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Dr.
Tim is a brilliant medical doctor whose scientific breakthroughs
will change the world - if he can stay alive. With discoveries
worth billions stored in his head, villains everywhere have
one goal: Get Dr. Tim. And this quest to capture our hero
even extends into outerspace...
The
first volume of the adventures of Dr. Tim is, quite frankly
stunningly impressive. Our
hero is a mild mannered doctor who wants nothing more than
to help mankind, but before he knows what's hit him he is
on the run. It's
not long before he is whisked into outerspace trying to outwit
the clutches of many a super villain, like the Davros inspired
Dr. Chid, who is part man, part spider.
There
are numerous sci-fi related gags including references to Lost
in Space's mental robot, the ending of Planet of the
Apes, 2001's monolith, Alien and Fu Manchu.
It
seems that author Christopher
Varian is trying to find his feet for the first
segment of the book. Dr. Tim teams up with a super nubile
young thing called Kat. Sadly, that relationship doesn't last
too long and it
is towards the end of this collection that Varian finds his
feet with the introduction of comical alien sidekick Ushmoo.
And it is this partnership that elevates this collection into
the big league.
Unlike
most comic collections, like The Farside and Dilbert,
Dr. Tim is not played entirely for laughs - it's not
the case that every page will cause instant amusement. And
some of the gags don't work as well as they could have. But
then I've read many Dilbert, Peanuts, Calvin & Hobbs
etc books where more than a handful of jokes just don't work.
Not
only that, but there is a narrative that runs through this
collection - it's not just a collection of gags on a space
theme.
Step
aside Peanuts, Garfield and Dilbert, Dr.
Tim is the new cult cartoon character. And if there is
any justice in this world he is destined to become a huge
hit.
Darren Rea
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Dr.
Tim's abduction experience differs slightly from popular
accounts.
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