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Doctor Who Graphic Novels: The Eleventh Doctor #4
Doctor Who: The Blood of Azrael
Collected Eleventh Doctor Comic Strips - Volume 4
Join the Doctor and Clara on their amazing adventures in space and time in these collected comics from the pages of Doctor Who magazine!
Featuring five incredible stories: A Wing and a Prayer, Welcome to Tickle Town, John Smith and the Common Men,Pay the Piper and The Blood of Azrael !
A deadly encounter on the streets of 1930s Baghdad...
A terrifying amusement park in the far future...
The eternal psychic prison known as the Hellscape...
A digital world where living beings can be bought or sold...
And a confrontation with the darkest figure of in galactic history: the sinister Azrael...
The Doctor is about to make the worst mistake of his life- and it will cost him everything he holds dear...
Plus! An in-depth commentary section where the comics creators reveal the secrets behind the stories. Featuring never before published artwork, photos, character designs and much more!
Join the Doctor and Clara on their amazing adventures in space and time in these collected comics from the pages of Doctor Who magazine!
Featuring five incredible stories: A Wing and a Prayer, Welcome to Tickle Town, John Smith and the Common Men,Pay the Piper and The Blood of Azrael !
A deadly encounter on the streets of 1930s Baghdad...
A terrifying amusement park in the far future...
The eternal psychic prison known as the Hellscape...
A digital world where living beings can be bought or sold...
And a confrontation with the darkest figure of in galactic history: the sinister Azrael...
The Doctor is about to make the worst mistake of his life- and it will cost him everything he holds dear...
Plus! An in-depth commentary section where the comics creators reveal the secrets behind the stories. Featuring never before published artwork, photos, character designs and much more!
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
About the author
Scott Gray
112 books16 followersScott Gray, born Warwick Gray, is a comic book writer from New Zealand who lives and works in the UK.
There is more than one author with this name
There is more than one author with this name
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 11, 2016
This was just so amazing! The colours were breath taking, the art in some of the stories was a masterpiece, the stories themselves were interesting and original and emotional... I wish they made each and every one of them into episodes. Plus, I was, once again, reminded of how much I miss Clara Oswald.
My favourites;
Welcome to Ticle Town; The Doctor takes Clara to a famous amusement park, his only intention to have fun but that's a Doctor Who story so it turns out the entire population is trapped in there against their will. He has to find out how long this has been going on and who's behind it. In the background there are creepy songs sang by what looks to be insane butterflies and brilliant, vibrant colours and happy cartoon faces that make everything even more creepy. I had some issues with Clara's face because it didn't look like her at all but the attitude was so on point, I can let that pass. I also had an issue with my new favourite character meeting an unfortunate end but I should have seen that one coming.
John Smith and the Common Men; Welcome to the Doctor's worst nightmare. I have no words for this one. This story SHOULD be made into an episode! All complete with the grim and depressing atmosphere. The colours and the art in this were a masterpiece. I can't get over how perfect it looks. I think everyone that loves the Doctor has to read this if only for the insight to the character.
Pay the Piper; What I can't get over about this is how far the Doctor can go to save his friends or anyone innocent for that matter. Honestly, I don't think he's ever made a sacrifice like this in the show, ever. You'll know when you read it :)
The Blood of Azrael; The Doctor and the TARDIS being an old married couple go through a bad break up and the Doctor has a lot to make up for. Oh, and there's a phycopath that might take advantage of this so... another day in the office.
PS. Clara's new girlfriend is amazing!
PS2. Scott Gray might be my new love
Conclusion, I might even give this a re-read some time in the future.
My favourites;
Welcome to Ticle Town; The Doctor takes Clara to a famous amusement park, his only intention to have fun but that's a Doctor Who story so it turns out the entire population is trapped in there against their will. He has to find out how long this has been going on and who's behind it. In the background there are creepy songs sang by what looks to be insane butterflies and brilliant, vibrant colours and happy cartoon faces that make everything even more creepy. I had some issues with Clara's face because it didn't look like her at all but the attitude was so on point, I can let that pass. I also had an issue with my new favourite character meeting an unfortunate end but I should have seen that one coming.
