This is this first volume of the Eighth Doctor’s Doctor Who Magazine comic adventures, and it’s something I was delighted to get my hands on recently (as it’s kind of rare). I really love the Eighth Doctor’s strange and varied life, so I was keen to fill in this blank. Here’s an overview of each story in the collection:
Endgame by Alan Barnes
In this one, the Doctor pays a visit to Stockbridge (the fictional English town that was often used in the comics) and finds himself encountering the Toymaker again and meeting his future companion Izzy for the first time. Like most subsequent appearances by the Toymaker, it delvers on his premise better than the original serial, and it works as a great introduction for Izzy. I loved it.
The Keep by Alan Barnes
This is a short little story about the creation of an artificial sun that could help save humanity after the Earth is ravaged in the future. I feel like it was mostly there to set up what happens in the next story, but it was enjoyable enough and I liked how it tied into various episodes’ depictions of future Earth.
Fire and Brimstone by Alan Barnes
The Doctor and Izzy encounter the Daleks who are growing frightened of the power of their potential alternative universe counterparts. Not only does this comic actually feature the unused Spider Daleks (that would have featured in the cancelled 90s reboot), but it also confirms that Discworld exits with in the Doctor Who universe (I’ll always be delighted by this kind of crossover). The story is a little bit complicated, and ties into older comic adventures, but I still enjoyed it overall.
Tooth and Claw by Alan Barnes
This story introduces another companion for the Doctor: Fey Truscott-Fade. In this one the Doctor and Izzy arrive on the island of an eccentric rich guy who has invited a bunch of other eccentric rich people to gather in his mansion. Soon people start dying and, of course, a murder mystery begins. Fey is a highly capable secret agent from the 30s and I think the reason I like her so much is that she is just so different to other companions.
The Final Chapter by Alan Barnes
After being seriously injured at the end of the last story, Izzy and Fey have taken the Doctor home to Gallifrey in the hopes of getting him help. Of course, while they’re there, a conspiracy to topple Time Lord society unfolds. I thought this one potentially got a little too bogged down in Time Lord lore, but I also thought it had a really cool cliff-hanger which I never saw coming. If you don’t want it spoiled, then don’t read my descriptions of the following stories.
Wormwood by Scott Gray
The Doctor, freshly regenerated into a Nicholas Briggs-esque incarnation, lands on the moon along with Izzy and Fey. The three of them soon encounter The Threshold again, who have stolen loads of Earth artefacts and relocated them to create a little lunar haven. Soon they discover that the Threshold has a plan which essentially threatens all life in the universe. Although not the last story in the collection, it feels rather like a grand finale to the plot thread that started in Endgame.
A Life of Matter and Death by Alan Barnes
A simple one-off adventure where the Doctor is essentially put on trial to determine whether he’s a good or a bad person. It’s not got a huge amount of depth to it, but it is a decent little story that features a lot of familiar faces.
By Hook or by Crook by Scott Gray
Another short and light-hearted adventure. The Doctor and Izzy arrive on a planet and the Doctor gets arrested for murder almost immediately. In the end Izzy saves him thanks to some clever use of time travel. Another fun story without a huge amount of depth.
I really enjoyed reading through this volume, but it was a little less accessible than I would have liked it to be. I am a massive Doctor Who fan and there were a few times where I didn’t really understand what was going on, so I can only imagine how somebody who’s less invested in the setting might feel. Luckily, this didn’t happen too often, and overall I was delighted by these adventurous comic stories – they’re perfect examples of experimental “wilderness era” Doctor Who.
Rating: 8.4/10





