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Doctor Who: Series III #13-16
Doctor Who Series III, Vol. 4: Dead Man's Hand
The Doctor and Clara cross paths with Oscar Wilde and Calamity Jane in the frontier town of Deadwood as they pay their respects to the recently passed Wild Bill Hickok. But soon they discover the grave is empty and that the town is being plagued by a masked gunman who shoots his victims with nothing but a finger! Plus, the short story "Escape Into Alcatraz."
112 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2013
About the author
Tony Lee
526 books47 followersA New York Times Best-selling Graphic Novelist, Tony Lee was born in West London, UK in 1970. Informed by a teacher that he had a comic book style of writing, (a comment meant more as an insult), Tony decided that one day he would write for comics.
Tony has written for a variety of mediums including Radio 4, The BBC, commerical television in both the UK and US, magazines and both local and national newspapers. He has also written several award winning local radio campaigns. In 1991 he wrote for a small press comics publisher, of which only one project, The Cost of Miracles in Comic Speculator News was ever printed, and remains his first printed commercial comic work.
Moving away from comics, he went back into trade journalism and media marketing/creation. His small press magazine Burnt Offerings was a minor seller on both sides of the Atlantic, and was the first esoteric magazine to interview mainstream creators like Terry Pratchett and Pat Mills.
Since returning to comics in 2002, he has written for a variety of publishers including Marvel Comics, DC Comics/Zuda, Games Workshop, Panini Comics, Titan Publishing, AAM/Markosia Enterprises, Rebellion/2000ad and IDW Publishing amongst others, writing a variety of creator owned titles and licenses that include X-Men, Spider Man, Doctor Who, Starship Troopers, Wallace & Gromit and Shrek.
He is the writer of the ongoing Doctor Who series of comics from IDW, beginning in July 2009, and his award nominated, creator-owned miniseries Hope Falls was collected by AAM/Markosia in May 2009. His next book with them, From The Pages Of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula': Harker, was released in November 2009 to critical acclaim.
Added to this, Tony adapted Pride & Prejudice & Zombies into a graphic novel for Del Rey Publishing, with art by Cliff Richards - this was a New York Times #1 Bestselling Paperback Graphic Novel for May 2010 - he is also adapting Anthony Horowitz's Power of Five series into graphic format for Walker Books, the first - Raven's Gate is due out in late 2010, and he has adapted four Horowitz Horror books with Dan Boultwood for Hachette Children's Books.
His other book with Walker Books, Outlaw: The Legend Of Robin Hood (drawn by Sam Hart) was released in 2009 and has already been awarded a Junior Library Guild: Fall 2009 Selection, and 'best for 2010' awards from both the American Library Association and the New York Public Library in the USA, among others. In March 2010 it was announced that it was also a finalist for the Children's Choice Book Awards. The next in the 'Heroes & Heroines' series, Excalibur: The Legend Of King Arthur by Tony Lee & Sam Hart is scheduled for March 2011.
Outside of comics he is writing several books for children.
Tony is represented by Julian Friedmann of the Blake Friedmann Literary, TV and Film Agency.
Tony is also an accomplished Bard and performer, and has held the High Bard chair of the East Sussex Broomstick Rally on several occasions. His lecture Creating Gods for fun and Profit and his series of lectures on Bards and Ritual Magic were received to critical acclaim, and he still lectures occasionally in London, the Midlands and Sussex. As a Covent Garden Street Performer in the 90's, he performed 'The Scarlet Blade' Street Theatre show at the Edinburgh Festival and at locations across the UK, convincing members of the public to act out an insane pantomime for his amusement.
Added to this Tony is an accomplished storyteller and lecturer on writing, and has performed at libraries, events and schools around the world including the 2009 Edinburgh International Book Festival, a 2009 tour of India for the British Council, and in 2003 around the Wadi Rum bedouin campfire in Jordan.