John Smith and the Common Men; Welcome to the Doctor's worst nightmare. I have no words for this one. This story SHOULD be made into an episode! All complete with the grim and depressing atmosphere. The colours and the art in this were a masterpiece. I can't get over how perfect it looks. I think everyone that loves the Doctor has to read this if only for the insight to the character.
Pay the Piper; What I can't get over about this is how far the Doctor can go to save his friends or anyone innocent for that matter. Honestly, I don't think he's ever made a sacrifice like this in the show, ever. You'll know when you read it :)
The Blood of Azrael; The Doctor and the TARDIS being an old married couple go through a bad break up and the Doctor has a lot to make up for. Oh, and there's a phycopath that might take advantage of this so... another day in the office.
PS. Clara's new girlfriend is amazing!
PS2. Scott Gray might be my new love
Conclusion, I might even give this a re-read some time in the future.
July 24, 2017
I liked all the continuing threads with Cornucopia and Horatio Lynk...
May 7, 2020
My review of this book can be found on my Youtube Vlog at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d1IS...
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d1IS...
Enjoy!
June 11, 2014
This is the final collection of comic strips featuring the Eleventh Doctor from Doctor Who Magazine and the first to feature Clara. It mostly takes a heavy science-fiction approach, sending the Eleventh Doctor to the huge space market of Cornucopia.
First up is A Wing and a Prayer which is a classic "celebrity historical" which explains what happened to pioneering pilot Amy Johnson. This one is really good. It's then followed by Welcome to Tickle Town which I honestly do not remember, despite the fact I have definitely read it.
Pay the Piper sees the Doctor try to save a group of aliens being sold into slavery and is rather good. It contains loads of great ideas and the aliens are very cute, almost adipose like.
The main feature, The Blood of Azrael sees the TARDIS accidentally sold by the Doctor and purposely bought by Azrael,an ancient and feared villain who is supposed to be dead. Azrael doesn't really live up to this reputation seeing as though his plot is foiled fairly easily. Still, there is a good revelation and it does tie up the Eleventh Doctor comics pretty neatly. It is a disappointing way to end the Eleventh Doctor's comic run as it is nowhere near as good as many of his stories.
Hopefully the 50th Anniversary story John Smith and the Common Men is included in this collection. It's a story which sees the Doctor believing himself to be a human called John Smith living in a nightmare 1984ish world but things aren't all as they seem. The art is astounding and there are loads of little nods to Doctor Who history in it.
All in all a disappointing end to the Eleventh Doctor's comic career but at least it ties up lots of plot lines from his run.
First up is A Wing and a Prayer which is a classic "celebrity historical" which explains what happened to pioneering pilot Amy Johnson. This one is really good. It's then followed by Welcome to Tickle Town which I honestly do not remember, despite the fact I have definitely read it.
Pay the Piper sees the Doctor try to save a group of aliens being sold into slavery and is rather good. It contains loads of great ideas and the aliens are very cute, almost adipose like.
The main feature, The Blood of Azrael sees the TARDIS accidentally sold by the Doctor and purposely bought by Azrael,an ancient and feared villain who is supposed to be dead. Azrael doesn't really live up to this reputation seeing as though his plot is foiled fairly easily. Still, there is a good revelation and it does tie up the Eleventh Doctor comics pretty neatly. It is a disappointing way to end the Eleventh Doctor's comic run as it is nowhere near as good as many of his stories.
Hopefully the 50th Anniversary story John Smith and the Common Men is included in this collection. It's a story which sees the Doctor believing himself to be a human called John Smith living in a nightmare 1984ish world but things aren't all as they seem. The art is astounding and there are loads of little nods to Doctor Who history in it.
All in all a disappointing end to the Eleventh Doctor's comic career but at least it ties up lots of plot lines from his run.
January 2, 2016
A Wing and a Prayer (462-464). A nice bit of history, a nice focus on what the Doctor can do historically, and a nice spotlight on newcomer Clara. Sure, the giant insects of the main plot are a bit silly, but they're just background for thoughtful character stories [7/10].
Welcome to Tickle Town (465-466). Another shallow but amusing story. The animated creatures stand out, particularly thanks to the artwork which so nicely contrasts them with the flesh-and-blood characters [6+/10].
