Danger Down Below

"Why did the Doctor always have to materialise the TARDIS inn the middle of nowhere!"

Writer: Unknown 

Format: Short Story

Released: September 1982

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1983

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

The Doctor has landed on the planet Aronassus 49 in response to a general distress call from his old friend, High Minister Threll. He's not quite sure why Threll is in trouble, but their friendship makes answering the call a priority. After a long time trek through the desert surrounding Prime City, the Doctor and Tegan finally are escorted roughly to Threll by the city's guards...

Verdict 

Danger Down Below was an enjoyable little read! Reading again from the 1983 annual, I loved the retro feel my own experience brings to the classic visual print stories, whether it's a comic strip or short story, I just feel privileged to be reading it! I really liked how in this story, for the mass majority, we got an adventure with the rare pairing of the Fifth Doctor and Tegan (whist Nyssa remained in the TARDIS) and I liked the Australian companion's displeasure towards the Doctor's navigation skills having landed the TARDIS in the middle of nowhere, in a desert in blazing heat. The story itself was very good and I liked the character of Threll, somebody the Doctor had a storied past with. Threll's reaction to a new incarnation of his Time Lord was quite funny and was a real nice hello reunion. The revolt that occurred was clever as, with there not being a main threat or enemy to the Doctor and Tegan, it still kept the essence of danger alive and well, keeping the reader in suspense that things might just not work out for once. The Migrator was a unique species to say the least! The explanation to its way of giving birth was very good but unusually unique! The electrical black balls acting as a body defence system... outside of the body, was again unique! The story had a lot of strange uniqueness which made it different which is always good due to the sheer mass of Doctor Who stories there are across the many different formats! The climax was good with the Doctor somehow getting the giant Migrator through the TARDIS doors and to humorously squash Nyssa against the wall. The Doctor's gesture of freeing the Migrator into space and helping his old friend was excellent! I really liked the artwork of the story and it went well with the uniqueness of the adventure. 

Rating: 8/10