Monday 24 May 2010

Dave Gibbons' Doctor Who


Alas, nothing in Nottingham i was after that'd fit the remit of this here Blog. But have been hankering over the Doctor Who strips that started in the then weekly back in '78.
Haven't read them since then but remember liking them - especially for the excellent Dave Gibbons artwork (was all fired up on him as it was around the same time he was drawing Dan Dare for 2000AD, and i was in love with that).
So, thought i'd buy a graphic novel. But which?
The proper, large-szed UK versions which are in the original black and white and the right size but only one tale per album?
Or the smaller, colourised US version, who's colouring does seem rather garish but you do get multiple tales.
Logic says to keep it authentic and go with the original B/W's.
But same price gets you 3 or 4 tales for the 14.99.
Couldn't decide - so went with one of the back issues of the US comic to see just what its like and if memory cheats.
It sure blummin' well does.
Gibbons' art is still as superb as i remember it and the plots are good fun.
But the scripts...
Sorry Steve Parkhouse and Steve Moore but you may have been brought up on the Doc and maybe even were fans - but he just doesn't talk like that.
Guess i'm old and picky now as i don't remember having a problem with Tom Baker exclaming "Good Heavens!" and suchlike but sure do now.
Odd. And it spoiled the tales for me big time. So dunno if i'll be getting the GN's at all now.

2 comments:

G.G. said...

You get lots more than one story per book in the BW Panini collections. "The Iron Legion" reprints 36 episodes (weekly, 4 pages each) and "Dragon's Claw" the other 22 (monthly, 6-8 pages each).

Mangamax said...

They didn't have the Panini one's in either shop - and i'd forgotten all about them.
Ta for the heads up!