Much as the Doctor has dabbled with parallel Earths, dimensions and the like in serials gone by, rare has been the occasion upon which he has come face to face with an alternate version of himself during these ventures into the unknown. After all, despite its containing a domesticated version of Rose Tyler (not to mention a near-uncanny facsimile counterpart to our Earth’s Davros in the form of one John Lumic), the so-called realm of ‘Pete’s Earth’ depicted in 2006’s “Rise of the Cybermen / The Age of Steel”, “Doomsday” and later 2008’s “Journey’s End” showed no signs of featuring its own Time Lord protector until the real Rose brought her newfound metacrisis-formed spouse into the fold. Chances are that this prolonged absence of parallel incarnations of Doctor Who’s seemingly unique titular protagonist has come down to fear on the part of past incumbent writing teams at the prospect of scuppering up fans’ ever-precious regeneration numbering lists, especially given that the introduction of John Hurt’s ironically beloved War Doctor in 2013’s “The Day of the Doctor” – as well as its similarly acclaimed Paul McGann-starring prologue minisode – caused such a stir amongst the show’s hardened and sophomore followers alike.

Whatever the reasoning is or was behind this ongoing unwillingness to introduce Doctors from other dimensions, however, clearly Paul Cornell didn’t get the memo in this instance, at least if the penultimate instalment of his anything-but-unambitious Titan Comics crossover arc – “Four Doctors” – is any reasonable indication. Having set about last issue with his contemplation of the notion of the turning points in Theta Sigma’s many lives forging alternate realities wherein never before seen versions of the Oncoming Storm have moved forward from the events of “The End of Time”, “The Wedding of River Song” and “Dark Water” on vastly different trajectories to their ‘real world’ selves, the man perhaps best known for conceiving Bernice Summerfield continues to defy expectations by delving ever deeper into the psyche of a wizened Twelfth Doctor whose path was forever altered by his decision to cast aside Clara Oswald after her reckless attempts to convince him to resurrect “P.E.”.

The result? Well, for starters he does a fine job of clarifying exactly how this could-have-been take on our supposedly incorruptible hero came to be, how he and the three incarnations we’ve been spending time with these past four issues can occupy the same universe as well as how the Voord’s fateful conversation with Hurt’s combat veteran in Issue 1’s Time War-set prologue came to influence the future actions of Marinus’ oft-forgotten inhabitants, all of which will doubtless represent much appreciated moves in the readership’s eyes given how convoluted this near-complete series’ plot arc is seemingly fast becoming (just look at the dense ‘Previously…’ section’s deployment of several details regarding the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors’ present whereabouts which were barely touched upon as Issue 3 rolled to a close). This need for clarification regarding numerous loose narrative threads from previous chapters does inevitably have a slight impact on Issue 4’s pacing in that the first quarter or so essentially comprises of an extended explanation from the aforementioned dark manifestation of Capaldi’s incarnation, although given that Cornell somehow effortlessly integrates his tale into Who’s recent mythology by connecting his antagonist’s millennium-spanning scheme to the events of both the Time War and “Day”, to complain about an only somewhat clunky (and doubtless necessary) initial exposition dump does admittedly seem rather churlish in hindsight.

In that case, let’s not dawdle on this edition’s minor structural faults, instead focusing on those strengths which continue to render “Four Doctors” as scarcely less than a gripping crossover yarn. In critiquing the somewhat predictably corridor chase-led Issue 2, this reviewer still discovered hope aplenty in the form of lead artist Neil Edwards’ consistently visually mesmerising contribution to proceedings, to the point where yours truly speculated that even in the event that the arc as a whole failed to impress, at least repeat ‘viewings’ would still allow readers to revel in the series’ sumptuous aesthetics if nothing else. Suffice to say that nothing’s changed in this respect – Cornell isn’t exactly known for delivering sub-par denouements (just give “The Family of Blood” another watch for all of the necessary evidence), but if the manner in which his latest Who outing concludes doesn’t quite satisfy on the level that most might have hoped, then it’s safe to say that based on his pitch perfect rendition of the Voord’s campaign for peace, his ability to transform what could have been visually mundane chases through futuristic spaceships’ innards for Alice and Gabby into thrilling races against time, and his unyielding attempts to distinguish the three Time Lords at the storyline’s helm by drawing each as authentically and yet as dynamically as possible, there’s little reason to suspect his work here won’t win him countless rounds of metaphorical applause come the final issue’s publication next week.

