No television series has evolved over time quite so readily as Doctor Who. Originally envisioned as an educational program that would teach children about science and history, it developed into a serious science-fiction show for all-ages. It would also expand into a multimedia empire including tie-in novels, audio plays, and, most prominently, comics.
The comics played an important role in keeping Doctor Who alive during a long hiatus. While never officially cancelled, the show did stop production in 1989. Apart from one film co-produced by the BBC and Fox, there were no official filmed adventures of The Doctor for 16 years. Comics, however, continued to keep the fandom thrilled, until the 2005 revamp started the “New Who” era.
Best Doctor Who Comics as of 2025
There have been Doctor Who comics nearly as long as there has been a television show. This leaves fans spoiled for choice when it comes to finding further adventures of The Doctor. Indeed, the biggest challenge may be availability, depending on which era of Whovian lore you wish to explore and which side of the Atlantic you live on.
Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time
It is rare for The Doctor to travel alone and their journeys across time and space have often been defined by their companions. Indeed, it has been suggested that the need for companions sometimes shaped The Doctor’s regenerations. With that in mind, an unknown enemy seeks to strike at the Last of the Time Lords by abducting their companions.
Originally published as 12 monthly issues by IDW in 2013, Prisoners of Time is a loving tribute to the whole of Doctor Who. Each issue details the adventures of one incarnation of The Doctor, starting with the First. This makes the series a wonderful introduction to New Who fans who have yet to explore the Classic Series.
Beyond perfectly capturing the spirit of each incarnation of The Doctor, the script by Scott & David Tipton also offers nods to the history of Doctor Who comics. Chief among these is the inclusion of Frobisher; a shape-shifting alien companion who most often took the shape of a talking penguin. The comic is also notable for featuring a different artist on every chapter, giving each Doctor’s solo adventure a distinctive appearance.
A Tale of Two Time Lords
Written by Eisner-nominee Jody Houser, ‘A Tale of Two Time Lords’ centers around an unlikely adventure involving the Thirteenth Doctor and Tenth Doctor. It can’t be called a team-up, however, as Thirteen does all she can to avoid meeting her past self and imploding the universe. This is made more difficult by her also having to deal with a group of Weeping Angels and an invasion by the Autons.
While many Doctor Who fans were less than thrilled with the Thirteenth Doctor era, few blamed actor Jodie Whittaker. It is generally agreed that Whittaker is a good actor and Thirteen a good character. Unfortunately, both were let down by weak writing. The Thirteenth Doctor comics of the time are a point in favor of this argument. And ‘A Tale of Two Time Lords’ is the best of them all.
The Heralds of Destruction
When something crashes in the village of Fairford, the Third Doctor and his friends at UNIT are quick to investigate. Soon they find themselves facing an army of micro-machines that build new bodies out of whatever they can grab. However, this is only the start of their problems.
For one thing, the Second Doctor has shown up offering his help. So has The Master, the Doctor’s archenemy, who has his own reasons for getting involved. This leads to an unlikely alliance and the surprising return of another old enemy with a grudge.
‘The Heralds of Destruction’ is a fantastic introduction to the UNIT era of Doctor Who. Writer Paul Cornell captures the cadence of the characters’ mannerisms and voices quite well. Indeed, his scripting is second only to the art of Christopher Jones, who perfectly caricatures the actors from the show. Fans of the Third Doctor will find this to be a perfect adaptation. By contrast, those who aren’t fans of the Third Doctor era will likely appreciate it by the story’s end.
A Matter of Life And Death
Paul McGann has a rather unique status among the many actors to play The Doctor. He originally only appeared in the 1996 Doctor Who pilot movie. He wouldn’t play the role again on-camera until the 2013 special ‘Night of the Doctor’. Yet he still served as the official Doctor model for nine years in the media tie-ins. This has given him a wide variety of companions, though the canonicity of most of his adventures is up for debate. This incongruity is oddly exemplified by the comic adventure ‘A Matter of Life and Death.’
The story finds The Eighth Doctor returning to an old home he kept on Earth, looking for a certain book. He is surprised to find an artist named Josie Day has moved in while he was away. (To be fair, it has been a few decades relative time and five bodies since he last used that house.)
The Doctor is further surprised to find Josie’s paintings are full of familiar monsters she cannot explain. They are both surprised when Josie’s paintings start coming to life and terrorizing the town. This kicks off a scavenger hunt based around a list inside the lost book and a journey across time and space.
‘A Matter of Life and Death’ perfectly captures the romantic and adventurous spirit of McGann’s Eighth Doctor. More, it manages the trick of instantly making Josie one of the most likeable companions in the series’ history. All in all, it’s a shame that Titan Comics didn’t devote a monthly series to the further adventures of this Doctor and Josie.
Terror of the Cabinet Noir
It all begins with the Twelfth Doctor taking a trip to 17th century France and uncovering several things that are wrong. For once thing, Cardinal Richelieu still rules Paris with an iron fist, despite having been meant to have died 50 years earlier. This investigation leads to an unlikely partnership with a young woman Julie d’Aubigny, after she tries to kill The Doctor for insulting her singing.
There are many people in history whose lives sound like they were made up for a Doctor Who episode. Julie d’Aubigny is one such person. An opera singer and sword-fighter, d’Aubigny’s behavior scandalized 17th century France. Perhaps her most infamous act was burning down a convent in the process of rescuing her girlfriend.
Robbie Morrison explores this history, while unfurling a swashbuckling story that is epically illustrated by Mariano Laclaustra. Alas, despite the story suggesting Julie d’Aubigny became The Doctor’s companion afterward, this is the only adventure to feature her. This is a shame, as she has an engaging savage quality reminiscent of Leela from the Fourth Doctor era. This makes her the perfect foil to Peter Capaldi‘s punk-rock Doctor.
How we chose the best Doctor Who comics
Three things defined this list of the best Doctor Who comics; quality, variety, and availability. Naturally, we chose stories that were good and engaging, but a focus was also placed on showing off a wide variety of stories and as many incarnations of The Doctor as possible. We also specifically sought out stories that were published internationally. There are some great stories that were written for Marvel’s UK branch, for instance, which are hard to come by in the United States.
