“Well, that brings a new meaning to the term ‘foxhole’.” “Is that gunfire?” The Twelfth Doctor continues his solo tour… or has he already welcomed a new comics companion aboard the TARDIS? We’re not telling! Either way, it spells astounding interstellar adventure – with no limits! The Foxkin have risen up against the Doctor, Hattie and Jakob! The three have started to uncover a conspiracy that may shake the Twist to its core! What is the dark secret… and will anyone live long enough to discover it…?!

Titan is being decidedly cagey about whether or not the Doctor has actually met his new companion yet, and which of the characters in this comic book it might be. The giveaway may be the fact that revivalist punk bassist Hattie is pictured on the ‘story so far’ page, whereas the cybernetically enhanced Jakob isn’t. The one-eyed fugitive does get a textual mention, but it might have been more effective to show both Hattie and Jakob on this page, in order to wrong-foot the reader.

Writer George Mann does, however, manage to keep us guessing about the nature of the Twist. The sly old fox adds layers of wonder to the almost impossibly huge space station, even as he lifts the lid on its secrets. We encounter a subterranean habitat beneath the surface of the colony – a whole, self-sustaining ecology, complete with birds, trees, lizards… and foxes. Yes, those wild canines who often encroach upon human territory (and are frequently despised and attacked for doing so) are here, too.

Deeper still, artist Mariano Laclaustra’s depictions of row upon row of suspended animation capsules bring to mind scenes from The Ark in Space, though in this case it’s not Homo sapiens that have proved to be indomitable, but Vulpes vulpes! You might feel differently about the urban fox once you’ve seen what they’ve been getting up to in this issue…

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Richard McGinlay