Until then, though, rest assured that Cornell continues to complement Edwards’ masterfully engaging imagery with similarly compelling dialogue, not least by having both the Time Lords who give this particular arc its name and their faithful companions discuss one of arguably the most fascinating issues to arise in Who’s recent history: that of destiny. Whilst 2009’s set of Tenth Doctor-murdering Specials famously dealt with this very subject matter through their sustained exploration of the true meaning behind Carmen’s ominous prophecy regarding a song ending and four taps’ worth of knocking, Issue 4 goes one step further in continually examining the ramifications of Tennant, Smith and Capaldi’s incarnations seemingly being doomed to become the newly-revealed alternate version of the Twelfth Doctor thanks to the latter’s sinister machinations, an intriguing concept which the scribe uses to its fullest despite us knowing full well that the true Twelfth will surely emerge from next issue unscathed, ready to face both his second year of Titan escapades as well as the remainder of Season Eight’s multitude of adventures. Some might well lament the fact that the prolonged nature of said contemplation leads to this second-last chapter coming off as something of a dialogue-driven rather than an action-led instalment, especially given that Cornell hasn’t exactly been averse to spending significant chunks of time with his characters keeping their feet firmly on the ground as they talk business (in a manner of speaking, anyway), but judging by the potentially devastating final panels involving Alice and Gabby’s desperate sprint for the TARDIS’ welcoming doors, such qualms will more than likely be brushed away near-instantly next time around.

Speaking of the human beings unlucky enough to stand at the Doctors’ side here, it couldn’t hurt to think for a moment on the areas in which Cornell might find room for improvement post-“Four Doctors”, not least since one such area is that of the roles – or lack thereof – which Clara et al have played so far. No one’s denying that in a narrative titled after a quartet of eternal aliens who find themselves battling a menace who knows them all too well, the Impossible Girl and friends were always going to fulfil slightly inferior functions in the grand scheme of events, but at the same time, lest we forget, much of the power of Who’s post-2004 televised outings has come from its emphasis on how each Doctor’s diverse range of travelling assistants both literally and metaphorically brings him down to Earth in both his darkest and finest hours, making Cornell’s election to have Clara, Alice and Gabby effectively play second-fiddle for the vast majority of Issue 4’s running time seem bemusing at best. Worse still, whilst the latter pair do at least receive one moment to shine in the form of a touchingly brief exchange surrounding what the other party should tell their respective Time Lord accomplice in the event of their demise, that can’t compensate for the uncharacteristically shoddy handling of a subsequent cliff-hanger which rivals “Death to the Daleks” Part 3 for its sheer incoherency. All that’s before one even begins to dwell on the concerning lack of effort on Cornell’s part to afford the Twelfth Doctor and Clara more than a single panel to discuss the potential for their relationship to crack in the future (a startling omission when you think about it) or to afford the Voord much more than foot-soldier status in those moments where we’re seeing their actions as opposed to gleaning exposition regarding their back-stories from Capaldi’s equivalent to the Valeyard, though this reviewer can’t help but suspect these seemingly innocent bystanders might yet reveal some darker motives for their attempts to effectively seize the universe’s free will through subtle psychological indoctrination.

Yet as ever, picking nits in the framework of a largely robust instalment can seem far too easy and more often than not can therefore give an inaccurate impression as to the instalment in question’s overall quality. Indeed, whilst the chinks in “Four Doctors”’ armour are still very much there to see for those who scrutinise each issue closely enough, its merits rarely fail to shine through that much more brightly with each passing chapter. Not once has Cornell failed to capture the individual quirks of Tennant, Smith or Capaldi’s takes on the (supposed) Last of the Time Lords, nor does Edwards seem set to let up with his constantly stunning renditions of set-pieces both action-orientated and personal, lending weight to the persistent sense that we’ll ultimately be left with a finely-tuned, gloriously visually bombastic piece of graphic science-fiction that, despite its shortcomings with regards to its secondary constructs’ characterisation (or lack thereof), at least mirrors the philosophical audacity of its writer’s strongest Doctor Who tale by far, “Human Nature / The Family of Blood” (not to mention the similarly inspired original New Adventures novel of the same name), something which still absolutely can’t be said of the vast majority of TV-inspired graphic novels on the market right now.

