The Big, Blue Box

"The same blue box. Watching me."

Writer: Matthew Dow Smith
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July 2010
Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 2010 (Comic)

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

The Tenth Doctor saves Douglas Henderson from an alien. Taking him aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor reveals that Douglas is in fact a bomb designed to disable electronics and leave a planet prone for alien invasion. It just so happens that two competing species are after him...

Verdict

The Big, Blue Box was a decent continuation of the 2010 comic version of the Doctor Who Annual! I'm liking the theme of the TARDIS being the centre of attention and I did think that it was just going to be a coincidence that Douglas continued to see the TARDIS every time something weird was happening in the area. I had hoped it was just going to be coincidental with the events of many episodes of the modern era being the explanation for the Doctor's presence, but I guess that wouldn't always be possible in such a small locality. I never suspected that Douglas was anything more than an ordinary human but the relevance of ordinary humanity was something that came to be quite significant by the story's end. The characterisation of the Tenth Doctor was excellent and I really liked how the likeness of David Tennant was captured in the page. It is always a big positive when that occurs, especially in stories of this length. Douglas getting up close and personal with the TARDIS for the first time after seeing it on so many occasions was a lovely moment. His reaction upon meeting the Doctor and him revealing the TARDIS to be his was sublime. It was probably my favourite moment of the whole story. He was more surprised by the fact that an alien was chasing him than the TARDIS being bigger on the inside, which was actually a little disappointing to be honest, but he was a little more surprised by the reveal that he was actually a weapon. A weapon that the horrifically dubbed green and red aliens were after in their war against each other. The narration from Douglas throughout was decent and I liked how well he took everything in his stride despite the bombardment of shocking revelations. He took it upon himself to use his own weaponry and wiped out both of the red and green aliens and some quick ingenuity from the Doctor meant that he wouldn't have to go out with it. He saved the Earth and the Doctor saved him and allowed him to live out an ordinary human life which was a really nice touch. That is all he ever wanted. The little allusion to The End of Time was very good and the links with the TV series is something I have been very impressed with from IDW. The Doctor pondering over what was to come as he slightly delayed entering the TARDIS is also a common feature and one I approve of. Overall, a decent little story!

Rating: 7/10