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Doctor Who: The Seventh Doctor (Titan Comics) #1-3
Doctor Who: The Seventh Doctor - Operation Volcano
Celebrate classic Doctor Who action with a modern twist!
An unknown alien intelligence in orbit around the Earth. Astronauts under attack. A terrifying, mysterious landing in the Australian interior. The future of the world itself at stake. Counter Measures activated. And the Seventh Doctor and Ace slap bang in the middle of it all! This is OPERATION VOLCANO!
Collects Doctor Who: The Seventh Doctor #1-3
An unknown alien intelligence in orbit around the Earth. Astronauts under attack. A terrifying, mysterious landing in the Australian interior. The future of the world itself at stake. Counter Measures activated. And the Seventh Doctor and Ace slap bang in the middle of it all! This is OPERATION VOLCANO!
Collects Doctor Who: The Seventh Doctor #1-3
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 13, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 10, 2019
I was already to give this 4 stars. I really was. It was very well done. The sound of the character’s voices in my head was authentic and believable. Almost gave it four stars. Almost.
Why didn’t I? The collection was cruising right along, at least until the “Hill of Beans” story. Then things started downhill. It felt forced and contrived, there seemed little of the characters from the series in the dialogue.
The closing piece with the First Doctor and his original companions was a nice treat, but it was too short . Way too short.
Why didn’t I? The collection was cruising right along, at least until the “Hill of Beans” story. Then things started downhill. It felt forced and contrived, there seemed little of the characters from the series in the dialogue.
The closing piece with the First Doctor and his original companions was a nice treat, but it was too short . Way too short.
February 7, 2019
The main story, "Operation Volcano" was pretty fun. Ace and Seven are amazing and I will always want more from them. The shorter story at the end "Hill of Beans" was a pile of crap. The art was bad, the story rushed and confusing, and it featured a not so subtle Trump substitute. Which is a shame because I'd love to see more of Mags.
July 30, 2021
The most recent return of Andrew Cartmel to Doctor Who, the last showrunner of the classic TV era. At the time he revealed quite a controversial vision, a fiercely political Doctor who had more often than not secured his victory long before the story had even started. A compelling way to return mystery to the Time Lord but I always felt it ran the risk of making him too powerful. Give a protagonist too much foresight and narrative control, it becomes difficult for the reader to identify with them or be gripped by the plot stakes.
Case and point: Operation Volcano. This comic really does read like a missing Seventh Doctor adventure, brimming with grownup ideas and thrilling momentum. However, I do feel that the sheer cleverness of the plot doesn't like to wait around for the average reader to catch up. Also the Doctor has quite a light touch on proceedings even if he does nudge things in the most advantageous direction. He stands around a lot, always knowing but not quite telling, while Ace and Group Captain Gilmore do all the heavy-lifting. In fact I would say Operation Volcano is Gilmore's story more than anyone else's, which is interesting as I barely recall him from his one live TV appearance in Remembrance of the Daleks.
Even poor Gilmore gets batted around by the plot which has an awful lot to say about physical beauty as well as Australian culture and nuclear arms. There are lots of moles among the broad cast of characters but we don't spend long enough with them to feel the sting of their betrayal. All the military espionage and sabotage would have worked quite well had this miniseries been allowed more room to grow. Presumably page count was limited which seems absurd considering the fact that Cartmel had a huge influence on Doctor Who culture.
If nothing else, I think Hill of Beans, the back-up story in this book, could have easily been sacrificed to make room. No offence to Richard Dinnick but his story crammed in far too much detail for the handful of pages it got. I wonder if there was something preventing the Seventh Doctor from getting a long run with Titan Comics. Either way I struggled to keep up with Hill of Beans and felt Jessica Martin's cute and colourful illustration was consistently overshadowed by the luscious, detailed artwork of Christopher Jones.
Nevertheless, for what it is, Operation Volcano is a pleasant return for the Seventh Doctor to comics after a long period away. It features two busy plots but then fans of McCoy's master planner incarnation probably wouldn't have that any other way. Consequently I recommend Doctor Who: The Seventh Doctor Volume 1: Operation Volcano to Cartmel Plan admirers.
Case and point: Operation Volcano. This comic really does read like a missing Seventh Doctor adventure, brimming with grownup ideas and thrilling momentum. However, I do feel that the sheer cleverness of the plot doesn't like to wait around for the average reader to catch up. Also the Doctor has quite a light touch on proceedings even if he does nudge things in the most advantageous direction. He stands around a lot, always knowing but not quite telling, while Ace and Group Captain Gilmore do all the heavy-lifting. In fact I would say Operation Volcano is Gilmore's story more than anyone else's, which is interesting as I barely recall him from his one live TV appearance in Remembrance of the Daleks.
Even poor Gilmore gets batted around by the plot which has an awful lot to say about physical beauty as well as Australian culture and nuclear arms. There are lots of moles among the broad cast of characters but we don't spend long enough with them to feel the sting of their betrayal. All the military espionage and sabotage would have worked quite well had this miniseries been allowed more room to grow. Presumably page count was limited which seems absurd considering the fact that Cartmel had a huge influence on Doctor Who culture.
