Exodus

"People? In my TARDIS?"

Writer: Alan McKenzie
Format: Comic Strip
Released: January 1986
Printed in: DWM 108

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Frobisher

Synopsis

On the planet Sylvaniar, a group of impoverished large-eyed humanoids with yellowish skin watch as a dilapidated space craft leaves the planet.

Why are the farmers going missing? And how did a spaceship get on board the TARDIS without causing damage?

Verdict

Exodus was an interesting little start to my reading of The World Shapers graphic novel. It has been quite some time since I found myself reading a collection of comic strip stories from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine, but it is something I have wanted to return to for a while now. So after receiving some birthday money, I was quick to get this one off eBay and begin my reading. I am in the process of moving house after some good job news so stories of this length are quite ideal at the moment to keep my daily fix going. I have to say, not a great deal actually happened but I think it was the Sixth Doctor himself that provided this story with a decent rating. The characterisation of Colin Baker's incarnation was sublime throughout and so in line with the personality we would associate with the Sixth Doctor during Season 22. It really was uncanny how well things were written for the Doctor and that always makes for good reading. He showed impatience, frustration and a lack of compassion and that was perfect. It seems a little weird saying those things about the Doctor, but that's how unique the sixth incarnation is and I think the dynamic it brings, especially with Frobisher alongside Peri for the comic strips, is terrific. I look forward to this collection continuing and getting some bigger stories, although I realise that is still a little while away yet. The Doctor's reaction to people being on board the TARDIS was hilarious because he just felt it was so preposterous that it could happen. Of course, he quickly deduced what had actually occurred and that was the TARDIS had materialised around the ship rather than any kind of crash so fast that damage didn't occur. Peri wasn't impressed with the Doctor's reaction to the poor people and made a point of letting him know. He did take things into consideration, despite potentially not fully seeming like he cared, in giving them food when he would just be dematerialising to ensure that the ship would be free again. I did like that he was going to follow up what he had learned about the farmers of Sylvaniar and how they went missing. The Doctor certainly enjoys some curiosity and wanted to solve the mystery and I guess we will get some answers in the next adventure. I hope we get a little more from Frobisher in that one as all he really did here was find the people and pass the Doctor a tool. That is a typical role for the companion, but in stories this short there still needs to be something a little more! It doesn't have to be much, but when you're a shapeshifting penguin well then there is a lot of potential that could be utilised much better. It's a little bit of a nitpick, but I think there needed to be a tad more involving the people of Sylvaniar because of what I presume is to come with the Doctor going there. I know he may not need too much convincing to go and explore and find what is wrong, but as a reader there probably should have been a little more of an incentive to take things further. Overall though, there's a mystery for the Doctor to follow and I like that idea. A decent comic strip adventure.

Rating: 7/10