Doctor Who

Album-inspired covers seem to be all the rage this year, with both Marvel and Black Mask going the hip-hop route --- but the idea is nothing new. Back in the days when albums were actual physical objects, their nearly-square covers provided a cover for some iconic images that became indelibly familiar. Titan Comics is the latest publisher to tap in to the cultural cachet of classic album art, with three new Doctor Who variant covers by artist Simon Myers riffing on albums from David Bowie, Blondie, and Bob Dylan. The covers feature on the upcoming third and fourth issues of the Twelfth Doctor series, featuring Peter Capaldi's Doctor and Jenna Coleman as the companion Clara, and a retailer-exclusive cover for the first issue of the upcoming Eighth Doctor series, featuring Paul McGann's take on the Doctor.

The received wisdom about your favorite Doctor from the various iterations of Doctor Who is that most people prefer the one they grew up with, or the first one they encountered. Your first Doctor is the one who established what the Doctor is meant to be. In that regard, Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor has an advantage, simply because his unmatched seven year tenure in the role made him a presence in more people's childhoods. Even without that statistical advantage, Baker's Doctor still towers above his peers from the original series in terms of reputation and affection --- and his most enduring companion, Sarah Jane Smith, is still one of the most popular companions, brought to the screen by the late and beloved Elisabeth Sladen in multiple series. So it's no surprise that Titan's next Doctor Who mini series, following on from those spotlighting versions of the Doctor most recognizable to modern audiences, will bring back the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane for brand new adventures.

With the fourth issue of Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor arriving in stores today, writer Cavan Scott continues his commentary on the five issue mini series with his notes on issue #3, exclusive to ComicsAlliance. Last time we met Glom the space octopus, visited the Temporal Bazaar with Captain Jack, and left the Doctor at the mercy of the Lect. Grab your copy of Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #3 and read along as the story continues!

Where once there were no Doctor Who Lego sets, soon there will be multiple ways to enjoy the Time Lord in brick form. This November will see the Doctor arrive in Lego Dimensions, complete with mini-TARDIS and K-9, but that's still not a complete adventure set and is meant for use with the Lego Dimensions game itself. It's a good thing then that in December, Lego will release a more complete Doctor Who set based on the design submitted through the Lego Ideas program. Originally pitched by AndrewClark2 to Lego Ideas back in February 2014, the Doctor Who and Companions set saw a few changes made from its earliest incarnation. The user-created idea was based around the David Tennant's Tenth Doctor, and featured his frequent companion Rose, along with an additional Fourth Doctor. That original pitch did have designs in place for the Twelfth Doctor and Clara, too, but was primarily a Tenth Doctor set.

With October just around the bend, that means it's time for cooler weather, cooler costumes and the biggest comic book convention on the east coast. Yes, New York Comic Con is bearing down on us faster than we're prepared to deal with it, but that's okay. We'll make do. In addition to incredible amount of stuff happening at the show, there will be a lot of great stuff up for grabs. As busy as Funko was at San Diego Comic-Con, its plate looks to be equally as filled at NYCC this coming year. This week, Funko is unveiling all of its planned exclusive items, with a new batch coming every single day. While the availability of each is likely to be a bit more open than it was at SDCC, these things will still be limited. If you're hoping to get any, definitely plan ahead and around any and all panels you hope to make it to this year.

When Doctor Who made its triumphant return to television screens in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston in the role of the ninth Doctor, no-one could have guaranteed that the show would still be a hit ten years later. Yet Doctor Who endures, and with it comes the comic book spin-offs from Titan Comics that explore and expand the stories of the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth Doctors. Cavan Scott continues his writer’s commentary for the five issue Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor mini series with his notes on issue #2, exclusive to ComicsAlliance. Last month we met some stylish new alien races and left Rose Tyler in calamitous peril (oh, Rose). Grab your copy of Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #2 and read along as the story continues!

Along with their Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor titles, Titan has a fourth 'rotating' slot in their Doctor Who license which brings a new Doctor to the fore every few months. At San Diego Comic-Con the publisher announced that, following the conclusion of the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) series later this year, George Mann and Emma Vieceli will be the creative team for The Eight Doctor.

When Doctor Who made its triumphant return to television screens in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston in the role of the ninth Doctor, no-one could have guaranteed that the show would still be a hit ten years later, on to its own fourth (or fifth) incarnation of its hero. Yet Doctor Who endures, and with it comes the comic book spin-offs from Titan Comics that explore and expand the stories of the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth Doctors. Writer Cavan Scott is the man behind the Ecclestone Doctor's comic book adventures, joined by artist Blair Shedd for a five-issue mini series that launched last month. Scott has agreed to exclusively share his writer's commentary for the series with ComicsAlliance, so we kick off with his notes for issue #1, with the introduction of the Lect and the Doctor's encounter with the Unon. Grab your copy of Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #1 and read along!

A few years ago, around the time that Matt Smith was gearing up to replace David Tennant, I briefly made an attempt to get into Doctor Who. Sadly, it didn't really take -- as much as I liked reading stuff about the show, and as much fun as I had with bits and pieces of it, the show never really hooked me the way that it did my friends, and I ended up being quite possibly the only person in the world who liked Doctor Who Magazine more than Doctor Who. Last week, though, it all clicked into place with the release of Fred Van Lente, Clayton Henry, and Brian Reber's Ivar, Timewalker #1 and its story of time-spanning action and underlying mystery. Basically, this was the version of Doctor Who that I actually wanted.

We are living in a cynical age, my friends. A few short decades ago, if you had told someone that they could have virtually unlimited access to art inspired by their favorite pieces of pop culture and the only thing they'd have to worry about was accidentally seeing some very romantic drawings of Sonic the Hedgehog, they would've been starry-eyed with the possibilities. But here in the future, we see that sort of thing all the time, to the point where we've become a little jaded by the whole experience. But sometimes, every now and then, you see someone doing it beautifully, and it is still breathtaking. Case in point, David Goh, a Singapore-based artist whose posters and prints bring a truly phenomenal design sense to art inspired by Harry Potter, Frozen, and even the classic Final Fantasy VII! Check it out below, but spoiler warning: Aeris dies.