News The Thirteenth Doctor comic starts this autumn

[The Nth Doctor]

The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Titan Comics will launch a new comic line for The Thirteenth Doctor, which will begin this autumn and will be produced by an all-female creative team.

The new comic series will be written by Jody Houser, whose résumé includes runs on a number of high-profile properties, including the best-selling Orphan Black comic book, as well as the comic book adaptation of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the critically acclaimed Mother Panic series from DC’s Young Animal imprint. Art will come from fan-favorite Rachael Stott, who has illustrated a number of Titan’s previous Doctor Who comics. Enrica Angiolini will be the series’ colorist.​

I largely don't read any of the Doctor Who comics except for the occasional trade paperback, usually one of the big crossover adventures, but I'm definitely curious about this one. I'll probably still wait for the trade tough.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Doctor Who is dead to me.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Okay...so why are you posting here?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Titan has announced that there will be some 13th Doctor content in the Free Comic Book Day special, but I imagine that won't be anything more than an interview with the writer or artist, and possibly some sketches.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Okay...so why are you posting here?

Sorry, that was my future incarnation. I'll be hanging out with Ian Levine by then, but rest assured, I'm perfectly positive of 13 as of this incarnation.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Titan has announced that there will be some 13th Doctor content in the Free Comic Book Day special, but I imagine that won't be anything more than an interview with the writer or artist, and possibly some sketches.

When will that be?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Free Comic Book Day? The first Saturday in May, which is... May 5th!

 

[Green Lantern]

>All-Female creative team.

Unless it's truly coincidence that every person best suited to the various jobs in the creative team are female, which seems very unlikely, it seems as though women have been selectively chosen due to their gender, and male candidates have been completely shunned. I think sexism's the word you're looking for.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I've read Jody Hauser's comics. I've seen Rachael Stott's Doctor Who and Star Trek work. I don't think they were chosen to kick off the thirteen Doctor comics because of they're both women. I think they were chosen because they're really good creators, and they're both well-suited to working on a Doctor Who comic. I'm curious to see what they'll do.

 

[Qonundrum]

>All-Female creative team.

Unless it's truly coincidence that every person best suited to the various jobs in the creative team are female, which seems very unlikely, it seems as though women have been selectively chosen due to their gender, and male candidates have been completely shunned. I think sexism's the word you're looking for.

Could be coincidence. Could be intended - the best creative team who also happened to be female. Or for empowerment since everyone has this impression that it's harder to be a woman to get anywhere in 2017 than in 1950 or 1990 or 2010 or even 2016. (And just wait until the middle-aged chime in about ageism the way few had in, say, 1985 (US TV) or 1991 (UK TV) or even in 2005 (UK media in response to an ageist TV producer..))

But I digress and it could be sexism as well. Especially as they want positive exposure, positive viewings, and a big profit... it'll be made fairly well.

The tone of the comic's content still remains unseen until after the comic comes out also has a couple of facets:
1. it might not reflect the TV show's interpretation of the new Doctor 100%,
2. if sex- and gender-based stereotypes or clichés are used (which then ends up being pandering), that's a form of sexism as well. (Apply the same standard if a boatload of men wrote the identical comic as opposed to a boatload of women. The reaction should or should not be the same?)

 

[The Wormhole]

>All-Female creative team.

Unless it's truly coincidence that every person best suited to the various jobs in the creative team are female, which seems very unlikely, it seems as though women have been selectively chosen due to their gender, and male candidates have been completely shunned. I think sexism's the word you're looking for.

Is it wrong that I don't see the problem here?
No, it's not wrong. Because there is no problem here. Other than your attitude.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

What's the consensus on the Titan comics?

 

[TheAlmanac]

Unless it's truly coincidence that every person best suited to the various jobs in the creative team are female, which seems very unlikely, it seems as though women have been selectively chosen due to their gender, and male candidates have been completely shunned.

Unless you would've made the same comment if this comic had an all-male creative team, which seems very unlikely, it seems as though you're operating under an implicit baseline assumption that every person best suited to the various jobs in a creative team will be male, and creative teams without candidates of that gender represented should be completely shunned.

