Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
The power to transcend your initial boundaries, your formative experiences, which like dogma you clung to and preached as your only guide in life, is such that if you can appear in more than a single place or reference at once, truly shows just how impossibly universal you have become.
The point of such illumination is to be a presence for others, not to stumble through life as though you are here but for a short while, but to know that what you learn, you can teach, and in that lesson learned you can be seen as influencing more than just one section of society, but across the whole spectrum of humanity.
Such is the appeal of Doctor Who that no matter the detractors, it can lay a claim to be a truly universal, as with certain religious rhetoric and teachings which rises above the basic teachings of kindness and forgiveness, as with certain sports which have gripped the nations of the world or bands that crossed the margins and gone beyond the confines of their native country, Doctor Who finds ways to break down barriers, not only in the delivery of the story, but in the vehicle itself.
From television and film, through to impressive audio dramas, books, short stories, and graphic novels, the power of the imagination has always enjoyed the life of the Oncoming Storm, the Lonely Angel and even where a story might not work visually on screen, or be able to be captured by the minds who work at Big Finish, there is always a way to bring an archive to its colourful glory.
Titan Comics excel in such explorations of the graphic visual rendition, and in its archive adventures the increasing depth of what can be achieved by utilising images of those no longer with us on screen or in real life as the fan mourns the passing of such luminaries as William Hartnell, Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton in their role as early incarnations of the Doctor, and incredible companions who graced the screen such as the erstwhile Elisabeth Sladen, Caroline John and the much loved Nicholas Courtney, these figures can once more be brought back to life in the characters they played and in brand new adventures which capture the essence, the examination and beauty of their former televised roles.
The Tenth Doctor Archives is such a case, and whilst the main story written by Gary Russell, Agent Provocateur, showcases David Tennant’s version of the mad man from Gallifrey doing what he does best with Martha Jones by his side, it is to the books subsequent tale, The Forgotten, in which the feeling of the unbound and unrestricted hits home with a sledge hammer to the mind.
Tony Lee’s script is not only generous, it brings the sadness of the passing of the years to the reader’s attention, that only in such a way can the legend of the Time Lord be explored with even greater clarity, of unfolding mystery and that understanding of illumination.
The willingness of the tale to expand upon the Doctor in what is always an enjoyable romp when all the incarnations are brought together to fight a deadly foe, is one that is positive, sumptuous, but also knowing that even legends must pass, must give way whilst continuing to be forever universal, is paramount to the tale, and the books success.
Gritty, humorous, brave and complete, Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Archives is a glorious read, a stand-out reminder of the power of transcending your initial boundaries.
Ian D. Hall