"Give thanks. Rejoice. Your feeble little lives have just gained great significance. You are the chosen of Kali, goddess of destruction. Your deaths will give her life and power beyond your darkest nightmares."  - One of the Scindia demonstrating their power.

 

   Without doubt one of the more ambitious stories from Titan in scope and thematic depth, there is no let-up and no break in momentum from parts one and two. The Twelfth Doctor once again has plenty to do, and seems one step ahead of his fiendishly vicious opposition. He however needs a bit of help given that his dear Clara now hosts a 'Goddess' hell-bent on ripping up most of time and space. This leads to him having to trust two other women who have been caught up in this chaos; which arguably makes for a typical day in his endless working week.

            Rani, who is now at least the third character in the Doctor Who universe named thus (following Kate O'Mara 1980s villainess, and one of Sarah Jane Smith's teenage assistants), has really been a stand-out personality. She can be impulsive, but there seems to be a depth to her mission in life and her value system which would make her a fine incumbent for the TARDIS crew. She also pines for her murdered girlfriend, and the story does a fine job of paying off this emotional element.

            Priyanka is perhaps a little more generically a do-godder, but still engages us in her resolute efforts to avenge her father. One of the better one-liners is uttered when she faces danger. There is also another remark made by her of the Doctor's Scots accent which manages to come off quite well and not feel tired like it might in an all-round poorer story.

            But when it comes to any amendments to the TARDIS crew, it would appear that Titan have no immediate plans to muddy the waters of the Doctor/Clara relationship that played out on our screens last year.

            Clara is still important to proceeding however. After the wonderful closing 'hook' of Issue Four, she has become trapped in the truly imposing form of the many-armed goddess Kali. Some rather ripe puns concerning just what to call this hybrid entity make their way into the story, but are excusable given the gloom elsewhere. The outcome for the victims of Kali and the Scindia family would disturb may of the under-10s were this a fully-fledged Autumn TV effort.

            The story is effective also in how it balances certain developments which are essential for a story to have a Doctor Who formula, but also surprise us in when certain developments occur. I was definitely wrong-footed by how and when the Doctor showed his guilde in dispatching two of his foes, without barely making much of an effort. The final epilogue also may surprise some, but arguably develops organically from earlier characterisation and exposition.

Great storytelling merges with effective visuals, and suggests that Morrison and Taylor are not just on the same page, but the exact same panel too. And were this not enough, Luis Guerrero is present in making the pencils and inks look at their optimum potential. As regards the house style of Series Eight, incumbent writer Robbie Morrison achieves great dividends in keeping the spirit but also being assertive enough to make his own voice heard in the narrative. The next story once again looks promising from what little clues we have.

 

Bonus Humour Strips:

'COPY/PASTE' by AJ is a decent one character piece. The Doctor's horror in having his trusty sonic screwdriver destroyed by the Terileptil leader may be well and truly forgotten, as sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.

 Bin Dilemma' (with Colin Bell and Neil Slorance teaming up again) is a much easier humour story to follow than previous ones in this slot. Yet it smartly reminds readers just how aloof Capaldi's Doctor can be, and just how much patience Clara Oswald can muster given her double duties as teacher and travelling companion. 

 

 

The threat to Earth shows no signs of abating as the skies above cities, towns and countryside continue to be swamped by outlandish space craft that defy comprehension by the average human being. The perennial war between the Amstrons and J'Arrodic Federation cannot be ignored much longer, and something must happen before an outcome - positive or negative - can emerge from the tension.

 

Arc and Jones are soon rendered powerless to assist the Doctor, and it falls to redoubtable Alice to accept an incredibly daunting offer of having the chance to end the war all by herself. Her time in the TARDIS will never be more beneficial, as she is forced to become greater than she ever thought she could be. The downside? The probable end of the entire human race...

 

If that premise was not enough, there are other questions that have already been set up and get their pay-off here:

 

*Is Alice's mother really back?

 

* And will this mean an end to the erstwhile Londoner's variable relationship with the man who posesses the mental resources of a 1000 libraries?

 

There has been more than a couple of hints that Alice could depart the TARDIS at the drop of a hat. This story manages to make the three person confrontation between the Doctor, Alice and her apparently resurrected mother the heart and soul of the narrative. The reasons for Alice not listening to her head over her heart will strike a chord with many readers, and furthermore even the Doctor must concede that rebirth is not easily dismissed, given his own recent experiences with a particular companion. Also, the twist involving the Amstrons is interesting and so very Doctor Who - perhaps most recognisably from the brief but memorable Douglas Adams sequence of stories that rounded off the Seventies.