If nothing else, I think Hill of Beans, the back-up story in this book, could have easily been sacrificed to make room. No offence to Richard Dinnick but his story crammed in far too much detail for the handful of pages it got. I wonder if there was something preventing the Seventh Doctor from getting a long run with Titan Comics. Either way I struggled to keep up with Hill of Beans and felt Jessica Martin's cute and colourful illustration was consistently overshadowed by the luscious, detailed artwork of Christopher Jones.
Nevertheless, for what it is, Operation Volcano is a pleasant return for the Seventh Doctor to comics after a long period away. It features two busy plots but then fans of McCoy's master planner incarnation probably wouldn't have that any other way. Consequently I recommend Doctor Who: The Seventh Doctor Volume 1: Operation Volcano to Cartmel Plan admirers.
January 4, 2019
Despite GoodReads listing this as a "Kindle book" and "volume 1" it isn't. This is a paperback collection of stories featuring the Seventh Doctor and Ace. There is one main story in the book and two shorter stories, plus a black and white First Doctor strip featuring the original TARDIS crew. This is a new volume in Titan Comics occasional Classic Doctors series.
The main story does not start out with the Doctor and Ace just landing somewhere and getting involved in events. Rather, they are called in by the Intrusion Countermeasures Group headed by Group Captain Ian Gilmore. Gilmore actually uses a rather ingenious "dead drop" to get the Doctor's help, and the last story in the book is Ace and the Doctor getting a message.
Professor Rachel Jensen and Dr. Allison Williams discover an aboriginal cave painting there seems to show a spaceship leaving or being ejected from a volcano, when they discover the spaceship in the Australian desert they send for the Doctor and Group Captain Gilmore. Besides the Doctor's receiving the message being shown a little out of order (we do see him meet Group Captian Gilmore in the library) we also see flash-forwards to Gilmore being found, alive (having been in stasis) in a spaceship orbiting the Earth in 2029.
Once Gilmore, his aide, the Doctor, and Ace arrive in Australia they meet a small group of Australian soldiers, Rachel and Allison. A nuclear arms protestor shows up, with an Australian Aboriginal - they are both trying to protect sacred sites which have already been the site of a British nuclear bomb testing several years ago. Ice makers and showers are installed to beat the heat of the Outback desert. All the women are lining up to use the showers, but complain because someone's been in the shower awhile. A man enters the building and there is an attack. The man attacks a "snake" on the back of the other man's back and the other man drops dead. The Doctor insists that the snake isn't a snake at all but an extra-terrestrial being, furthermore he insists it's "one of the good guys". The same man who destroyed the being later attacks Ace. The Doctor organizes a trip into the Outback, providing lightweight radiation suits for everyone. Ace volunteers to commune with the aliens. She discovers that they are law officers, after some criminals, and that the criminals hid their ships in volcanos on Earth then used their ability to understand any language, manipulate people, and resemble the local standard of beauty - to manipulate and influence history.
By the time everyone returns to their base, there's been an attack. Rachel and Allison are kidnapped, the Doctor and Ace create a sand skimmer that works like a catamaran on land to escape and they organize a rescue at the other alien ship in Mexico. This succeeds but with Gilmore on the wrong side of the alien door when the ship takes off.
The Doctor and Ace are able to help the good guy aliens return to their planet, the bad guy aliens are stopped, Rachel and Allison are rescued, and the Doctor even arrives at a medical station in 2029 to pick-up Gilmore and bring him back to his office.
The second story sees Mags the werewolf return to her home planet. A dictator has taken over through unfair elections and launched a campaign against werewolves. Werewolves have to wear armbands identifying themselves, and many are just being picked up and locked away. At first, it seems Ace and the Doctor are too late to help Mags rescue her sister and boyfriend (it was Mags boyfriend but now her sister is dating him). However, the Doctor has plans. He embarrasses the dictator both by exposing his cruelty to werewolves and by showing him to be a coward. The people rise up against the dictator, and the Doctor promises fair elections will be held. Mags gives her sister and her former boyfriend her blessing. The Doctor offers Mags a trip in the TARDIS.
The next story is one I've read before, maybe in a Free Comic Day event, but it has the Doctor and Ace tricking a group of war-like aliens to leave their bunker - so they can be arrested.
And the final story is a black and white story about the First Doctor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian - though primarily about Ian, Barbara, and Susan. Ian finds something that makes him think Susan thinks he and Barbara are barbarians. But Susan tells him it's from when they first met before they traveled together. She then gives them a tour of the TARDIS before showing them her artwork.
I liked all four stories, including the one with Susan, Barbara, and Ian. The four stories don't fit together though. They really have nothing to do with each other. It gives the feeling that the extra stories were added to make up the page count in the book. And I could have done with the main story being longer instead.
Still, this is a great collection. Not only are Ace and the Doctor in prime form, but the Intrusion Countermeasures group, first introduced in the aired episode, "The Remembrance of the Daleks" (but without a formal name or title for the group) are also well-written and in character. I liked seeing Ace working with two women, and all three were intelligent and professional. The good guy aliens who look like red and black snakes (except when they are flying, then they look like butterflies) were really cool. And I loved how Ace and the Doctor make no assumptions about them being "evil" based on looks. Actually, it's the other aliens who manipulate their looks to give them an air of human perfection.
