A Review by Richard Radcliffe 18/5/03
Steve Parkhouse continues on as Chief Scribe, building on his undoubted success of the previous 2 years. The 5th Doctor didn't stay with us that long, changing to the 6th for The Shape Shifter. The same story also saw the introduction of controversial companion - Frobisher. A change in artist also occured at exactly the same time. The strip was shared by Mick Austin and Steve Dillon, until John Ridgway brought his more detailed approach to proceedings. This section takes us right from Spring 1983 to Spring 1985, and the end of Steve Parkhouse's 4 year stint in the writing chair. The greatest writer of the strip interestingly worked with the 2 best artists - Gibbons and Ridgway. The strip deviated more in this phase than probably any other. Fantasy Who mixed with sci-fi Who, as the stories got majestic. A down to earth one to start though:-
Lunar Lagoon (76-77)
After all the exertions the Doctor has faced over the last few stories in the comics, it was natural for Steve Parkhouse to send him on holiday. But the Doctor's holidays always result in some interesting aside, and so it is here.
The Doctor parks the TARDIS on a beach in the Pacific. He thinks it's 1983, but Second World War planes fly overhead, something is wrong. The Pacific saw the Japanese/American war, and this tiny island where the Doctor has landed contains 1 solitary Japanese Fisherman - Fuji. He didn't really want to fight at all, whether he is a deserter is open to question - but the story is partly about his divided loyalties. How he feels obligated to be a soldier, but doesn't really want to be.
It was the comics forte to present potentially obscure characters such as Fuji, and make them something memorable. The Doctor is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Again. Fuji arguably is in the same predicament.
Mick Austin is the artist on this comic strip. Whereas his erratic artwork spoiled the previous Stockbridge Horror, in this it actually works quite well. His depiction of the 5th Doctor is much better. The strip contains two of favourite images of the 5th Doctor:- Sitting, totally relaxed on the beach, with the TARDIS close by. The 5th Doctor walking through the jungle on the island, hands in the air, metal hat on head, trousers rolled up, with Fuji ushering him on with his rifle. I never thought I would enjoy Mick Austins' artwork after Stockbridge Horror, but he's perfect for this type of story, and really recreates the isolated island environment very well.
The nice little interplay between the Doctor and Fuji is not the only part of this comic strip though. Future companion - Gus - joins the fray in the second half (it's only a 2-part story). He's an American pilot who crashlands on the island. The confrontation between Fuji and Gus, with the Doctor on the other side of the island - is the stories abiding memory. I won't give it away here, but it genuinely moved me - quite a feat for a comic strip. It also takes the 5th Doctor's character and makes it more profound - something that the comics excelled at. Arguably this Doctor reached his characterization peak in the comic medium, and the credit for that has to lie at Steve Parkhouses' door.
Lunar Lagoon is one of those diversions the Comic Strip excels at. An ultimately poignant tale, it is all about war - yet far away from the action. There must have been lots of this kind of minor conflict, internal and external (minus Time Lord, of course) in the Second World War. This is just one, and it shows again the masterful writing talents of Steve Parkhouse. 9/10
4-Dimensional Vistas (78-83)
Steve Parkhouse had been taking the 5th Doctor on an Odyssey, a voyage that was quite different from that seen on the TV show. It was refreshing, and brought to our attention a 5th Doctor that was still vulnerable - one that was swept along by events around him. Ultimately it was a more interesting portrayal of the Time Lord, in my view. He wasn't burdened down with moaning companions (the companions in the comics were largely one-offs - with only Gus staying for more than 1 story).
The comics benefited too from having 1 author to chronicle the 5th Doctor's adventures. Whilst the comic stories are vastly different from one another, there was a clear overall arc for those who were following all of them. It made for ultimately a more challenging, and interesting set of stories than the TV produced for us - that's why I like the Steve Parkhouse era of comics so much.
