Doctor Who Classics Series 5 #3
IDW Publishing (May, 2013–originally published in Doctor Who Magazine #152-154; 1989)
“Nemesis Of The Daleks” parts 1-3 STORY: Richard Starkings (as Richard Allen) SCRIPT: Joh Tomlinson (as Steve Allan ARTIST: Lee Sullivan (as himself) LETTERER: Zed (as himself) EDITOR: Richard Starkings (as Richard Starkings) IDW CREDITS COLORIST: Charlie Kirchoff COVER ARTIST: Matthew Dow Smith DESIGNER: Amauri Osorio EDITOR: Denton J. Tipton
The Doctor ends up on Planet Hell, where the Daleks are creating a new doomsday weapon. But he isn’t alone on this adventure because he’s come across….Abslom Daak: Dalek Killer! And together with the natives, they may have a chance to defeat the Daleks…if they don’t exterminate the Doctor first!
What they got right: Abslom Daak! I first saw his adventures in the pages of the Doctor Who comic Marvel produced in the 80’s also featuring colorized reprints of the UK magazine comics. The story was one of many set in the Whoniverse but not chronicling the Doctor’s adventures. Daak is pretty much what the 90’s wishes it produced; a bad%$% psycho who only existed to kill Daleks, originally as punishment that fit his psychotic tendencies and that’s putting it mildly. In later stories he formed a team and kept his dead girlfriend hoping to find a way to revive her. (Daak met her in his first mission as a Dalek Killer in his first story.) I’ve been wanting to see him and the Star Tigers in action again.
What they got wrong: Except they killed off the other Star Tigers almost immediately! WHY? They were good characters and the closest thing to allies Abslom had. I’m not asking to bring Taiyin back from the dead, but why kill off the others?
Recommendation: It’s great to see Abslom back in action, and it’s a rarity that the Daleks showed up in these stories. Both good reasons to pick up this comic.