Bonus Humour Strip Mini-Review:

As if it wasn't enough for Cornell to pen all five instalments of "Four Doctors" all on his lonesome, he's moreover the mind behind the series' variety of accompanying bonus strips, with his contribution this week coming in the form of a neat skit titled "The Doctors Do...Classic Comedy". Once again displaying the rather cute and oh-so-quaint anime-esque art style implemented by Neil Slorance in issues gone by, this brief three-panel yarn easily fulfils its purpose of humorously juxtaposing Capaldi's Doctor with his "I'm so sorry"-uttering and bowtie-donning predecessors so as to hilariously showcase the tonal constrasts between the three incarnations. The only real caveat here is that Cornell appears hell-bent on referencing specific sketches from hit genre efforts gone by, a decision which will doubtless leave slightly more youthful fans - such as this reviewer - in the dark if they're unaware of the source material which is apparently being parodied.

After some temporal shenanigans in early 20th century Paris, the three most recent Doctors have found themselves on the planet Marinus and at the mercy of the Voord, who despite their partnership with the War Doctor in the Time War are again up to no good.. and are far more powerful than ever before!

Before continuing onto new developments I must fully pay tribute to the writer/artist combination, and their ability to really produce goods any self-respecting reader would hope fore. Paul Cornell and Neil Edwards have maintained my interest as well as I could have hoped and continue to litter the epic story they have forged together with exciting cinematic action, witty dialogue and enjoyably unobtrusive nods to the past. We almost get another 'timey-wimey' but Cornell is astute enough to recognise just how clichéd that is becoming, and so makes a 'stutter' joke out of it instead. This confident self-awareness is really a boon for the modern-day culture of being a Doctor Who aficionado (for whichever brand of the sprawling story one cares for inside and outside of television format).

 

The most enthralling hook in this latest 'event' issue is the exploration of a so-called 'continuity bomb' which both furthers the main plot but also furthers the required multi doctor adventure aspect of referencing past events. We get a glimpse of Wilf meeting a sorry end, and the resultant come-uppance for a thoroughly detestable version of the Doctor who would not graciously accept his fate. Rather less disturbingly is the Doctor who will pass on with stoicism, but even then this is not laudable as his final end at a possessed River's hands allows the converging of all time and reality and thus the victory of the Silence.

 

But of most relevance to the actual story advancing for our 6 protagonists, is the unveiling of a potential future scenario where the latest Doctor has aged considerably and seems rather cranky over being let down. The motivations of this new doctor are very much held to account by the contemporary one, and the accuracy of his cynicism definitely is verified by the time of the startling final panels.  

 

It is good to have some proper threat from the Voord, who were one of the very first monsters in classic Who to rather meet the stereotype detractors had of the program and its ability to actually scare little children. What also is involving is the mystery over how none of the three Doctors are able to really remember much about the original TARDIS crew's trip to Marinus and the quest for the various Keys. A reference to the sea of acid is made but it is just a fleeting memory-ghost and nothing too substantial.

 

The re-mixing and matching of different Doctors to companions and their reactions to the dynamics is a very enjoyable bit of characterization work that makes the story more than just a giddy romp. The confidence of Clara to tell the other two humans about the complex nature of the Doctor is yet one more great bit of consolidation for a companion who I have always liked, and has never been allowed to stagnate into mediocrity by any writer of decent ability or above.

 

And this issue has Alice involved with a bit of narration and her clear-headed, matter-of-factual stance is rather refreshing after the more emotive and giddy reactions of Clara and Gabby. I have made no secret of my high regard for Alice and her strong involvement in virtually every Titan comic book she graces month after month. So coming to her at issue three was certainly worth the wait, and now I can only hope all three companions put in a bit of a concerted team effort with their Doctors to end the latest huge threat facing the universe and the timelines.

