The 6th Doctor, and friends, head to a planet where a beast is being hunted, but nothing is what it seems in the Doctor Who Universe!
The original version of these comics debuted in Doctor Who Magazine issues 111-113 (1986).
The Good
This is a reprint, but they did bring on an artist to color it. Charlie Kirchoff came in and did some nice color work on the book keeping it within the style it was originally drawn. It's not flashy or distracting. The colors give the book a bit more flavor.
Classic Doctor Who fans should enjoy this book. It reflects the Colin Baker era pretty well, mainly because it was originally written shortly after his era ended. For $3.99 you get a 32 page, 3 act story. It's one complete story and it's easy for any Who fan to jump in on.
The Bad
Flat-out, it's a pretty cheesy story. It's a tough read, and it felt like I was watching a really bad episode of Doctor Who. Yes, the book was released in 1986, but I don't think it was even good by 1986 standards. I am a Who fan, and I actually like the 6th Doctor (those who doubt Colin Baker should watch Trial of a Time Lord), but this story feels so formulaic, over-done, and bland.
You guessed it. The art is also from 1986. We're pretty spoiled with our art today, and if this issue were released today, it would be considered sub-par art. For it's time, it's actually pretty darn good, but I feel the need to judge it by today's standards, with my nose in the air like the snotty critique I've become. There are times where the inking is so heavy you can't see what's going on inside the panel or what people's expressions are.
This issue features a pretty cheesy ending that actually had me giggling. It wasn't supposed to be funny.
The Verdict
Overall, it's a tough read to get through. While I really like the fact this story is available to Who fans, the story itself just wasn't any good. I did like the new color work in the issue since it kept with the times and made the story a bit more fun to look at, and classic Doctor Who fans will enjoy this since they get to see reprints of the comics from the magazine for the first time in decades. I thought the story was a really tough read, even by 1986's standards and it didn't offer anything I haven't seen in a Doctor Who story before. Lastly, I really didn't like the art, especially the ink, which became so heavy at times that I couldn't tell what was going on. Overall, I can't recommend this issue unless you're a Doctor Who fan and really want to reread these old comics.