DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF THE WOLF #2 – Review

In DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF THE WOLF #2, from Titan Comics on December 15th, 2021, it’s the Eighth Doctor and the good Rose rescuing the Eleventh Doctor from the not-so-good Rose. Can the Doctors fix the time paradox before things get worse?

The Details

• Written By: Jody Houser
• Art By: Roberta Ingranata
• Colors By: Warnia Sahadewa
• Letters By: Comicraft’s Richard Starkings
• Cover Art By: Priscilla Petraites (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: December 15, 2021

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Was It Good?

The first issue in the latest Whovian arc from Jody Houser had some intriguing bits but suffered from too much convolution to avoid confusion. In DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF THE WOLF #2, Houser does an admirable job straightening out the threads to tell a much more coherent adventure story.

We’ll get into more specifics in the next section if you’d prefer more details. For those who don’t want to be spoiled, the multitude of Doctors and Roses are spelled out in a clean narrative to let you know which is which, why they are where they are, with a teeny bit of how they got there. The chief criticism of the last issue has largely been dispelled, freeing readers up to sit back and enjoy the story rather than being forced to expend excess energy trying to figure out what’s happening.

That said, straightening out the plot threads from the prior issue takes more than an average amount of exposition to get there. The first half of the book is very dialog-heavy, but again, Houser does an admirable job keeping the pace up so you don’t feel like you’re reading prose. There’s a lot of reading to do, but it flows nicely.

Ingranata’s art fits beautifully for the material. The character designs look close enough to the real life actors to be recognizable but not so close as to look like Photoshop references. While there’s almost no action in this issue, the character interactions are expressed through the art with a charm and wit that was visually enjoyable enough to carry the story.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

Multiple Doctors and multiple Roses are enough to confuse anyone. Let us guide you through by first reading our DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF THE WOLF #1 review.

We begin with the Eleventh Doctor racing through time and space with Empress Rose’s messenger droid to answer her call for help. He notes their destination is Creerm, a world that should be devoid of people but clearly isn’t. When the Eleventh Doctor lands, he’s surprised to be met by Empress Rose who explains she’s having visions of another life with another Doctor.

When the Doctor scans her memories, he discovers Empress Rose is born of a paradox. The Eleventh Doctor is open to help but concerned that Empress Rose may be just as dangerous as the paradox that created her. The Empress decides to confine the reluctant Doctor with the intention of using the Tardis to affect her own corrections to the timeline.

Meanwhile, the Eighth Doctor and “good” Rose track the source of the paradox to Creerm, and they quietly sneak into Empress Rose’s palace to unravel what’s happened. We conclude the issue with visions of what should not be, the threat of reality’s destruction, and Rose giving the Doctors a stern talking-to.

Final Thoughts

DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF THE WOLF #2 significantly improves on the first issue by spelling out the paradox and improving the narrative flow. While there’s barely any action and the first half is very dialog-heavy, the pacing is brisk and the reading is more enjoyable.

Score: 8.5/10

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