The theme of looks versus actions also continues on in Mags story and it's even, in a way the theme of Susan, Barbara, and Ian's story. So there is that.
This is also a gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous book. All the characters from the television show Doctor Who look as they should. The artwork also has a painted quality to it. And the aliens are very cool looking, and their home planet is beautiful. The Australian desert also looks particularly pretty.
In short, I really enjoyed Operation Volcano and it is highly recommended.
The main story does not start out with the Doctor and Ace just landing somewhere and getting involved in events. Rather, they are called in by the Intrusion Countermeasures Group headed by Group Captain Ian Gilmore. Gilmore actually uses a rather ingenious "dead drop" to get the Doctor's help, and the last story in the book is Ace and the Doctor getting a message.
Professor Rachel Jensen and Dr. Allison Williams discover an aboriginal cave painting there seems to show a spaceship leaving or being ejected from a volcano, when they discover the spaceship in the Australian desert they send for the Doctor and Group Captain Gilmore. Besides the Doctor's receiving the message being shown a little out of order (we do see him meet Group Captian Gilmore in the library) we also see flash-forwards to Gilmore being found, alive (having been in stasis) in a spaceship orbiting the Earth in 2029.
Once Gilmore, his aide, the Doctor, and Ace arrive in Australia they meet a small group of Australian soldiers, Rachel and Allison. A nuclear arms protestor shows up, with an Australian Aboriginal - they are both trying to protect sacred sites which have already been the site of a British nuclear bomb testing several years ago. Ice makers and showers are installed to beat the heat of the Outback desert. All the women are lining up to use the showers, but complain because someone's been in the shower awhile. A man enters the building and there is an attack. The man attacks a "snake" on the back of the other man's back and the other man drops dead. The Doctor insists that the snake isn't a snake at all but an extra-terrestrial being, furthermore he insists it's "one of the good guys". The same man who destroyed the being later attacks Ace. The Doctor organizes a trip into the Outback, providing lightweight radiation suits for everyone. Ace volunteers to commune with the aliens. She discovers that they are law officers, after some criminals, and that the criminals hid their ships in volcanos on Earth then used their ability to understand any language, manipulate people, and resemble the local standard of beauty - to manipulate and influence history.
By the time everyone returns to their base, there's been an attack. Rachel and Allison are kidnapped, the Doctor and Ace create a sand skimmer that works like a catamaran on land to escape and they organize a rescue at the other alien ship in Mexico. This succeeds but with Gilmore on the wrong side of the alien door when the ship takes off.
The Doctor and Ace are able to help the good guy aliens return to their planet, the bad guy aliens are stopped, Rachel and Allison are rescued, and the Doctor even arrives at a medical station in 2029 to pick-up Gilmore and bring him back to his office.
The second story sees Mags the werewolf return to her home planet. A dictator has taken over through unfair elections and launched a campaign against werewolves. Werewolves have to wear armbands identifying themselves, and many are just being picked up and locked away. At first, it seems Ace and the Doctor are too late to help Mags rescue her sister and boyfriend (it was Mags boyfriend but now her sister is dating him). However, the Doctor has plans. He embarrasses the dictator both by exposing his cruelty to werewolves and by showing him to be a coward. The people rise up against the dictator, and the Doctor promises fair elections will be held. Mags gives her sister and her former boyfriend her blessing. The Doctor offers Mags a trip in the TARDIS.
The next story is one I've read before, maybe in a Free Comic Day event, but it has the Doctor and Ace tricking a group of war-like aliens to leave their bunker - so they can be arrested.
And the final story is a black and white story about the First Doctor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian - though primarily about Ian, Barbara, and Susan. Ian finds something that makes him think Susan thinks he and Barbara are barbarians. But Susan tells him it's from when they first met before they traveled together. She then gives them a tour of the TARDIS before showing them her artwork.
I liked all four stories, including the one with Susan, Barbara, and Ian. The four stories don't fit together though. They really have nothing to do with each other. It gives the feeling that the extra stories were added to make up the page count in the book. And I could have done with the main story being longer instead.
Still, this is a great collection. Not only are Ace and the Doctor in prime form, but the Intrusion Countermeasures group, first introduced in the aired episode, "The Remembrance of the Daleks" (but without a formal name or title for the group) are also well-written and in character. I liked seeing Ace working with two women, and all three were intelligent and professional. The good guy aliens who look like red and black snakes (except when they are flying, then they look like butterflies) were really cool. And I loved how Ace and the Doctor make no assumptions about them being "evil" based on looks. Actually, it's the other aliens who manipulate their looks to give them an air of human perfection.
The theme of looks versus actions also continues on in Mags story and it's even, in a way the theme of Susan, Barbara, and Ian's story. So there is that.
This is also a gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous book. All the characters from the television show Doctor Who look as they should. The artwork also has a painted quality to it. And the aliens are very cool looking, and their home planet is beautiful. The Australian desert also looks particularly pretty.
In short, I really enjoyed Operation Volcano and it is highly recommended.
February 7, 2019
I thought the main story, "Operation Volcano" plodded along and, despite being by writers from the 7th Doctor's TV era, didn't really capture the feel of the show for me. I very much enjoyed all three of the short pieces that finished off the book, though. Both of the short 7th Doctor adventures had much more of the sense of fun I'd hoped for in the main piece. Paul Cornell's 1st Doctor short was absolutely gorgeous.
