences. Plus, silent film homage! The plot has some hiccups and sloppy transitions, but nothing that damages the story too much. And special credit for making a reference to the Big Finish audios in a way that goes beyond fanservice to actually support the point being made.

    The art is a mixed bag. In some places, it works, but there are moments like the end of the fifth issue, where the Doctor is making a dramatic proclamation with all the expression of someone who just found a quarter on the sidewalk. The coloring is similar, feeling a bit washed out.

    Still, overall, worth a read.

  • Kaedal

    As much as I enjoy the "space" parts of Doctor Who, I do watch it primarily for the "time travel" parts. And this is severely lacking in the latter. In fact, the TARDIS doesn't have much of a role in the story at all, and instead it focuses almost entirely on the Doctor and his little group.

    There's also very little in the way of mystery or plot development, instead the volume focuses almost entirely on character development. You get a defined villain, a hint at some plot devices and a few open ends that'll make you want to read the next volumes.

    But that's about it. A humorous few sequences, a few action panels, and some good dialogue. And then the story is over and you move on to the next.

  • Sorcered

    I'm not at all familiar with Doctor Who but the Humble Bundle opportunity seemed too good to pass so here I am, slowly making my way through the comics, trying to make sense of it all, and failing :)
    It doesn't help that there's a staggering amount of alien races on display, each with their own ends & purposes, and a handful of gadgets referenced but never explained. Probably not the best entry point to the Doctor Who universe... I liked some of the funny parts, but trying to replicate movie gags using comic panels didn't really work. Well, at least it was entertaining enough to finish.
    Art: 2/5. Story:2/5.

  • Janie

    The second of the Doctor Who graphic novels that I’ve read, these have really surprised me with the story development and plot. There are a lot of references from the entire series (new and old) and reading the graphic novel felt like watching an episode. Well, not exactly. Reading the graphic novels certainly isn't necessary to understand the show or anything, but it definitely adds to the experience. I would recommend it to fans of the 10th doctor because this really does a good job of capturing the sarcasm and witty banter of the character.

  • Fate's Lady

    While I didn't DISlike the story, I didn't find it very compelling, either, which was disappointing. The language seemed like it was trying very hard for the Tenth Doctor and coming up short, and I confess to absolutely hating most of the art. The Doctor didn't look like the Doctor in most of the pages, and the girl he saves was supposed to be an up and coming actress, but she looked like a really, really ugly guy in a bad wig. Overall, I found this whole comic a bit of a disappointment, and I wouldn't recommend it.

  • Kaoru

    The first story in this collection was perfectly alright, just nothing very special. But well, I have a soft spot for Silent Hollywood so I probably got more out of the story than I actually would have. Who knows?

    Story #2 however is rather flat. Neither particularly exciting to read or interesting to look at it just plods along, and unfortunately it's the longer story of the story. Oh-hum. And what was that Sontaran/Ogron/Draconian-fanwank meeting all about? I mean, except for the writer showing off that he knows the races?

  • Rick

    I'm always game for more Doctor Who, regardless of the format, and the couple of stories here were fun enough for what they were. What dragged this down, however, was the absolutely simplistic artwork (was this drawn in Microsoft Paint?) along with the references that were casually tossed around from the old Who canon that had me having to consult my friend, Google, to refresh my memory about. Had these shortcomings been addressed, this would have been much more enjoyable as the stories themselves were great 10th doctor styled tales.

  • Mindy aka serenity

    Great addition to the Doctor Who comic canon. The 10th Doctor is in Hollywood of the Roaring 20s when he uncovers some strange dealings around a movie studio. All of a sudden young starlets are losing interest in their dreams and quitting acting altogether. Why? The doctor and some new friends endeavor to find out. The artwork is very good in this graphic novel and the story is a page-turner. This is the 1st in a series of 3 10th Doctor graphic novels so I look forward to reading the others soon.