The Instruments of War Part 2

"Hu-mans advance to a sufficient level of destructive capability. The Warsong stirs from its long slumber."

Writer: Mike Collins 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: January 2015

Printed in: DWM 482

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

The Doctor and Clara get caught up between two deadly races who've been at war for millennia. The Doctor is trying to deal with the Sontarans while Clara is trapped with the Rutans. Will both survive in the hunt for the world engine that is the Warsong?

Verdict 

The Instruments of War continued fantastically well in today's release of Doctor Who Magazine! After the brilliant, fist-pumping cliffhanger of part one during the Christmas issue, things get going for the Sontarans who do look quite intriguing in their mix of the armour we'd associate with the Classic era design and the Libyan robes! I know they mentioned they were trying to blend in but that really is an interesting action. The Twelfth Doctor really has encountered some strangely dressed Sontarans already in his relatively early days in this incarnation. In the Libyan Sahara he's met them in native robes and of course he ran into his old friend Strax who's famous for being the Sontaran wearing a tuxedo. I loved the irony of the Galaxy Forum section of the magazine as somebody had written in venting the exact same thoughts I had about the Sontarans. I like Strax, don't get me wrong, but I was after the ruthless war-hungry species that had grown in reputation since arriving on the scene in The Time Warrior. And that just tremendously shows how fantastic these comic stories are because it allows our current Doctor to be pitted against excellent foes such as the Sontarans, as they should be, whilst the TV series can continue with whatever direction they want to go with Strax. Bruckner's relationship with Clara was superb throughout the comic strip adventure and I liked the storytelling between the pair. After his blasting revelation to Clara about him being the spy and not her, there was a sour relationship during their trek through the desert. I loved the reveal of him being a Rutan in disguise, even if it was perhaps a tad obvious. The fact that the great enemy of the Classic series, only mentioned briefly since the revival, is now on our pages in 2015 is sublime. I love how this will be many young readers of DWM's first experience of a Sontaran vs Rutan story. That can't be said for me after I've read the two excellent novels Lords of the Storm and The Infinity Doctors in which parts of the eternal war are portrayed. And that actually brings me on nicely to a comment from Steven Moffat in his productions notes column of the magazine where he believed the Doctor Who novels to be part of a different continuity. Well I've never heard such rubbish! It's all licensed Doctor Who and therefore it's the same continuity. Now, I believe a line can be drawn on the likes of stage plays and the Peter Cushing movies but to say the novels aren't canonical with the TV series is a bit of a slap in the face! I did though adore his acknowledgement of calling the newer series' by 1-8. To him, series five as it's known is season 31. And I agree with him. The only reason I refer to them as series and season in TV story blogs is to differentiate between the two eras. And a blend of two eras is exactly what we had here with almost retro Sontarans up against the Doctor and Clara. The look into the Doctor's mind showed us a stunning graphic of adventures the Twelfth Doctor has had. Superb imagery of Deep Breath, Into the Dalek, Robot of Sherwood, Time Heist, The Caretaker, Kill the Moon and Mummy on the Orient Express. I do love recent story references I must say, especially when they appear as beautifully as they did! The build up to the Warsong climax was done very well and I love the warlike theme that obviously suits the Sontarans, and now the Rutans, so well. Bruckner claimed the Warsong as the Rutans so that'll lead to something bad as the Sontarans won't like being beaten to its location after their efforts to retrieve it. But the Doctor may have bigger fish to fry, as the Warsong has the ability to weaponise a whole planet - and that's exactly the plan of the Rutan to gain an advantage over their bitter Sontaran enemies. Overall, another outstanding part to this story which is certainly heading in a wonderfully good direction. As always, the rating will come upon the whole story's conclusion.