Despite a strong writing effort, the art work is comparatively a slight disappointment, especially given the quality seen beforehand. It tells the story clearly and expressions and scale by and large cut the mustard.

 Panel backgrounds suffer from being bland and/or interchangeable, and the potential to slip some in-jokes and satire into the covers of various books is perhaps a waste, given how much this is about Alice and her acquired wisdom along with natural gifts.  There does feel something lacking when taking the visual experience in as a single cohesive piece of work, and perhaps more tinkering would have helped. However since this second part of the story really is about the character clashes more than the big space extravaganzas, it ultimately feels acceptable.

But having said that, this second and final instalment of the latest story is more than satisfactory. The Eleventh Doctor certainly is at his most assertive here and gets to demonstrate that while he may be lackadaical and take adventures as they come (much like former incarnations such as the Second and Fourth Doctors), he can also put his foot down. Serve You Inc have stopped being an irritation and need to be dealt with head-on, and plenty of speculation can be made before issue 9 rolls along into the consumer sphere.

 Bonus Humour Section:

'Experimental Taste-Buds' by AJ is a fun little piece which aims modestly but still enchants. The decision to mix 3d graphics with apparently real-life photographs is a welcome break from previous efforts.

'Short Change' is Marc Ellerby at his assured best. A phone call across millennia between the Doctor and Amy is made something rather special as the events of one time zone quickly impact upon the other.

 

“Watch closely, Doctor! In witnessing my end, the seeds of my beginning are sown in you. That is all it takes for you too to be made corrupt! Farewell, Doctor, I die in the knowledge that my circle is complete! ”

The Valeyard, Trial of the Valeyard

The season-long storyline of 1986’s The Trial of a Time Lord is considered by most devotees of classic Doctor Who to be a narrative muddle, thanks largely to tensions behind the scenes (between producer John Nathan-Turner and script editor Eric Saward) and the untimely death of a beloved writer and former script editor (Robert Holmes) who was originally commissioned to write the climax. Not only was it unclear which elements of the first 12 (of 14) episodes were true – with a large quantity of the evidence mounted against the Doctor being revealed as fabrication – but fans were bewildered by the fate of Peri Brown and the Sixth Doctor’s departure at the end of the saga with Melanie Bush, a companion that he hadn’t even met yet!

On top of that, there was the bombshell revelation that the enigmatic Valeyard, the prosecutor appointed by the High Council of the Time Lords to discredit the Doctor, was actually a future version of the Doctor himself – an “amalgamation of the darker side” of the Doctor’s nature, “somewhere” between his “12th and final incarnation”. It was a jaw-dropping moment in the life of the TV series that would truly not be equalled again until the unveiling of the War Doctor in the closing moments of The Name of the Doctor in 2013 (indeed, in the same episode, according to the Great Intelligence, one of the Doctor’s mythical aliases at Trenzalore included “Valeyard”). Just when we thought we all “knew” the Doctor, the Valeyard emerged from left field and left us absolutely staggered.

However, much like Peri Brown’s destiny and Mel’s “first” meeting with the Doctor, the Valeyard’s background and fate have remained sketchy for nearly three decades. The character was never seen again in the classic TV series and it has been left up to both unofficial and licensed spin-off fiction in that time to speculate on who or what the Valeyard is/was. Big Finish has, of course, satisfactorily wrapped up Peri and Mel’s story arcs from the Trial season but it is only recently that it has turned its attention back to resolving that season’s greatest riddle. Who or what was the Valeyard? What was his agenda, aside from seeking the Doctor’s remaining regenerations? What happened to the Valeyard after The Trial of a Time Lord, when it appeared he had deposed the Keeper of the Matrix and seemingly had all the secrets of the Matrix within his grasp? Indeed, given the Doctor in the modern TV series is now into his 14th incarnation, does the Valeyard even still exist? Could the Doctor still become the Valeyard if he ever gives into the darker side of his nature?

Sadly, Trial of the Valeyard doesn’t really answer any of these questions, certainly not in the way that The Widow’s Assassin wrapped up Peri’s story arc from the Trial season or The Wrong Doctors resolved the Mel paradox. Alan Barnes and Mike Maddox’s 60-minute script tantalisingly postulates about the Valeyard’s origins but leaves the listener to decide if there is any truth to the account or whether the antagonist is again resorting to the trickster role that he so deftly pulled off in his TV appearance.