John Smith and the Common Men (467). A delightful sort of story where the Doctor seems to have become a normal person. The "how" of that is almost irrelevant. It's the depiction that's golden [7/10].
Pay the Piper (468-469). Tron meets eBay turns out to be pretty shallow: a trip into a computer and some simplistic conflict. No surprise when it turns out to just be a setup for what comes next [5/10].
The Blood of Azrael (470-474). This final story is nice mainly for its connections to past continuity. It bundles up a variety of plot elements from the last few volumes, and does it in a much more organic way than the heavy-handed arcs of recent years. It's like DWM is once more creating a comic universe, something that they were better at in the '80s and '90s. The story itself is fine, but it's the continuity characters and locales I love [7/10].
This volume certainly isn't as strong as its immediate predecessor, but it's a nice coda to the previous two volumes of Doctor Who Magazine comics.
Welcome to Tickle Town (465-466). Another shallow but amusing story. The animated creatures stand out, particularly thanks to the artwork which so nicely contrasts them with the flesh-and-blood characters [6+/10].
John Smith and the Common Men (467). A delightful sort of story where the Doctor seems to have become a normal person. The "how" of that is almost irrelevant. It's the depiction that's golden [7/10].
Pay the Piper (468-469). Tron meets eBay turns out to be pretty shallow: a trip into a computer and some simplistic conflict. No surprise when it turns out to just be a setup for what comes next [5/10].
The Blood of Azrael (470-474). This final story is nice mainly for its connections to past continuity. It bundles up a variety of plot elements from the last few volumes, and does it in a much more organic way than the heavy-handed arcs of recent years. It's like DWM is once more creating a comic universe, something that they were better at in the '80s and '90s. The story itself is fine, but it's the continuity characters and locales I love [7/10].
This volume certainly isn't as strong as its immediate predecessor, but it's a nice coda to the previous two volumes of Doctor Who Magazine comics.
August 21, 2019
The final collection of 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) stories from "Doctor Who Monthly". Variable stuff here, from the cringeworthy "Welcome To Tickle Town" (Disneyworld parody with awful art) to the climactic epic "The Blood of Azrael". This final tale has a certain grandeur and nicely picks up on characters from earlier 11th Doctor stories. The pilot Amy Johnson character is fun too - nice to see an overlooked historical figure get her moment in the spotlight with a satisfying arc.
The writers' notes at the back grate a bit this time. There is an air of smugness that frankly isn't merited by some of the fare on offer. Scott Gray's digs at "right wing groups...UKIP and the Murdoch press" are a bit out of place too. Can't I like Doctor Who if I don't share your politics Scott? So much for the new "inclusive" Who. Oh yeah, turns out that racism & xenophobia are BAD THINGS - who knew?
The writers' notes at the back grate a bit this time. There is an air of smugness that frankly isn't merited by some of the fare on offer. Scott Gray's digs at "right wing groups...UKIP and the Murdoch press" are a bit out of place too. Can't I like Doctor Who if I don't share your politics Scott? So much for the new "inclusive" Who. Oh yeah, turns out that racism & xenophobia are BAD THINGS - who knew?
August 3, 2021
For the final collection of comic strips to feature the Eleventh Doctor it does a good job of featuring a mix of adventure, mystery, and suspense. I also loved the continuity that had been built into these tales as Clara references "Nightmare in Silver" upon arriving at the amusement park Tickle Town; which is also somewhere dangerous to visit.
There's also some familiar faces who pop up for the finale " The Blood of Azrael". The identity of the main villain was a bit of a surprise, but in the end this was a fitting farewell to the Eleventh Doctor.
There's also some familiar faces who pop up for the finale " The Blood of Azrael". The identity of the main villain was a bit of a surprise, but in the end this was a fitting farewell to the Eleventh Doctor.
June 29, 2018
A must read for any Doctor Who fan, especially fans of the Eleventh. A fun arc with drama, humor, and everything in between. I am glad I was able to pick up the compilation of the Eleventh Doctor’s final run in DWM. A great read overall!
March 12, 2021
I really like the Doctor Who Comics. I think this was a great way to continue on the adventures of the beloved Doctor incarnations that we don't get to see anymore. If you get the chance to read them, I suggest you do so.