4-D Vistas was the 5th out of 6 fifth Doctor comic strip stories DWM produced. Like 2 of its predecessors (Tides of Time, Stockbridge Horror), it favoured a longer run. The story wasn't over with as soon as it started, but had a chance to develop and grow. The 5th Doctor was on a Pacific island, the Lunar Lagoon of the previous strip. He discovers that he is in an alternate reality, World War Two is still being fought in 1963. This shatters all his preconceptions, and the vulnerable 5th Doctor wanders aimlessly out into the ocean. A symbolic act as the tides wash over him, and he seems helpless against their onslaught.
Of course the Doctor's adventures don't end there. He's saved by new companion Gus, and they fly off in search of the truth behind these parallel dimensions - somebody is meddling, and the truth has to be sought. Quite quickly the Doctor returns to full state of mind and the TARDIS drops them in the Arctic snowbound wastes of Earth. There the Time Meddler is helping the Ice Warriors create some super crystal, that will enable them to build the ultimate weapon in their quest for power and domination.
It's a B-Movie plot really, and as such doesn't stand up to much close scrutiny. The Ice Warriors lumber around, the snowy wastes perfect for them. The Time Meddler's role is subservient, he's no more than a pawn in the Ice Warriors grand scheme. The Doctor has surprisingly little interaction with either of them. He even spends almost 2 parts tied up above a gaping hole, helpless to stop anyone or anything. There is none of the verbal sparring between Doctor and Monk that livened up Dalek Masterplan, for instance.
What saves the day, and where the focus is - is on SAG 3, a special unit of the armed forces - it feels like part of UNIT actually. And thus 4-D Vistas goes along its way. SAG 3 save the day, with the help of Gus. Like many stories in the comic strips the 5th Doctor is a passenger to the action. He pilots the TARDIS well at the end, but he is only a part of the overall action - again being swept along by the Tides of Time.
This isn't one of Steve Parkhouse's best stories overall. SAG 3 are one of those paramilitary organizations that are pretty one track - come in and blow everything up. Their apparent special powers are only used slightly. The Ice Warriors are quite a welcome monster addition, but with them and the Time Meddler it seems like Parkhouse is raiding the past of DW, with not much point. The comics thrived on being different from the TV series. Parkhouse's scripts especially.
The art is passable. Mick Austin worked quite well on the previous Lunar Lagoon, and he continues in that vein. The art isn't as precise as some of his contemporaries, but his is a style that eventually I warmed too. 4-D Vistas isn't one of the best strips though overall, whilst quite entertaining there's just not enough imagination to carry the day. Parkhouse has done better than this, and he will so again. 6/10
The Moderator (84-87)
It never fails to astound me just how varied Steve Parkhouse's output was. He extended the DW format beyond the imagination of most writers at times. And then at other times produces a slap-dash effort that he appears to have run off in a few minutes. Maybe there was a case of multiple writers on the comics, and that issues 52-99 was a little too long for just one writer. The Moderator sees Parkhouse running out of steam. Poor attempts at humour abound, exemplified by Wrekka - the super robot who spurns out comic book quotes and tacky film quotes. Only the IntraVenus corporation of the villain raised a smile. His villain is Dogbolter - not the Moderator of the title - but a unscrupulous mega business tycoon, who also happens to be a frog.
The Doctor and Gus are caught up in a mini-rebellion occuring on a world that Dogbolter is striving to exert his power on. The 5th Doctor is on the periphery of the story. He is captured by Dogbolter, hurls a few insults at him (not really in character that), and then escapes. The Moderator then comes into his own. Previously narrating the story, he now has to seek out and destroy the Time Lord. In passing he destroys quite a few other things too. This vandal of the space lanes meets his end, at the end it turns out, but we feel no sympathy.
What is surprising is that amongst all this attempted, misplace humour Gus is gunned down. The Doctor is seen to shed a tear for his fallen comrade - it is a moment of poignancy in a story that has none, and is completely out of place.
The Moderator was the 5th Doctor's last comic strip for a while in DWM. He'd only last 6 stories thanks to Parkhouse's love of longer stories. It's his worst comic Strip for this incarnation, and one of the worst he did full stop. The artwork, ironically, isn't too bad. The one off Steve Dillon providing the inks pretty well, particularly capturing the 5th Doctor's features well.