August 7, 2021
It’s …. fine. The first story is enjoyable, but the sub plot feels tacked on. ‘Hill of beans’ is not as good, but I think it’s meant to tie into big finish and extended universe stuff that I haven’t got to yet. Pity as the psychic circus is great and part of one of the best episodes the show ever did in my opinion. The other two are just way too short to leave much impact, even if the second one does hartnell quite well.
December 8, 2022
I have enjoyed the Doctor Who TV shows but I have not yet watched the Classic Doctor Who shows so in a way this was my first introduction to the Seventh Doctor. It was fun but it felt like the story was a little flat. It was more of a "look here is the Doctor!" feeling instead of creating a truly engrossing story line. It is possible that I am some how missing something because the primary story felt somehow incomplete.
May 9, 2025
A decent story flooded with a dozen characters that have no distinguishing features, nor plot relevance, making it a hard read
April 2, 2019
Operation Volcano. Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel were critical to the story of the Seventh Doctor in his last days (on TV). Cartmel was the show's Script Editor, responsible for the "Masterplan", and Aaronovitch was a top writer. So seeing them back together (no doubt, building on their very successful work on the Rivers of London comics) offers a real chance to return to the show's history.
Unfortunately "Operation Volcano" (and the other stories in this volume) don't try to build and expand on the show's Masterplan. Instead, they return to minor elements of the show. Here, it's the Intrusion Counter-Measures Group, a precursor to UNIT from the '60s that was introduced in Aaronovitch's "Remembrance of the Daleks". Well, it's a minor element for TV viewers, but less so for the small subset of fans interested in the audios, because "Counter-Measures" got four series of four audios each, from 2012-2015. So, for many this was doubtless a return to old favorites, resurrected from the audios for a new 7th Doctor comic.
Unfortunately, that's the comic's biggest flaw. Because we get this whole passel of characters that most of us don't know. And that's piled on top of lots of other characters (and some depicting Ace that doesn't really look like her) and the result is a somewhat unrecognizable group of characters which dramatically muddies the story, at least for a first read.
As for the rest, Seven is in character as his lighter, pre-manipulative self. Ace doesn't really get enough screen-time to be notable. There's an interesting alien race, and some fun timey-wimeyness. But overall, this comic shows how one-offs just don't have the depth of longer arcs, because you don't have enough time to develop characters and plots in a fulfilling way. (Which perhaps means this comic was particularly intriguing for fans of the "Counter-Measures" audio stories, just not the rest of us.) [3+/5]
Hill of Beans. And that's it for Cartmel and Aaronovitch. This backup story is by Richard Dinnick, who's apparently a modern-day Doctor Who writer, and it's drawn by Mags the Werewolf from "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy", or rather by the actress who plays her. And, it feels like it was produced by a twelve-year-old, the script and art both.
I have zero memory of "Greatest Show", which was apparently about the Gods of Ragnarok holding a circus hostage. This comic is a purposeful sequel to that, showing what happened to them afterward, and it's not at all interesting.
Notably, this feels like a more manipulative Doctor than in the main story, but a manipulative Doctor seen through the simplistic lens of that 12-year-old. [1/5]
The Armageddon Gambit. This was apparently a little five-page script that went into some free-comic-book day book as a lead-in to "Operation Volcano". It's not bad, but there's nothing to see here [3/5].
In-Between Times. I have no idea why this black-and-white story by Paul Cornell about the First Doctor is stuck into a Seventh Doctor volume, but it's entirely charming and a great study of the characters in their early days [4+/5].
Unfortunately "Operation Volcano" (and the other stories in this volume) don't try to build and expand on the show's Masterplan. Instead, they return to minor elements of the show. Here, it's the Intrusion Counter-Measures Group, a precursor to UNIT from the '60s that was introduced in Aaronovitch's "Remembrance of the Daleks". Well, it's a minor element for TV viewers, but less so for the small subset of fans interested in the audios, because "Counter-Measures" got four series of four audios each, from 2012-2015. So, for many this was doubtless a return to old favorites, resurrected from the audios for a new 7th Doctor comic.
Unfortunately, that's the comic's biggest flaw. Because we get this whole passel of characters that most of us don't know. And that's piled on top of lots of other characters (and some depicting Ace that doesn't really look like her) and the result is a somewhat unrecognizable group of characters which dramatically muddies the story, at least for a first read.
As for the rest, Seven is in character as his lighter, pre-manipulative self. Ace doesn't really get enough screen-time to be notable. There's an interesting alien race, and some fun timey-wimeyness. But overall, this comic shows how one-offs just don't have the depth of longer arcs, because you don't have enough time to develop characters and plots in a fulfilling way. (Which perhaps means this comic was particularly intriguing for fans of the "Counter-Measures" audio stories, just not the rest of us.) [3+/5]
Hill of Beans. And that's it for Cartmel and Aaronovitch. This backup story is by Richard Dinnick, who's apparently a modern-day Doctor Who writer, and it's drawn by Mags the Werewolf from "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy", or rather by the actress who plays her. And, it feels like it was produced by a twelve-year-old, the script and art both.
