TARDIS as a Symbol of the Human Psyche

I just finished reading Doctor Who: New Adventures of the Eleventh Doctor – Issue 14. While this arc has been mostly silly and mildly entertaining, I came upon a quote in this installment that really struck a chord with me.

Doctor: Jones, Look at you! All grown up! Is it bigger on the inside, Jones?

Jones: We all are, Doctor.

Anyone who knows anything about Doctor Who knows that the TARDIS, the Doctor’s phone booth time machine, is bigger on the inside. But I had never considered the TARDIS as a symbol for the human psyche until now. Our psyches, which are within us and part of us, are much larger than we are. Our psyches enable us to travel into the past through memory and to visit the future through our imagination and visions. Our consciousness allows us to visit other realms and dimensions. We can recreate ourselves through our psyches. Our consciousness, within each of us, is our own personal TARDIS.

I’ve loved Doctor Who since I was a kid, but from now on, I suspect I will be thinking about the Doctor and his mysterious blue box in a different manner.

Doctor Who – Eleventh Doctor: Issue 4

This issue continues where Issue 3 left off, only now John Jones (the David Bowie-esque character) is traveling in the TARDIS with the Doctor and Alice. They end up on a planet where people have been mysteriously going into comas after being attacked by an unseen entity. It is also revealed that secret research on the planet is being orchestrated by the sinister organization, SERVEYOUinc.

The story moves along well and is interesting, but leaves you hanging as it will be continued in the next issue. The real strength in this issue for me, though, is the inclusion of all the humorous puns and references to David Bowie. They are very witty and if you read closely you will catch a lot, like when Jones notices some flies on the space station and comments: “Oh look, there’s flies. Flies from the stars. I’ll call my next band that.” Clearly a play on the Spiders from Mars. There is also a scene where Jones and Alice are in a cafeteria and there is a box of “New Chunky Dories” cereal, which I thought was a clever reference to Bowie’s 1971 “Hunky Dory” album.

To fully appreciate this issue, it helps if you are a David Bowie fan. That said, the story and artwork are both good and you will probably enjoy it, even if you don’t catch all the Bowie references. I’m kind of looking forward to the next issue, especially since I love the early Bowie music. In fact, I think I put my vinyl copy of “Hunky Dory” on the turntable today and give it a spin. And to conclude, here is my favorite track from that album. Enjoy!

Doctor Who: Issue 1

I bought this comic for my daughter, but really, I was also interested in reading it myself. It is touted as the “new adventures with the eleventh Doctor.” I have been a long-time Doctor Who fan. My mom was British and she introduced me to Doctor Who when Tom Baker steered the TARDIS. It makes me happy to see that it is still popular after all these years.

This issue is a little silly, with the Doctor chasing around a giant rainbow dog, but it is silly in an endearing way. Artistically, it is similar to the Wizard of Oz. The beginning is black and white, where Alice (who ends up being the Doctor’s new travel companion) has buried her mother and is depressed. Once the Doctor and the rainbow dog appear, then the panels burst into vibrant color. It marked a transition from the gray dullness of everyday life to the rich visual beauty which is inter-dimensional fantasy.

I really liked Alice’s character. She is smart, educated, brave, and emotional. Alice is a library assistant and as the Doctor points out after they enter the TARDIS, being surrounded by books has had a positive impact on her.

Alice: We’re in a different dimension here, aren’t we?

Doctor: Yes! Clever! I knew you were clever, I can usually tell. What do you do again?

Alice: I told you. I was a library assistant.

Doctor: Books! That’ll be it. Clever and books, usually goes together.

I completely agree with the Doctor here. Reading is so important to individual growth and development. And it’s enjoyable. I couldn’t imagine a life without books. If you’re reading this, I’m sure you feel the same way.

Keep calm and read on.

Star Trek/Doctor Who Assimilation2 – Issue #8

I just finished reading issue #8, the last in the series. Not surprising, the finale was also a setup for another series.

For me, there was nothing in this last issue that was mind-bending. It didn’t suck, it was just kind of OK. That left me feeling ever so slightly disappointed. I think it is because the first half of the series was very strong, but the later half was not as interesting. I felt like the writers and artists wanted to do more, and likely could have, but that they were limited by having to squeeze everything into eight issues. My guess is that was what the publisher offered them.

So the big question is: Would I read a follow-up series? Yes, I think I would. While there were some things that were just OK, overall, I enjoyed it and I think that if given additional issues to flesh out the story a little more that it could become something awesome. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Star Trek/Doctor Who Assimilation2 – Issue #7

When I picked up this issue, the folks at the comic book store told me it was a variant cover. Since I don’t consider myself a comic collector, all that meant to me was it was more expensive than the other issues I had picked up, but since I was buying a small stack of comics they gave it to me for half price, which was nice. Anyway, the image displayed here is the variant cover.

I found this issue to be much better than the previous one. The dialog is much more fluid and the story moves along well. There are also shifts in the color schemes associated with the different locations that the characters were in, and that worked very well for me.

