Space in Dimension Relative and Time

"I do like a younger regeneration. Speedier! Svelter! The first and third never would've..."

Writer: Rob Williams 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 16th July 2015

Printed in: DWC #6

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Alice, Jones, ARC

Synopsis 

The Doctor, Alice and Jones left the SERVEYOUinc United System Research Base behind, travelling on to new adventures. The TARDIS gang has grown yet further because of their last encounter, with the addition of the hulking shapeshifter known as ARC - who is a lot more polite and inquisitive than its threatening appearance would suggest. But is even the TARDIS big enough to support this many large personalities?

Verdict 

Space in Dimension Relative and Time, a story title I can't quite wrap my head around, was a phenomenal comic strip adventure! It was definitely my favourite story from Doctor Who Comic so far and we finally have a story that gained this wonderful rating! It's taken six issues but we've finally got there. I was intrigued by the title and when the story starts by saying 'The End' at the bottom of the page, things are definitely a mystery. And instantly they were as it appeared that Jones was dead! To be honest, I wouldn't have been overly disappointed had this companion deceased as I think he's been very poor thus far. I don't see what he adds really and so far in the previous five issues of Doctor Who Comic, I would definitely say that the Eleventh Doctor segment has by far been the weakest and I think that's down to the weakness of the companions. Jones as I've mentioned doesn't offer much at all and I'm not too fussed on Alice either. She's moans far too much for my liking! After Whodunnit?/The Sound of Our Voices, we've now got a third companion in the form of the shapeshifting ARC. I doubt he's going to come close to being the USA's version of Frobisher, but I think he could add a lot of fun to the quite crowded TARDIS room. But irony strikes at its best with this story, as although I think this is the weaker third of DWC, I think this is the best story of all six issues! The reverse format was very intriguing and caused a lot of timey wimey elements to occur. I think at times we take the time travel element of Doctor Who for granted so it's nice to have a story focus on that. Everything the Doctor was seeing was what went down prior to the last thing he saw. He was being leaped from event to event. Shockingly, he kicked the ashes of one of his companions who had just died but that's because he'd worked everything out and knew that Jones would be coming back soon enough. The vortex was playing up but the Doctor was going to be quite naughty too. He was using a vortex manipulator to jump about the timestream that was running backwards to ensure he stayed one step ahead of the game. The return of the Nimon was quite a surprise I must say! Of all the Classic enemies to make a return in these comics I wouldn't have thought it would be the Nimon! The subtle references to The Horns of Nimon and Seasons of Fear were great with the Doctor saying how all they do is assert themselves as gods in whatever civilisation they next target. It was quite fresh to see a Nimon actually in the TARDIS causing chaos! He even killed a companion! The Doctor referencing the vortex manipulator to be like drug addiction was a fantastic inclusion and speaking of the Eleventh Doctor, I felt this was the best Matt Smith's incarnation was characterised thus far in DWC. Hell, technically this was a multi-Doctor comic story with two Eleventh Doctors featuring! That conversation was brilliant and just so typical of this incarnation. The praise, even the romance! Naughty Doctor. Captain Jack wouldn't be too pleased to see that the Doctor was using a manipulator after all he's said. The climax was very good with the Doctor using time to his advantage to gain an upper hand on the Nimon. Database 8 was protected and the Nimon would not be succeeding in its plans for destruction. Overall, this was an incredible comic strip and testament to what you can do with just one part. A wonderful title, brilliant returning Classic enemy and a sublime plot! Ending with the words 'The Beginning' was certainly different. The reverse events was just a magnificent concept. 

Rating: 10/10