The Screams of Death

"Blimey... talk about tonsil tennis! Nothing holds back you French, does it?"

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 13th January 2011

Printed in: DWM 430-431

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis

The Doctor takes Amy for a visit to the opera in Paris, 1858, where young women become magnificent singers under the tutoring of Monsieur Valdemar. In the shadows, screams mean only one thing - death.

Verdict 

The Screams of Death was a very good comic strip and I really was pleased with the representation of the 11th Doctor and Amy, they were exactly how they were on television which was terrific! The previous stories for this Doctor's incarnation, which I have been reading in The Child of Time graphic novel, didn't quite grasp the pairing as they were seen on TV. However, it seems things have taken a good turn now with this comic strip which was very good. The French 16th century setting was wonderful especially as it was during the Second Empire and with it the opera. An operatic theme was very intriguing and adding the danger of death to the opera singers' voices made it even better! Amy was my favourite part of this story I think and I loved how she played "tonsil tennis" with a French women, even if it was without her consent. Amy's ability to pick handcuffs was fantastic and when questioned on her acquired knowledge I love that we see Amy has a kinky side to her! She'd gotten a bit adventurous with handcuffs it seemed. Amy Pond definitely is the most sexually innuendoes companion there's been with her introduction in that infamous police attire and her immediate flirting with the Doctor when she entered the TARDIS. Hell, she and Rory even created River Song on board the TARDIS! And all her brilliant qualities were on display in this story. The reference to The Vampires of Venice was very good and cleverly placed. I liked Monsieur Valdemar as villain and his plan was fantastic! Sentenced to death in the future, miraculously escaped and in doing so decided to plot against those who convicted him from ever being born! A frightening plan but one very fitting for an excellent villain. I liked the cliffhanger but the resolution was extremely poor sadly. The major let down of this comic story. Jonathan Morris just seems to be a bit of a clumsy writer. His stories are very good and the ideas are certainly there but when you don't explain how the villain escaped death and travelled back in time, well, a mark or two will certainly be lost on my rating (Not that he'll be reading this post!). Cosette was a good character, well the backdrop to her, as for  the majority of this comic she was controlled by Valdemar and was contaminated with all that icky green stuff used to determine DNA. But the revelation at the climax that she was in fact Chiyoko, the mysterious girl we saw in The Golden Ones, was tremendous! Just who is the Japanese girl and why and how is she following the Doctor and Amy wherever they may go. Overall, a decent plot with great ideas and they were played out very well to be fair. The climax was excellent with the Doctor using the trusty sonic to cancel out the control with the help of the giant bell but there were just a few clumsy elements. 

Rating: 8/10