The Instruments of War Part 1

"You currently serve under a madman who lets his horoscope dictate his decisions in battle. He believes his destiny is written in the course of the stars."

Writer: Mike Collins

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 12th December 2014

Printed in: DWM 481

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

Expecting to arrive at a Frost Fair in London, 1641, a malfunction with the TARDIS brings the Doctor and Clara to the Sahara Desert in the middle of German occupation during the Second World War. But there's another batch of war hungry brutes present, one the Doctor knows all too well...

Verdict 

Part One of The Instruments of War was absolutely phenomenal! What an introductory part to a comic story! Now, it's only been around a year since I started collected DWM and reading the comics, John Smith and the Common Men was my first comic strip (that's how late I was to this party!), but after delving around and purchasing a couple of graphic novel collections, I must say that perhaps with the understandable exception of Hunters of the Burning Stone that this opening part was my favourite there has been. For me, as a big fan of History it had it in abundance with the Nazis featuring in the Sahara. We had some brilliant past story references with The Day of the Doctor, The Time of the Doctor and Flatline all being nicely mentioned. The middle story particularly as it loosely tied in with this issue of DWM being the Christmas edition. The Doctor didn't think too fondly of that word anymore after the centuries he defended the town on Trenzalore! I like how the TARDIS went wrong, it doesn't do that much does it? Clara wanted a Frost Fair, something she received in Silhouette although that was some time after 1641. Instead she got 1941 and a Nazi occupied Sahara Desert. Not too dissimilar then. That scenario of the TARDIS mucking up so bad just seems absolutely right for the pairing of the Twelfth Doctor and Clara and their unstable relationship. I do think though that, with what I took as a Flatline reference, that at this point in the relationship they're back as good friends as we saw in the series finale. If there's any doubt about compassion or consideration in this TARDIS pairing's relationship then I'm sure a Nazi based story can unite them beyond doubt! I loved how the Doctor used the alias of Johan Schmidt once again, something he has done so on more than one occasion when visiting Germany in his seventh incarnation for example, as seen in Colditz. I really liked how Clara was trying to use her gorgeously sublime cute charm and stunning looks to get any information she could. However things took a sour turn for her when Oberst confronted her about her identity. He knew she wasn't a spy but he also knew she wasn't a German which meant bad news for our brunette beauty. I found it quite shocking that he revealed it was he who was the spy! It'll be interesting to see where that aspect of the story goes. But that shock didn't pail in comparison to the absolutely magnificent cliffhanger! What old foe of the Doctor would happen to turn up in the middle of World War Two to be allies with Bhaki, the leader of the Tuareg tribesman? The race bred for war of course! The Sontarans were back! I was absolutely overjoyed when turning the page to see that it was the Sontarans who were in alliance. I probably could have and should have worked it out beforehand with the gun but that just made the cliffhanger so much better! It seems like these Sontarans are a nice blend of the Classic and revived series design but with the mention of them being from the Eighth Sontaran Battle Fleet, I place these Sontarans as Classic villains. And that very much excites me as they're going to come up against the Twelfth Doctor! I can't wait for the continuation of this comic strip! When it concludes, that's when the rating will come but what a magnificent start.