The Arts in Space Part 1

"I'm on an alien planet, with an alien. He's so used to it - the way he just walks, like it's normal to see all this..."

Writer: Nick Abadzis 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 21st May 2015

Printed in: DWC #4

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby

Synopsis 

After helping to defeat the monstrous Cerebravores - weaponised, mood-altering parasites that feed on fear - Gabby Gonzalez has convinced the Doctor to take her with him... for just one trip! 

So begins Gabby's first adventure in the TARDIS...

Verdict 

The Arts in Space started off tremendously well with this opening part of the story that sees Gabby's first adventure in the TARDIS! She seems to be enjoying her very first outing very much! Now, today is the release day of Doctor Who Comic UK in which we get a brand new story featuring the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors and they're printed in reverse order to what I have just mentioned (ie the Twelfth Doctor's is on the opening pages) but I decided to start off with the Tenth Doctor because it would be the first 'new' story that I've had in this collection due to my previous reading of Revolutions of Terror. That's not the only reason I must admit as with my two recent comic stories featuring the Eleventh Doctor and Clara from The Blood of Azrael graphic novel, I have a little policy that I must do two stories featuring a different TARDIS pairing before returning to a Doctor or companion who appears with a different companion or incarnation respectively. So I'll be returning to the comic on Saturday with the Twelfth Doctor after doing something completely unrelated tomorrow! Thursdays are becoming a rather expensive aren't they? As well as picking up this comic in my local WH Smith I also bought the latest figurine of Lady Cassandra of which I'm thoroughly impressed! It's been an expensive week for myself but after getting rather lucky in the bookies I thought I deserved to treat myself with the added purchases of The Good Soldier and Voyager graphic novels, the DVD of The Visitation, the Grave Matter novel as well as some cheeky Target finds of The Ark in Space and The Sontaran Experiment! Anyway, that's enough about my week. Back to the story at hand and I thought it was a wonderful first venture for Gabby outside of New York. The letter format that dominated the story was an intriguing direction to go with but it definitely worked, provided in part 2 we get most of the storytelling and I'll be absolutely fine with that. Reading her thoughts was fantastic and I loved her opinion on the Doctor. He was the skinny 900 year old alien who travels in time and space in a battered 1960s British phone box. Her misunderstanding of it being a disguise from the past was excellent to see. I know for a fact that I'm going to love Gabby! Her reaction to exiting the TARDIS for the first time was truly stunning. The birdsong was different. Gorgeous. It seemed clear from the get go that the Doctor had immediately taken a shining to his new companion and just as with Martha, the whole one trip business isn't going to work. The appearance of a Quark, Ice Warrior and Handbot was interesting and I am intrigued to find out if that's what the Tenth Doctor and Gabby will come face to face with in future stories - I certainly won't be complaining if it's true! It's about time a past foe returned in the comic strips as the Sontarans did in Instruments of War. The references to Revolutions of Terror and Logopolis were fantastic and the mystery surrounding Zhe and her art was fascinating. I imagine all the storytelling will occur in the next part, and if that's where the story completes then that's where the rating will be. Overall, a great start with a good cliffhanger!