There is a great quote on page 3. The Doctor and his companions are aboard the Borg cube and commenting on the Borg’s apparent calm and disinterest in them. The Doctor states: “That calm comes at the price of their free will. The collective suppresses the individual identities of the drones.” I couldn’t help thinking about the tendency of people to sacrifice their freedom to be included in a group, whether it is a religious group, a political party, or a social group. I think it is something that most humans desire, to belong to something bigger than their individual selves. But giving up who you are for acceptance into a group is a dangerous path and one that I have consciously avoided throughout most of my life.

The issue ends with the Doctor and his companions, along with the Enterprise away team, aboard the cybermen’s vessel. The stage is set for the final confrontation. The next issue is the series’ conclusion. I will be posting soon.

• My review of Vol 1 (first four issues)
• My review of Issue #5
• My review of Issue #6

Star Trek/Doctor Who Assimilation2 – Issue #6

I just read through issue number 6 in the series and I have to say it was my least favorite so far. That said, it serves the purpose of driving the story forward.

In this installment, the Doctor and the crew of the enterprise meet with the Borg emissaries to discuss plans for defeating the Cybermen. The writing was a little cliched, especially where Riker gets angry that the Borg emissary Conduit was once a person that Riker knew. It just seemed forced somehow, whereas the earlier installments were much more fluid. Still, the events in this issue are necessary to move the plot forward, so I can overlook some minor flaws.

The one thing that I did find interesting about this issue was the explanation of how the Cybermen overcame the Borg. Essentially, it was a cyber attack on the Borg’s internal network. The Cybermen hacked the Borg’s network and were then able to destroy them. I see the same threat to countries now that we have come to rely upon computers and networks to run our society. A successful cyber attack would be devastating to an advanced society’s infrastructure.

Even though this issue was not as interesting as the previous ones, I am still enjoying the series as a whole. Look for my review of issue #7 soon.

• My review of Vol 1 (first four issues)
• My review of Issue # 5

Star Trek/Doctor Who Assimilation2 – Issue #5

The other day I noticed that a local comic store, Comic Envy, relocated to a bigger store. So yesterday I decided to go in there and inquire about when the X-Files comic is coming out (it will be in June, by the way). Of course, once I was in there, I HAD to buy some comics. My purchase included issues 5 through 8 of the Star Trek/Doctor Who series.

I read the first four as part of a volume that I picked up at a comic expo (click here to read my review on that volume). The basic story line is that the Cybermen joined forces with the Borg, but then turned on the Borg in an attempt to assimilate them. Volume 1 leaves off with the Doctor trying to convince Picard to help the Borg defeat the Cybermen.

In issue #5, Picard is adamant about not wanting to assist the Borg, which is understandable. Despite all the logical arguments, he refuses to help, wishing only that the Borg is destroyed. It is not until the Doctor takes the captain on a trip into the future aboard the TARDIS that Picard finally realizes what is at stake.

There is a great line at the end of the issue as the Doctor is still trying to convince Picard. The Doctor states: “We should help our enemies because it’s what makes us better than them.” (p. 22) I totally related to that line. For so many years, I held on to resentments for wrongs inflicted upon me by those I deemed my enemies. It wasn’t until I forgave them and began to wish only the best for them that I was able to move on and find contentment. The ability to help those who have hurt you is a true spiritual value.

The last thing I would like to say about this comic is that I think the artwork is great. The colors are vivid and the characters very life-like. I am looking forward to reading the next three issues. My thoughts on those will be posted soon.

Star Trek/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 Vol. 1

I recently attended the Asheville Comic Expo with my youngest daughter, appropriately dressed in my Captain Kirk costume. While roaming around, I came across a booth that had a plethora of sci-fi items. It was there that I found the Star Trek/Doctor Who graphic novel. I had heard about this and figured I needed to grab a copy. It seems I was not the only one who felt this way, since three other copies were sold in the time I was at the table.

The basic premise of the novel is that the Doctor arrives on the holodeck of the Enterprise in the TARDIS. As the Next Gen crew and the Doctor try to figure out why this happened, it is discovered that the Borg has joined forces with the Cybermen. The Doctor and the crew of the Enterprise begin planning how to face this new and formidable alliance.

I really loved the illustrations in this book. The artwork is very good, even though the characters seemed a little stiff in several panels, but overall, very good. The facial details make up for the occasional stiffness. There is also one part where there is a flashback to the Original Series that features Kirk and company. What works exceptionally well here is that not only do the characters change, but the style of the artwork changes. The panels actually take on a more basic style that is in keeping with the imagery associated with the Original Series. There is even an appearance from the Tom Baker incarnation of the Doctor, which was a nice touch.

In classic graphic novel style, the book leaves you hanging with the promise of “To Be Continued.” I’m actually OK with that, because now I have something to look forward to. I’ll have to keep an eye out for when the next installment is released. It’s possible that I may now end up as one of those guys who troll the comic book stores. I guess I’d better start saving for a trip to Comic-Con.