Island of Horror

"How much do you know about our attempts to turn Earth's scientists into savage psychopaths?"

Writer: Terry Nation

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 1978

Printed in: Dalek Annual 1979

Synopsis 

When Karl Martin is found in the fishing nets of a Japanese trawler, Mark Seven and Joel Shaw are stunned. What, they wonder, is the pre-eminent scientist doing in the waters off the coast of Japan? Although Martin is not able to communicate his thoughts to the ADF agents, he is concealing a picture of a Dalek in his pocket...

Verdict 

Island of Horror was a fantastic little comic strip! The story really was what it says on the tin, a horror-filled island. Considering this was a Dalek story, with no Doctor, in a Dalek annual, given the shortness of the story I was quite surprised as to how long it took the Skaro-natives to appear but once they did their presence lit up the story! The mystery of Karl having been fished up was intriguing and I loved how he had a Dalek picture concealed on himself. There was a big mystery, an unknown island and a top scientist gone mad, and now the Daleks were involved. Surely something like this was on the Christmas list of the Doctor? I'm sure had he been present during this Dalek plan that he wouldn't be impressed with what his arch enemies were upto this time. Their plan was devious and downright brilliant. It somehow seemed that it would be better suited to something the Rani would get upto in her spare time, but the Daleks attempting to turn the planet's top scientists crazy and against their own kind! Had they succeeded, Earth would be in pieces. The characters of Shaw and Seven were very good, I really liked what they were capable of. The design of the Daleks in the comic strips really was admirable and they just suit the format absolutely tremendously! The way the short comic came to and end was good with your basic explosion. The Daleks stood no chance really against the island of which they were on being blown out of the sea did they? Without the Doctor, the Daleks need to be defeated in a pretty calamitous way and I like how that was shown here. Overall, for a short Doctorless story I was impressed! You had mystery, a great Dalek plan and a good climax! I think this comic strip could form the basis of a fantastic extended story of performed Doctor Who.

Rating: 9/10