Much like a Doctor Who Companion Chronicle, the serial successfully uses minimal characters with very few resources at its disposal while painting in the listener’s mind an expansive, galactic backdrop – a lavish courtroom aboard an oversized space station orbiting a gas giant designated as Eta Rho, the hints of a Time Lord Castellan and his squads of Chancellery Guards with their military TARDISes, and an obscure mudball planet hidden from plain sight which carries a dark secret. And all of this is carried by just three principal characters: the Doctor (the irrepressible Colin Baker), the Inquisitor and the Valeyard (effortlessly reprised by Lynda Bellingham and Michael Jayston).

If you are overly familiar with the courtroom setting of The Trial of a Time Lord (as well as some prior visits to Gallifrey in the classic series, including Arc of Infinity and The Five Doctors), then a good 90 per cent of your imagination is already well catered for. While some fans found many of the courtroom sequences in the original Trial lacklustre and tedious (especially in the opening 15 minutes of episode 13, when there was a lot of exposition), there is no doubt that this setting in Trial of the Valeyard is ideal for audio. The story feels as if it is happening in “real time”, as if you are one of the Time Lord jurors officiating over the proceedings and with a ringside seat to the squabbles, banter, pomp and ceremony of the three principal characters. Whatever the fans may have thought of the original courtroom sequences on TV, they were often convincing thanks to the earnest performances of Baker, Bellingham and Jayston – and this continues in Trial of the Valeyard. While the play may feel like an “episode 15” tacked onto the original TV serial, the three artists again carry the narrative in compelling fashion and still manage to pack the dialogue with moments of comedy, intrigue and malevolence.

Colin Baker, of course, continues to excel as the Sixth Doctor. In fact, the pre-credits track at the beginning of the story runs for over eight minutes – and nearly half of that time Baker is acting alone, as the Doctor petulantly rails against being brought back to the scene of his trial. Although there is a lot of wordy dialogue and some tongue-twisting vocabulary, he not only navigates through it skilfully but also injects a lot of humour into his performance as well. Indeed, Baker gets to demonstrate a range of emotions throughout the serial, from wit to sarcasm to outrage to revulsion, as the Doctor finds himself in the unenviable position of having to represent a defendant he loathes whilst also trying to ensure that the latter is treated as fairly as possible by the court. While the Sixth Doctor on television was often accused by fans of being heartless, Baker definitely shows the character’s compassion and innate sense of justice, especially when it becomes clear that the last thing the Time Lords have in mind is a fair trial.

Trial of the Valeyard is regrettably Lynda Bellingham’s Doctor Who swansong. She recorded this play only months before announcing a much publicised battle with cancer (she passed away last October). As a result, Bellingham’s performance in this serial is extra special because her Inquisitor once again plays an admirable mediator and paragon of patience to Baker’s Doctor and Jayston’s Valeyard. While the Inquisitor seemed “whiter than white” in the original Trial story arc, Bellingham relished the opportunity over the years to evolve the character into a more Machiavellian diva (the explicitly named Inquisitor Darkel) in Big Finish’s Gallifrey spin-off series. Barnes and Maddox do not ignore Gallifrey’s evolution of the character; not only is Bellingham’s Inquisitor and Darkel reinforced to be the one and the same in Trial of the Valeyard but there are strong hints that the Inquisitor isn’t as benevolent as she seems. As a result, Bellingham not only exudes authority as Darkel but at various times instils steel and underlying menace into her voice that makes you question her motives.

Michael Jayston naturally slides back into the robes of the Valeyard and again proves to be an excellent vocal foil for Baker’s Doctor. Like Baker, Jayston also has to contend with some very heavy dialogue, particularly in the second half of the play when the Valeyard’s origins are raised, and he passes the test with flying colours. While Jayston’s voice at times reveals his advanced years (he’s now 79), and will sound more weathered to listeners who (like this writer) grew up immersing themselves in the original Trial season, there is no doubt at all that we are listening to the persona “generally – but not exclusively – known as the Valeyard”. And while Bellingham has unfortunately bowed out long before her time, it is reassuring that Jayston has had another opportunity to reprise the Valeyard in The Last Adventure boxset that is slated for release in September.

