Profits of Doom!

"Reality intrudes into dream."

Writer: Mike Collins
Format: Comic Strip
Released: January-March 1987
Printed in: DWM 120-122

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Frobisher

Synopsis

Arriving on the Mayflower spaceship, the Sixth Doctor, Peri and Frobisher find themselves under attack from some mysterious alien slugs. Just what is so important about the top drawer? More importantly, where have they gone?

Verdict

Profits of Doom! was a mostly average comic strip adventure that continued my reading of The World Shapers graphic novel. I felt like this story showed glimpses of good potential but just never really managed to get going which was a bit of a shame. I thought the characterisation of the Sixth Doctor was really well done, but I will admit that I am getting quite bored of the comic strip representation of Peri and Frobisher. They just seem a bit spoiled to be honest and seem to be finding the rarity that is the ability to travel in the TARDIS for granted because they aren't getting what they want or where they want to go. I really am not a fan and Frobisher was once again quite rubbish and at the moment I am failing to quite see what he brings to the Doctor and Peri. I think they are more than enough and work terrifically together, but alas I know he isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I thought the Profiteers had potential despite their sluggish appearance (I mean come on, why go with that as an alien basis?) and the whole concept of them was actually rather interesting. I really liked that they had a slogan that they lived by and that was 'Profit or Die'. It was quite chilling really and took the fluctuations that is finance to a new level. I liked this a lot, but then I was incredibly disappointed with the way the Profiteers were defeated and taken out of the story. They were going to retreat and go running with acceptable losses after an unexplained sound put forward by Kara to save the Doctor. But seriously, acceptable losses?! Acceptable losses was something I just couldn't believe was even contemplated by the writer after writing the slogan. Profit (or acceptable losses) or Die is how it should be redone. Terrible. They just fizzled out of the story which was also surprising and quite sudden. There needed to be more clarity which shouldn't be an issue in a three-part story but here we are. I really loved that the Profiteers saw the profitability in the Doctor, Peri and Frobisher at different times due to their species, but they should have made – and could have – more of an effort in capturing them considering their close proximity. That wasn't a major issue but the artwork just liked they were too close to possibly avoid capture. This was really a strange one it has to be said. Seth serving as the puppet master of sorts was good and I liked how he had tipped off the Profiteers all along and sent this ship full of the top drawer of humanity – a superb concept – into nothingness. It was all a trap and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story, but I think after the build-up and hiding his identity, the revelation that it was Seth behind things meant literally nothing considering he hasn't appeared in any format before. Upon research, he doesn't even feature in a future one which really shocked me! I don't understand that at all I have to say. I have certainly focused on the negative aspects of the story in this blog entry which is perhaps a little unfair, but it did have its moments so it really wasn't all bad despite some of my comments! Overall though, there was just not enough quite working for me and I felt that loose ends could have been tied up so much better. A shame.

Rating: 6/10