Yonder... the Yeti

"It's only a big ape."

Writer: Steve Moore

Format: Comic Strip

Released: May 1980

Printed in: DWM 31-34

Featuring: Yeti

Synopsis

Three travellers from Australia and Japan converge on the Nepalese heights of the Himalayas, in search of existence of the Yeti. They soon get more than they bargained for...

Verdict

Yonder... the Yeti was a really strong backup comic strip story to start my reading of the Black Sun Rising collection! I think it's such a wonderful idea to continue to present the backup stories from the early issues of Doctor Who Weekly at the time and it's honestly a shame that things like this aren't continuing. I thought the format here of two pages to make up a part was good because then you get an eight page story which works well. I actually think the shorter format is aided by the absence of the Doctor because you can get stuck right into things without having to establish the arrival of the TARDIS. This links back to The Abominable Snowmen very nicely but I'm not sure it entirely captures what happens in The Web of Fear as well considering that it set after the former story and before events here. I liked that it's contemporary to when the story is published and the idea of the lama passing down the knowledge through the familial generations to tackle the Great Intelligence is fantastic. I really love that idea and it's good to know that the Tibetan monastery is in safe hands and always will be! I think it's such a lovely idea to just return to this setting and I do wonder how Abominable was viewed at this time in 1980 with it being thirteen years since it broadcast. It's staggering to think that it's been the same time from then to the story being published as now is to The Bells of Saint John for example. That doesn't feel like a long time ago at all but the availability of media now is obviously much different so stories stay much more in the public eye. I thought Bruce and Angela were good characters and they were genuinely pushing n their efforts to find a Yeti. I like that the legend has lived on and the moment one appeared in a panel was fantastic. I think the design of the Yeti is quite incredible and expanding on it here was marvellous. They looked bushy but certainly more intimidating than what we got on screen in my opinion which is impressive considering how much of an iconic monster they are. I wasn't actually sure if the Great Intelligence were also going to feature but I was delighted to find that the mysterious non-physical entity found its way into the adventure. I like the idea of it laying somewhere and space and using Shiro as a physical entity to talk through, and it really did make a big impact to know that when the Intelligence was done with him he was no more. I loved seeing the Yeti used web gun as that image from Web of the London Underground being swallowed up is iconic so I liked the continuity here. Gampo as the family lama that was raised as a monk to defend from the threat of the Yeti and the Great Intelligence was a very strong character and I enjoyed hearing him announce himself. He was proud of who he was and what he stood for after learning from his uncle, who learned from a mysterious traveller in a blue box. That was really poetic and I just liked it a lot. The Intelligence was more delayed than defeated which I think is the right move especially with the Doctor nowhere to be seen, but it's good to know that the skills to banish the entity will be passed down for generations. Overall, a great little read! A very enjoyable comic strip.

Rating: 8/10