I don’t really have all that much to say here, it’s the first part of a multi-part story so can’t give full thoughts, but this issue alone is… well… kinda meh, there’s some more arc stuff going on (meaning both the character and wider story) that’s intriguing, but past that, nothing to write home about.

There’s a weird subplot(?) about jones getting fatter, which is just really weird and takes me out of it a bit, and I’m generally not the biggest fan of stories where the doctor goes back to modern day earth and then there just happens to be a big planet-wide alien event going on. It can be done well if we have time to spend on the doctor’s reactions to it or the wider whoniverse’s response (e.g. I like army of ghosts, aliens of london, and the christmas invasion), but here it just gets glossed over really quickly

This first instalment juggles too many competing ideas, with no unifying focus. The titular “eternal dogfight” – a clash between two species with thinly sketched motivations – jostles for space alongside Alice’s emotional subplot (returning home to reconcile with her supposedly deceased mother, now mysteriously alive). Add to this a couple of additional underdeveloped companions, one whose ability to “consume” antagonists feels more gimmick than plot device, and a David Bowie-esque rockstar character who still hasn’t done anything, and the Doctor zipping about on jetpacks. The result is a chaotic sprawl.

It’s alright, it’s mainly setting up Things for the next Story and while it does it in a competent solid Way it never really gives me much beyond that. Some great Character Bits here and there, but that’s just kinda about it. Like somebody else pointed out, the Treatment of Jones is just strange in this one, don’t really get at all what they were going for it.

This strip has quite a cool concept but the plot feels a little messy and contrived. The cliffhanger is good. I do feel like there are significant time skips between the last few strips which I'm finding quite confusing, but it's not terrible.

The plot is decent if a bit one note, and there's a few good hints of emotional tension with the Doctor and Alice, but the overtly fatphobic subplot with Jones put me off the whole thing, I'm afraid.