The Grief

"The Sorshans killed themselves and their planet."

Writer: Dan Abnett
Format: Comic Strip
Released: March-May 1992
Printed in: DWM 185-187

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

In the back of a C.H.E.X. all-terrain vehicle on the surface of the dead world Sorsha, an unspeakable device known as the Grief has just brought back to life a nightmare that had been extinct for three thousand years...

Verdict

The Grief was a very good comic strip and a welcomed return to decent quality in my reading of the Evening's Empire graphic novel! I was quite worried when I saw that this adventure shared the same writing as the rather bad Conflict of Interests but thankfully the Doctor and Ace were back in the comic strips and that injected a lot of quality and familiarity which was very much welcomed. The setting of Sorsha was very intriguing and I found Ace's dismissive reaction to the planet once they exited the TARDIS quite humorous. Her thoughts soon changed though as the Doctor revealed why the planet was somewhat war-torn and that he was paying respects to the Sorshans. The story concerning the Sorshans and their sacrifice to rid the universe of the Lom was very enlightening and incredibly surprising and they immediately became the heroes and focus of the story without even featuring. I thought that was quite impressive and I would love a story one day that depicts the awful but incredible sacrifice of the Sorshans. They even sacrificed their planet along with themselves which was the most selfless act one could imagine. I thought the relationship between the Doctor and Ace was very interesting and it seemed to shift quite a bit with each part of the story. I liked the confidence she had in the Doctor's abilities to put things right even when she had heard all about the Lom and the extent the Sorshans went to in order to eradicate them from existence. Their warlike desire and nature was interesting and I found their locust mentality in travelling as one very intriguing. It was quite different to a traditional enemy. Frethil was a good character whilst she lasted but I was quite surprised by how bluntly the Doctor revealed she had succumbed to the fate of the Grief. That weapon being the most deadly of the Lom's was terrific and I liked how it actually rewrote DNA to create a new member of the Lom species. They could constantly replenish themselves with each world they devoured. The sacrifices of both Skrane and Strauss were incredibly courageous and echoed the actions of the Sorshans in order to stop the Lom from spreading and devouring the galaxy. Ace's reaction at her and the Doctor surviving again when others die was quite sudden but something I was a huge fan of. I look forward to seeing if this has any kind of effect on their travelling relationship and the lack of response by the Doctor spoke volumes. Overall, a very good adventure!

Rating: 8/10