The New Adventures Of The Tenth Doctor #13- The Spiral Staircase Part 1

Written by Nick Abadzis
Pencils by Elena Casagrande
Lettering by Richard Starkings And Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Inks by Simone Di Meo
Colorist Hi-Fi
Published July 29, 2015 by Titan Comics

Dorothy Bell has joined an alien force and the symbiosis has given her incredible powers. Cleo, Erik and their cohorts are searching for Dorothy believing her to be a Goddess incarnate. As usual, the Doctor is the only one who knows that none of this is going to end well.

By the title you would think that this is the beginning of a new arc but in reality it is the 3rd issue about these characters. It all started back in # 11 when we first came across the alien device, Dorothy and Cleo. So why change the name for this story? Why not just have it be The Fountains of Forever Part 3? I don’t really know, but if I had to hazard a guess it would be that the main focus has now shifted from the out of this world fountain of youth device to the aliens who created it. The story is no longer about an aging Hollywood starlet trying to recapture her youth and beauty, now we are focused on the consequences of awakening an alien consciousness from its slumber.

The details are finally starting to fall into place. Last issue we were left dangling as far as who Erik and his cohorts are and what they want with the alien object. It turns out they aren’t a top secret government agency or mercenaries or an evil organization but in fact a cult of fanatics who believe it to be a religious artifact. They are the faithful who think that their Gods have abandoned Earth and now with this device they are calling them back, hoping to bring on the “Day Of Ascension”.

That’s where Dorothy Bell fits in. In her twilight years she was searching for a way to extend her life. Now she has merged with an alien intelligence. It gave her everything she wanted, her youth and beauty has been restored along with almost limitless power. After the symbiosis she is treated with reverence by Erik and his cult because they believe her to be the Goddess incarnate, though they change their minds and later decide she is a harbinger of the Gods. Dorothy knows that she isn’t a herald and she completely ignores them, choosing to put her new found powers to use instead. Another famous web-slinging comic book character from New York told us “with great power comes great responsibility.” I don’t know if Dorothy is a Spider-Man fan, but she understands the lesson. Imbued with the power to do whatever she wants Dorothy chooses to use it benignly, reshaping NYC to make it easier for people to travel, taller buildings, better hospitals. But the beings behind her power are coming and they aren’t happy with her.

Cleo continues to surprise in this issue. She’s has betrayed the Doctor on numerous occasions but when his life is in danger she stands up for him and protects him, placing herself at risk instead. Cindy, Gabby’s best friend and a minor antagonist, continues to be a wallflower during much of this story. So much so that she even makes a comment about just staying out of the way. I have a feeling that when this arc reaches its end, Cindy will play a big role. We will find out soon enough.

A Rose By Any Other Name By Rachael Smith

In my review of that last issue I confessed that I didn’t like this bonus strip. It really did very little for me; I found it mildly humorous at best. My resolve to dislike them is slowly being eroded away. The previous strip was good and this one was actually enjoyable. In order to get the Doctor out of his funk, Rose The Cat takes him to a speed dating service where the creatures across the table are all old villains. How could you go wrong with that?