February 8, 2023
this comic is the reason i love to promote extended universe doctor who being so metal. a room of people get melted into blood sculptures AND clara is a little fruity with yet another historical figure??? how could i resist
December 19, 2025
A fairly well-done set of Eleventh Doctor and Clara adventures, with interesting guest stars and a few unexpected twists (which work to varying degrees). John Smith and the Common Men is probably the highlight, but the rest are all pretty enjoyable as well. (B+)
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April 19, 2016Much better than most of the recent DWM comics material, which can feel a bit like a flimsy off-brand version of the series even when compared to other spin-offs like the books, Titan comics, audios... And that despite the companion here being the execrable Clara. Maybe it helps that in the first strips the creators had not seen her on TV when they doing the writing and drawing, so couldn't capture the full horror? It starts slowly - pioneering aviatrix Amy Johnson is a great choice for a celebrity historical, but 'A Wing and a Prayer' is otherwise as thin as most of the TV series' celebrity historicals have been. And nightmare theme park scenario 'Welcome to Tickle Town' has a brilliant riff on the horror of Disney's 'It's A Small World', but otherwise largely feels like it's trying to farm exhausted ground.
Then, though, we're into the one-shot 'John Smith and the Common Men', a Brazil-flavoured nightmare of mundanity which - as per the writer's notes - reminds us what the Doctor is by showing us what he's not. Also, it does a lot more with that band name from the first ever episode than the Big Finish audios managed when they tried it. That's followed by 'Pay the Piper', whose eBay-meets-Tron setting is a little dated but which quietly sets up a brilliant predicament for the Doctor, leaving him suitably battered for the concluding 'Blood of Azrael'. Which...I can't quite put my finger on why, but unlike too much of the comic strip, it just feels like it *matters*. There's wonderful foreshadowing at the beginning of each installment, a villain who initially comes across as merely a good cosmic menace but is then gradually deepened and shaded into something far more worrying...plus, a better resolution for one strand of the TV series (the TARDIS not liking Clara) then I ever recall us getting on screen.
Then, though, we're into the one-shot 'John Smith and the Common Men', a Brazil-flavoured nightmare of mundanity which - as per the writer's notes - reminds us what the Doctor is by showing us what he's not. Also, it does a lot more with that band name from the first ever episode than the Big Finish audios managed when they tried it. That's followed by 'Pay the Piper', whose eBay-meets-Tron setting is a little dated but which quietly sets up a brilliant predicament for the Doctor, leaving him suitably battered for the concluding 'Blood of Azrael'. Which...I can't quite put my finger on why, but unlike too much of the comic strip, it just feels like it *matters*. There's wonderful foreshadowing at the beginning of each installment, a villain who initially comes across as merely a good cosmic menace but is then gradually deepened and shaded into something far more worrying...plus, a better resolution for one strand of the TV series (the TARDIS not liking Clara) then I ever recall us getting on screen.
March 25, 2015
For a while, the Doctor Who comic strip in "Doctor Who Magazine" was the only visual storytelling continuity left to the series. Unfortunately, being so heavily serialized made the stories practically impossible to follow. Enter Panini Books' complete collections.
"The Blood of Azrael" is the last of the Eleventh Doctor collections. It'll probably be best remembered for the TARDIS storming off in a huff, which came as a bit of a surprise, even though recent television seasons had given it more autonomy than ever. Granted, it was going to be tough to top "Hunters of the Burning Stone," and I don't think this volume quite pulled it off, but it's got a hell of a lot of good ideas.
"The Blood of Azrael" is the last of the Eleventh Doctor collections. It'll probably be best remembered for the TARDIS storming off in a huff, which came as a bit of a surprise, even though recent television seasons had given it more autonomy than ever. Granted, it was going to be tough to top "Hunters of the Burning Stone," and I don't think this volume quite pulled it off, but it's got a hell of a lot of good ideas.
March 22, 2015
Average stories, maybe better for kids than adults. The Doctor was written perfectly. Clara seemed a bit hollow.
March 22, 2015
This makes me miss the dynamic of the Eleventh Doctor and Clara.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews