Trapped in a parallel universe, Rose Tyler believed her adventures with the Doctor were over. Now, pulled by a mysterious energy into this reality, she must work with two different Doctors (Matt Smith and Paul McGann) to end the tyrannical rule of the warmongering Bad Wolf Empress!

Doctor Who: Empire of the Wolf continues with issue #3 from Titan Comics. You can check out the variant cover options and our review of the second issue below.

Empire of the Wolf #3 Review

The third issue of Doctor Who: Empire of the Wolf takes us deeper into the Empress’ rule – and its consequences.

Once again, this series continues to play the characters off one another in new and interesting combinations. This issue kicks off with Rose stepping in to break up a tiff between the Doctors. From there, the trio concoct a plan to make the Bad Wolf Empress see the error of her ways. 

As the Eleventh Doctor essentially kidnaps the Empress, the Eighth Doctor helps Rose step into the Empress’ shoes. This issue is full of heart-to-heart conversations all around. As Eleven transports the Empress to a world she has “saved,” he reveals to her the true nature of her “help.” She quickly realizes her approach hasn’t done the good she previously thought… And that ruling with an iron fist doesn’t necessarily mean you can shape the world to your will.

Meanwhile, Eight is working with Rose to assume the identity of the Empress and call back her army. Interestingly, they both feel compelled to apologize to one another for Eleven’s prickly demeanor. However, Eight has always been one of the more emotionally intelligent regenerations. He tells Rose he’s actually grateful to see a bit of unpleasant behavior in his future self; it means he’s still experiencing love and loss, without turning numb to either.

Disguise prepared, Rose assumes the identity of the Empress and calls a meeting with her army. But when she asks them to stand down, it’s too late. It looks like their allegiance has already been won over by a more war-mongering leader. 

C’mon… you knew the Sontarans had to make an appearance!

Empire of the Wolf issue #3 continues to prove this story really understands its characters. Every interaction feels natural. Their emotions and motivations come across clearly, even when (or especially when) their relationships are strained. This is very much a character-motivated arc, so all of this helps the overall story fall into place nicely.

I do wish we got to see a bit more of the Empress coming to terms with the pain she caused though. It all seems to happen a bit fast. I would have liked to see her visit a few different worlds with Eleven to help her (and us as the audience) understand the scale of her impact. However, I realize there probably just wasn’t time to do this with the story only having four issues.

Overall, this issue continues Empire of the Wolf’s great character work, while setting the scene for a dramatic conclusion. I can’t wait to see two Doctors and two Roses come together to take on the Sontarans and save the world!

Get your first look at Doctor Who: Empire of the Wolf issue #3 in the preview pages below.

Doctor Who: Empire of the Wolf #3 is available from Titan Comics now.

You can also learn more about the story from our interview with series writer Jody Houser.

Series Info

Description: Trapped in a parallel universe, Rose Tyler believed her adventures with the Doctor were over. Now, pulled by a mysterious energy into this reality, she must work with the Doctors (Matt Smith and Paul McGann) to end the tyrannical rule of the warmongering BAD WOLF EMPRESS! 

Author: Jody Houser

Artist: Roberta Ingranata

Release: Monthly (Issue #1 November 17, 2021)