Revelation!

"Knowledge brings the ultimate sorrow."

Writer: Alan McKenzie
Format: Comic Strip
Released: February 1986
Printed in: DWM 109

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Frobisher

Synopsis

In the castle on Sylvaniar, Professor Verdeghast is strangled from behind by an unseen figure who steals his notebook. Shortly afterwards, the Doctor, Peri and Frobisher arrive in the professor's chamber just as guards enter to find them standing over the dead body...

Verdict

Revelation! was a terrific little comic strip adventure! This continued my reading of The World Shapers graphic novel very well and I liked the little connection to Exodus, and things seem far from finished for now! I must admit that when I saw that the comic strip's title had an exclamation mark I was thrilled as it really has been some time since I have read one where that is the case. Most of my comic strip reading over the past year or so has been from the modern era Titan stories and they're a little less funky than the Classic DWM style. Maybe I'm liking the punctuation because of Kerblam!? Who knows, I never used to be a huge fan but I guess as I've got a little older I've come to appreciate the little twerks like that. The follow on from the previous adventure was good and the Doctor definitely seemed less abrasive in this story. The companions really didn't have a lot to do at all, but the predicament they were placed in was excellent. It is very cliche Doctor Who, but there was something just magnificent about the TARDIS landing in Verdeghast's chamber right after he had been murdered. The look on the Doctor's face was an absolute picture once he realised the predicament and Frobisher simply said it best that things didn't look good. Not good at all. The trio being locked up was hardly a surprise, but I didn't expect the Doctor to talk himself out of the cell so quickly! He did it with ease and whilst I do like the concept of the Doctor having truth to his words, it did seem very easy. I thought it was quite humorous that only he was allowed the freedom of the castle with Peri and Frobisher stuck in the cell for the duration. I bet the Doctor liked that a lot. With this being the Sixth Doctor, I was slightly expecting something of a more arrogant characterisation but that wasn't the case. That's not a problem at all as he doesn't have to be so pompous in every story, but it is something I have come to expect when the story isn't by Big Finish. This is a contemporary adventure though so I would be stunned to see the softer side of the Sixth Doctor that I associate with his audio adventures. Krogh was a good character and I enjoyed his relationship with the Doctor once he had freed him from his cell and was helping with the investigation. Verdeghast wasn't the first person to be murdered in recent days and that had the Doctor instantly on alert. There was something to find out and that is where the Doctor thrives. The murder mystery feel and atmosphere perpetuated as the story went on which was a really big bonus. The ending was very surprising though as I really was not expecting to find a Cyberman as the murder culprit! It really was quite the revelation and not only was it great to have a familiar foe in the comic strip, but it wasn't quite wholly a Cyberman yet with the human arm clearly visible. I found that very intriguing given that the design was from Earthshock and Attack of the Cybermen, with the arm like that being more resemblant of The Tenth Planet Mondasian Cybermen. I'm very excited to see where things go from here and just what the Cyberman is up to and how he came to be. Overall, a fantastic little story.

Rating: 8/10