Changes

"The TARDIS has been invaded."

Writer: Grant Morrison

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November-December 1986

Printed in: DWM 118-119

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Frobisher

Synopsis

With Peri and Frobisher rummaging around a storage room in the TARDIS, the Doctor is keen to solve the issue of an intruder within the ship. The temporal state of grace doesn't exist in normal space, so violence is possible within the realms of the TARDIS...

Verdict

Changes was a decent continuation of The World Shapers graphic novel! This one was quite an intriguing little two parter and it was good to explore so much of the TARDIS. I do enjoy it when that occurs, but if I had to choose I probably wouldn't want it on the scale that we saw in The Invasion of Time which just seemed to expand it for the sake of making it look enormous. There's no need for that and it's no coincidence that we normally just see the control room. That's all you need. However, from time to time it's good to go further and that usually occurs in the Classic era with the likes of bedrooms for the companions. We got to see a lot here because the TARDIS had been infiltrated which is a concept I am a big fan of because those doors are supposed to be impenetrable. So when something does find its way in, you know that what you're dealing with means business. On this occasion it was another shapeshifter in the form of the Kymbra Chimera. I liked that its species was something close to Frobisher's and he wasn't overly happy or convinced that something so monstrous could be from his neck of the woods. Now, what I haven't enjoyed is the continuity of the story arc surrounding Frobisher's inability to change shape. It's getting boring now that he sometimes can and sometimes can't depending on what suits the adventure. Surely if his companion really was suffering then the Doctor, even in his sixth incarnation, would seek help to put things right. I just don't understand where it's going if it isn't even going to be followed properly in every adventure! That was certainly a frustrating element of the story and its chronological placement in the comic strip run. However, I did enjoy the two shape-shifters going at in a brawl and that is something I think worked well. Peri and Frobisher's relationship was also good during this story and it was nice to see the bond they had whilst the Doctor always seemed like the senior figure. That is something that is important to have in the TARDIS team. My favourite aspect of the adventure was probably the idea of the Doctor having a zoo within the TARDIS housed with animals that were endangered and he could drop off in suitable environments on his travels. I just loved the idea behind that and it seems so perfect for our Time Lord hero. I also liked that the Doctor had portraits of himself by Michelangelo and Vincent Van Gogh! The pomposity of the man! That was good and I did enjoy Peri's reaction a lot. She couldn't believe it either. I thought the ending could have been a bit better if I'm honest and it was something I would expect form a one part story really. It was a bit too quick and sudden with the Chimera being sucked out and I thought there should have been a lot more elaboration on what just happened and how they got there. It was a very sudden end with no reflection on the previous events which I thought would have been beneficial. Regardless, it was still a very decent little comic strip adventure and I look forward to continuing things further. Overall, a good story!

Rating: 7/10