I have zero memory of "Greatest Show", which was apparently about the Gods of Ragnarok holding a circus hostage. This comic is a purposeful sequel to that, showing what happened to them afterward, and it's not at all interesting.
Notably, this feels like a more manipulative Doctor than in the main story, but a manipulative Doctor seen through the simplistic lens of that 12-year-old. [1/5]
The Armageddon Gambit. This was apparently a little five-page script that went into some free-comic-book day book as a lead-in to "Operation Volcano". It's not bad, but there's nothing to see here [3/5].
In-Between Times. I have no idea why this black-and-white story by Paul Cornell about the First Doctor is stuck into a Seventh Doctor volume, but it's entirely charming and a great study of the characters in their early days [4+/5].
January 6, 2019
Great comic adventure with 7th doctor, ace and the counter measures gang.
December 16, 2023
A fun whimsical adventurous comic but is let down by being too overcrowded.
I have never seem Classic Who but I still really enjoyed this comic. Borrowed if from the library and I do not regret it all. The content was jam-packed and fun to read. I'll start with my negatives and then go into the positives.
Really enjoyed the comic but what let it down was how overcrowded the novel felt with characters. Although I knew who everyone was it felt very overwhelming to go from character to character without warning. It also bloated the plot and gave us less development for Ace And The Doctor. Doctor light stories can work but it didn't here for me unfortunately.
Secondly I felt like the pacing was way too quick and that the plot would have been alot better if it had more pages. I felt like without Ace and The Doctor being the focus we lost alot of plot. Would have loved if things were better fleshed out so I could connect to all the other characters better.
With that out of the way onto the positives. I loved the fact that they tried to make the comic to all readers. Even those who have never seen Classic Who. The best way they did this was by having a character guide at the beginning of the book of everyone that was gonna be featured in the story. The only reason this isn't rated lower is because the character guide helped me understand everyone that would appear and their purpose for being there.
I also loved the art. It was bold, colourful and beautiful. I almost couldn't read the text because I was entranced by the gorgeous art on page. Christopher Jones through his art style has incredibly brought the world of Doctor Who onto the page. Huge props because the art really helped immerse me into the story.
Finally I loved the dynamic between all the characters. Despite being overcrowded its super fun to see Ace hanging out with other Scientists that also refuse to put up with any Misogyny. It's also fun seeing the Doctor slip easily into a Unit like leadership role and help the military combat any alien threats. Also Ace and The Doctor dynamic threads the story together in a fantastic way to the point you can really see how much The Doctor trusts and respects Ace.
Overall a fun amazing comic with lots of action and intense drama. Wether your a Classic Who fan or just a Doctor Who fan overall I cannot recommend this enough.
I have never seem Classic Who but I still really enjoyed this comic. Borrowed if from the library and I do not regret it all. The content was jam-packed and fun to read. I'll start with my negatives and then go into the positives.
Really enjoyed the comic but what let it down was how overcrowded the novel felt with characters. Although I knew who everyone was it felt very overwhelming to go from character to character without warning. It also bloated the plot and gave us less development for Ace And The Doctor. Doctor light stories can work but it didn't here for me unfortunately.
Secondly I felt like the pacing was way too quick and that the plot would have been alot better if it had more pages. I felt like without Ace and The Doctor being the focus we lost alot of plot. Would have loved if things were better fleshed out so I could connect to all the other characters better.
With that out of the way onto the positives. I loved the fact that they tried to make the comic to all readers. Even those who have never seen Classic Who. The best way they did this was by having a character guide at the beginning of the book of everyone that was gonna be featured in the story. The only reason this isn't rated lower is because the character guide helped me understand everyone that would appear and their purpose for being there.
I also loved the art. It was bold, colourful and beautiful. I almost couldn't read the text because I was entranced by the gorgeous art on page. Christopher Jones through his art style has incredibly brought the world of Doctor Who onto the page. Huge props because the art really helped immerse me into the story.
Finally I loved the dynamic between all the characters. Despite being overcrowded its super fun to see Ace hanging out with other Scientists that also refuse to put up with any Misogyny. It's also fun seeing the Doctor slip easily into a Unit like leadership role and help the military combat any alien threats. Also Ace and The Doctor dynamic threads the story together in a fantastic way to the point you can really see how much The Doctor trusts and respects Ace.
Overall a fun amazing comic with lots of action and intense drama. Wether your a Classic Who fan or just a Doctor Who fan overall I cannot recommend this enough.
December 20, 2025
As I'm sure people who follow me knows, The Seventh Doctor is my favorite incarnation of everybody's favorite Time Lord. I love this Doctor's darker and calculating side compared to the rest, which is healthily balanced out by his signature sense of humor and charisma. Sylvester McCoy, Andrew Cartmel and Ben Arronovitch were all instrumental in making The Doctor a much darker and more mysterious character than ever before, and I love them all for it. I've been very excited about this comic; I can't wait to dive into it.
Operation Volcano:
After discovering a spaceship in the middle of an Australian nuclear test site, the Counter-Measures group calls the Doctor and Ace to help them solve the mystery of how it came to be there and why. Under their noses, enemies are coming together and conspiring a plot against the people of Earth.
