Cat and Mouse

"He'll take advantage of the technology and arcana from a thousand planets if it will help him achieve his nefarious goals."

Writers: Scott and David Tipton 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: July 2013

Series: Prisoners of Time 07

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis 

Our yearlong celebration of Doctor Who's 50th anniversary continues! The Seventh Doctor takes the spotlight in this issue of a 12-part epic adventure featuring all 11 incarnations of the Doctor! In a 19th-century Scottish castle, a live-in nurse's concerns about the elderly couple in her care are allayed by a visiting doctor and his curiously modern female companion. 

Verdict 

Cat and Mouse was another excellent comic strip adventure in the epic Prisoners of Time series! It really does feel like I'm getting into deep end of this story now after Façades with the appearance of the Tenth Doctor and Frobisher planting himself on the ship where a number of the Doctor's past companions are being held in what looks to be suspended animation. This story took things further as we learned, not all that surprisingly, that the Master was in cahoots with whoever the cloaked figure is that keeps turning up at the end of each adventure to take the respective companions. I must admit I did expect Bernice to be travelling alongside the Seventh Doctor and Ace in this story because we've had at least two companions taken in each individual comic strip and I really did think that trend would continue. However that was not to be and it was just Ace on her lonesome who was captured at the story's end. But that has become expected now and the most exciting thing that happened in this story, at least in my opinion, was getting a major hint about the identity of the cloaked figure. He's somebody who, in his seventh incarnation, the Doctor hasn't met yet and the Master even suggested that it could be one of the Doctor's future companions. That seems baffling as I'm not sure any companion has any reason to desire revenge on the Doctor on a scale that's being depicted in this story. Every companion, no matter how long or short they stayed, has been shown wondrous things so I do wonder who this could be. I sincerely doubt that it's Captain Jack and the appearance obviously rules out Mickey. Rory perhaps? Or even Adam? I certainly wouldn't rule out a companion we haven't seen before or even a companion of the Valeyard. Maybe I'm taking the whole companion line into too much consideration but whatever it turns out to be, it's got me thinking which is an excellent sign. The story itself here was brilliant and although the name doesn't really seem as relevant to its events as some of the others in this collection, I very much enjoyed. I was mightily intrigued by the Doctor's relationship with Miss Mackenzie and I really liked how there was a hint of romance between the pair on more than one occasion. That's something we never really got in the Classic era, not before The Movie at least. I think it's good that it occurred because we have known all the way back from An Unearthly Child that the Doctor is no stranger to romance and everything that comes with it because he has at least one grandchild we know of. Whoever the Doctor's partner and children might be has never really gotten a mention but on Gallifrey in his first incarnation the Doctor absolutely enjoyed a bit of romance. And why shouldn't he? I'm amazed it took until Rose for him to finally feel something for a companion but he got there in the end. The nineteenth century Scottish setting worked really well and I particularly enjoyed Miss Mackenzie's reactions to Ace and her rather heavy attire. Alan Campbell being disguised as the Master was excellent and I liked how he even admitted that he rather enjoyed playing these games with the Doctor. He does like a good alter ego. The Master is the king of disguise, although some may beg to differ, and although it was pretty obvious from the early stare down who was the villain in this story, the moment where his involvement was confirmed was superb. The Anthony Ainley incarnation of the Master is probably my favourite and to see him battle the Seventh Doctor after the events of Survival was magnificent. Comic strips are the place for truly epic anniversary stories to happen and by being able to have new stories with this incarnation of the Master surely proves that. The Aeroliths were an interesting species and I liked how they represented the great depths the Master went to in trying to lure the Doctor in to his next dastardly scheme. Ace obliterating the Gulwort was a great scene and I must admit I'm really coming around on this TARDIS pairing. I've been very critical of it in the past but I must admit I really am enjoying them lately in the stories I've been doing that feature them. And this was another wonderful one! Overall, an excellent plot, great setting and super overlapping story continuation! 

Rating: 9/10