The Curious Tale of Spring-Heeled Jack

"London is all lit up now."

Writer: Scott Gray

Format: Comic Strip

Released: August-October 2003 

Printed in: DWM 334-336

Featuring: Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

In London, a demonic figure is searching young ladies on his quest for Morjanus. The Eighth Doctor is also there, trying to enjoy London's new night life, thriving with then invention of the gaslight. Something is hidden in London and the Doctor must find it before the city is consumed in fire...

Verdict

The Curious Tale of Spring-Heeled was an excellent comic strip adventure to continue my way through The Flood graphic novel! I must say this is shaping into a really strong and consistent final collection of comic for the Eighth Doctor and it's quite refreshing to have him travelling alone. It's a dynamic that's uncommon for this incarnation of the Doctor, but it didn't take long for him to get involved and have someone fill in that role for the story. I was a massive fan of Penny Chapman and I thought right away that this had all of the makings of an introductory adventure for a new companion. She was interesting right from the start with her talk of the Essence and the fact she was quite clearly consumed or possessed by something. The Doctor took his moment to introduce himself very quickly and the pair blossomed a really nice relationship. The fact she got to go inside the TARDIS definitely seemed like she was heading in the companion route, and her reaction to the interior was truly spectacular. I loved her analogy of calling this particular TARDIS console and interior St Paul's Cathedral inside a cupboard! That was really nicely done and the Doctor even admiring the analogy was wonderful. I liked how he was telling her of his adventures which sparked a neat Egyptian reference to The Power of Thoueris! and all signs pointed towards her joining him. So when it was revealed that she was actually Morjanus I was stunned and a little disappointed! The war her species were raging with Spring-Heeled Jack was a good background and the idea of self hypnosis was tremendous. That was some way to hide from Jack! It explained a lot about all of the women he was going through to try and find her and just a good way to give a Doctor Who take on him in London of the 1840s. I thought that setting was excellent and with it being at the time that gas was giving London a nightlife, having creatures within the gas just worked perfectly. I thought the artwork for this comic strip was brilliant and the Pyrodines looked really impressive. The image of them coming from the gaslight was terrific, as was the meeting of the minds between Jack and the Doctor. The little glimpse of Susan was nice and it's brilliant to know how much she still means to him despite so far removed. The Doctor turning it into the mind of Jack was nicely done as well. The moment where Jack and Morjanus came face to face was pretty tense and the Doctor getting mixed up in the middle was always going to happen, but that brief delay where he actually caused Morjanus to be killed by Jack was incredible. It looked like he'd done a big oops, but Jack had merely destroyed the mind of Morjanus within whilst keeping Penny Chapman intact. That was glorious and I am just even more surprised that she didn't become a companion after this backstory! There could have been so much potential there with the threat of Morjanus or the Essence coming back, but alas it was not to be. She was a superb character though and just seeing her alongside the Doctor in his Victorian splendour was excellent. Overall, a really good adventure! 

Rating: 9/10