Andrew Cartmel has written a fantastic and engaging Doctor Who comic that is action-packed and intriguing. It's nice to have another Doctor Who story with The Counter-Measures group, and thankfully it made for a really fun read. The art style for this one is gorgeous as well. 9/10
Hill of Beans:
Vulpana is being ruled over by a fascist regime. The werewolves are all being hunted down and accounted for. On its moon, Mags is holding the next circus show; she needs The Doctor and Ace's help not only to save her family, but to start the rebellion.
I really wasn't keen on this story. I usually quite like this author's work, but the problem is there's a solid story idea here, and yet it has no substance. I noticed the imagery of swatiska-like designs and a Donald Trump-inspired villain, and unfortunately, it felt too on the nose. A shame because this could have been something special. 2/10
The Armageddon Gambit:
The Doctor and Ace are no strangers to putting an end to warmongers' schemes, and this time is no different.
John Freeman has written a fun prequel. I'm surprised that they put it at the end of this comic since it leads into the comic's titular story. 8/10
In-Between Times:
Susan has a secret, and Ian and Barbara are curious to find out what that is.
This was an okay story by Paul Cornell. It could have been sweet, yet it's unfortunately too short to have much of an impact. 2/10
Overall: 21/40
Operation Volcano:
After discovering a spaceship in the middle of an Australian nuclear test site, the Counter-Measures group calls the Doctor and Ace to help them solve the mystery of how it came to be there and why. Under their noses, enemies are coming together and conspiring a plot against the people of Earth.
Andrew Cartmel has written a fantastic and engaging Doctor Who comic that is action-packed and intriguing. It's nice to have another Doctor Who story with The Counter-Measures group, and thankfully it made for a really fun read. The art style for this one is gorgeous as well. 9/10
Hill of Beans:
Vulpana is being ruled over by a fascist regime. The werewolves are all being hunted down and accounted for. On its moon, Mags is holding the next circus show; she needs The Doctor and Ace's help not only to save her family, but to start the rebellion.
I really wasn't keen on this story. I usually quite like this author's work, but the problem is there's a solid story idea here, and yet it has no substance. I noticed the imagery of swatiska-like designs and a Donald Trump-inspired villain, and unfortunately, it felt too on the nose. A shame because this could have been something special. 2/10
The Armageddon Gambit:
The Doctor and Ace are no strangers to putting an end to warmongers' schemes, and this time is no different.
John Freeman has written a fun prequel. I'm surprised that they put it at the end of this comic since it leads into the comic's titular story. 8/10
In-Between Times:
Susan has a secret, and Ian and Barbara are curious to find out what that is.
This was an okay story by Paul Cornell. It could have been sweet, yet it's unfortunately too short to have much of an impact. 2/10
Overall: 21/40
August 22, 2022
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/operation-volcano-by-ben-aaronovitch-and-andrew-cartmel/
A collection of Seventh Doctor stories first published in 2018 as a three-shot series and then collected as a graphic novel. The majority of pages are taken up with the title story, by no less than Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch, which takes the Doctor and Ace to Australia for an adventure of alien infiltration with Group Captain Gilmore. It’s a well done, densely written adventure, which perhaps shows that the comics medium does not suffer the same limitations as the screen.
There are also three shorter stories in the volume. “Hill of Beans”, by Richard Dinnick, takes the Psychic Circus from The Greatest Show in the Galaxy to a planet ruled by a president who looks just like Donald Trump. the art is by Jessica Martin who played Mags in the TV story and whose character features here. I’m afraid it did not really work for me.
“The Armageddon Gambit”, by John Freeman and Christopher Jones, is a less ambitious but more successful Doctor-and-Ace-outwit-the-aliens tale. Given that it is the third story in the book, I’ll give you its second frame as well.
Finally, an unexpected treat: a six-pager from Paul Cornell and John Stokes, “In-Between Times”, which explores the relationships between Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright, the First Doctor and the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan. Rather lovely; and I suspect it may be the most recently published new First Doctor comic as of the time of writing.
A collection of Seventh Doctor stories first published in 2018 as a three-shot series and then collected as a graphic novel. The majority of pages are taken up with the title story, by no less than Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch, which takes the Doctor and Ace to Australia for an adventure of alien infiltration with Group Captain Gilmore. It’s a well done, densely written adventure, which perhaps shows that the comics medium does not suffer the same limitations as the screen.
There are also three shorter stories in the volume. “Hill of Beans”, by Richard Dinnick, takes the Psychic Circus from The Greatest Show in the Galaxy to a planet ruled by a president who looks just like Donald Trump. the art is by Jessica Martin who played Mags in the TV story and whose character features here. I’m afraid it did not really work for me.
“The Armageddon Gambit”, by John Freeman and Christopher Jones, is a less ambitious but more successful Doctor-and-Ace-outwit-the-aliens tale. Given that it is the third story in the book, I’ll give you its second frame as well.
Finally, an unexpected treat: a six-pager from Paul Cornell and John Stokes, “In-Between Times”, which explores the relationships between Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright, the First Doctor and the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan. Rather lovely; and I suspect it may be the most recently published new First Doctor comic as of the time of writing.
