Doctor Who Magazine #421
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeDoctor Who Magazine #421 occupies a singular moment in the publication's history: it launched the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond's DWM comic strip era with 'Supernature,' making it the foundational comic-strip issue for the Matt Smith era that would run for years to come. The issue also arrived at the precise moment DWM's Guinness World Record as the longest-running TV tie-in magazine was first publicly trumpeted on the cover, folding a genuine institutional milestone into an already transitional number. On the creative side, the issue marked a generational handover in the strip's writing staff, as Jonathan Morris stepped in as the new principal comic writer — a role he would hold through an acclaimed multi-year run. Together, these factors make #421 both a 'first issue' for a beloved Doctor's strip continuity and a time-capsule snapshot of the magazine at the height of its cultural confidence.
In "Supernature Part One," the Doctor and Amy arrive on a lush, seemingly idyllic planet only to uncover a chilling experiment: colonists are testing planetary habitability by using criminals as unwitting subjects. When Amy falls ill with a strange infection, the transformation of the colonists into something monstrous begins—leaving the Doctor to race against time to unravel the truth before the entire planet becomes a living nightmare. Written by Jonathan Morris and illustrated by Mike Collins, with inks by David A. Roach, colors by James Offredi, and letters by Roger Langridge, this gripping tale unfolds under a cover by David A. Roach.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Produced under editor Tom Spilsbury and strip editor Scott Gray — the same editorial team that had guided DWM through the Tennant years — issue 421 went on sale in late April 2010, just weeks into Series 5's broadcast run on BBC One. The comic strip was scripted by Jonathan Morris, replacing Dan McDaid, with pencils by Mike Collins, inks by David A. Roach, colours by James Offredi, and lettering by Roger Langridge — a full creative-team transition timed to coincide with the new Doctor's debut season. Artist Mike Collins later recalled struggling to capture Matt Smith's distinctive features on the opening page, ultimately burying the first panel in dense jungle foliage to buy himself time before committing to the new Doctor's face.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published by Panini Comics UK; on sale 29 April–26 May 2010; edited by Tom Spilsbury with Scott Gray as strip editor.
- Contains Part 1 of 'Supernature' — the DWM comic strip debut of the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and companion Amy Pond — written by Jonathan Morris, pencilled by Mike Collins, inked by David A. Roach, coloured by James Offredi, lettered by Roger Langridge.
- 'Supernature' represented a writer changeover: Jonathan Morris replaced Dan McDaid as DWM's principal comic strip author, beginning a long and well-regarded tenure.
- Mike Collins became the first artist in DWM history to have drawn the opening strip appearances of three different Doctors (Nine, Ten, and Eleven), extending a record he had already set for Doctors drawn overall since the Seventh Doctor's era.
- Issue 421's cover was the first to publicly display DWM's newly awarded Guinness World Record as the world's 'Longest Running Magazine Based on a Television Series' — the record had been confirmed the previous issue (420) but was first promoted on the cover here.
- The issue featured exclusive previews of four forthcoming Series 5 television episodes — 'The Vampires of Venice,' 'Amy's Choice,' 'The Hungry Earth,' and 'Cold Blood' — including interviews with writers Toby Whithouse, Simon Nye, Chris Chibnall, and Steven Moffat.
- Also included: an interview with Alex Kingston about River Song; a feature on the redesigned Series 5 Daleks with writer Mark Gatiss, actors Nick Briggs and Barnaby Edwards, and designer Ed Thomas/Peter McKinstry; and Steven Moffat's Production Notes column (his first full year in that role).
- The 'Supernature' story and subsequent strips from this era were later collected in the Panini trade paperback 'Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor — Volume 1: The Child of Time,' containing nine interconnected stories beginning with this debut.
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Reprinted in Doctor Who Graphic Novel #14 (2012)
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