 

BONUS HUMOUR STRIP:

The Meeting is another winner from the guest contributor Paul Cornell, who this time is assisting the dependably funny Rachael Smith. With many a former companion involved in a meeting that resembles an 'Alcoholics Anonymous' there is great scope for some fun nods to past companions. And they all have their own take on the riveting experience of time travel which they blurt out, when Alice is hesitatingly trying to convey her own views. 

When last we encountered the Twelfth, Eleventh and Tenth Doctors as well as their newly united array of companions, the former trio had seemingly set a foreboding chain of events in motion by briefly touching hands and in doing so causing the (fictitious but no less intriguing) Blinovitch Limitation Effect to occur. Upon glimpsing the final pages of this audacious mini-series’ potent first issue, eagle-eyed readers might have recalled that this particular Time Vortex-damaging event last took place way back in “Father’s Day” as Rose made physical contact with her toddler self, and just as was the case in 2005, the ruthless Reapers made their return in Issue 1’s delightfully dense final panel to fix the wound caused by the three Time Lords’ near-unprecedented interaction.

Given the rarity of multi-Doctor serials of this ilk (lest we forget, ten years’ worth of interplanetary adventuring separated the broadcasts of “The Three Doctors” and its memorably nostalgic 1983 follow-up), that so much time is dedicated in “Four Doctors”’ second instalment to both the aforementioned Limitation Effect as well as the increasingly tense dynamic burgeoning between Capaldi’s ever-antagonistic incarnation and his former selves should really come as little surprise, especially since half of the reason why “The Day of the Doctor” met with such rapturous applause in 2015 was the fascinating interplay witnessed between Tennant, Smith and Hurt’s versions of the titular time traveller. With that being said, whilst few would likely blame the series’ commander-in-chief, Paul Cornell, for taking a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”-style approach in this instance given the unquestionable need for works of comic-book and televisual entertainment to lure in a sizeable enough audience to make some form of profit, at the same time, that the second appearance of the oft-forgotten extra-terrestrial menaces who essentially caused Pete Tyler’s death acts more as a stalling tactic on the scribe’s part than anything else seems equally beyond dispute.

This initially well-disguised structural shortcoming makes its presence gradually known as Issue 2 nears its climax despite having made virtually no progress with regards to the series’ overall story arc of three morally contrasted Doctors joining forces to investigate the alleged repercussions of their Time War predecessor’s actions (or perhaps lack thereof) on the planet of Marinus. Certainly, we’re offered up some enticing sequences involving a chase through the various TARDIS console rooms which have made their debuts since the show’s revival as well as the continued squabbling provoked by the oldest of our three heroes’ continued rejection of his more spritely selves’ occasional recklessness and vice versa in the case of the Twelfth Doctor’s tendency to place his allies in necessary danger so as to achieve his goals. Yet aside from a few welcome moments wherein Tennant’s incarnation astutely namechecks the version of himself apparently set to rise between his twelfth and final bodies – see “The Trial of a Time Lord” if this description doesn’t ring any bells – and the classic series adversaries who cameoed last issue make their larger intentions transparently clear, it’s tough to shake the sense that either Cornell or those who assisted in his structuring of this much-anticipated Summer event struggled to find a way to keep its momentum up for four issues, hence the handy inclusion of the Reapers as an inspired yet nevertheless clunky means by which to stall for time. Indeed, that even Smith’s Doctor notes at one point how insignificant his pursuers are in terms of the trap apparently being laid for him and his other selves on Marinus does little to weaken this interpretation.

Even if “Four Doctors” doesn’t deploy quite as many satisfying plot twists or game-changing reveals here as was the case with its premiere, however, the number of readers who come away from Issue 2 wholly disappointed will still most likely be impressively minimal. The aforementioned TARDIS-warping set-piece and the frequent moments of verbal sparring between both the titular defenders of galactic justice as well as their companions – the most artistic of whom, the Tenth Doctor’s loyal accomplice Gabby Gonzalez, once again gets to open proceedings with a characteristically simplistic yet effortlessly visually sumptuous diary segment (as was the case in the first year of the Tenth and Gabby’s Titan Comics escapades) drawn wonderfully by Neil Edwards – which form the bulk of this instalment aren’t exactly the most innovative of scenes given that 2013’s “Day” placed a similarly substantial emphasis on such moments, but the inert hilarity of witnessing a variety of disparate heroes (both alien and human) attempt to put aside their differences whilst preparing for a universe-threatening conflict hasn’t waned in the two years since the 50th Anniversary Special first aired. If anything, the concept in question’s appeal has only grown with the releases of ensemble motion pictures like Marvel’s Avengers Assemble and Guardians of the Galaxy, both of which showcased the entertainment value of such encounters and thus likely pre-empted Titan’s thinking in creating this type of event series.

