The Fountains of Forever Part 1

"The local time-field is reversing... this must be... retro-regeneration!"

Writer: Nick Abadzis

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 14th January 2016

Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby

Synopsis 

The Tenth Doctor and Gabby want to explore somewhere noisy and are ready to depart New York. That is until the Doctor detects something strange on his sonic screwdriver and with Cindy messaging Gabby like crazy, it seems an extended stay in the city is on the cards, and not all will be as it appears...

Verdict 

The Fountains of Forever started off outstandingly with this magnificent first part to the year one finale of Tenth Doctor and Gabby comic strip adventures! Although there's still a long way to go in this story which is bound to be eventful and full of surprises going off this first part, but the adventures these two have shared have been magnificent and I think it's nice that every story thus far in the Doctor Who Comic run of the Tenth Doctor and Gabby got a reference or mention from either Gabby or Cindy. Gabby trying to explain the Weeping Angels, who she encountered in the epic The Weeping Angels of Mons, was excellent and even after describing what happened in The Arts in Space by her drawings that we have seen throughout her run as companion so far, Cindy just wasn't going to believe her linguine friend. Even after what she had seen in Revolutions of Terror and Echo Cindy still wouldn't believe what Gabby would tell her and their relationship really did seem to be left on a sour note during the first part of this story. The Doctor picking up a signal on the sonic screwdriver about yet something else going on in New York was perhaps tedious to be setting another story in this city in such short proximity, but it allowed for one of my favourite references in an extremely long time. The Doctor was at the Ebonite Auctions which he psychic papered his way into quite nonchalantly and they were selling off many alien artefacts! Things obviously weren't adding up but the Doctor seemed mightily calm which surprised me a little to be honest. The reference to Dalek was just outstanding and the fact that the old hairdryer from the museum collection in Utah was sold for $80,000,000 was quite humorous! The Doctor knowing all about the artefacts up for grabs was expected and I did like some of his comments very much. The characterisation of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor was superb in this comic I must say and I would probably say it was the best from DWC yet which was really pleasing. I liked the mystery behind Cleo and I'm really looking forward to learning more about her as the story goes on. How she knows so much about the age-regression gun is intriguing and I'm also looking forward to seeing just what the fountains of forever really are about. Dorothy Bell, apparently a famous but now old celebrity, purchasing the item in a private bid allowed some good story progression and I loved how even the Doctor seemed star-struck when he first saw her! That was wonderfully reminiscent of the Tenth Doctor. I liked Gabby's reflection on her relationship with the Doctor and whilst she reiterated what she had previously said to Bianca about not loving the Doctor to Cindy, she described how there was something more powerful than just friendship. She didn't want to be with him, but Gabby cared a great deal for the Doctor. The Tenth Doctor segment of DWC being moved to this sister comic is something I have no issue with and this title actually feels a lot more like a comic because, well, it is one. I was pleasantly surprised to find that despite this issue having four parts instead of the usual three as part of a 100 page special, the price remained at £3.99. I can't complain with that at all. Especially if cliffhangers are anything like what we got at the end of this first part! Cleo used the gun on the Doctor and instead of killing him which might cause a regeneration, we saw an in-print retro-regeneration and the return of the Ninth Doctor! It was incredible and most unexpected. There was the Ninth Doctor looking dumbfounded in the Tenth Doctor's clothes, it was all wrong which made it incredibly good. Overall, a great first part and I can't wait to see where things take us in the next part. The rating will as always come in the entry of the final part.