Old Friends

"There are some jobs even the best thief in the universe can't pull off alone."

Writer: Jody Houser
Format: Comic Strip
Released:
Printed in: The Thirteenth Doctor #9-12

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis 

In this swashbuckling instalment, The Doctor and her fam – Ryan, Yaz and Graham – get caught up in the escapades of infamous rogue Time Lord, the Corsair! Accused of a crime she didn't commit, the Doctor becomes involved in a daring heist with her old friend in order retrieve something valuable for the Corsair's mysterious benefactor...

Verdict

Old Friends was an excellent comic strip and is definitely one of my very favourite stories that Titan Comics have produced! It was incredibly close to a perfect rating and was just such an enjoyable read from start to finish. Sadly, I knew from the synopsis that the Corsair would be making an appearance but I really enjoyed the play on the two-hearted woman with brown hair that was the thief. The Doctor had been mistaken for stealing the Gem of Niag and with the description she was provided, it made perfect sense for her to think that Missy was the true culprit. Her shock when she realised that Missy may have a TARDIS was fantastic and I just loved the prospect of the Thirteenth Doctor meeting Missy. However, that prospect has changed quite drastically since the broadcast of Spyfall's first episode with the return of the Master and him back in male form. I did really love how the Doctor seemed quite saddened that Missy could be up to no good again after all of the work he put in to make her good throughout Series 10. Of course, the part one cliffhanger showed us that the thief was actually the Corsair! We get to meet the woman whose arm was stolen by Uncle in The Doctor's Wife and it was quite saddening to know what her fate would be and that was doubled by the Doctor's flashback to that episode and checking on the hypercube once more. It was a sad reminder of a distant memory that was very emotional. Once the Corsair arrived, the interaction with the Doctor was just sublime throughout! I loved every single conversation between the pair and just didn't want them to stop talking. They were absolutely tremendous and I think it definitely worked with the Doctor also being a female. I'd love for a male incarnation to also meet her! I genuinely think the chemistry could match that of the Eleventh Doctor and River. The basis of the plot was quite simple and I liked that the Corsair was actually doing good for the star whale. It was not the same one we saw in The Beast Below but it was of the same species. Unfortunately for the Time Lord, her employer's intentions were not so good. The way the Hoarder returned, or rather was easily defeated by Perkins and Schulz's brief cameo return, was probably why this didn't quite get the top rating as it was a bit quick, but the cliffhanger ending and emergence of the Hoarder in adding the whale to his collection was very good. I loved the joint reaction of Yaz, Ryan and Graham when they were told of the Corsair's employer and it was also nice for the Time Lord to admire the Doctor's friends despite not wanting the responsibility of travelling with others herself. I thought the Corsair's TARDIS as a pirate ship looked incredible and I would have loved to have seen the inside! The Doctor definitely seemed to be under control from the Corsair and despite her not wanting to go against laws and morals, she couldn't seem to say no to her old friend. I liked that and would love for some further exploration of their history and relationship. They were just terrific together here and I'm keen for more. The ending was a nice touch with how they parted and the whale was set free. Overall, this was a stellar comic strip adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Rating: 9/10