Heralds of Destruction

"Appearances can be deceptive."

Writer: Paul Cornell
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September 2016-February 2017
Printed in: The Third Doctor #1-5

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo, Brigadier

Synopsis

How could you ever win against a deadly hive mind robotic intelligence, capable of creating itself infinite bodies out of thin air? Join forces with the Third Doctor, the infamous U.N.I.T, and a host of staggering guest stars to find out! Twists and turns ensure as the Doctor, the Brigadier, and the Master continue their struggle - and a surprisingly familiar face returns!

Verdict

Heralds of Destruction was simply marvellous! Paul Cornell rarely fails to deliver when it comes to a Doctor Who story and this comic strip was certainly no different! It was right up there with the very best that has been published by Titan Comics and it was a perfect representation of the Third Doctor's era. The characterisation of this incarnation of the Doctor was superb with Jon Pertwee's likeness easily captured on the page. It was a real joy to read, especially when the characterisations of the other main characters like Jo, the Master and the Brigadier, were so strong as well. It really did make for a delightful read and I seemed to fly through the five parts! This graphic novel is another great usage of the Libraries West service by myself and I'm quite grateful because I hadn't even came across this collection in any shops. I'm quite glad that was the case now though! The apparent return of the Second Doctor was an unexpected pleasure and I found the placing of the story being so soon after The Three Doctors terrific. The Third Doctor was having difficulties coming to terms with leaving his friends and going off in the TARDIS again but I also thought the little hint at Yates and his character development heading towards Invasion of the Dinosaurs was fantastic. Those little hints and nods really do make a story even better. The revelation that the Second Doctor wasn't actually present and it was the return of Salamander was wonderful and seeing him back visually was a real treat. Cornell nailed the writing of him too and his maniacal scheme this time was to gain time travel, go back in time and then place himself as a prominent leader. The explanation of his survival following The End of the World was really well done and I liked how we got a lengthy flashback of how he asserted himself into the world of modern day Earth (at the time of the Third Doctor). The Master's intentions in this story were really intriguing and I liked how he didn't want a human potentially taking over the world before him. The little prelude of his famed address in Logopolis was a lovely touch. The scenes in Parliament in 1868 with Disraeli were terrific and I liked the scale of the story a great deal. The mini mind-bots were good and I liked how they were under Salamander's control, and I just loved how he seemed to get madder as the villain with each page! It was excellent stuff. I loved the ending with him escaping his prison cell too, seemingly into another time. I like the prospect of him returning to do more damage but for now, this was a sublime comic strip story!

Rating: 10/10