Terrorformer Part 1

"You have been judged insignificant. Your continued existence would be an embarrassment to the universe."

Writer: Robbie Morrison

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 26th February 2015

Printed in: Doctor Who Comic #1

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

The Doctor has regenerated into a brand new incarnation! 

Clara struggled at first to reconcile the Doctor's new face with that of her closer friend, but the pair are now back in the saddle of cosmic adventure, even if this new Doctor is brusquer and more unpredictable - the kind of Doctor who wishes people would just get out of his way and let him get on with the business of saving them!

Verdict 

Well here we are again! It's taken 401 blog entries to get the first story to be posted twice but here it is! The first part of Terrorformer! Now why might I choose to read this story again? Well, the answer is simple. After my little trips to Comix Shoppe, which proved inconvenient, time consuming and expensive, to purchase the newly released Titan Comics featuring the last three incarnations of the Doctor, I was overjoyed that we'd be getting a UK release which features in each issue a story from each incarnation which I massively prefer. It's just £3.99 per issue now for three stories whereas I was paying £2.80 for a single issue. So I'm saving nearly a fiver by this UK exclusive collection. Due to money and time, I was only able to collect 7 issues of the three Doctors combined but I found that the new 'Doctor Who Comic' started off with the Twelfth Doctor so I'll follow suit. This first instalment seemed a lot better than I remembered from my first reading last year! I liked the opening with Zaxx and Clive and immediately there's death thanks to something literally coming out of the lava. The opening scenes for the Doctor and Clara were outstanding and I loved the Doctor's mocking of his immediate previous incarnation. It seems he no longer approves of bow ties, fezzes or the word 'cool'. The way he claimed normality was restored was simply wonderful and perfectly captured Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor. Clara's referencing to Into the Dalek, Robot of Sherwood and The Caretaker was fantastic and I don't think there's any doubting that these comics, at least for now, are set during Series 8. That's not a problem at all but I do hope that by the time Series 9 is broadcast the comics come up to date. No references of Danny as was here please! That's something where the DWM strips are mastery, they always seem perfectly in line with the current series. The arrival onto Isen VI was comical with Clara expecting to ice skate but instead she got a tropical jungle! The Doctor didn't seem too surprised as he had detected the slightest signal. And it was Gallifreyan in origin. Things got tasty there! The fact that the jungle was man made was most intriguing and Kano Dollar immediately looks a bit of a bastard. Terraforming an entire planet for the sake of a marriage? Surely that's unacceptable. The Skunkey's, as Clara dubbed them, were fun and I liked how they soon turned from adorable to aggressive when Clara wanted her hat back. I liked how once the Doctor heard people were in danger, he had no hesitation in saving them. Eric and the Professor have got a good image and they'll be important elements of part 2! The cliffhanger was mightily intriguing with the Doctor recognising the symbol of something terrible. After the terraforming device had sunk into a ship, it was something else that was in control of the planet. As prophesied by Clive, Hyperios rises. With it, it seems the universe may fall... Overall a terrific opening part to both the story and our brand new comic! It's about time we had a monthly comic outside of DWM - I really couldn't be happier. The rating will come in three weeks (and one day - Shush!) when part 2 is released.