Terror of the Cabinet Noir Part 1

"Every little secret you hide away in the dark is ours to see."

Writer: Robbie Morrison
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 15th January 2017
Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 15

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor meets a young French swordswoman by the name of Julie D'Aubigny but they're almost immediately on the run from a man who died fifty years ago. It's a romp of piracy, peril and paranoia and there are a number of questions put forward... But will they be answered?

Verdict

Terror of the Cabinet Noir started off in brilliant style with this outstanding opening part of the story! It moves us into a new era for the Twelfth Doctor in his segment of Doctor Who Comic and I must say that I was very impressed. I always seem to like the idea of the Twelfth Doctor stories the most from the comic because it's current with what we see on television. These stories fill the void we have whilst the TV series is off air and just about anything can happen, as seen in Doctor Who Magazine's Twelfth Doctor stories, and you can never be too sure that it will all be okay. With the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors it's different because we've seen their beginning and end and the comics are just adding to what was in between but with the Twelfth Doctor it is a continuation and I really like that. The Doctor didn't actually feature too much in this opening part which is usually something I'd rather not occur but it actually worked wonderfully well. The French setting of Paris in 1695 during the reign of Louis XIV is superb and I really do like that it has a similar feel to The Reign of Terror. I must say that I thought the artwork for this comic strip was absolutely phenomenal and it really did make for easier reading. I particularly liked the pages where we learnt what was basically the life story of Julie D'Aubigny and it seemed she really is a fascinating character! I was unaware that she was actually a real person so her inclusion in a Doctor Who story really does intrigue me. The bio that was provided at the end of the story was really helpful in understanding what her character is all about and I must say it seems likely that she could become a companion. I'm not sure where the future lies for companions in the Twelfth Doctor stories though as I know they like to run with what's on television and with Nardole already arrived and Bill on her way, I think we could just see the Doctor travelling on his lonesome until things are caught up. That's absolutely fine by me. Now, I am in the midst of doing a degree in History but sadly I don't have any French modules on offer and I haven't studied or researched the period in question so my knowledge is quite general, but the idea of Richelieu being alive some fifty years after he died is quite interesting. I'm sure that will have something to do with the mysterious Cabinet Noir. That concept of religious confession doesn't sit well with me as I am a firm Atheist but when it comes to a Doctor Who story that has religious elements I am willing to let it slide. I'm not sure why the image of Jesus on the cross was featured so prominently though. It's certainly interesting to see where the absolving of sin element of the story goes from here, especially when Julie killed Verlock, or so she thought. The duel between her and the Doctor was wonderful and I like how he instantly earned her respect. His criticism of her opera performance was so brilliantly in line with Peter Capaldi's incarnation which really was fantastic characterisation. The pair being on the run together almost immediately after meeting was just typical of the Doctor and I loved how unimpressed she was with the TARDIS. She simply deemed it as a parlour trick which was great. But it seemed that she was now here to stay, at least temporally, and I look forward to seeing how the Cabinet Noir is dealt with! Overall, an excellent start to the comic!