Originally published on Set The Tape
‘A powerless cargo ship carrying a cargo of Heavenly Hosts has been infested by Weeping Angels! The Tardis team already have a plethora of other problems… now they must work together with the Judoon and the crew to save everyone from falling into a nearby sun! But even though the Doctor has been found again (after being sent back in time by the Angels), Missy has apparently stolen the Tardis! Without his beloved ship, will the Doctor be able to get everybody to safety?’
The 13th issue of the Twelfth Doctor Adventures tells the concluding part of its ‘A Confusion of Angels’ story, a dramatic space adventure that brings back a lot of elements from previous episodes, and mixes them in nicely to the series 10 timeline.
Whilst the first thing that jumps out about this story is the return of the fan favourite Weeping Angels, it also features connections to the 2007 Christmas Special ‘The Voyage of the Damned’ with the robotic Heavenly Host, features Judoon, has the return of Margarete Slitheen after her appearance in series one, and has a ship falling into a sun like the series three episode ’42’. The story also manages to pack in a number of small cameo style moments as background characters from previously seen races also feature.
‘A Confusion of Angels’ manages to take moments from the show that we’ve seen before and roll it into a brand new narrative, one that isn’t perfect, but thanks to the inclusion of so many old, beloved elements of the franchise stands out as being incredibly enjoyable.
The story moves at a fast pace, giving the proceedings the feel many Doctor Who episodes, where there’s a mad dash to save the day come the end of the episode. Whilst the issue packs in a lot of story elements, it still manages to give enough time for small moments of character development.
The best of these belong to Margaret Slitheen and Missy, both villains who have by now reformed.
Following on from the series one episode ‘Boom Town’, Margaret has grown up in a new family following being regressed to an egg, and has become a woman who fights for the law and believes in justice. A harsh contrast to her previous life. Having her return not only answered the hanging question of what happened to her following the show, but also highlights how someone evil can reform, a story element that relates to Missy.
As this story falls within the events of series 10, Missy is locked within the Vault, and is being made to change from a villain into a good person. This story shows how far she has come, having her controlling the Tardis by remove in order to rescue a number of the victims of the Weeping Angels and reuniting them with their loved ones. Whilst she’s not completely good still, highlighted by some of the things she says here, it definitely adds to her series arc from the show.
‘A Confusion of Angels’ has a lot happening within a relatively short page count, but manages to not feel overly crowded. It tells an interesting and compelling story that adds to the character arcs of one of the series’ main characters, and brings back a lot of past story points and creatures to tell a story that feels very grounded within the Doctor Who universe.
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