February 17, 2021
This ended up being more of an anthology book than I expected given the main story, a secondary Seventh Doctor story, and kind of random First Doctor vignette? What's going on here?
I guess at this point it was clear to Titan Comics that there wasn't enough genuine interest in the Classic Doctors to craft ongoing series for all of them, but they did manage to get a few off the ground and completed arcs for all of them. I was a little surprised at how much story was crammed in here despite the act this is actually one of the shorter runs compared to the other Classic Doctors.
The main story was pretty interesting, although I don't know if it needed the 2029 flash-forward time travel angle that was quaint but not amazing. It was still a good showcase of the Seventh Doctor and Ace working as the unique team that they are and I enjoyed it a lot. There were some wonky bits in the narrative when it comes to the villain reveals, but it all still worked out in the end.
The secondary story with the Psychic Circus was a little odd and the change in art style didn't help things. There was one other super short Seventh Doctor piece that was really more of a moment than a story. And then the First Doctor story, while also short, was quite emotional and I really appreciated that closing to things.
I don't know about you, but I still feel that we need more of these Classic Doctor comic books.
I guess at this point it was clear to Titan Comics that there wasn't enough genuine interest in the Classic Doctors to craft ongoing series for all of them, but they did manage to get a few off the ground and completed arcs for all of them. I was a little surprised at how much story was crammed in here despite the act this is actually one of the shorter runs compared to the other Classic Doctors.
The main story was pretty interesting, although I don't know if it needed the 2029 flash-forward time travel angle that was quaint but not amazing. It was still a good showcase of the Seventh Doctor and Ace working as the unique team that they are and I enjoyed it a lot. There were some wonky bits in the narrative when it comes to the villain reveals, but it all still worked out in the end.
The secondary story with the Psychic Circus was a little odd and the change in art style didn't help things. There was one other super short Seventh Doctor piece that was really more of a moment than a story. And then the First Doctor story, while also short, was quite emotional and I really appreciated that closing to things.
I don't know about you, but I still feel that we need more of these Classic Doctor comic books.
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April 2, 2022I love many eras of Doctor Who but just plain love the late '80s McCoy-Aldred-Cartmel era of Doctor Who. here, in Operation Volcano, Cartmel, recreates it perfectly, only with an infinite budget and more modern nonlinear storytelling techniques. its plot hinged on actual historical events (that I knew nothing about) and had twists I did not seem coming. quality nostalgia with a couple great moments for the Doctor, one of which involves no dialogue.
art (by Christopher Jones) and coloring (by Marco Lesko) of exceptional quality, too. I particularly want to single out some of the production design (if you want to call it that). the variant cover with the monsters (drawn by Jones) stands out as one of my favorite pieces of Who art ever.
I can only fault the story for simplifying and glossing over certain points. unusual for a recent comic (it came out in 2019) and for better cliffhangers. (it also deserved a better title than the generic pulp one of Operation Volcano.)
for every Who story like Operation Volcano (see? not that good a title) you get... well, here in addition to the main story, you get... what you get in one of the three backup stories, entitled "Hill of Beans". magnificent in its badness. (note that I refer to the writing, not the art.)
art (by Christopher Jones) and coloring (by Marco Lesko) of exceptional quality, too. I particularly want to single out some of the production design (if you want to call it that). the variant cover with the monsters (drawn by Jones) stands out as one of my favorite pieces of Who art ever.
I can only fault the story for simplifying and glossing over certain points. unusual for a recent comic (it came out in 2019) and for better cliffhangers. (it also deserved a better title than the generic pulp one of Operation Volcano.)
for every Who story like Operation Volcano (see? not that good a title) you get... well, here in addition to the main story, you get... what you get in one of the three backup stories, entitled "Hill of Beans". magnificent in its badness. (note that I refer to the writing, not the art.)
September 17, 2022
Made up of multiple smaller stories, there's a range of quality here. The main story, written by a former writer for that era of Doctor Who, is actually rather fun but not overly deep or anything as the Doctor and his companion Ace deal with telepathic worm aliens who are the good guys while the bad guys are ones that bred themselves to look like attractive humans. If this story was the entire book, I might have been happier.
But there were a few more. The first, a Casablanca rift acting as a sequel to a TV adventure involving a psychic space circus and an alien werewolf, was not written to my taste and I didn't like the art much. A second back-up with the Doctor and Ace ending a space war without trying very hard was over before it really got started.
Now, there was a special treat in the form of a black-and-white First Doctor story where the Doctor and Susan gave original companions Ian and Barbara a tour of the TARDIS, but it also didn't have a whole lot going on, so that was that.
But there were a few more. The first, a Casablanca rift acting as a sequel to a TV adventure involving a psychic space circus and an alien werewolf, was not written to my taste and I didn't like the art much. A second back-up with the Doctor and Ace ending a space war without trying very hard was over before it really got started.
Now, there was a special treat in the form of a black-and-white First Doctor story where the Doctor and Susan gave original companions Ian and Barbara a tour of the TARDIS, but it also didn't have a whole lot going on, so that was that.
April 14, 2021
As I've said in previous reviews, I'm not a huge Dr. Who fan but I am appreciative enough of the franchise to read some graphic novels from time to time.