Unsurprisingly, this play is, of course, steeped in Time Lord mythology, with much discussion about the secrets of regeneration (ironically Trial of the Valeyard was released in late 2013 when the modern TV series was poised to address the question of the Doctor’s survival post his 13th incarnation). However, what is even more interesting is the serial’s underlying theme of corruption. We are reminded that not only are characters like the Doctor and the Inquisitor capable of falling to the dark but also how deeply mired in the darkness the Time Lords themselves are. Whilst it came as a shock to many new series fans in David Tennant’s swansong The End of Time (2009-10) that the Time Lords in the Time War were as corrupt and villainous as the Daleks, fans well versed in the classic series had long known since 1976’s The Deadly Assassin (when the Doctor’s mentor Cardinal Borusa instigated a clever political cover-up) that the Time Lords were largely a corrupt society. Given Borusa later sought to become an immortal despot in The Five Doctors (1983) and that his successors on the High Council were later exposed for nearly destroying the planet “generally – but not exclusively – known as Ravalox” (aka Earth) in the original Trial, it comes as little surprise in this instalment that the Time Lords are again up to their high collars in corruption. Indeed, their tricks are so devious that the listener (much like the Doctor) has to concede that perhaps the defendant is a victim of their machinations and deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Trial of the Valeyard is a clever and engaging serial, and (even though it predates them by nearly 12 months) a marked improvement on the varied quality of recent Sixth Doctor audio adventures (eg The Widow’s Assassin, Masters of Earth, The Rani Elite). Much like the original Trial story arc, whose events hinted at truth amongst elaborate fabrication, so Barnes’ and Maddox’s script also drops enough hints about the Valeyard and the Time Lords to be plausible without being definitive. As a result, the antagonist doesn’t lose any of his mystique and listeners are left with even more questions about this enigma shrouded in paradox and in turn, about the virtue of the Time Lords.

"They made me an offer I couldn't refuse -- unlimited funding to pursue and recover one of history's greatest antiquities...the Swords of Kali, the ancient Hindu goddess of death and destruction."
- Tiger Maratha speaking to the Doctor in a holo-recording .

More beautiful imagery, elegant plotting and effervescent dialogue is on hand to delight all comic book fans in the second instalment of this continuing adventure for the Doctor and Clara. As the action opens the TARDIS crew are in the same location on planet Earth but not the same time zone. And both have much to deal with - not least danger, conspiracy and some mythical artefacts.

As in Part One, there is plenty of good character work achieved for two very different but equally fascinating female guest characters. Rani the warrior had shown her considerable fighting prowess and stealth in issue three, but now the reader has a chance to see what makes her tick on a more personal and emotional level. Her pairing with the Doctor - who has time-travelled by means other than TARDIS - is very well done and affords a look once again at how Capaldi's incarnation is able to show many different attributes depending on the inter-personal dynamc presented to him.

Priyanka Maratha has only just lost her father Tiger, and is by no means used to such hi- adrenaline exploits. An onslaught of six-limbed monstrosities without pity is almost too much to bear, but with help from Clara she is able to escape. However a terrible price is paid which affects all ensuing events. Later on Priyanka is privy to the holo-recording intended for the Doctor, as she discovers her father's true motives for his high-risk explorations all across the Earth. The wish to know the real inspiration behind the Thugee Cult is one of those driving forces.

The artwork continues to be of the highest calibre and leave impressions of themes and emotions as well as locations host to many incredible treasures, murals and sculptures. The addition of Mariano Laclaustra (who provides inks) only enhances what was already strong work from Dave Taylor in earlier editions. Characters are well-drawn, with distinct mannerisms and energy levels, and the colouring too is very impressive at times. Thus remarkably thorough detail is conveyed.

The likeness of Peter Capaldi never slips, which is boosted further by wonderful Doctor dialogue featured in most of his panels. This mimicry element is rather more of an issue with Morrison's other Titan Comics story featuring the Tenth Doctor. I do however think that Jenna Coleman's appearance is not the easiest to translate to the 2-d format, and at times it feels like a female relative of the Coal Hill School teacher is having a turn at substituting for her.

The story is also paced expertly and while there was potential to wrap things up with a 'rabbit out of the hat' move by the Doctor come the latter pages, instead there is a further development that throws the scenario into a whole new stratosphere. Most cliff-hangers to comic books are well-designed - if understandably concerned with bringing repeat business - but this particular hook is truly a subversion of expectation given the previous action and yet is comfortably familiar in putting a hero into peril.