An inauspicious end for the 5th Doctor strips then - it had been a splendid ride, but ultimately one that crashed on the last lap. 5/10
The Shape Shifter (88-89)
Here's a reason I love the comic strips. They are different than the TV version of DW. In many cases this is a flaw, but in the case of opening up the 6th Doctor, it is a positive bonus. Compare The Shape Shifter with Twin Dilemma, and you have 2 vastly different stories - I know which one I prefer.
Steve Parkhouse, now writing for his 3rd incarnation of the Time Lord, chooses to shift the emphasis away from the new Doctor. The beneficiary of this is the new Companion - Frobisher. Hated and loved in varying degrees by Doctor Who fans, Frobisher started wonderfully - and there is no trace of flippers and fishfood either.
Frobisher starts life (in Doctor Who circles at least, he's actually in his 40s when this story starts) as a Private Eye. The far away planet is one that is a warped view of Chicago. Frobisher shifts form many times, trying to get a case, eking out an existence amongst the grime. He stumbles across a wanted poster for the Doctor (in both his 5th and 6th bodies). Dogbolter (Parkhouse connected all his stories into one whole), still wants the Doctor - the Moderator's efforts being terminated.
Frobisher goes on the manhunt, uncovering the 6th Doctor in a bar straight out of Mos Eisley in Star Wars. What follows is the initial flowering of the 6th Doctor/Frobisher team. The reward is claimed, and the 2 become firm friends. There's a nice little twist in the tale too, proving that surprises haven't deserted Parkhouse yet.
The comics had succeeded where the TV programme had failed - the successful transition from old to new. It did it in a very simple way - and one of the greatest TARDIS teams was about to flourish. 8/10
The Voyager (90-94)
Back in 1984 Colin Baker was the Doctor, whether we liked it or not. The Twin Dilemma had been screened, and that was it. There were no Missing Adventures. DWM faithfully took up the 6th Doctor from his inception. The Twin Dilemma was shown in March 1984, The Shape Shifter (the 6th Doctor’s first Comic Strip Adventure) was presented in May 1984.
The comic strip has always been its own entity, undoubtedly benefitting from the TV show, but going its own way. No TV companions were featured back then, for example. Instead we have Frobisher – a smart arsed shape-shifting Whifferdill, who decides to become a Penguin.
Frobisher divided fandom. Some hail him as the best companion ever, others hold their head in exasperation that such an embarrassing creation is part of Doctor Who. My view is shaped by the stories that Frobisher is involved in – especially the early ones, of which The Voyager (the strip that followed The Shape Shifter) is one.
The Voyager is one of the most interesting and complex stories that Doctor Who has ever produced, in any format. A huge amount of thought and attention was given towards the script and the graphics. The 6th Doctor had well and truly arrived, and the fact that the Doctor had a Penguin as his Companion was no problem – this was great Doctor Who.
The story presented us with logic, reality, science, myth and magic all merged in one glorious, visual feast. It is dreamlike in its style. Like its TV counterpart – Ghostlight – it is all about presentation. Style wins out, like so many classic artistic masterpieces.
Steve Parkhouse’s script oozes mystery. His marvellously descriptive prose gives the story much of its’ excellence. The 2 great creations of Astralabus and Voyager are fit to grace any rogue gallery Doctor Who produces. Astralabus succeeds where most of his Time Lord race fail – he is a fascinating character. With Voyager - the Lord of Life - you can feel the mystery of him radiate off the page. Steve Parkhouse had been doing the scripts for the comic in DWM for a while by now. With John Ridgway he finds the perfect partner, in the expression of his creativity.
The Doctor is presented as more thoughtful, less brash than his TV counterpart. It works. Frobisher comes across as supremely humorous throughout. He is a great companion.
But it is the Visuals that make this story succeed above all else. John Ridgway gives us old galleons riding tempestuous seas, arctic wastes full of emptiness and shivers, lighthouses at the edge of the world, the Doctor floating in space, crashing in the sea, the majestically noble Voyager himself. The artwork is excellent throughout.