Whilst we’ve already touched upon the gloriously accomplished renditions of images such as Gabby’s diary and indeed Issue 1’s explosive last-minute Reaper reveal, in discussing this second outing’s easily overlooked merits, it’d be downright churlish to wrap up without having reiterated the undeniable power of Edwards’ aesthetic work. Like most works of science-fiction, “Four Doctors”’ fundamentally basic yet sure-to-be timey-wimey storyline requires one to pay no shortage of attention to the dialogue contained within its ever-present speech bubbles, that the Welsh artist responsible for bringing past hits like Justice League United and Arrow Season 2.5 to life through his imagery might leave some wishing the entirety of this four-issue arc could be re-released with only its artwork rather than its dialogue remaining says a lot for how he manages to convey precisely what’s occurring through his crowded but accessible visual depictions of events. Many modern Who strips would leave their readership most likely confounded were they to be robbed of textual accompaniments, yet based on the strength of Edwards’ work on this particular mini-series to date, Titan’s first major crossover storyline may well prove to be the single major exception to the unwritten rule.

Indeed, it’s through Edwards that Issue 2 manages to somehow claw its way back from the jaws of defeat so as to become another memorable addition to the plethora of comic-books based within the so-called Whoniverse. Had this otherwise largely derivative sophomore instalment not found itself an artist with such incredible creative vision, an artist capable of succinctly yet powerfully rendering both the action-led and exposition-heavy moments of “Four Doctors” with equal ease (and more importantly equal success), then there’s no doubt in this reviewer’s mind that this month’s tale – if not the series as a whole – would have suffered immensely as a result, but instead, in him we’ve been graced with someone capable of ensuring that even a more repetitive, arc-lite outing such as this one still brings almost all of the thrills and shocks present in its predecessor, at least from a visual perspective. Better yet, since Cornell’s next move going forwards will surely be to pick up the pace exponentially, chances are that Edwards will receive opportunities aplenty to showcase his seemingly limitless capabilities in issues to come, something which – at least based on the hugely promising evidence presented here – could only serve to benefit the overall reading experience that much more.

During this month and next we are treated to a much awaited big event from the very capable team at Titan Comics. The major factor to note is celebrated author Paul Cornell is the writer of the entire arc, and will add to his impressive resume of TV Doctor Who (Father's Day, Human Nature/Family of Blood which were all Hugo-nominated), classic Doctor Who original novels such as Love and War and Goth Opera.  plus some previous comic book efforts including Wolverine, Action Comics, Demon Knights, Captain Britain and MI:13.

Although this review site will come back to the final works of Titan's year one for the different Doctor lines, this mini-series does not need too much prior knowledge to really be understood, however it will impact on the beginning of 'Year Two'. 

I myself have reasonably high expectation for this big event showpiece from Titan and little to make me think it could end up faltering in some way. Certainly it will be one escapist-fictional ways to warm up a tepid summer (at least on the British isles where I reside).

 

We start off with another piece of the mystery jigsaw that is the Time War. The War Doctor's lifelong quest to deal with the threat of the Daleks (and eventually the corrupt order of Time Lords led by Rassilon), sees this wonderfully grouchy forgotten incarnation pay a visit to the planet Marinus many years after the quest for the Keys. Now the Doctor Who backstory on the Voord is quite remarkable, as not only were they one of the first monsters on the program, but they also were brought back for a Sixth Doctor comic strip, an audio adventure that began the First Doctor Early Adventures line, and even some barely canonical stories in an annual and (collective) cigarette sweets' cards from the 1960s. Although it remains to be seen how much these creatures will feature in later issues, this new story sees the Voord becoming rather more benign as they evolve into more powerful creatures that help fight the malevolent Dalek forces.
 

