The Fourteenth Doctor #01

'Liberation of the Daleks' (2023) from Doctor Who Magazine 584-597.

My second read here of this story as I couldn't really remember anything about it from when I read it around this time last year. I'm glad to have grown a larger appreciation for it than I had back then. Probably one of the better simulation-related plots I've seen in Doctor Who, with Daleks within multiple adjacent simulations being used as tourist destinations for the public, all fighting one another to be the ones to make it out to take over the Earth. Fourteen's personality here really shines well, and there are actual consequences of the story, with thousands dying on a version of the planet in the future and The Doctor leaving those responsible to decide whether or not to keep going with their tourist trap or not. Pretty brutal stuff. A very nice introduction to this new incarnation of the Doctor, and I'm glad that they destroy Thirteen's horrible sonic screwdriver not only once, but twice for good measure.

Far from being one of the best Magazine Comics but certainly one of the most historically significant; the first comic to portray the beginning of a new Doctor's life as it takes place in the 60 minute gap between the ending of The Power of the Doctor and Destination Skaro which gets a direct reference in the latter. It's also the first Magazine Comic since 2002 to feature the Daleks as the main villains as well as being the longest comic in the magazine's history.

Oh how I miss Scott Gray, Alan Barnes is a significant name in the comics and he is admittedly a reliable writer in that you give him a task and he'll see it done. But he's not exactly an ideal writer if you're looking for a great story. I'm just gonna say it here, I hate the Alan Barnes style, I like Barnes, he's done some great works, mainly with Big Finish in the early years , but I hate the Alan Barnes style. Making everything way too silly and comedic, goofy characters (which in his audios means goofy voices), the dated pop culture references, and constantly changing the plot on the go to the point where it doesn't even resemble the story when it began. Which is a style that has gotten more and more overt in recent years and Liberation of the Daleks falls into those same pitfalls.

Now I will say as a story meant to put a spotlight on the Daleks for Doctor Who's 60 year anniversary, it gets the job done, it features quite the showcase of Daleks throughout Doctor Who history and even some decent callbacks to the old Dr Who Annuals of the 60s and the TV Century 21 books. Plus I'll admit the Nicholas Briggs cameo made me laugh. It is crazy to think that as of now and with no word on the show's future confirmed and until we get possibly an expanded universe story, this is chronologically the last encounter the Doctor has with the Daleks! The story is fine, has a interesting premise but again it keeps changing itself every issue to the point where it starts to get tiring. Also despite being the longest serialised comic in the magazine, I managed to get through it in half the time I takes for me to get through stories like The Glorious Dead or The Flood. Mostly cos there's not much substance and the dialogue feels very basic.

I wouldn't be against this being potentially the only Big Finish Fourteenth Doctor audio we ever get, I'm sure David Tennant would have a blast bringing this to life and it be nice if after six years Big Finish can give us that elusive Volume 2 of the Comic Strip Adaptations.

It's decent overall, just hardly something you'd put among the best of the Magazine Comics, which I doubt we'll ever see the likes of again with Scott Gray gone and Alan Barnes seemingly being the main writer now.

Okay but the Nick Briggs cameo is hilarious omg. Really interesting concepts explored in this, and some really funky Dalek designs which adds to the uniqueness of the story. Definitely ambitious and a very large scale story which I enjoy.

A lot of layers, and the simulation ideas started really well, before descending into a messy, convoluted plot. It was certainly enjoyable, and developed well with fantastic ideas - particularly the Dalek simulation and dreaming of invasion - however too much was added to these layers.