REVIEW: Doctor Who - Gaze of the Medusa

Doctor Who - Gaze of the Medusa
Titan Comics

I discovered Doctor Who in middle school. I was a nerd in an age before being nerdy was cool in any way. I always had my nose in a book and took a lot of crap for being a straight A student. Most likely I was one of only 3 kids in my class that realized PBS showed more than Sesame Street and Electric Company. Doctor Who showed on PBS every weekday afternoon at 4:30. In the days before VCRs to tape shows (and definitely way way way before the awesome wonder that is DVR and satellite television), this left me in a rush to get home after school in time to see that day's episode. For whatever reason in the early 80s, PBS only showed episodes with one Doctor -- Tom Baker. #4. I rushed home every day for my dose of the fuzzy haired, scarf wearing awesome doctor and his companion, Sarah Jane.

I adored Tom Baker.

I saw the episode where the third doctor (Jon Pertwee) dramatically fell to the ground and morphed into Doctor #4. Then for months, the daily showings meandered their way through all of Tom Baker's exploits, ending with the episode that left me sad and pissed - the Fourth Doctor's regeneration into number five (Peter Davison). The station would show one or two Peter Davison episodes (which just made me madder....I wanted Tom Baker back. I remember being absolutely livid. I was a kid. At 12, I did not accept change readily. And I had never encountered a show that suddenly changed the main character like that with no warning.) and then bounce back to the first Tom Baker episode again. There were no Jon Pertwee episodes. There were only one or two Peter Davison episodes. Just Tom Baker on repeat.

I didn't mind. I loved Tom Baker.

Doctor Who was my secret nerd time every day. None of my friends watched Doctor Who. My parents didn't watch Doctor Who. My siblings didn't watch Doctor Who. I was a lone nerd, enjoying my little dose of Brit nerdery in secrecy. It was awesome!

I didn't discover all the rest of the Doctor Who Universe until years and years later. In college, I was much more accepting of change. My anger wore off. These days I don't even get upset when I think of  the episode where my scarfed, strange, absent-minded doctor turned into a blonde, tall stranger.

I still adore Tom Baker though. I have a replica of his scarf. I own his Funko pop figure. I have a stuffed K9 that talks. I even have a Tom Baker keyring. I like the other incarnations of the Doctor...but #4 will always be my favorite. He was my first doctor.....and that's just a special thing.

When I heard that Titan Comics was doing a 5-comic series featuring The Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane, I knew I had to read it! Unfortunately, I heard about it too late to get the whole 5 comic run...so I waited for the hardback compilation book to be released right before this past Christmas. The book was my Christmas present to me.

I waited until after the holidays were long over and life had calmed down to read it. I wanted nothing to interrupt my Classic Who time.

The story is classic. The doctor and his companion travel back to Victorian London on a lark, where they encounter aliens who want the secret of time travel. Sarah Jane is captured, and the doctor must get her back.

Brian Williamson's artwork is amazing! The cover of the hardback compilation is beautiful! The story line is classic. Gordon Rennie and Emma Beeby did an awesome job of bringing my favorite doctor back in all his absent-minded glory.

I loved it! For a little while it was like being back in the 80s, sitting down in front of the television after school to see what sort of trouble was going to unfold for The Doctor and Sarah Jane.

I highly recommend Gaze of the Medusa to any fan of classic or new Doctor Who!