Business as Usual

"All of me is artificial."

Writer: Alan Moore

Format: Comic Strip

Released: July 1980

Printed in: DWM 40-43

Featuring: Autons

Synopsis

When a plastics factory starts challenging its competitors in record time, the truth behind the rapid rise is more real and alien than anyone could have dreamed of, including Max Fischer.

Verdict

Business as Usual was a very fun little comic strip adventure to continue my way through the Black Sun Rising collection of backup tales! I have thoroughly enjoyed diving through this range of backups and I really do think the fans of Doctor Who Magazine back in 1980 were given a royal treat every week. The Autons and the Nestene Consciousness clearly made a huge impression on audiences with Spearhead from Space and Terror of the Autons being stalwarts of the Third Doctor era, and here they are nine years later providing the basis for a really strong comic strip adventure. As soon as I got the mention of plastic in part one, I knew what the cliffhanger was going to be but that really didn't take anything away from the reveal. I think the Autons are such a strong concept and the way they can manipulate plastic is a huge weapon to have. They don't just convert it, they literally become it. They are it. There's a lot that can happen there and I think the Whoniverse continuing to deal with the Autons in terms of factories and some sort of retail is good fun. The imagery in this adventure was excellent and I thought they dealt with the artistic freedoms very nicely in presenting the Autons. Getting a whole panel of that arm revealing the gun within the hand was terrific stuff and injected a strong sense of a threat. I liked the throwback to Spearhead with the meteor arrival and I think that's good to establish some sense of continuity. I was intrigued by the near future setting of 1989 and into 1990 and it was good to showcase a time jump as a means of explaining how Galaxy Plastics Inc came to be so successful. The rise was rapid, but even so these things still take considerable time so that was good. I'm also intrigued because given the Inc as its legal form that must naturally mean the story takes place in the United States of America. At least that's what ought to have been the case and it does seem to have been an omission as I got the sense the story was definitely in England. That's just me being very picky because I work with finance and encounter so many company names so I know where they're based immediately. From your Sarls to your SCSps, I know them all. I thought the way Winston Blunt had a rapid rise monetarily was good stuff and using the funds from what would become your competitor to then setup the business that is the competitor was really clever and some fun storytelling. I liked how this story incorporated finance and a toy business is just perfect for the Autons. The artwork for the toy soldiers in miniature form attacking Fischer was just glorious. I thought the fact that the Nestene Consciousness was basically defeated in part three with the rogue shot was a tad disappointing and premature, but I did enjoy seeing it realised in comic strip format. It certainly looked impressive! I thought part four was still strong but it did feel a little like an epilogue, although the open-ended conclusion with Fischer perishing after the car crash and being replaced by an Auton duplicate and a whole new plastics factory restarting the cycle was a nice touch. Is the company still going post-1990? It's a fun thing to think about and I love the idea of the Autons being out there somewhere making a profit. Overall, a great little comic strip! 

Rating: 8/10