Tony currently lives in London with his fiancée, Tracy.
from: http://www.tonylee.co.uk
Tony has written for a variety of mediums including Radio 4, The BBC, commerical television in both the UK and US, magazines and both local and national newspapers. He has also written several award winning local radio campaigns. In 1991 he wrote for a small press comics publisher, of which only one project, The Cost of Miracles in Comic Speculator News was ever printed, and remains his first printed commercial comic work.
Moving away from comics, he went back into trade journalism and media marketing/creation. His small press magazine Burnt Offerings was a minor seller on both sides of the Atlantic, and was the first esoteric magazine to interview mainstream creators like Terry Pratchett and Pat Mills.
Since returning to comics in 2002, he has written for a variety of publishers including Marvel Comics, DC Comics/Zuda, Games Workshop, Panini Comics, Titan Publishing, AAM/Markosia Enterprises, Rebellion/2000ad and IDW Publishing amongst others, writing a variety of creator owned titles and licenses that include X-Men, Spider Man, Doctor Who, Starship Troopers, Wallace & Gromit and Shrek.
He is the writer of the ongoing Doctor Who series of comics from IDW, beginning in July 2009, and his award nominated, creator-owned miniseries Hope Falls was collected by AAM/Markosia in May 2009. His next book with them, From The Pages Of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula': Harker, was released in November 2009 to critical acclaim.
Added to this, Tony adapted Pride & Prejudice & Zombies into a graphic novel for Del Rey Publishing, with art by Cliff Richards - this was a New York Times #1 Bestselling Paperback Graphic Novel for May 2010 - he is also adapting Anthony Horowitz's Power of Five series into graphic format for Walker Books, the first - Raven's Gate is due out in late 2010, and he has adapted four Horowitz Horror books with Dan Boultwood for Hachette Children's Books.
His other book with Walker Books, Outlaw: The Legend Of Robin Hood (drawn by Sam Hart) was released in 2009 and has already been awarded a Junior Library Guild: Fall 2009 Selection, and 'best for 2010' awards from both the American Library Association and the New York Public Library in the USA, among others. In March 2010 it was announced that it was also a finalist for the Children's Choice Book Awards. The next in the 'Heroes & Heroines' series, Excalibur: The Legend Of King Arthur by Tony Lee & Sam Hart is scheduled for March 2011.
Outside of comics he is writing several books for children.
Tony is represented by Julian Friedmann of the Blake Friedmann Literary, TV and Film Agency.
Tony is also an accomplished Bard and performer, and has held the High Bard chair of the East Sussex Broomstick Rally on several occasions. His lecture Creating Gods for fun and Profit and his series of lectures on Bards and Ritual Magic were received to critical acclaim, and he still lectures occasionally in London, the Midlands and Sussex. As a Covent Garden Street Performer in the 90's, he performed 'The Scarlet Blade' Street Theatre show at the Edinburgh Festival and at locations across the UK, convincing members of the public to act out an insane pantomime for his amusement.
Added to this Tony is an accomplished storyteller and lecturer on writing, and has performed at libraries, events and schools around the world including the 2009 Edinburgh International Book Festival, a 2009 tour of India for the British Council, and in 2003 around the Wadi Rum bedouin campfire in Jordan.
Tony currently lives in London with his fiancée, Tracy.
from: http://www.tonylee.co.uk
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 13, 2019
An entertaining read, left behind by one of our guests because she saw we were Doctor Who fans and thought a story set in Deadwood would be perfect to pass along. I was impressed with how many details about 1882 Deadwood they got right. I suspect they must have used some actual photos for reference, and they'd done decent research on the history. The two things that were kind of wonky (y'know, other than the mind-controlling aliens and reanimated corpses) were the fact that characters standing in the middle of Deadwood kept referring to "the Black Hills" as if it were a location somewhere else ("we must go look for the bad guys in the Black Hills!" Fools! You are IN the Black Hills as you speak!), and the implied romance between Wild Bill and Calamity, which is pretty well documented a fictional invention. But, y'know. Mind-controlling aliens and reanimated corpses. What's wrong with adding in a little fake romance? Also, Oscar Wilde and Thomas Edison.
