The Time Sickness

"But this planet's the location of a massive warp in Time and we're now inside a Time Force Barrier."

Writer: Trevor Baxendale
Format: Comic Strip
Released: August 2008
Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 2009

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna

Synopsis

The Doctor and Donna arrive on a mysterious planet after receiving a distress signal. As they exit the TARDIS, the Doctor discovers the planet is disintegrating and Donna has aged at least 50 years...

Verdict

The Time Sickness is the perfect example of how to write a brilliant story in just a few pages. Six pages of comic strip excellence was this adventure! Immediately with Donna having been aged and the danger of a disintegrating planet, so many questions were raised within the first few lines. The humour between the Doctor and Donna about the latter having become a 'granny' was hilarious, typical good banter between the Tenth Doctor and Donna as we see countless times. The time sickness itself was marvellous and the explanation of the planet having a distorted time barrier, unintentionally, was great. The reference to the Third Doctor's iconic catchphrase was a lovely touch and reversing the polarity of the neutron flow actually fixed Donna's ageing! Not only was it beautifully referenced but it was also a resolution! The Sentinels looked really good and once revived I liked their thanking of the Doctor for fixing their planet. Overall, wonderful plot, good twists and climax! Can't ask for much more from a short comic strip!

Rating: 10/10