The history of the sonic screwdriver is short and relatively easy to understand. It was introduced by the second incarnation of the Doctor, became a prominent signature along with the long scarf of the fourth Doctor and seemed to "die" in the middle of the fifth Doctor's era. It finally reappeared at the end of the seventh Doctor's life and the beginning of the eighth Doctor's far to brief moment on television. It is now, justifiably, one of the most recognizable symbols of the current Doctor, David Tennant, and the former Doctor, Christopher Eccleston.

In the latest issue of Doctor Who Gary Russell specifically identifies the sonic screwdriver as Time Lord technology. This is not without precedent. Throughout the forty-five year run of the show, only Romana, another Time Lord, constructs a sonic screwdriver. That said, Captain Jack Harkness carries a sonic disrupter, which was made in a weapons factory that the Doctor converted into a banana grove. Jack's pistol appears to function on the same basic technology as the sonic screwdriver. The Doctor's human companions have used the sonic screwdriver. However, one can argue that advanced technology may be so elegant that even a more primitive species will be able to use it. Humans have also piloted the TARDIS.

The sonic screwdriver is capable of many things. These multiple uses range from exploding land mines to starting fires. The myriad settings and "powers" can irk fans of the series, but sound is actually very versatile. I was stunned to read a paper suggesting that sound can indeed ignite a fire, and the documentary footage of soldiers causing a bridge to collapse still haunts me.

The reason I bring all of this up is that Russell exploits the sonic screwdriver in a whole new way for his story, but it honestly raises more questions than needed. One obvious one is why hasn't the Doctor used this extremely handy feature before, especially when the Daleks were attempting to exterminate his ass?

The necessity of the device to the villain's plans is a little troubling. While the Doctor blew up the weapons factory ("I like bananas. Bananas are good.") I find it hard to believe that the villain couldn't have found a simpler, sound-based substitute for the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. Yet, the core of the plot does make a kind of sense.

Suppose this sonic technology is Time Lord based. Suppose the Doctor was actually sent by the Time Lords to the weapons factory mentioned in "The Empty Child" in order to destroy it. If sonic technology belongs only to the Time Lords, then they would be interested in stamping out this deadly form of copyright infringement.

Given that the Time Lords were wiped out in the Time War, the Doctor is the only person who has a sonic screwdriver. He gave Sarah Jane Smith a sonic device, but we can assume the villain isn't aware of this gift. If one imagines this rationale for some of the clues left by the series, then Russell's story is intrinsically sound. If one doesn't, it seems contrived. So, for faithful fans, who are used to filling in blanks, the story works, but it will likely leave the novice scratching his head.

Outside of the plot, there is still much to recommend. Russell perfectly characterizes the Doctor, and he nails all of the quirks in David Tennant's delivery. Likewise for Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones. He furthermore makes the Doctor as openly heroic as he is on the show. The moment in which the Doctor informs Martha of the extreme danger in the situation is quite wonderful and in keeping with the theme of honesty that's an undercurrent in the series. The moment is also staged beautifully by Stefano Martino who gives his all for the book. The Doctor and Martha look like Tennant and Agyeman. Martino has loosened himself from photorealism in order to animate the proceedings better. Tom Smith spreads a rainbow throughout the panels to make this one of the more vivid alien rebellions seen in comics.

Even if the plot elements are hard to swallow, Russell's story is still a good romp, and the art from this team has never been better.

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