All in all, a good romp.
All in all, a good romp.
November 7, 2017
I have to admit that as a whole I've never been too impressed with IDW's Doctor Who comics. Some of the individual stories were interesting (with Prisoners of Time being one of the most innovative), but in general they weren't original enough to be really memorable.
Sadly, that's as true of this last volume as most of the rest. Yet another western with invading aliens just doesn't stand out, even with Oscar Wilde along for the ride.
I'm hoping that the next run of Doctor Who comics will be more exciting.
Sadly, that's as true of this last volume as most of the rest. Yet another western with invading aliens just doesn't stand out, even with Oscar Wilde along for the ride.
I'm hoping that the next run of Doctor Who comics will be more exciting.
August 2, 2017
Doctor Who Vol.4: Dead Man's Hand (IDW)
The Doctor & Clara go to Deadwood, Dakota, in 1882, where they encounter Oscar Wilde, Calamity Jane and … (a dead) Wild Bill Hickok.
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives #35 - Dead Man's Hand #1 (Doctor Who: Series III #13)
{Referring to Oscar Wilde} the Sheriff says: “I was reading in the paper that we have some kind of novelist visiting us soon. Wild something or other. What kind of novelist uses a name like 'wild', anyway? Wild Indian? Wild bear?” (p5)
- -
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives #36 - Dead Man's Hand #2 (Doctor Who: Series III #14)
“... I learned that she was to marry another. A theatre manager named Bram Stoker.” - Oscar Wilde (p36)
“- this time I find Earth guilty of crime's too terrible to mention. War, slavery, genocide.” - Sondrah of the T'Keyn. (p45)
- - -
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives #37
“.. There's more than one of me. Hello. We're the Doctor. From Gallifrey.” (p50)
“Well, when I say climb, I really mean tumble and fall a lot.” - Doctor. (p54)
“Whoever it IS that controls Sondrah, they've made it personal. I don't like it when people make it personal. That's when I get … creative.” - Doctor. (p65)
- - -
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives #38
“.. And children (mankind as opposed to aliens) should not be punished. They should be educated, wouldn't you say?” - Oscar Wilde. (p81)
- - -
“Escape into Alcatraz”
“I was in San Francisco next week with some friends. I saw the paper.. it spoke of a riot here.” - Doctor (p89)
The Doctor & Clara go to Deadwood, Dakota, in 1882, where they encounter Oscar Wilde, Calamity Jane and … (a dead) Wild Bill Hickok.
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives #35 - Dead Man's Hand #1 (Doctor Who: Series III #13)
{Referring to Oscar Wilde} the Sheriff says: “I was reading in the paper that we have some kind of novelist visiting us soon. Wild something or other. What kind of novelist uses a name like 'wild', anyway? Wild Indian? Wild bear?” (p5)
- -
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives #36 - Dead Man's Hand #2 (Doctor Who: Series III #14)
“... I learned that she was to marry another. A theatre manager named Bram Stoker.” - Oscar Wilde (p36)
“- this time I find Earth guilty of crime's too terrible to mention. War, slavery, genocide.” - Sondrah of the T'Keyn. (p45)
- - -
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives #37
“.. There's more than one of me. Hello. We're the Doctor. From Gallifrey.” (p50)
“Well, when I say climb, I really mean tumble and fall a lot.” - Doctor. (p54)
“Whoever it IS that controls Sondrah, they've made it personal. I don't like it when people make it personal. That's when I get … creative.” - Doctor. (p65)
- - -
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives #38
“.. And children (mankind as opposed to aliens) should not be punished. They should be educated, wouldn't you say?” - Oscar Wilde. (p81)
- - -
“Escape into Alcatraz”
“I was in San Francisco next week with some friends. I saw the paper.. it spoke of a riot here.” - Doctor (p89)
October 25, 2020
This is the last volume in IDW's run on Doctor Who.
