The Body Politic (Prisoners of Time, IDW Comic #8).

Comics It was the very definition of the good news and the bad news when it was announced that the 50th anniversary would bring an Eighth Doctor comic featuring the first fully licensed appearance of Dr Grace Holloway in over ten years but that it would be written by the Tiptons, Scott & David. As you'll remember I wasn't much enamoured with their work on the Star Trek: The Next Generation crossover Assimilation 2 (you can survey the wreckage here) so the idea of them getting their hands on my favourite incarnation and his first companion was disappointing.  With my expectations suitably lowered, when this was finally published they were met.  Oh it feels authentic.  As with many of the installments in Prisoners of Time it's drawn by a sometime DWM artist, Roger Langridge in this case, with his customary cartoony style and to their credit, the Eighth Doctor does sound about right.  But having been gifted with Grace, she's trapped in a shockingly generic bit of regime change which, whilst thematically connected to the medical profession would have worked just as well with any of Eighth's many companions.  Indeed, despite having spent a couple of pages introducing her character (in a way which is shamelessly reminiscent to how Eleventh introduced the TARDIS to Picard in the earlier series), her characterisation feels off, not least when this millennial Earth woman is suddenly and confidently able to pilot a shuttle craft.  The story ends with a cliffhanger of her being kidnapped by a hooded figure.  Yes, I know who he is and it's certainly not the Toymaker so fuck knows why he's on the cover because he isn't in the actual issue.  If only he was.  Placement:  No clue.  I'll put it, after the Puffin novella Spore which was published the same month when the Doctor's supposed to be travelling alone anyway (unless reading Prisoner of Time's final issue brings new facts).

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