I already really liked Doctor Who, and Thirteen is just so great! This last season was almost all hits for me. A couple weeks ago, I went out with one of my dearest friends to drink and talk about how great Yaz and Thirteen are. Ladies! Being friends! In space! Nine’s been my favourite* doctor for years, but Thirteen’s giving him some competition.

I’m waiting for new episodes, waiting for the comics to come out as a trade, and making my way through the Thirteenth Doctor spinoff novels. Last time, it was Molten Heart.

And Combat Magicks is like finding another episode. Yaz, Graham and Ryan all sound exactly like they do on the show. I couldn’t help reading their dialogue in the actor’s voices.

Combat Magicks isn’t the best-ever Thirteen episode, because that is obviously Kerblam!, but it’s pretty good. I just love the episodes when the Doctor gets to a slightly-wrong version of our world. Here, the armies of Attila the Hun and the Roman empire are battling, only they’re getting extra “help” from unearthly entities, who are more interested in increasing the death toll than bringing one side to victory.

There are a few references to The Fires of Pompeii, which helps set the story firmly in the Doctor Who universe, but the rest is new.  I always prefer the newer, more creative storylines and villains over another big reveal that the Doctor’s found another really-last-this-time Dalek.

Basically like finding an extra Thirteen episode, only you can read it on the train.

*British spelling to talk about a BBC show, obviously.