This is a Doctor Who story up there with the best of the franchise in making clear its inspiration, with a certain Indiana Jones being present at least in spirit if not in actuality. And as much as the threat facing humanity from the powerful 'Indian dynasty' in times future and past conveys the suitable gravitas, there is a strong sense of fun and optimism that also pervades. How the Doctor deals with the malignant Scindia will certainly provide for riveting reading in the near future.

Bonus Humour Strips: AJ this time employs a single panel to tell his "Ebbing Tide" story. Meaningful exploration of the TARDIS crew's latest destination is rather limited, and provokes a session of bickering (as we have become accustomed to with them!) The Doctor's fob watch is proudly on display, although Clara is quick to point out the watery threat it faces.

“The Inversion Of Time” written by Colin Bell and drawn by Neil Slorance is another fine effort focusing on time distortion. It brings to mind the full-length Eleventh Doctor story from a couple of months back but is rather more easy to grasp given that it takes place in the TARDIS console room only and features just the main characters.

New problems face the TARDIS quartet as they stumble upon a considerable threat to Earth. The war between the Amstrons and the J’arrodic is leaving a deadly impact on the Doctor's favourite planet. Airlines are unable to get off the ground and a toxic smog is suffocating the atmosphere. UNIT also appear to have their resources rendered null. Can the Eleventh Doctor avert disaster without too much fallout along the way?

One of the more epic stories offered up so far by the series' creative team(s) ensures that there is plenty of spectacle. A horde of futuristic ships are positioning themselves in proximity to Earth. Whilst televised Doctor Who did sometimes meet this level of ambition, it is always a surefire idea in a well-constructed comic book. Also enticing is the visualization of the Doctor and his team having to somehow travel with makeshift jet packs in order to reach their objective
Continuity both from the parent TV shows and from earlier issues is markedly strong here. In this encounter the Doctor follows up his brave head-attire of fez and Stetson with an aviator hat and goggles. We also get the well-remembered catch phrase of "Geronimooo.." prompting a variation from Arc when the protagonists have to make a thrilling leap. And for the second story in a row, Jones suffers a major threat to his survival; yet the real shock is left for the cliffhanger ending that brings part one of this two-issue tale to a close.

To get more background on Alice through her returning home proper is something which feels strong and organic, given the previous work done on her character arc. And in some ways the adventures she has had far away in different time zones have been less demanding than the stone cold realities of her home life struggles. With her being left to cope on her own, as her friends have their latest mad-cap hi-jinks, a major game-changer catches her completely unawares. It may well be the work of the mysterious being that appears to be another survivor of the Time Lord race, but there is no confirmation forthcoming still.
Yet somewhat disappointingly, and given the strong foundations laid for Alice in issue one, she is soon shunted off-page ..until the final story beat. I enjoyed the Doctor's various action scenes but they could have been compressed without losing the crucial element of joie de vivre that make Doctor Who such a personal favourite of so many.

But overall the actual plot is quite engaging and allows the usually forward-looking Eleventh Doctor to show his regret over the catastrophic Time War. Matt Smith was always capable of shruging off the clownish exterior to display vulnerability and cold rage, and it is good to have some reminder of just why the whole franchise is so enduring. We care about the Doctor, and his struggles to keep going on, when so many of his friends cannot join his 'walk through eternity'.
The nominal 'villains' in this story are also well-done. In contrast to the endless battles that pitted Sontaran against Rutan or the Kaleds against the Thals, this particular conflict needs a resolution of a very different kind. Due to its endless length, the actual beginning of the conflict and its context are long-forgotten. All that remains is the underlying desire to avenge the countless lost in combat.

Just as with 'The Weeping Angels of Mons' we have a returning writer - Williams - joined by another new artist. For the tone of the story concerned, Warren Pleece’s work is a strong effort. He is able to supply both believable facial expressions and explosive action moments aplenty. I did find Jones just a touch too different in build to the versions presented beforehand, but otherwise the TARDIS crew gets a very good showcase of their individual personas and mannerisms. And the colouring work that Hi-Fi continues to provide for these stories ensures that both new and returning readers are unlikely to lose interest easily.

Bonus Humour Stories: Once again AJ supplies readers with the opening sketch. This very much does as it says on the tin, as a 'Rebranding Exercise' manages to wrongfoot the Doctor by replacing one enemy with seemingly another in the blink of an eye.
Marc Allerby hits the bullseye yet again with 'An Adventure in Brine and Plaice' Although the Doctor is in every panel, this is very much River Song's story, and comes to a head with her facing another 'impossible' trap to overcome. Furthermore the return of a Second Doctor-era monster is a nice bonus for Classic Series fans and reminds us of Matt Smith's original 'homework' when he went about creating his own version of the Time Lord.

