Time and Time Again

"The dark one has remade the universe so that you never left Gallifrey. You are now president, appeasing the massive Dalek Empire... every day."

Writer: Paul Cornell

Format: Comic Strip

Released: December 1993

Printed in: DWM 207 

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Bernice, Sixth Doctor, Frobisher, Fifth Doctor, Adric, Fourth Doctor, Third Doctor, Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe, First Doctor, Susan

Synopsis 

The Black Guardian has changed time so that the Doctor never left Gallifrey. This causes chaos amongst the stars. The Doctor must revisit his past and hunt for the Key to Time, which will put time back on track and defeat the Black Guardian.

Verdict 

Time and Time Again is a wonderful and celebratory comic strip adventure to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Doctor Who! Featuring the first seven Doctors, along with a new plot devised by the Black Guardian, this had to be good didn't it? And over the 10 pages, it certainly didn't disappoint! I mean, just look at that first page. Earth torn to pieces with the Daleks, Sontarans, Zygons, Yeti, Sea Devils, Silurians, Ice Warriors and Cybermen standing tall to name a few. I loved the story from start to finish, it didn't even matter to me that the actual plot reasoning for all the appearances of the past Doctors wasn't outstanding, the fact they featured was more than good enough for me! The idea though was very good I thought with it somewhat a sequel to both The Key to Time series and Enlightenment, the last time the Doctor encountered the Black Guardian, now eager for revenge. I liked the continuation from The Armageddon Factor with the Doctor having spread the parts of the Key and now they were scattered, subtly hidden, throughout the Doctor's timeline. We saw 6 pages of excellence with the depiction of how either the Doctor or his companions, Ace and Bernice, acquired the segment. A spectacular jump into The Mind Robber was I amazing and I loved how Jamie wasn't convinced about the Doctor giving up his hat. Then we saw the Third Doctor in an infamous sword fight but only this time with his future companion Ace! That's something we didn't know this incarnation of the Doctor got up to during Day of the Daleks. I liked that the page given to the Fourth Doctor was humorous with him in the middle of the events of The Horns of Nimon! Some superb dialogue there with Bernice. The jump into Black Orchid was pretty funny with Adric, as annoying as ever, trying to hit on Ace and being rejected in a tremendous way. She destroyed him, metaphorically, with one sentence. Seeing this Doctor play cricket again was a nice throwback and I loved how the cricket ball itself was the segment and Ace caught her Professor's past self out. I was really intrigued seeing the Sixth and Seventh Doctor's conversation whilst the former was fishing, possibly for Frobisher's benefit. The Sixth mentioning how he wished he'd never left Gallifrey was a big shock to me and I like how the then current Doctor stated that the effects were catastrophic. And this brings me to the highlight of the story for me! The First Doctor. The Black Guardian preventing him from leaving Gallifrey was an astounding concept and thought and it was weirdly brilliant seeing the first incarnation amongst the Time Lords. And then we had the scenes prior to Remembrance of the Daleks (and An Unearthly Child) with the First Doctor holding close the Hand of Omega and being prevented from extermination from his seventh self. But that wasn't all! Once the White Guardian had restored parity, we saw dialogue of the moment the Doctor and Susan departed from Gallifrey. It doesn't really effect the events of The Name of the Doctor if you're able to gloss around the edges but I just loved it! Overall, a fun filled and continuity reference packed story! A well worthy celebration story. 

Rating: 10/10