The story has the Doctor and Clara arriving in Deadwood at the same time Calamity Jane and Oscar Wilde are there. However, mystery develops when it turns out the body of the recently deceased Wild Bill Hickock is missing and the Doctor discovers an alien who is ready to pass judgment on the Earth.
This is a really solid story. There's a lot going on here, but not too much to fit into 80 page of comic book storytelling. It's a really proper Westerns with some great moments. It also managed to play into its role in the fiftieth anniversary without going over the top and to tie in to IDW's first Doctor Who comics back during the Tenth Doctor's era.
The original trade paperback also included the story, "Escape from Alcatraz" which is a really fun and engaging escape tale from Doctor Who Special 2012. It's a really nice, fun breezy tale that moves a great pace.
Overall, this is a very solid collection that delivers great value and a lot of fun.
The story has the Doctor and Clara arriving in Deadwood at the same time Calamity Jane and Oscar Wilde are there. However, mystery develops when it turns out the body of the recently deceased Wild Bill Hickock is missing and the Doctor discovers an alien who is ready to pass judgment on the Earth.
This is a really solid story. There's a lot going on here, but not too much to fit into 80 page of comic book storytelling. It's a really proper Westerns with some great moments. It also managed to play into its role in the fiftieth anniversary without going over the top and to tie in to IDW's first Doctor Who comics back during the Tenth Doctor's era.
The original trade paperback also included the story, "Escape from Alcatraz" which is a really fun and engaging escape tale from Doctor Who Special 2012. It's a really nice, fun breezy tale that moves a great pace.
Overall, this is a very solid collection that delivers great value and a lot of fun.
March 18, 2014
This book contains 2 stories.
The main story- Dead Man's Hand Had a lot going on and unfortunately none of it really worked. First off there was an overload of historical cameos involving Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok, Thomas Edison, and Oscar Wilde it really seemed unnecessary and completely overkill.
On top of that it is trying to pull off a Wild West setting, has appearances by all of the previous Doctors for no other reason besides it being the 50th anniversary, and tries to connect to Doctor Who: The Forgotten which I had not read yet and so the connection was completely lost on me.
Overall it just seemed like the author was frantically heaving crap into the story hoping something would stick. I love references to the Doctor's past but there were so many and they seemed so forced that they just became annoying. Also, his companion for this story is Clara, and I think she is just the worst especially the flirty flaky way she was written into this story.
The second story- Escape from Alcatraz was just a short, and a pretty average one at that. The Doctor becomes a prisoner in the famous Alcatraz prison to help bust out an inmate, nothing noteworthy.
The main story- Dead Man's Hand Had a lot going on and unfortunately none of it really worked. First off there was an overload of historical cameos involving Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok, Thomas Edison, and Oscar Wilde it really seemed unnecessary and completely overkill.
On top of that it is trying to pull off a Wild West setting, has appearances by all of the previous Doctors for no other reason besides it being the 50th anniversary, and tries to connect to Doctor Who: The Forgotten which I had not read yet and so the connection was completely lost on me.
Overall it just seemed like the author was frantically heaving crap into the story hoping something would stick. I love references to the Doctor's past but there were so many and they seemed so forced that they just became annoying. Also, his companion for this story is Clara, and I think she is just the worst especially the flirty flaky way she was written into this story.
The second story- Escape from Alcatraz was just a short, and a pretty average one at that. The Doctor becomes a prisoner in the famous Alcatraz prison to help bust out an inmate, nothing noteworthy.
May 23, 2015
I think bringing Tony Lee back for the final installment of the IDW series was a masterful stroke. Lee has always shown an amazing ability for writing many different incarnations of the Doctor and allowing him to tell this story felt as though he was finishing what he started in style. Dead Mans Hand may not be the best story he has ever written but it works well as the last story, nods to the past, present and even future of the TV series are nice extras. And the B story is also fun to read. The artwork doesn't disappoint either. It's a shame that IDW lost the franchise but it was nice while it lasted. I hope the new franchise can build on IDWs success and iron out some of it's flaws. And to paraphrase eleven I'll always remember when the Doctor was IDW!!!
