Renowned TV series writer Paul Cornell will be contributing his vivid imagination for the upcoming Four Doctors Titan comics crossover event.
This will be a "weekly event, running through August and September 2015" and features the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors and their companions from the comics, as well as the War Doctor. Neil Edwards will be the artist.
Doctor Who News reviewer Martin Hudecek was given the opportunity to ask Paul some questions in the lead-up to this special crossover event, which launches on Wednesday 12 August.
Hi Paul, thanks for giving some of your time to talk to us at Doctor Who News.
1) What resulted in you working on this mini-series, apart from your numerous accomplishments in penning other Doctor Who stories over the years?
Titan editor Andrew James asked me, and I couldn't turn it down.
2) You are working with Neil Edwards for the first time I believe. How did this collaboration materialise, and how do your respective visions of DoctorWho align?
Titan asked me to take a look at his work, and I was blown away. He's amazing. He captures not just likenesses, but actor body language too, and his special effects are awesome.
3) Peter Capaldi's incarnation is obviously the current version, and we have many stories of his to come still. Are you following precedent in making him the 'main Doctor' or are you opting for a slightly different path here?
He's the main Doctor, but the other two get just about equal screen time. I think the audience want as much Doctor interaction as possible from a crossover, so they're together almost all the time. Ten doesn't trust Twelve at all, and Twelve can't or won't explain how he can even exist. Eleven tries to moderate between them.
4) Which of the TV multi-doctor stories was the strongest in your view, and was it also the one to influence you the most for coming up with this new story?
The Day of the Doctor is a staggering masterpiece of plotting. So I don't want to be in the shadow of that, and went another way.
5) Having adapted your own New Adventure book 'Human Nature' (which featured the Seventh Doctor) to instead be a Tenth Doctor for TV, could you describe the process of writing for different personalities and in different mediums?
When you've got an artist who can do the body language, that frees up the dialogue so I can keep going with interaction between the three (or more) Doctors. The plot is a bit of a summer blockbuster, in that it's more a timey-wimey rollercoaster, with a few old monsters, but it's all about how the Doctors react to what's being thrown at them. And how their companions react to other Doctors.
6) Is the intent for this summer event to have any long-term impacts on the Twelfth Doctor, or is it more to be enjoyed as a special story on its own terms?
One of the lovely things about working for Titan is that you know what you do will reflect on the titles afterwards. We may well have made some changes. Possibly big ones.
7) What has been the main inspiration for this new story, and how would describe the journey the different Doctors go through/?:
It's about a photograph that could destroy the universe. Clara tries to stop what she calls 'some sort of multi-Doctor...event!' from happening, and tries to talk to Alice and Gabby privately, but fortunately she fails, and the Doctor interaction mayhem ensues. They do come to trust each other, but it's only after a look into the future for all of them. Eleven awards himself a 'most sensible Doctor' badge at one point.
8) With a certain amount of regular characters to juggle, i.e. the various original comic companions as well as Clara Oswald, how do you approach making sure everyone gets a fair go of being involved?
It's just about juggling page time and dramatic content. Clara, Gabby and Alice all get to narrate at least one issue, so it's a good way for new readers to meet them. I want fans of every combination here to feel satisfied.
9) What approach do you take so that the combined team of Doctors have a worthy enough foe?
It's a problem that gradually gets bigger and bigger, with a big bad revealed along the way. We aim to surprise.
10) You made your mark on original Doctor Who stories back when the New Adventures book line was very new, and helped 'keep the flame burning' during the long hiatus for the show. Could you really have believed at the time just how prosperous the Who franchise would become?
It's wonderful, isn't it? Russell and now Steven's vision have made just about anything possible for the show.
Thanks again Paul, and best wishes with all your projects.