Drawing on Time - BTTF: Tales from the Time Train

About a year ago I completed my look at IDW’s modern day Back to the Future (BTTF) comic books, issues 1 to 25. Not a bad run for what had started as a four issue commitment.

If you missed out, know that the central figure for those comics was Marty McFly, with a “present day” setting of the year 1986. Doc Brown appeared, but (aside from once or twice) we didn’t see much of what he did when Marty wasn’t around. That changes with the six issue run “Tales From the Time Train”.

This series ran from December 2017 to May 2018, separate from the main run; much like how “Biff to the Future” and “Citizen Brown” were separate. The story itself, “Welcome to the World of Tomorrow!”, was co-written by Bob Gale and John Barber. Art was by Megan Levens with colours by Charlie Kirchoff.

One of the things this new series addresses was the “joke” ending of the trilogy, where Doc says he’s already brought his train to the future, before it flies away (mirroring the flying DeLorean of the first movie). And what else do we see regarding Doc’s family? Let’s have a look.

PART 1

We open with no time stamp, unusual since every subsequent issue reminds us that it’s September 21, 1939. (There are ultimately only two “tales” for this train, the one in this issue, and the one in 1939.) Doc Brown and Clara are telling their sons, Jules and Verne, not to run off too far, while they walk through what seems like a Victorian setting. Except it has futuristic touches.

As Doc exposits about the “Butterfly Effect” for Clara (and readers), Verne thinks he spots a thief. Verne lassoes the man, there is an explosion, and inexplicably people on horses charge out of the resulting hole. The Brown family run away, though another door, into a futuristic world of AI and ray guns. The horses follow, and chaos results.

Jules and Verne explain what they did, and their dad assures them there was no robbery, because most of the people they see are, in fact, robots. The family is visiting the “Lone Pine Adventure Centre”, run by Professor Marcus Irving in 2038. (If you know the main series, we see Irving put his robotic technology ideas to better use here.)

Verne inadvertently caused an explosive overload in the “camera bot”, which then corrupted some network processors, infecting the mainframe. Fortunately, there are failsafes, and the Brown family manages to get to the exit.

They return to the time train (where Einstein, Doc’s dog, has been), revealing that the steam locomotive has already had its hover conversion. Doc thinks it would be best to take their sons to a more controlled environment; Clara suggests they run their “errand” first. Doc agrees, and we time jump to October 27, 1985.

What follows is four pages retelling the end of Back to the Future: Part III. It adds some caption boxes of Doc’s thoughts, including how “next year – for them – Marty and Jennifer will mention this visit to me” and how Marty’s “next time was my previous”.

Doc’s thought boxes continue into page 20, mushing time scales even more with the remark “and so began what, in later years, we would refer to as the first great Brown Family vacation”. (Are we in the present? The future? Tough call.)

I will add that I rather liked Doc’s thought extension to the movie quote, namely while the future “is whatever you make it … in a way, we are what the future makes us”.

We cut to Clara waking up, and Doc saying they’ve reached their destination. They emerge from the train, into the New York World’s Fair of 1939. Cut to a panel of two Germans, noticing Doc from afar, and wondering if Professor Einstein (given Doc’s wild hair) had perhaps shaved his moustache.

This first comic does a good job of being an entry point to anyone who hasn’t seen the comic’s main series run, providing many references to past issues while setting up the 1939 scenario. Doc and Clara are handled well, while the characterizations of Jules and Verne resonate with the BTTF: Animated Series (of 1991). Namely Jules acting thoughtful and using extensive vocabulary, a counterpoint to Verne being more impulsive.

The end of each comic also showcases some information about the design of the Time Train. This first issue looks at concept art, issue two gives the train dimensions, issue three a storyboard for the trilogy’s last scene, issue four has photos on set, issue five sketches a closeup of the cab (a typewriter keyboard inputs the destination time), and issue six has pictures of a large-scale miniature (for the flying scene).

Each subsequent issue now begins with a brief “Story So Far” segment, recapping events to date.

PARTS 2 TO 4

We begin with Doc slapping bracelets on his sons, his adjustment to 2038 technology that will allow him to track them “anywhere on the planet”. Clara and Einstein also get bracelets… only for a police officer to say dogs aren’t allowed, unless Doc can prove he’s “a big shot, or royalty”.

So Einstein is put back on board the train, which Doc then sends off to the “railroad pageant”. However, Einstein soon sees a female dog, and escapes the train. In his subplot, he is then confused for “Prince Rufio, the four-legged regent of Barataria”, who ran off from the exhibition tent where he was being shown off.

In the main Nazi plot, two Germans (Fritz, who wants to see the sights, and Karl, who thinks kidnapping German-born Albert Einstein will get them tickets back home) are confused by the roleplaying “Einstein” (aka Doc Brown) is doing. But overhearing him talk to his wife about “atomic bombs” make them think they have the right guy.

Incidentally, that scene, where Doc comments to Clara on this fair being the last moment of unadulterated hope for the future – before the war and atomic bombs – is a great character piece. It also reminds the readers that as of September 1939, Germany has already invaded Poland.

