Doctor Who: Four Doctors [2015] Paul Cornell | Neil Edwards

The War Doctor arrives on Planet Marinus as Clara Oswald attempts to save the universe by hooking up with Tenth and Eleventh Doctor’s assistants to prevent them from meeting and setting on foot on the Planet Marinus. However it is hopeless as all the Doctors meet including the current incarnation and together they face the Reapers, antibodies of time paradoxes. After escaping the Reapers, the three Doctors head to the Planet Marinus regardless of the consequences that await them. Once they arrive the Doctors are attacked by the Voord from outside of spacetime. 

The Doctors arrive on the Planet Marinus and trigger a continuity bomb which erases several events in the Doctor’s life. Now they are stuck in a looping timeline unless they commit to one timeline. They commit to the 13th Doctor’s future timeline because the 10th and 11th will destroy the universe. The Doctors escape the looping continuity bomb timeline and discover themselves with the Voord who give a ceremonial costume to the 13th Doctor from the future because he is their leader. The origin of how the Voord escaped reality is told as well as how the older 12th Doctor became their leader. His plan is to become the new Time Lords and make everyone one species by erasing the Doctors’ minds and sending them back through time so all the points will lead to the old 12th Doctor’s current timeline. The Voord are searching for the Doctor’s companions Alice and Gabby but Alice is killed and Gabby opens the Doctor’s comics.

As Gabby opens the comics Weeping Angel sends her into the past where she warns the Doctor’s companions. The Doctors understand what will happen in their futures and respond accordingly. The 12th Doctor takes on her future self with the rest of the Doctors and succeeds in preventing a timeline with a despot Doctor. We have cameo of the ninth Doctor and Rose towards the end while the War Doctor was a the beginning. These cameos did not serve the storyline and were just added additions for the reader to go "O Wow."

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT – 3 OUT OF 5

Rachel Rising Vol.1: The Shadow of Death [2011-2012] by Terry Moore

RACHEL RISING VOLUME 1: THE SHADOW OF DEATH TRADE PAPERBACK

Rachel Beck rises from the dead three days later up after being killed. She later finds out she woke up at a place which used to be a grave for witches. Rachel finds out what happened to her leading her to another unfortunate accident sending her plummeting from a building. She is resurrected from her death once again. Three people have mentioned she is not Rachel. One person said she is Ma Malai AKA the Angel of Death.

Meanwhile a girl named Zoe Mann murders two people including her sister and burns her home down. She is about to be placed at a foster home when she realizes the man is a child molester and decapitates him through an elevator. Zoe finally catches up with Rachel to confront the woman who may be responsible for what is happening. Zoe reveals the woman is a witch just before the death of Rachel’s best friend Jet. Jet later wakes up at the morgue with the same eyes as Rachel. 

The mystery writer and artist Terry Moore brings keeps the reader invested in his story.

This paperback collects

Rachel Rising #1-6

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5

Holy Terror [2011] by Frank Miller

HOLY TERROR HARDCOVER

Frank Miller brings his Holy Terror book to life as the first book Legendary Comics. Miller first mentioned this “piece of propaganda” against terrorists in 2006 when the project was under DC Comics and called Holy Terror, Batman! After receiving criticism and unwanted attention as an anti-Islamic book, Batman was no longer the central character and the project moved to another publisher.Miller was known for writing and drawing The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City,and 300. Now Miller takes on what could be a controversial book released 10 years after the events of 9/11.

The story takes place within a fictional city in the United States called Empire City, which seems synonymous to New York City. The Fixer is tracking a Natalie Stack who operates as a cat burglar. She nearly falls to death over the rooftops of the city until the Fixer catches and tries to arrest her. The two embrace until an explosion of nails rips through the night. The scene flashbacks 10 minutes prior following a Muslim exchange student named Amina who is also a suicide bomber responsible for the first explosion. Another bomb goes off full of razor blades.

Meanwhile tough cop Captain Don Donegal investigates the bombings and communicates with the Fixer. A Statue of Liberty-like called Blind Justice near Empire City is destroyed by fighter jets. Afterwards the Fixer and Natalie head towards a mosque where the terrorist attacks were launched. Natalie disguises herself as a Muslim woman and is taken underground and later captured. But the Fixer finally arrives to rescue her, kill the terrorists, and saves Empire City.

The book is extremely empty with emotion with two dimensional villains. Majority of this book was filled with splash pages and wordless however a picture is not worth a1000 words. The terrorists are portrayed as drinking beers, scream “Allahu Akbar” before bombing themselves up, illiterate, however are able to get stinger missiles? Miller uses one Muslim to describe the others as sand monkeys and camel jockeys since he seems like too much of a coward to have the Fixer say them instead. Really was expecting more from this book since it was mentioned 5 years ago. Definitely not worth the wait.

WASTED TALENTS – 2 OUT OF 5

Cowboys & Aliens [2006] by Fred Van Lente

COWBOYS & ALIENS TPB

An alien spacecraft crash lands in the Old West in 1873. They claim the world for the House of Dar and head towards Fort Larrabie that holds a garrison of troops. After they have destroyed the fort, the aliens set up a beacon in Silver City, Az to transmit their location to the armada to retrieve them and reinforce their position on Earth.

Meanwhile two cowboys Zeke Jackson and Miss Verity use alien technology to defend themselves and the small group of settlers that they are hired to protect. They also receive help from the native Apache Indians. With a help of a rebel alien the human forces gather for an attack before the beacon can transmit.

Overall the story seems like a bad combination of mixing two genres together to create a unique story. An unimaginative scifi western comic book tries to create a believable story. The artwork did little to improve the two-dimensional characters and dialogue within the book. The 2011 movie of the same name is directed by Jon Favreau with Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde. Big names are attached to the film including executive producer Steven Spielberg however the film will most likely be overwhelmed with special effects rather than adequate storytelling.

WASTED TALENTS – 2 OUT OF 5

The Last Days of American Crime [2009-2010] by Rick Remender

THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME

The story revolves around three main characters Graham Bricke the grifter, Kevin Cash the safe cracker, and his fiancée Shelby Dupree who is a computer hacker. Their job is to swipe and hack a charge box that can make unlimited US currency by charging the fiduciary cash cards. First Graham partnered with members of a Mexican gang that did not end well so with limited time left he partnered with the freelancing couple Kevin and Shelby. Now the Mexican gang wants Graham because he may have a plan to print money before the US government uses mind control and all the paper money goes digital so everything is tracked and taxed.

Writer Rick Remenber (Punisher, Uncanny X-Force) gave details that the idea of this story came around 2002 after the 9/11 attacks. While everyone was in a state of shock he was surprised how alarming it was that how much people are willing to let go their personal liberties for an artifical sense of security. Remender then came up with a story of the government using mind control to make sure no one will do anything illegal within the United States. Series writer Rick Remender and artist Greg Tocchini present a crime drama that really doesn’t pull any punches.

SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

- Graham tied Mexican gang member Enrique in the tub and fills it with diesel

- The LAPD conducts surveillance on Graham and Shelby is their informant

- Graham has a secret fourth person involved in the heist - his mother calls him Rory

- Kevin slept with his step-mom which result in a retarded child named Mikey

- Kevin steals a laser cutter from his father after he kills him and Mikey

- Enrique kidnaps Shelby and leaves Graham to burn to death like he left him

- Graham, Kevin, Shelby, and Collins pull off the heist however betrayed by Kevin

- Graham and Shelby face-off as the broadcast takes place

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – 5 OUT OF 5