Nature of the Beast!

"You three are a gift from the gods that may yet save our lives."

Writer: Simon Furman
Format: Comic Strip
Released: April-June 1986
Printed in: DWM 111-113

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Frobisher

Synopsis

On a remote planet where the Doctor claims that there are no passive aggressive beings, Peri wants a holiday. But her destination will not be all she thinks it to be. Commander Hon is in the midst of expanding his species' empire, but with a beast on the loose, things aren't adding up...

Verdict

Nature of the Beast! was a somewhat decent comic strip adventure to get me back on track with my reading of The World Shapers graphic novel, but I have to say it could definitely have been improved! I thought it was solid for the most part but was just lacking in a bit of excitement which I have come to expect from the DWM comic strips. There were just a few moments in this one where it seemed like panels were there for the sake of filling space. In actual fact, I would like to suggest that the story would have been much better as a fast-paced two-parter instead of a drawn out three-part adventure. That's not to say I disliked it though! It was obviously far from the case despite what some of my past ratings may suggest. I think I've become much harsher as I've grown older and gone through university. Peri's belief in getting a holiday out of the Doctor made me laugh, especially considering this was his sixth incarnation, as she was just never going to get the peace and relaxation she so desired. I was a little surprised that Frobisher lacked much page time given the cliffhanger of the previous adventure where it was revealed that he was suffering from a disease that meant he was no longer able to change his form. It was touched upon a little moment with Peri, but I really was expecting something a little more impactful. I guess that may come in the future, but with the prominence of the cliffhanger in Genesis! and it coming out of nowhere, I was convinced that this would be where the next story would be heading. How wrong I was! Instead we got a TARDIS arrival in the middle of a war and a once peaceful planet being used as a battleground and also a cure for Lady Irna. I thought the flashback tale of her marriage to Makal was really good and probably the highlight of the comic strip for me, but I didn't like the ease with which the Doctor worked out that she was in fact the beast that had been rampaging around and causing havoc to Makal's men. I thought it was good that the men quite clearly were frightened of their leader, but it was left to Lupe to save the Doctor and his companions after a subtle guilt trip planted by the Doctor when his execution was ordered. I thought that worked very well. His relationship, if you can call it that, with what Irna had become was something that bothered me to be honest as I just couldn't buy into it. It didn't seem right and the Doctor having helped him change his DNA to become a beast of a similar nature just was a bit of a letdown for an epilogue. I also questioned the Doctor going along with the plan of just retreating to the TARDIS with the no-win bomb device set off which would mean the planet would be destroyed. Surely he would stay and do something to stop it? I did like that Irna had actually planted the bomb in Hon's spacecraft as he looked to escape and survive after activating it, but that again just came out of nowhere. I definitely think this comic story could have been structured a little better and that would have made for a much more enjoyable and coherent read. Regardless, it was still enjoyable but just not as much as it could have been and therein lies my frustration. Overall, good but room for improvement.

Rating: 6/10