Review: ‘Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor: Everyone Must Go’ Is A Thrilling Adventure!

A shopping centre at the end of the world, an army of Cybermen… and an all-new new nemesis that forces the Doctor to face his biggest fears. Join the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday in Titan Comics’ thrilling new Doctor Who graphic novel, Everyone Must Go!

Published by Titan Comics, Everyone Must Go is the first original Doctor Who graphic novel featuring the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday. Written by Dan Watters (Dark Souls: Legends of the Flame) with art from Kelsey Ramsay (Dark Spaces: Good Deeds), Everyone Must Go takes the Doctor and Ruby Sunday on an old-school cosmic adventure. In terms of canon, it takes place follows the events of season 1 episodes, Rogue.

After coming across a piece of scrap Cyberman in 18th century Yorkshire and tracing it to source, they find themselves in the distant future, in Sanctum — the last surviving shopping mall on Planet Earth. Despite Earth becoming inhabitable to humanity, resulting in entire civilisations relocating to alternate places throughout the universe, a few resilient people have remained. They find sanctuary inside Sanctum, a shopping mall where everything is free (why would money be of any use following the apocalypse, anyway?). However, the Doctor instantly finds something odd about Sanctum, especially when Cybermen show themselves.

But it’s not the Cybermen who pose the biggest threat: the sadistic, all-new villain known as the Scream Sommelier is prepared to make the Doctor, and others, face their greatest fears. The introduction of the Scream Sommelier — a mysterious entity who collects screams as a hobby — was one of my favorite moments of the book. I mean, in a Doctor Who story where the Cybermen are involved, it’s super difficult to have another villain take the spotlight, especially a new one. But Watters achieves it with ease. I won’t be spoiling anything, but know that he’s got all the traits of a brilliant Doctor Who villain.

The Scream Sommelier isn’t the only character the Doctor and Ruby face on this adventure. Watters expertly introduces several new names, most notably Cotton and Maria, making readers feel empathy towards them in just a few pages. Through these characters, and indeed the setting itself, the story provides commentary on themes of social isolation and consumerism.

The comic does an incredible job at capturing the personalities of its main duo. You can totally hear the voices of Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson in Watters’ dialogue. The high-energy, the witty comments — it’s all there. Additionally, the art from Kelsey Ramsay, while highly stylised, harnesses the essence of Doctor Who, while being well-fitted to the fast-paced story being told. There’s so many gorgeous illustrations throughout, all coloured beautifully by Valentina Bianconi. The panel layout plays a crucial role in enhancing the comic’s intensity. It moves swiftly, keeping me perpetually on edge, eagerly anticipating the next page.

It was also nice to see the inclusion of the Cybermen. On the TV side of things, the Fifteenth Doctor hasn’t yet faced any of his iconic enemies (the Cybermen, Daleks, Weeping Angels, etc). The show has instead focused on introducing new foes, and taking a lean in towards fantasy. Seeing how the Doctor reacts and interacts with coming face-to-face with one of his most notorious enemies was a joy to read.

In conclusion: Everyone Must Go is well-worth reading!

As a long-time lover of Doctor Who, I was largely indifferent about the latest season. The episodes were very much a mixed bag, ranging from fantastic entries like 73 Yards and The Legend of Ruby Sunday, to disappointing instillments like Space Babies and The Devil’s Chord. One thing I loved from the very start, however, was the chemistry between Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday. They were the heart of the season, and I loved all their scenes, even when the stories themselves lacked.

This brings me to Everyone Must Go. The graphic novel tells a story that’s far superior to many of the episodes we’ve seen from the Fifteenth Doctor so far. It harkens back to the style of a traditional Doctor Who story, which I loved, while building on the amazing bond between the Doctor and Ruby.

Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor: Everyone Must Go is out March 18th. The graphic novel comes with a few neat extras, including variant covers and character designs. You can pre-order the graphic novel on Amazon here.

Rating 4/5