I think sexism's the word you're looking for.

 

[Green Lantern]

Could be coincidence. Could be intended - the best creative team who also happened to be female. Or for empowerment since everyone has this impression that it's harder to be a woman to get anywhere in 2017 than in 1950 or 1990 or 2010 or even 2016. (And just wait until the middle-aged chime in about ageism the way few had in, say, 1985 (US TV) or 1991 (UK TV) or even in 2005 (UK media in response to an ageist TV producer..))

But I digress and it could be sexism as well. Especially as they want positive exposure, positive viewings, and a big profit... it'll be made fairly well.

The tone of the comic's content still remains unseen until after the comic comes out also has a couple of facets:
1. it might not reflect the TV show's interpretation of the new Doctor 100%,
2. if sex- and gender-based stereotypes or clichés are used (which then ends up being pandering), that's a form of sexism as well. (Apply the same standard if a boatload of men wrote the identical comic as opposed to a boatload of women. The reaction should or should not be the same?)

Due to the fact it the comic industry generally speaking seems to be male dominated, and it's also the introduction of a female Doctor, it seems extremely unlikely to be a coincidence, although it would be nice if it was.

Is it wrong that I don't see the problem here?
No, it's not wrong. Because there is no problem here. Other than your attitude.

The problem, is that it's likely this creative team were chosen solely because of their gender. They were employed on this project, yes because they are I presume capable of their job (I am unfamiliar with their work), but primarily because of their gender; if a male had the same skill set as one of those on the creative team, it is likely they would not have been put on the book. Employing someone solely because of their gender, and not even in an area such as acting where actors and actresses are chosen by gender because the actual characters they play are a particular gender. Weren't we supposed to be fighting sexism and anti-egalitarianism?

Unless you would've made the same comment if this comic had an all-male creative team, which seems very unlikely, it seems as though you're operating under an implicit baseline assumption that every person best suited to the various jobs in a creative team will be male, and creative teams without candidates of that gender represented should be completely shunned.

I think sexism's the word you're looking for.

If the creative team was all-male, I'd be less suspicious because the comicbook industry tends to be dominated by males and it's quite common. If I did find out in a hypothetical situation that someone on a creative team was chosen solely because they were male, I would obviously call that racist as well.

Due to the fact we have our first female Doctor as well, and the fact it was even highlighted that the comicbook creative team was all-female, meaning they wanted to draw attention to how they have employed an all-female staff, that highlights the fact it is almost certain that this creative team was comprised together for the sake of tying into a theme of gender. Hypothetically if I found out for certain that this creative team selection was purely a coincidence and they were in fact chosen due to them all being the right people for the job, I wouldn't be calling bullshit on this like I am now. However as it is next to impossible to find out for sure, and I wouldn't trust a spokesperson for the company if they came forth and said "they were selected because they were the right people for the job".

 

[Mr Soak]

If it was left to ability alone, it would take much longer to reach parity of the sexes. If a capable group of women is available, there is no reason to not use them in a stunt such as this. It does more in the long term for said parity that just waiting for ability to coincidentally result in an all-female creative team.

Also, the Doctor is a woman. Who better to write for her than other women. Or do you prefer your women to be written by men?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

What's the consensus on the Titan comics?

I can't speak to a "consensus," because I'm not aware of there being one.

I have generally enjoyed Titan's Doctor Who output. I haven't liked everything they've published (Supremacy of the Cybermen, for instance), and I've liked things they've published that others didn't (the eighth Doctor mini-series was roundly criticized for its artwork, but I thought Emma Vicelli's shoujo-styled artwork fit the Byronic, romantic Doctor). They've made mistakes (they announced an aggressive publishing schedule and then couldn't hit their ship dates), they've made some odd artistic decisions, some things haven't worked (the ending of Four Doctors comes to mind). That said, their eleventh Doctor comics have ranged from solid to amazing (Year One and Year Two are both fifteen-part stories, and Year Two is a fanwanker's delight), the tenth Doctor comics have some amazing companions, and the twelfth Doctor comics have had the classic Doctor Who storytelling that I felt that Moffat forgot.