This one was a bit confusing (honestly I find a lot of Dr. Who confusing so maybe it's just me) but by the time it was done I think I had it figured out. It deals with aliens, time travel, villians...the usual Dr. Who fare.
Overall I thought this was a decent read with decent art. I'm not sure where the Seventh Doctor ranks on the popularity scale, but I wasn't familiar with him. Still not bad, and I'm sure Dr. Who fans would enjoy this one.
PS: I am basing my review solely on the main story, Operation Volcano, as the back up was a little silly and seemed more for laughs.
This one was a bit confusing (honestly I find a lot of Dr. Who confusing so maybe it's just me) but by the time it was done I think I had it figured out. It deals with aliens, time travel, villians...the usual Dr. Who fare.
Overall I thought this was a decent read with decent art. I'm not sure where the Seventh Doctor ranks on the popularity scale, but I wasn't familiar with him. Still not bad, and I'm sure Dr. Who fans would enjoy this one.
PS: I am basing my review solely on the main story, Operation Volcano, as the back up was a little silly and seemed more for laughs.
November 4, 2022
7th Doctor comics aren't made much nowadays, and since I like 7 so much I decided to pick this one up over some of the others I'd been looking at. I think it's a solid story, features good characterization of 7 and Ace, a coherent and understandable plot, and some fun moments with very good artwork. I will say that it doesn't really explore a lot of the characters too in depth, and feels like it resolves the plot incredibly quickly, almost before the stakes can sink in. It's a fun romp, especially love the dramatically drawn shots of 7's face covered in shadows(a quite fitting look for him), but doesn't have to much to it beyond that. Bonus points for the great First Doctor mini-story at the back: Very fun and cute.
January 11, 2019
So much fun, so good! (Of course, you expect no less from writers of the show during the 7th Doctor's era.) Andrew Cartmel as expected has a genuine feel for the voice of the characters. Both the Doctor and Ace sound and behave like the Doctor and Ace. The addition of Ben Aaronovitch's "Countermeasures" team is a bit like UNIT lite, giving another window into a slice of time we usually don't get to see much of. Coupled with a great story makes for a rollicking adventure perfect for comics. For a full review, see www.travelingthevortex.com
April 15, 2019
An engaging, well-illustrated Doctor Who story with good likenesses of the characters if you're a fan of the Seventh Doctor, or simply into Doctor Who. Characters appear from the televised story "Remembrance of the Daleks," but there's no requirement to see that before reading this. I do wish it had been released as a hardcover first like other releases for assorted other Doctors, and the 2018 logo is a bit of an odd fit with with 1980s Doctor Who, but there was likely little choice in the matter.
July 4, 2019
An adventure that captures the feel of late 80s Doctor Who. The main story, "Operation Volcano", is the most enjoyable and includes the Counter Measures team. I would like to read more of this era of Doctor Who written by Andrew Caramel. The art by Christopher Jones works very well with the script.
I did not enjoy the backup story "Hill of Beans" very much. The script felt rushed and the art did not compliment it at all.
That said, I hope that the creative team of Cartmel and Jones continue to bring us future adventures of The Professor and Ace.
I did not enjoy the backup story "Hill of Beans" very much. The script felt rushed and the art did not compliment it at all.
That said, I hope that the creative team of Cartmel and Jones continue to bring us future adventures of The Professor and Ace.
December 17, 2025
Something of a letdown after the other Titan collections I've been making my way through - and some of them I paid full price for, but then a very reasonable priced Humble Bundle appeared!
The main story here is okay - aside from the slightly problematic portrayal of an Aboriginal character (Cartmel's heart was in the right place, at least). The shorter stories at the back aren't memorable and are obviously just filler.
The main story here is okay - aside from the slightly problematic portrayal of an Aboriginal character (Cartmel's heart was in the right place, at least). The shorter stories at the back aren't memorable and are obviously just filler.
April 25, 2020
Operation Volcano didn't really thrill me much, nor did the art really stand out to me. The main story and the two Seventh Doctor short stories were okay. I think I've read the First Doctor short story elsewhere, and it's good for what it is.
September 18, 2023
The Seventh Doctor is one of the Doctors I'm least familiar with. My local PBS station never got around to airing his adventures here like they did the previous Doctors. I'm aware of the general Ace and Doctor vibe though. I thought the main story was really solid. It mainly takes place in 1967 with some events stretching to 2029. It's about some alien cops and robbers on Earth for millennia.
The backup story is by a different creative team and both the story and the artist are craptacular. I suggest not even reading it.
The backup story is by a different creative team and both the story and the artist are craptacular. I suggest not even reading it.
July 2, 2018
Good fun with the Seventh Doctor and Ace and multiple convoluted storylines.
May 24, 2020
I always thought the seventh Doctor was underrated. I was right.
November 21, 2020
A fantastic run about set in the 7th Doctor era. Captures the aesthetic and feeling of Mccoy's final year in the role. Really wish they'd so more runs for the classic Doctors.
April 6, 2021
Too little Doctor and Ace and too much random companions. Still a good story, need more.
December 3, 2025
There were barely even any volcanoes in this. C'mon.
June 14, 2023
Fun, tries to capture the vibe of the McCoy era.
The back up was decent, but I didn't love the art.
The back up was decent, but I didn't love the art.
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