📝8/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

MY SCATTERED AND TOTALLY IRRELEVANT NOTES:

It's been a long time since we last caught up with Gabby's family, so this story provides a great opportunity to revisit them. Meanwhile, Cindy is still grappling with the loss of her love interest, but I found it hard to feel invested in this subplot since their relationship was so brief and underdeveloped. However, I did enjoy the way Gabby and Cindy explore the consequences of time travel and forming relationships, adding depth to their dynamic.

This story also revisits the Osirian storyline from earlier, reintroducing Anubis, who tasks the Doctor with a mission to the primordial universe. Cindy accompanies him, giving her some much-needed character development. While the first issue starts off slow, the second—set on ancient Gallifrey with the Untempered Schism and Time Sentinels—is a lot of fun and uses Cindy’s character effectively. The cliffhanger, revealing Sutekh's return, is intriguing and serves as a strong conclusion to Volume 6 of the collection.

The story's second half, unfolding in Volume 7, shifts the focus to Sutekh's return. It’s packed with characters and carries the epic, dramatic energy of a Russell T. Davies-era finale. Sutekh is wonderfully characterized—I could practically hear Gabriel Woolf’s voice while reading. The narrative builds on The Pyramids of Mars and cleverly explains Sutekh’s return, giving a different explanation than what would later appear in The Legend of Ruby Sunday/Empire of Death. It’s also satisfying to see nods to other instances where the Doctor has defeated chaotic, destructive beings, tying them to Sutekh’s realm.

Once Sutekh is unleashed, he dominates the story, with the Doctor, Gabby, Cindy, and others feeling more like supporting characters in his grand spectacle. Anubis is left powerless in the face of Sutekh’s might, and Cindy finds herself in a dangerous predicament. There’s also attention given to the Cindy/Gabby relationship, which adds emotional weight. Dorothy’s role is pivotal, and her sacrifice to stop Sutekh is touching.

I’m a bit uncertain about the ending—it leaves some threads unresolved—but it does introduce the new form of Anubis, appropriately named "Newbis," which is a fascinating development. Overall, this story successfully blends character moments, high-stakes drama, and rich lore, making it a memorable continuation of the series.