That's the thing that I'm looking forward to from the thirteenth Doctor comics. I expect the television series to be somewhat serialized, or at least have a strong season-long arc, and the comics won't really get mired in that. They'll be self-contained stories, with the Doctor and her companions doing Doctor-ish things. That's the thing that prestige television doesn't do well; you need the self-contained, change-of-pace story, where you can spend time with the characters and appreciate them as characters, not as pieces in an ever-moving plot.

 

[The Wormhole]

The problem, is that it's likely this creative team were chosen solely because of their gender. They were employed on this project, yes because they are I presume capable of their job (I am unfamiliar with their work), but primarily because of their gender; if a male had the same skill set as one of those on the creative team, it is likely they would not have been put on the book. Employing someone solely because of their gender, and not even in an area such as acting where actors and actresses are chosen by gender because the actual characters they play are a particular gender.

I still don't see the problem.

Weren't we supposed to be fighting sexism and anti-egalitarianism?

Crying because the women were chosen for a job instead of men is not "fighting sexism."

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

I have generally enjoyed Titan's Doctor Who output. I haven't liked everything they've published (Supremacy of the Cybermen, for instance), and I've liked things they've published that others didn't (the eighth Doctor mini-series was roundly criticized for its artwork, but I thought Emma Vicelli's shoujo-styled artwork fit the Byronic, romantic Doctor). They've made mistakes (they announced an aggressive publishing schedule and then couldn't hit their ship dates), they've made some odd artistic decisions, some things haven't worked (the ending of Four Doctors comes to mind). That said, their eleventh Doctor comics have ranged from solid to amazing (Year One and Year Two are both fifteen-part stories, and Year Two is a fanwanker's delight), the tenth Doctor comics have some amazing companions, and the twelfth Doctor comics have had the classic Doctor Who storytelling that I felt that Moffat forgot.

I like what you're saying about Twelfth. But what about Nine?

I've began reading the Eighth Doctor mini-series, and I like it, but the Eighth seems a bit too light-hearted, if we're to believe this is post Liv Chenka from Dark Eyes/Doom Coalition/Ravenous from BF, but it is nice to read from him. I also read the Lost Dimension mega crossover, and while I didn't quite get the central story, I loved the interaction between Nine, Ten and Twelfth, a lot more than The Four Doctors (which as a story, grossly didn't like at all), and Nine's story with on the pirate ship is one of my favorite DW things, ever.

That's the thing that I'm looking forward to from the thirteenth Doctor comics. I expect the television series to be somewhat serialized, or at least have a strong season-long arc, and the comics won't really get mired in that. They'll be self-contained stories, with the Doctor and her companions doing Doctor-ish things. That's the thing that prestige television doesn't do well; you need the self-contained, change-of-pace story, where you can spend time with the characters and appreciate them as characters, not as pieces in an ever-moving plot.

I'd love to see good stories, anywhere, any medium, so here's hoping!

 

[Green Lantern]

I still don't see the problem.

Crying because the women were chosen for a job instead of men is not "fighting sexism."

Not seeing the problem with people employed solely because of their gender shows that you are simply anti-egalitarian and support sexist practises. If three men were chosen for the same job, solely because of their gender, would you not see a problem there either?

Crying because women were chosen for a job only because they are women who work in that industry instead of looking at both male and female candidates and seeing which were best suited for the job.

As I say, it is possible that it is merely a coincidence the entire creative team were female, penning the first female Doctor's comicbook series, but given that circumstance and the fact it's being billed as "all female creative team", it strikes me it is quite likely that it is not a coincidence, but a deliberate choice.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Reading the Third Doctor mini-series, and I'm loving it. Paul Cornell truly gets the feel and aura of the Pertwee era, and it translates fantastically well on paper. I especially love the simple explanation that it offers for the Doctor staying on Earth after his exile was ended, and I love the artwork, as well.

Also, it goes without question that Cornell redeems himself from the abhorent Four Doctors, which is thankful.