The starting point for the TV Tardis crew of the Doctor and Clara sees the word 'Marinus' pop up in our favourite Coal Hill school-teacher's head, and this neatly leads to an amusing run of new encounters between normal Earth girls with extraordinary lives, and personality clashes between the different (and yet the same) Time Lords who are responsible for those incredible travels.

As he stated in my earlier interview with him, Paul Cornell is thoughtfully structuring this mini series so that each of the Doctor's trusted assistants will be carrying us through the story in their own distinctive manner. This opener gives Clara the most agency, with the various other Doctors and their companions having to react to her decision to take matters head on. In a piece of neat irony, her best efforts to prevent the multi-Doctor meeting, owing to what may be a massive disaster, only serve to produce the opposite effect.  

Cornell's considerable experience in stories of all sorts of lengths and scale (depending on what medium he employs), means that I am confident he is doing the right thing in starting in a relatively slow manner this issue. Yes we get time and space trotting, and a nice flashback to a jungle world with no official name where Clara does her best Lara Croft impression. However much of the issue is moving the pieces of the three most recent TV doctors into place, and teasing us over the use this time of the wonderful John Hurt version (who made The Day of The Doctor  such electric viewing).

I can happily confirm that the artwork is an absolute treasure trove of convincing character expression, ocularly arresting alien beings and landscapes, and superbly well used colours. Neil Edwards happily unites with Cornell with immediately convincing results, and also has communicated with Ivan Nunes in an effective manner.  So consequently the pacing of the core story is only enhanced by the energy that is projected by the visual. The dialogue is probably the most outstanding component of this story, but would maybe not feel so effortless if the characters' facial subtleties were not as authentic as presented here.

With a cliffhanger taking us cleverly back to Cornell's fine work in the New Series, the set up has been performed and a lot more excitement and surprises are sure to still come.

BONUS HUMOUR STRIP:

The Doctor Shops For Comics in this new bonus piece, and Marc Ellerby has a certain Mr Paul Cornell lend a hand to the story being told. Just the Doctor and a French newspaper vendor are involved in terms of protagonists. That is, unless you count a version of the Doctor who has just been there shopping three minutes earlier than the particular Eleventh Doctor we are reading about. I find it odd having no companions in this for the Doctor to spark off against, but this story tries to do something different, and may be the start of a successful team-up between Cornell and Ellerby for the other four issues to come.

 

"The entity with the might of a Cyberman army... an army that now shows you what your heart wants most as they attack. That is... unstoppable. Oh... oh no... They’re going to conquer everything"  The Doctor under a mysterious influence, and seemingly losing hope.

Having done a bit of globe-and-time-and-space trotting in the first instalment, this second and final comic 'episode' now focuses on a singular setting. Thus it can pay full dues so as to make the most of the premise and circumstances that were established. Tension rarely leaves from panel to panel and page-to-page, and some fine dialogue intermingles with well-done action visuals.

Using Romans in Doctor Who has often been very effective, were viewers or fans of any generation to recall watching the Dennis Spooner story in William Hartnell's era, or (brief) sections of Patrick Troughton finale The War Games. So the pedigree is there, in addition to modern Who efforts with Matt Smith and David Tennant, and goes back to almost the dawn of this (happily) never-ending story. Also, the sheer depth of Roman society will continue to offer any number of further settings and hierarchy-society thematic exploration.

By contrast, as much as I love the concept and aesthetics of the Cybermen I must admit their full potential is not always realised. This story does a neat job of making their conversion/ horror theme come to the boil, and yet offer a different actual opponent for the Doctor. The artwork from Warren Pleece also does a fine job of using the sheer height and presence of the Cyber-army, with some moody background imagery and colours to really make them stand out. 

 

Themes of steadfastness and cowardice come into operation here with the civil war being decided not by conventional battle but by the way the two opposing leaders respond to the threat of the Entity/Cyber-Army. In the end one is shown to pay the ultimate price and in ignominious fashion, and the other, whilst not understanding everything properly has such integrity at his core that he and his followers live to fight another day. There is also that subtle bit of extra depth where we are not forced to believe one was wholly good and the other bad, and the Doctor may have helped someone with a lot of blood on his hands and demons in his head. No mistake should be made that these were brutal times in human history. But the Doctor just does the best he can to achieve the ideal outcome, even if on the surface this Eleventh incarnation is bumbling or lackadaisical at times.

