Gently Pulls the Strings

"Why were the Daleks so terrifying?"

Writer: Si Spurrier
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 27th April 2017
Series: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 17

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Alice, Squire, Abslom Daak

Synopsis

Armed with revelations from the Time War, but challenged by resistance within his own ranks, the Doctor faces his most difficult hour yet as he battles to clear his name! Having plunged into the depths of darkness in his quest for the truth, can he re-emerge triumphant?

Verdict

Gently Pulls the Strings was a decent comic stirip adventure but I must admit that after the epic that was Fast Asleep, I was hoping for a bit of a better follow up. Now it has been quite some time since I read the previous story but due to a busy finish to second year at university and some serendipity in my personal life, blogging has not gone to plan in the last few weeks or so. Again, that is not a problem to me but I have been hoping to do a little more than just the weekly episodes that have been broadcasting recently. I have since picked up the latest issue of DWC but I am in need of some catching up so that begins here! Now this story had a lot of potential and despite having a fast paced which is something I am usually a big fan of in a comic adventure, this just seemed to be a bit of an information overload in places. I think it tried to accomplish a little too much in a short space of time and when even the Doctor is confused, you know there's a little trouble with the overarching plot. Sometimes, things should just be kept simple and despite including a Time War storyline, I do think it could have been achieved in a more gradual and rewarding way in this second year of Eleventh Doctor adventures. Obviously based on the ratings I have been giving this stories, that is no reflection on the overall quality but stories like this one will suffer which is a shame. I was quite surprised that Abslom Daak had survived the events of the previous comic strip but I was glad to see that he had. He still remains a character I need to do some catching up on with the DWM comic strips of the Classic era but I have really enjoyed his return alongside the Eleventh Doctor. Alice was probably the highlight of this story for me and that is not something I have often stated! I have grown to like her this year after a wobbly start but here she really did shine as she managed to work things out. She was the one that had been to the Time War and seen the extent of the damage that everything involving the Daleks, the Cyclors and the Overcaste entailed. The Doctor's reaction to hearing of Alice seeing the Master was intriguing and I was also quite surprised when he mentioned the Psilent Songbox. The impact of that was something I did not expect to see in this story but the Squire, in her Dalek possessed state, was quite whacky and loony but did seem to be acting in accordance with a plan of some sort. It was all about serving the Dalek interests in the Time War and I bet the Eleventh Doctor was not expecting that in his current incarnation. The Squire really was quite ruthless but I liked how the Doctor felt sorry for her and was determined to think that she was not wholly Dalek. She still had feelings, something that is alien to the Daleks. The Doctor's speech about what makes the Daleks so vile and detestable at the start of the story was superb but from there on things seemed to jump a little too fast. That was a little annoying as things have been building up for so long and I was kind of expecting to be a little more impressed by the big revelation. I did think that the cliffhanger was good and it sets up the year finale nicely with the threat of Dalek Gods. Overall though, a good comic strip but it could have been a whole lot more!

Rating: 7/10