DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF THE WOLF #3 – Review

DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF THE WOLF #3, from Titan Comics on January 12th, 2022, pulls a bait and switch as Good Rose takes the place of Evil Rose to end her army’s march of conquest. Is it too late?

The Details

• Written By: Jody Houser
• Art By: Roberta Ingranata
• Colors By: Warnia K. Sahadewa
• Letters By: Comicraft’s Richard Starkings
• Cover Art By: Eleonora Carlini
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: January 12, 2022

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Was It Good?

This series was off to a bumpy start when Houser went a little too hard and fast into the paradoxical timelines without enough anchoring to keep the narrative straight for the reader. But credit where credit is due, Houser’s (unintentional?) confusion over paradoxes and divergent timelines is still present, but the narrative flow is more linear and easier to follow, making for a better reading experience.

What works best in DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF THE WOLF #3 is Houser’s unexpectedly nuanced approach to Evil Rose. Rather than treating her as a one-dimensional despot bent on conquest for the sake of those who don’t know any better, Evil Rose is depicted as a fighter with good intentions who lost her way and developed blind spots to the consequences of her actions. Taking this approach makes Evil Rose relatable as a person who’s made mistakes in overcompensating for her cause.

Converting villains into misunderstood people with good intentions has become a negative trope in comics writing these days, so Houser smartly addresses the problem by presenting a “new” villain to give the central conflict a renewed purpose. Read on through to the next section for more details. In all, Houser has created a villain with relatable nuance while simultaneously presenting a new villain to make the conflict worth fighting.

The art by Ingranata and the team is quite good in this issue. We’ve been positive with Ingranta’s depiction of the Doctors and Rose as close enough to the real-life actors to be recognizable but translated well enough to work within the comics medium. Here, that fine balance continues, and you can picture how well this story would play out on the small screen if the actors were brought back for a reprise.

In all, the story is clearer, easier to follow, and more enjoyable to read with interesting character work and fine art.

What’s It About?

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

If you’re unsure why there are two Roses and two Doctors in the same place at the same time, check out our DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF THE WOLF #2 review.

We begin with God Rose, the 8th Doctor, and the 11th Doctor, peeking in on Evil Rose’s army as they make ready to conquer another world. Rose reconsiders her priority to go home when she sees another person who looks like her is leading an army for unprovoked conquest. The trio formulates a plan.

Later, Evil Rose walks the halls of her palace before her troops are ordered to proceed when suddenly, she’s kidnapped by the Doctors and taken aboard the Tardis. The 8th Doctor helps Good Rose sneak back to the Queen’s quarters so she can dress the part of Evil Rose to order her army to stand down. Meanwhile, the 11th Doctor takes Evil Rose to the worlds she’s previously conquered so she can see the devastation left in the wake of her good intentions.

We conclude the issue with a mutiny, opened eyes, and the return of the Sontarans.

Final Thoughts

DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF THE WOLF #3 improves on the narrative flow and infuses the main villain with relatable nuance for an entertaining entry in the series. Houser rightly avoids the overused “villain is just misunderstood” trope by allowing the consequences of Evil Rose’s actions to create conflict on multiple fronts. The art is great and does proper justice to the real-life actors.

Score: 8.5/10

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