New Adventures With The Tenth Doctor #10 - Echo

WRITER: Robbie Morrison
ARTISTS: Eleonora Carlini
COVER BY: AJ
PUBLISHER: Titan Comics
PAGECOUNT: 32​pp​
RELEASE DATE: May 13

After being subjected to the horrors of World War I in the previous adventure, the Tenth Doctor and his companion Gabby return to her home in New York City to check in on her family. When a sudden and extreme rise in noise pollution starts driving the Big Apple’s citizens mad, the Doctor knows he needs to stop it, but will it be too late for Gabby’s family?  

This issue is a standalone story where the reader doesn’t really need to know anything about the comic line in order to get into it, understand and appreciate it. In fact, this was the first Doctor Who comic that I have read in a few years.  Previous adventures and bad guys are mentioned and name checked, but the only information vital to the story is Gabby’s desire to return home, something that television viewers would be familiar with.

Sometimes, the noise of the world is deafening

The story itself is quintessential Doctor Who. You take something normal, average, every day and turn it into an enemy.  We’ve seen this premise in many of the televised episodes over the past ten years, perhaps most strikingly done with the Weeping Angels. In this case, who hasn’t been walking down a busy street and felt under audio assault from car horns, construction work, the buzz of conversation and a host of other noises? It has almost become a fact of life that nearly everywhere you go your senses are under one assault or another.  

In true Doctor Who style, there’s always more going on than first meets the eye. The Aliens behind the sonic attack, are they malicious? Misunderstood? Or themselves the victims?  

There are some political overtones to this story as well. The question is raised- just because something is legal does that make it morally right? What responsibility does a bystander have when something legal but morally reprehensible is happening in front of them?

The other main theme here is grabbing the moment. After the events of the previous story arc involving both the Weeping Angels and World War I, this issue seems to be all about not taking things for granted, whether it be the love of family and friends or even just a moment of peace and quiet stolen from another wise busy day.

The artwork is very appropriate to the story. In a tale where sound is the main villain, just how can that be portrayed on paper? The art team does a really splendid job of making those every day noises stand out, starting first as innocuous letters on the page (so subtle that it was my second read through before I noticed some of them) and then expanding outward, becoming more than just words as the victims succumb.  

A great example of this is the opening three pages. At first we see a very striking war zone image. We hear soldiers shooting at each other, bombs going off and buildings collapsing. The sounds dominate the panels, taking precedence over the pictures. Then it pulls back to reveal that the action we are 
seeing is really just a newscast and we are actually in an apartment with a couple who are arguing and a baby that is crying. All of those noises are now added into the mix, creating a visual cacophony. The following page shows Gabby’s best friend Cindy walking down the street in Brooklyn. Her phone is ringing, sending vibrant red music notes dancing across the panel while we see other noises in the background. Over the course of Cindy’s phone conversation, the background noises encroach further and the panels tighten up claustrophobically until there is nothing but Cindy and the noise.  When we return to Gabby and the Doctor on page 5 we are treated to wide open spaces and that built up tension is finally released.

Some of the wordplay used here is reminiscent of Marvel’s blind superhero Daredevil, who sees using sound. Perhaps it might even be an homage to that style.

One of the major fallacies of standalone stories is the pacing. Echo moves forward at almost breakneck speed with short and concise plot panels and action sequences that are very limited. The reduced number of panels showing explosions and battles is actually a nice change when compared to the massive page eating spreads that dominate most mainstream publications and are used to turn two issues worth of plot into five comics.  

This story has a quick resolution that appropriately gives the reader just a moment to pause for reflection before nudging them on to the next story.

Overall the story was an enjoyable read, but the plot was often predictable. With Gabby as the lead, it was inevitable that she would become the hero and save the day, her family and the earth. It tries to use familiar NYC back drops to give the story a more international feel, but instead it felt like retreading material that was done better on our television screens. All of those short comings are more than made up for by the phenomenal art direction. This was a visually dynamic comic to read.  

Bonus Humour Strip: A Rose By Any Other Name by Rachael Smith.

In this installment Rose-the-cat wants the Doctor to get over Rose-the-human, so she suggests a shopping trip. The Doctor agrees and takes them to a planet just outside Nebula 6879H that has been having a going out of business sale since the beginning of time.  The Doctor tries on a few new outfits to comedic effect and makes some purchases. It seems Rose-the-cat had ulterior motives for the shopping spree when she dives in and begins playing in all the empty boxes.  The strip is mildly amusing, with no real tie in to the main comic storyline except for a line at the end about trying to enjoy the little things in life.