One other subplot weaving through the story is Jules and Verne, who talk to Fritz (near Elektro the Smoking Robot… there’s a lot of authentic 1939 references), and who wonder if this German (who asks about their father) is another time traveller. Issue two ends with Karl cornering Doc and Clara at the Perisphere for a “personal tour”.

Issue three saves Doc when he sees Prince Rufio, and mistakes the dog for Einstein. (Doc calling out confuses Karl, since Doc is supposedly “Einstein”.) But when they reach the dog, Clara realizes the error, and so they go to the Baratarian Pavilion… only for Lawrence, Rufio’s keeper, to accuse them of kidnapping. (He’s pushing for a promotion.) This brings two Baratarian Guards into the mix.

Meanwhile, Jules and Verne lure Fritz into the path of a parade, and “Fair Man” (the superhero of the World’s Fair) falls on the German. The two Brown children escape, only to see both dogs running loose, and they wonder if time travel is somehow to blame. The issue ends with Fritz and Karl finding Einstein’s collar, allowing them to pinpoint the family’s location.

Issue four has Doc and Clara eluding the Baratarian Guards (twice), then Jules and Verne getting cornered by Fritz and Karl. Meanwhile, Einstein and Rufio end up with someone else. (We don’t see who, but it’s the same person in possession of the female dog Einstein saw in issue one.)

This issue culminates with Doc and Clara about to charge in to save their children, only to have Lawrence pull a gun on them. He says he knows they’re innocent of kidnapping Rufio, but they’re still under arrest.

PARTS 5 AND 6

Doc charges Lawrence when he points his pistol at Clara. The gun goes off – but it’s not loaded. Clara wallops their assailant with her purse. Then Doc uses his tracker to find where the Germans took Jules and Verne. It’s to the car pavilion… something the Baratarian Guards noticed. They find it suspicious.

As the Nazis are distracted in conversation with the Guards, Jules and Verne escape to the Perisphere. Karl goes after them, while Fritz turns his attention to Doc and Clara when they arrive – the Guards resuming the chase too.

Outside, Lawrence learns the identity of the man who now has all the dogs, but we don’t. But I don’t really care, because there’s no reason to root for Lawrence or that subplot.

Karl pulls a gun on the children. Doc crashes through a second floor viewing window to save them, but gets himself stuck in the floor. The Guards consider changing their allegiance (they have no love for Nazis, who are on the brink of attacking their small country), while all the Americans simply assume this is a strange theatre show.

With Doc at gunpoint, Karl declares that “Einstein” will explain to the Fuhrer how to make more of the tracking devices, bringing us into issue six.

Clara is saved from Fritz by Einstein (the dog), and she gets the Guards to join her. Jules and Verne still suspect time travel is involved, prompting Karl to ask Doc for those secrets too. Doc comes clean – he’s actually from the 25th century. Karl is distracted by his story long enough for Clara to knock him down, but Karl does fire his gun.

The bullet wounds one of the Baratarian guards (named Johan). This prompts Rufio to attack Karl, the way Einstein attacked Fritz. In the ensuing dog confusion, the Germans get away. So Jules and Verne recruit “Fair Man” (who was nearby) to pursue and punch the Nazis in the face. When Karl feigns innocence, Albert Einstein himself turns up.

Seems Einstein was the man with the dogs, and after talking with Lawrence, he’ll vouch for these men being Nazi spies. “Fair Man” and the Baratarians take the Germans away.

In the end, Doc is thrilled to meet the namesake for his dog. Einstein advises Doc that the tighter you try to hold onto your family, the more they’ll slip away. Back in the train, Clara decides that they should go somewhere more calm, plus Hill Valley did seem like a nice place to settle down. And Doc realizes that the question was never where the family should go, but rather when.

IN SUMMARY

Beyond the first issue, this series became a mixed bag. On the plus side, it remains true to the original movie trilogy while filling in more of the lore, with top notch art, and the research that went into the time period was spot on. Many items from the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair make it into the pages, and even Albert Einstein’s presence makes sense. (He became an American citizen in 1940.)

On the negative side, the story does start to drag, and the constant cutting back and forth between groups became distracting for me. This could have been a five issue set. I didn’t even mention aspects like Lawrence’s boss, Miss Kendall… she appeared many times, but contributed little to the main plot. (Lawrence gets his promotion, by the way – to being on the front lines against the Nazi invasion.) Many secondary characters felt under-utilized.

There’s also no time travel after the first issue, and no “time train” to speak of after the second issue, so I’m not sure about the title. Though the train design aspects at the ends of the issues were another plus.

In conclusion, it’s definitely worth a look. Fighting Nazi philosophies is sadly relevant in current times, and any fan of history, particularly the New York World’s Fair of 1939, is in for a treat. The look at Doc’s family also adds to the mythology, for any fans of the main comic run and/or the original trilogy.

Do you have a different opinion? Did you want to mention an aspect of the story that I skipped over? (Did you enjoy some of the subtle foreshadowing, for instance?) The comments are open. Thanks for reading, and please do let me know your opinion, if you have the time.