IDW Comics The Whispering Gallery

Published

2009

• A Review by Finn Clark

A Review by Finn Clark 25/9/12

Of the six stories in Through Time and Space, this is the only one that works for me on all levels. There's a lot of nice work in that collection, but this story hits the spot for me in both art and storyline. It's odd, but that's a good thing.

The first thing most people are going to talk about is Ben Templesmith's artwork. This guy's work would stand out even in DWM, after McMahon, Salmon, Langridge and more. He draws a scratchy, loose line that makes the strip look like an illustration for a children's book, but it's overlaid over what appear to be photographs. I can't believe those aren't photos. They must be, surely? Anyway, it's a profoundly strange effect. You'll be looking at a photo of Freeman Agyeman, but over it Templesmith's scratched rough features and a facial expression. An eyebrow might be arched, perhaps. Now the thing is that from most artists this would be rank laziness and well nigh unforgiveable, but Templesmith is so joyfully abandoning any pretence at realism that it turns out looking more like graffiti.

In any case, it's not the photo-reference that you'll remember from this story. No, it's the mad dream-like monster that looks like something from Jeff Smith's Bone, the charm of Templesmith's almost childlike penmanship and the alien designs reminiscent of Amedeo Modigliani. Look him up. It's the living spit of Templesmith's Grattites. Oh, and I like the watercolours too.

The more I think about this guy's work, the more he blows me away. Apparently he's Australian, but best known for his American comics. He did the original comic of 30 Days of Night, published by IDW, which got turned into a movie in 2007. He was nominated for Eisner Awards four years in a row (2005-2008) and for a 2008 International Horror Guild Award. There are lots of good artists out there, but Templesmith's an exciting one.

So that's the art. However, guess what, the story's good too. Moore and Reppion have come up with a creepy, freaky idea that's hitting all kinds of poignant notes and that's just the Whispering Gallery itself. Five pages later, the Doctor's out of there. While Martha's playing with pictures and doing something a little bit beautiful, the Doctor's dealing with the oddest, saddest people in the universe and a kind of bedbug Godzilla that's also a walking metaphor. It's a story that's strongly dealing with regret, although there are all kinds of other emotions in here too. If you've seen too much Doctor Who spin-off fiction that's recycling the usual action-adventure formulae and never engaging with anything that matters, try this instead.

Had there really been only one person on the planet called Grayla, though? I had trouble believing that one, but maybe what makes it unusual is that it's a one-word name, like Madonna?

I really liked this story. It's a bit too fairy-tale and impressionistic to hit the casual viewer as squarely as something with Daleks and explosions, but that's what makes it so interesting. It's also one of the best examples you'll ever see of an artist's work transforming the script into something special, since this story with a regular superhero artist would have merely looked unconvincing and silly. Templesmith, on the other hand, sets the tone immediately. You could almost do classes with his work here. I'm truly sorry if I'm wrong about the photo thing, though.

Hang on.

Whoah. News just in. I am wrong about the photo thing. He really did paint it all himself. I'm now officially an idiot and even more impressed than I was a moment ago. Anyway, this is one of the most worthwhile spin-off Tennant-era stories, in any medium. I like IDW a lot now.