Today’s Comic> Doctor Who Classics Series 3 #6

The Doctor seems as perplexed by Peri's face as I am.

Doctor Who Classics Series 3 #6

IDW Publishing (August 2010)

reprints Doctor Who Magazine #104-107

After a crash landing, the Doctor and Frobisher meet up with a professor of “phenomology” and join in his mission to attend a conference to deal with “Skeletoids”, corpses inside high-tech battlesuits. Even the Cybermen and Daleks are no match for them. Our heroes also stop to grab former TV companion Peri Brown. Their trip to the conference is diverted when the TARDIS decides to land in a different location, joining with a scientist and the Draconian the Doctor and Frobisher met on the barbarian world. The six together sneak into the Skeletoid base and shut down the master computer, thus saving the universe but at the cost of the scientist’s life.

What they got right: The Skeletoids are a decent threat for the Doctor and one I wouldn’t mind seeing again in the comics. The art is well done, and Kane is also an interesting character, that I wouldn’t have minded seeing as a companion for the while. Also as a fan of Peri (often for the “wrong reasons”), it was nice to see her back with the Sixth Doctor.

What they got wrong: Oddly, this also starts with Peri. The way that Alan Max gets her back into the story is just forced, which sadly can be said for everything. The scientist given metamorphic powers, and the time-traveling house being partly to blame. Meeting the very same Draconian again, but his younger self. The whole “prophecy” that isn’t followed up on. (Not to mention you have two guys named “Kane” and “Abel” and the Book of Genesis isn’t even brought up? When the scientist dies at the end, you really don’t care because you haven’t made any kind of connection to the character. You see him get his abilities, run off to the “Valley of the Gods” for even less reason than the Draconian. There’s just so much loss opportunity for a story where everybody is forced into their parts. Also, the Skeletoids being defeated is too easy and doesn’t make a lot of sense. Finally, the drawing of Peri on the cover? What happened to your face, girl?

Recommendation: Maybe if he had another couple of strips (these are reprints of a magazine comic, remember) to flesh some of the characters out this would have been a more interesting story. As it is all we have are missed opportunities and forced unions/reunions. The cover draws Peri in a way that isn’t flattering to her beautiful face. I’m sorry to say this of a storyline with such potential, but this is sadly a pass.

Image via Wikipedia

And this is how Peri SHOULD look. Pardon me while I swoon.

Tomorrow’s Comic> Iron Man: Legacy #6