After a chilling pre-titles sequence set mere weeks into the First World War and featuring a pair of young British soldiers, this new story picks up again several years on during the Battle of the Somme. The Tenth Doctor and Gabriella Gonzalez are seemingly thrown into an all too familiar and haunting source of peril - following their somewhat bizarre first two escapades together. The TARDIS is quickly put out of commission by one of the more potent forms of artillery available in the early 20th century, and the Doctor sustains an injury that forces him to rely on his young friend's initiative and bravery. Although they manage to stay on the side of the battle where the British have control, their presence as casually dressed civilians is naturally viewed with suspicion. But the military trial system is the least of anyone'sworries as a terrifying foe that operates on time itself has come back to haunt the Doctor once again. 

The creative team has an overhaul in this new multi-part story for the Tenth Doctor and Gabby. Robbie Morrison who has been behind the recent Twelfth Doctor stories now gets to show his creativity with the iconic former incarnation of the Time Lord. Artist Daniel Indro makes his debut for Titan's Doctor Who line; his track record including famous characters 'Sherlock Holmes' and 'The Green Hornet'. For those drawn to this edition by the superlative cover it is worth clarifying that Tommy Lee Evans is the person responsible, but the overall standard in the main content is by no means inferior - just markedly different in style. 

Some enemies from Doctor Who are made just as intimidating in comic strip form as they in the parent TV format. I believe the Weeping Angels are one such successful translation. The sudden change of expression from any given panel to the next being distinctive and imposing. Even to this day they are arguably Steven Moffat's finest villainous creation. Just to recap on their unique style: a simple touch from any of the stone statues is enough to send a person back in time to live out the rest of their life, but sometimes in a manner which makes that remaining lifetime a cruel form of imprisonment. There is also the certainty that the victim never gets to meet anyone they cared for again in their 'normal' lifespan. Doubly obstructive is the Angels' capacity to turn to impervious stone when being observed, with any 'blink' allowing them to advance so much faster than a normal sentient being would in that fraction of a second. 

But while it is good to have the Angels back, it is somewhat more jarring to have such a change in style after two very successful stories that balanced darkness and light ably. This story is incredibly grim, and while that may be appropriate for the dark time that was the Great War, there is not even some black humour included as a concession. Some of the minor characters are not drawn terribly well and seem rather overshadowed by the premise and the setting. Still, the first person narration from Jamie - a British corporal - makes him by far the best original guest character. He seems astute enough to bond with his fellow soldiers and know their key attributes. Captain Fairbairn is serviceable also, if a little too routine in his mistrust of the Doctor and Gabby. Perhaps there is something more to him though that later instalments can offer? 

Another difficulty lies in distinguishing one uniformed character from another. There is not enough in terms of different builds or facial expressions at times. However, this is just the first instalment of four and perhaps this will be remedied as the plot allows for more back-story and idiosyncrasies to filter in. I also was a bit confused by the rather spiky dynamic between the Doctor and Gabby - which perhaps hints at some further story, or altercation in the TARDIS, which preceded these current events. But the cynic in me reckons that minimal communication between prior scribe Nick Abadzis and Morrison is just as likely. 

Despite all this, the reader is provided with a strong visual work overall, with backgrounds being consistently good, and the colouring suitably grey/brown for the most part. There have been better opening entries in the Tenth doctor series and also the other two Titan Who lines, but I cannot deny the potential for this story to go places and do something special. I have always been interested in historic wars, and regarded the Weeping Angels as first rank adversaries. With a bit more tweaking and clarity this story could still be one for the ages. 

Bonus Humour Strips: Rather in keeping with the main feature, these are just a touch below-par this month. 'To Heck and Back - Part Two' by AJ takes the decent opening and goes a little too far in defusing the original tension that featured when the Doctor took on the 'Beast' with the power of voice alone. The demonic entity seems to have morphed into a rather cuddlier type of alien and barely manages to make a dent when replying to a supremely confident Time Lord. The story ends up feeling pointless, and lacking the right brand of satire. 
The latest 'Rose By Any Other Name' - from writer/artist Rachael Smith - has still enjoyably vibrant art and a truly lovable feline protagonist to rival K9. But the conceit that this cat would liken human being Rose to any type of household pet simply evokes a raised eyebrow rather than a chuckle.