Attack of the 50ft Rory

"When you start playing around with an alien machine you can never be quite sure what will happen."

Writer: Colin Brake

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 2011

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 2012

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis 

The Doctor, Amy and Rory track a distress signal to a planet where animal size is way out of proportion, and when Rory soon starts meddling with alien equipment, he grows to 50ft tall...

Verdict 

Attack of the 50ft Rory was a rather bonkers comic strip! The title itself just sounds completely absurd and that's exactly what it was. I slightly disagree with the naming of the story however, because the giant Rory didn't actually attack anybody or anything. But hey, I'm not going to argue semantics! The story starting off with Rory as a giant in the streets picking up the TARDIS was like nothing before and I like how it flashbacked to the events leading up to that moment, much like the Twelfth Doctor's comic strip debut in The Eye of Torment. The events leading up to what kicked off the story were decent and definitely logical with the Doctor picking up a distress signal and heading for the source. He's been known to do that one or twice in the past has he not? I liked the banter between the TARDIS trio throughout and that's something that was nicely portrayed from the screen and into the comic strip. I particularly liked tge humour surrounding the size of Rory's nose! The Doctor leaving Amy to try and remind and convince Rory who he was and what she meant to him was a rather risky move but it certainly paid off! Amy eventually got through to the 50ft giant boyfriend of hers and he soon put her down to safety. The references to numerous stories were very much welcomed but I think there were perhaps one or two too many. Just by including a lot of continuity, it doesn't make a great story! The plea though for Rory to remember the events of The Eleventh Hour, The Vampires of Venice, The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang and A Christmas Carol were nicely thrown in, particularly the latter with Amy wanting Rory to make sure he didn't forget their honeymoon! Imagine having a week with someone who looks like Karen Gillan... Incredible thoughts! The ending was average I guess with the Doctor sonicing a diamond like object that was the power of the alteration of size. Rory came back down to normal size and everything was restored. No lasting effects. Overall, a pretty decent comic strip but I think I must say this in every blog entry of every comic strip from the Annuals - make them bloody longer! 

Rating: 7/10