October 21, 2014
Not a bad addition to the Doctor Who graphic novel collection, but not all that great either. I'm not a huge fan of historical cameos, and this one is packed full of them. For me it's a bit jarring to go back to an Eleventh Doctor story as I'm just getting used to the Twelfth Doctor at this point, and this volume highlights how unimportant Clara was to the show then versus now. I'd place the main story in this volume after the 50th but before the last episode with Eleven (obviously). At first I thought it was pre-50th, but there is a cameo by the War Doctor (making his character even more canon - ugh!).
November 14, 2015
There's just a little too much going on here for the story's own good: Doctor Who, set in Deadwood, with Oscar Wilde visiting, and a kidnapped Thomas Edison for good measure (not to mention the inevitable alien invasion). A bit of a mess, really, but mildly amusing. I probably would have given it at most three stars, but then I got to the bonus cover art in the back and found the design for the "dime novel" version of the book. Given my peculiar tastes, that was a very amusing little surprise and made the whole thing worthwhile, even though of course I would have liked to have seen the plot and characters handled a bit better!
February 13, 2016
A very enjoyable romp through the wild west with the Eleventh Doctor and Clara, complete with Calamity Jane, Oscar Wilde and Thomas Edison.
The artwork in this one was a lot better than others I've seen recently - the artists have captured Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman's facial expressions quite well and the writing actually has a Moffatt-y feel to it.
There's a shorter story at the end featuring a prison escape into (and out of) Alcatraz which was also really great!
The artwork in this one was a lot better than others I've seen recently - the artists have captured Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman's facial expressions quite well and the writing actually has a Moffatt-y feel to it.
There's a shorter story at the end featuring a prison escape into (and out of) Alcatraz which was also really great!
September 3, 2016
Quality has really dropped. I don't know if this was just rushed or if the author is getting burned out, but this was not nearly was well structured as previous Doctor Who,/i> stories from IDW. There is too much reliance on reusing humor from the television episodes, not enough creativity to illustrate that the author really groks the Doctor's current personality.
December 30, 2014
I really enjoy historical Doctor Who stories. This one has Oscar Wilde, Thomas Edison, Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock, not to mention the bonus story about Alcatraz. The eleventh Doctor is silly and quirky, and that personality comes through in this story. A good stand-alone story and a nice addition for Whovians.
April 17, 2016
IDW's Doctor Who comics end on a decently good note here, with the main story being a SF-western mashup. Also a few nods to previous IDW Doctor Who tales. (Unfortunately, this collection does not include the Doctor Who Special, "The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who". You'll have to find that elsewhere.) (B)
December 28, 2013
I loved seeing The War Doctor, the nod to twelve (It'd be nice being older or whatever The Doctor said) I enjoyed seeing a new story with 11 and Clara.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2013
I really liked the premise of this comic, but the execution was terrible. Didn't care much for the artwork either. This might have been better as a novelization.
December 5, 2013
Good artwork, nice callbacks to earlier comics (and episodes), and some nice nods to the 50th anniversary nicely wrap up Doctor Who's final IDW arc.
February 21, 2014
Doctor Who and Clara meet Oscar Wilde in the old Wild West of America. Sounds good. And I tried getting into this several times, but it didn't work for me.
April 10, 2014
Squee. The Doctor, Clara & Calamity Jane!?!?
December 16, 2014
Quite good, though a bit crammed full of real life characters.
January 23, 2015
just not really a fan of reading comics I guess
July 1, 2014
Скучноватая история с Одиннадцатым и Кларой на Диком Западе. Нарисовано нормально.
October 25, 2014
the best doctor who comic i've read, even has a story on alcatraz.
December 26, 2014
Great artwork, decent storyline
December 20, 2015
Cowboys, zombies, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Edison. Lots of fun!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews