The Everlasting Summer

"They can't cope with the passage of time any more."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Comic Strip

Released: July-October 2022

Printed in: DWM 580-583

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Dan

Synopsis

When the Doctor gets suspicious about a retreat brochure, the TARDIS trio take a visit to the Gardens of Everlasting Summer. Once there, they find the gardens are very private and the means of the everlasting summer are far from moralistic...

Verdict

The Everlasting Summer was a decent little comic strip adventure that certainly had its moments, but was not wholly to my liking. Unfortunately, this is the case for much of the Thirteenth Doctor's comic strip run and I think things have been really hurt by the reduction of pages to six. It really is such a small number and by the time a part seems to get going, we already reach the cliffhanger. It's a shame as the format has so much potential with what is essentially an unlimited budget but it all seems a bit stop-start. I'd honestly much prefer if we just got the first six pages of a 24-page story without the cliffhangers as I think there just isn't anytime to build. That was the case here which is a shame as I was actually a huge fan of the cliffhanger where Yaz was being aged by the time storm, but the resolution was just far too quick for the impact to be felt. I thought the setting of the Gardens of Everlasting Summer was actually decent and I really enjoyed the way things started with the Doctor feigning to be a granny to get in and investigate. It was clear that Jinpar was trying to prevent the TARDIS trio from seeing the gardens and when the Doctor isn't allowed to go in somewhere amidst mysterious circumstances, she's always going to get her own way and find a route in. That was fun and the moment where she jumped up out of the wheelchair to save the day was very good. I thought it was a nice touch for the Doctor to mention that not everybody in wheelchairs was immobile. That was a good distinction. I thought Gebra and Herum were frankly rubbish characters and they sparked a semi-interesting cliffhanger as their beaks emerged at the end of part one, but I didn't like the idea of the Doctor not even remembering the chaos and destruction she caused to their home planet. The Doctor has incredible recall and going back as far as The Daleks' Master Plan with a panel flashback showing Sara Kingdom was absolutely brilliant, so I didn't understand the concept of her forgetting especially when she was recognised in this incarnation. That didn't sit well. I did enjoy the continuity from The Foe From the Future with the warning of wasps, but that stark reminder didn't really feel like it was too dangerous here. The beelings had become injected with a waspish element, but the time storm and the entire makeup of the Everlasting Gardens seemed a more serious threat. I liked the concept of the reset and with it all catching up after a century, time basically burst and anyone caught was doomed as happened to Yaz and was threatened to Dan. I thought the artwork in this one was bright and colourful, but there was one panel at the start of part one where the likeness of Dan was unrecognisable! I thought this was a nice touch with the ending and the Doctor and Yaz reflecting on a lot of life left to live, and at the time of reading I am yet to see The Power of the Doctor so I don't know if this is also the end of the comic strip road. If it is, it's nice for the Doctor and Yaz to share a nice moment together. Overall, some bright ideas but a very quick resolution and too much of a stop-start. 

Rating: 6/10