In addition to well-sketched supporting characters. there is enough care and attention from Rob Williams' writing to incorporate some interesting consequences of having a contemporary 21st century Londoner suddenly transposed into the days of the Roman Empire. This is seen when Alice is simplistically referred to as  a 'warrior princess' by one of the feuding Emperors, due to her skin-colour and her assertive manner. Alice has always been given a good deal of focus and development as I have stated in my prior reviews, but this issue is particularly strong for her and without her concerted input the outcome would almost certainly be a different one. We again also have some brief flashbacks to her past which still feel involving and not just treading the same old pathways. I for one now eagerly anticipate her use in the new Four Doctors event that is being released imminently.

 

Let there be no misunderstanding: the Doctor does have much to do come the end, but for certain moments he is haunted by the mysterious Time Lord that has intermittently popped up since the very first issue. And despite using his ingenuity, he still cannot prevent a game changer that leaves one member of the quartet cut off and seemingly unreachable. The remainder may have to take the long route to find their associate, as problems with the TARDIS continue to persist. Overall this latest multi-parter from the Eleventh Doctor line has presented a neat twist or two, and made proper use of the TARDIS crew. The denouement is perfectly paced and does not veer into the 'easy out' that some of the Matt Smith TV stories were arguably guilty of. 

 

Bonus Humour Strip:

A typically strong effort from Marc Ellerby with a good plot, fizzy dialogue and a good range of cartoonish facial expressions. That old chestnut of where to go on Summer Wholiday gets a welcome inspection in the humour coda, and again the two page format is totally justified. Out of the River/Doctor and Amy/Rory family set, only one individual gets a properly satisfying vindication of their chosen destination. 

Following on from last year’s Volume 1, this boxset follows a similar format with long-running Big Finish regular Lisa Bowerman as the eponymous archaeologist Bernice, who is once again reunited with her former travelling companions, the Doctor and Ace, in rather surprising circumstances. Like last time, there is a effectively a single story running throughout the four adventures which make up Volume 2 but this time around, the stakes are much higher as we are presented with a clear threat from the very beginning. As the box set’s title reveals this series features the long-awaited return of Gabriel Woolf, reprising his well-known television role as Sutekh the Destroyer from the 1975 story Pyramids of Mars.

The Pyramid of Sutekh finds Bernice reunited with the Doctor in less than pleasant circumstances as the long-lost tomb of the Osiran Sutekh has been uncovered. Bernice must try to save the Doctor and prevent Sutekh’s attempts at self-revival. Along the way she is joined by a mummy with recognisable voice which is not credited so I shall also maintain the pleasant surprise, except to say that it will be very familiar to followers of Benny’s solo adventures. It is notable that the Doctor is given a more prominent role to play as there was some criticism that the Doctor and Ace were only featured peripherally in the last year’s boxset and it is great fun to hear Sylvester McCoy utter one of the most infamous lines in the history of Doctor Who.

The Vaults of Osiris finds Benny reunited with Ace, this time on present Earth as they attempt to make sense of recent events and discover the means to prevent the seemingly unstoppable triumph of Sutekh. This is a fun romp with some nice suprises, even allowing for some occasional lapses from the Big Finish school of dodgy foreign accents.

The Eye of Horus sees Benny once more reunited with the Doctor, who is very much not himself in this rather unusual episode. Set in an apparent forgotten period of Ancient Egyptian history this episode feels a little uneven and a little too comedic. It is however saved by the sinister presence of Woolf as Sutekh.

This set culminates in The Tears of Isis. This is another slightly unusual story which finds our protagonists witnessing the end of the world and the ultimate triumph of Sutekh. However, this is the virgin New Adventures universe and even at the darkest of times, the Doctor is not to be underestimated. Suffice to say there are some neat twists in the story’s concluding scenes which lead to a satisfying conclusion and the final confrontation between McCoy’s “Little man” and the Woolf’s deliciously evil Sutekh make for an enjoyable listen.

Overall, a very enjoyable set of stories if at times rather whimsical. The highlight is definitely hearing Woolf give further voice to Sutekh, but fans of Pyramids of Mars may be left wanting a sequel that is more in keeping with the gothic horror style of Season 13.