The Glorious Dead

"A church which can't read its own bible?"

Writer: Scott Gray

Format: Comic Strip

Released: January-September 2000

Printed in: DWM 287-296

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Izzy, Kroton

Synopsis

The Doctor, Izzy and Kroton are taken to Paradost to find that Sato Katsura and the Master have joined forces. The Doctor and Kroton must fight the Master and Sato for the Glory, where the protector has full powers over space and time...

Verdict

The Glorious Dead was an excellent adventure to continue my reading of the graphic novel of which it is the titular story! At ten parts long, it's no surprise that this was what the collection of adventures was named after and I have to say that it was quite the epic! It was extraordinarily long and I'm very grateful to have been able to complete the story over a couple of sittings in the same day, rather than only having a part every month, for ten months, in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine. When I read the ongoing DWM comic strips, my patience begins to run out after around four parts so I'm not sure how I would have reacted had I been a fan back in 2000! I liked how this felt like a culmination of recent adventures and I was a huge fan of the TARDIS malfunctions and unreliability being a result of the Master's interference. I had expected him to show up again soon following the end of The Fallen and it was a fitting way to arrive. His disguise as the Cardinal was fitting and I liked how his true appearance wasn't revealed until over halfway in. That meant we worked for the reveal and it had a big impact and meant a lot, something that wasn't always the case with the Master's endless returns. I wasn't expecting the continuity from The Movie but I really enjoyed it and appreciated that it was a logical explanation of him returning from what was a seemingly final fate. The role of the Ash Faiths and the Master incorporating them into the Odostra was excellent and I really enjoyed how they required sacrifice to enter this domain. At its heart, this adventure was all about the Doctor and the Master and I thought that was sublime. This was a lengthy battle between the pair and the position of the Master now in wanting the Glory was unique amongst the past encounters. This was a changed incarnation of darker and deeper desires, and he still wanted the Doctor dead. Despite wanting the Glory, he wanted to beat the Doctor to earn it and he'd had a long plan to push the Doctor. Recalling recent events with the likes of his intended killing of Kroton was brilliant, and the Doctor being tempted by the Glory was a big surprise, but the Master capitalised in quick fashion. Izzy didn't have a huge amount to do despite the story being ten part, but I really liked the imagery of her being shrunken at the foot of Sato. His return was handled really well and I enjoyed having the Doctor ridding him of his honour coming back to bite him. Joining forces with the Master was good, but Izzy reverting herself to normal size was too quick and easy to appeal to his greater good. The battle of wits in the Omniverse between the Doctor and the Master was outstanding and some of the artwork that accompanied it was excellent. It was very whacky and there was so much going on the page with even an appearance from Spider-Man! I was a huge fan of how the artwork complemented the story. Kroton and Sato being the ones that were actually the subjects of the final battle was a great twist and the Master's reaction to being rejected by the Glory was fantastic. He was stunned, and the Doctor loved that they were actually spectators with the Master's assumptions coming back to bite him. Kroton being the victor after holding onto hope was a lovely touch and I loved how he put everything back on track after the Master had altered the past of Earth through Sato. The Master disappearing at Kroton's will was good, and I loved how the Doctor believed his words that he would still survive. Overall, a fantastic comic strip! 

Rating: 9/10