Abslom Daak... Dalek Killer

"You have chosen exile as a Dalek-Killer!"

Writer: Steve Moore 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: February 1980

Printed in: DWM 17-20

Featuring: Abslom Daak

Synopsis 

Hardened criminal Abslom Daak chooses a suicide mission as a Dalek Killer as an alternative to vaporisation. Arriving on the newly colonised Dalek planet of Mazam, Daak joins forces with Princess Taiyin and sets out to kill as many Daleks as he can before he gets killed himself.

Verdict 

Abslom Daak... Dalek Killer was a very good little comic strip adventure! After listening to the Cyberman spinoff audio series for eight days straight, I wasn't expecting to be doing another story that didn't feature the Doctor so soon. But hey ho, plans became what they were and after a busy day at work and other things to do, I was just glad to be doing something and when this little gem of a story presented itself as an opportunity to read quickly, I pounced at it. I've been keen to do this story for quite some time now due to the ongoing Eleventh Doctor adventures in Doctor Who Comic in which Abslom Daak has returned and is pretty much a companion at the point I'm currently at with the UK release. I'm assuming that this was Daak's first story in the Doctor Who Universe so I think it's definitely beneficial for me to have read it with the next DWC issue out this week. His trial was interesting with him getting the choice of being vaporised or to become a Dalek Killer. The choice was obvious I would think. Even though the odds were severely against someone surviving a Dalek onslaught, there's still a chance of survival and taking it is surely a must? Even if someone was going to die, killing a few Daleks prior to perishing must at least be a little bit of a consolation. I'd certainly have thought so anyway. The planet of Mazam didn't have much to it other than the Princess Taiyin who Daak didn't really seem interested in until she died, despite sharing a rather passionate kiss during the events of the story. I thought he was a little bit sexist and quite vulgar at times and I get that it's his character as a murderer and what have you but I imagine some female readers of 36 years ago were quite offended. I'm a male but even I found things like "dumb broad" a step too far. Sexism and degrading of women are things I absolutely despise and with his actions, I was amazed that Taiyin wanted to remain with him and even go as far as being with him! If I was in his position and had a women want me like that, I'd jump at the opportunity and do everything in my power to treat her well. I'm not at all convinced that Daak would have done the same. I'm a little confused how in The Then and the Now that she is referred to as Daak's wife because she kind of died at the end of this story. The extermination was brutally but brilliantly timed with Taiyin professing her love for Daak just as she was killed. Doctor Who at its sinister best. I liked that. The action that came in the comic was fantastic with numerous Dalek killings! I liked Daak's vow to kill every Dalek and he would soon get that nickname that the story titles him as. I'm not too sure how he got from this story to where we see him now in travelling with the Eleventh Doctor but one way or another, via a route of some kind, I will find that out by eventually getting through all the comic strip stories. It'll be long and potentially expensive task but I'll certainly get there. Overall though, an insightful and excellent little comic strip that I very much enjoyed.

Rating: 8/10