This great artist contributed quite a few more comic strips after this one too – all are terrifically realized. Once Upon a Time-Lord and Funhouse are similar in style and substance to The Voyager, both are recommended (see DWM 90-103 for all stories in question).
The Voyager is a story that is set at the edge of the world. It provides the very limits a Fantasy Doctor Who story can go. Bold, imaginative, dreamlike, visually magnificent Doctor Who. 10/10
Polly the Glot (95-97)
Galena is one of those places the comics love to create. A crossroads of the galaxy it allows artists and writers to indulge their imagination with vast amounts of weird aliens. It's a typical start to a comic, used many times. One of these aliens is one readers of the comics will recognize - Dr Asimoff (see Freefall Warriors).
It's typical Steve Parkhouse to include characters seen before in his own strips. He'd been the writer of the comic strip by now for nearly 4 years, and all his stories contain aspects found in others. Asimoff, the Zyglots (Polly the Glot of the title being one) and Astrolabus (magician of Voyager) are the returnees here.
This 3 part strip shows Parkhouse at his most silly. John Ridgway, the regular artist now, provides some silly aliens to complement the dialogue too. Robots that can change to cleaning buckets, and are lethal with a mop, being an extreme example. The most boring race in the Galaxy - the Akkers - being another. For someone known for his sidesteps into the surreal, his sense of humour was certainly left of center as well. At times silly, but some of the jokes are pretty funny.
The Akkers are a case in point. The most boring race in the Galaxy spend all their time discussing mundane things, never really thinking about anything that interesting. When a talking penguin shows up, it knocks them sideways - and that warehouse scene is Parkhouse at his most daft, it's also very funny I might add.
The depiction of the 6th Doctor is much more laid back than his TV personae. The Doctor's solution to the Zyglot problem is as left of center as the writers ideas. This space opera stuff though is chucked in the last part though, Parkhouse has been away from the surreal for too long it appears - and we are at Astrolabu's sideshow again. Frobisher enters his Cabinet, and it leads us nicely into Once Upon a Time-Lord.
Wacky sense of humour was a Parkhouse trait. It's hardly profound stuff, but it is entertaining. The slapstick doesn't suit anyone, and there are some creations that are just silly, not at all funny. That said though Polly the Glot works well overall, and is not a bad example of the excesses of Steve Parkhouse's scripts. 7/10
Once Upon A Time-Lord (98-99)
This comic strip is one of those that either completely turned people against the strip, or captivated them into following the comic strip forever since - in the hope that past glories can be attained. Following shortly after the classic Voyager strip, surrealism is very much in evidence once again. Steve Parkhouse and John Ridgway again combining to produce a fascinating voyage into the imagination. The comic strip also showed that Doctor Who works very well as an out and out fantasy, and not just as a science fiction saga.
The TARDIS spins out of control into the cabinet of Astrobalus, eccentric Time Lord, the Doctor searching for his companion Frobisher (who he finds straight away it turns out). A hot air balloon joins the TARDIS in the sky, overlooking a magic land of villages and castles. A dark hooded rider emerges from the woods threatening to strike the Doctor down. It is the sort of stuff that arguably can only work in the comic strip medium - but it does work, and I was hooked onto the story.
Being a great fan (when I was knee high to a grasshopper) of the Rupert Bear books, I was delighted when that format of storytelling appeared in Episode One. What bit shall I read? The funny sounding rhymes, or the more adult prose at the foot of the page? This was pure nostalgia, and I loved it. It was a great shame that it only lasted 2 pages!
Episode One finishes at a mesmerizing pace. The Doctor and Frobisher escape from the axe-wielding giant - and towards the castle they go! Episode Two finds this fine beginning a difficult thing to follow though. The Doctor finds Astrolabus at the castle, tells him what he thinks of his despicable schemes, and Astrolabus escapes, even going through a short cut to the next page (a white void where the writer and artist are having a real laugh). Voyager steps in to stop this nonsense, and everything is destroyed.
The strip does not outstay its welcome. It was just a fine little piece of fun. Surreal storytelling for sure, but fitting nicely within the Doctor's adventures at this time in the strip. It is an acquired taste, but it is one that I like. 8/10