The Only Good Dalek

With a slight change of pace from the usual crime fiction and horror-thriller reviews, actually not slight at all, this is a huge change of pace and style – I set about reading and gorging over “Doctor Who: The Only Good Dalek”, a sumptuous and beautiful graphic novel from Mike Collins (Artist) and Justin Richards (Author).

A little background on the men behind this project; Mike Collins is the main artist behind the highly successful Doctor Who Magazine comic strip stories. Collins has illustrated every Doctor Who from the seventh (Sylvester McCoy) to the current Eleventh (Matt Smith) and believe me, his talents know no bounds as this graphic novel testifies.

Justin Richards has written numerous Doctor Who stories including The Resurrection Casket, Martha and the mirror and The Deviant Strain to name but a few. Richards is also the creative director of the BBC Books range.

Doctor Who and Amy (played by Karen Gillan in the tv series) have arrived, un-detected, at Station 7. A secret storage facility that houses Varga Plants, Slyther, Robomen and a Solidified Magneton – oh and did I mention the multi coloured Daleks? No? How remiss of me! The deadly Daleks are back in all their colourful glory.

Not only is Station 7 a storage facility but it’s a research station where all captured technology and prisoners from the war between Earth and the Daleks are sent for analysis and interrogation.  Unfortunately for the Earth forces, the Daleks have somehow found out about Station 7 and there’s something they want back! The abomination!

Scenes from The Only Good Dalek

Their only real defence was anonymity and now that that has gone, defending Station 7, an old Ore station, has become problematic. Without weapons they only have one option; convert the Daleks into friendly Daleks and attack their own kind. Simples!

The novel reads incredibly well, has a great storyline and is quite simply stunning. The mixture of vivid colour and contrasting black and white images used in the Petrified Jungle are breath-taking giving the novel a real Hollywood/big budget feel.

One thing I’d like to know is why hasn’t Justin Richards written a TV episode for Doctor Who? If this graphic Knowledge is anything to go by, his talents as a writer are calling out for a chance to hit the big screen.

The battle scenes are wonderful, full of intricate detail and atmosphere, a real page turner. Although I don’t find the colour Daleks as menacing as the Dalek’s of old, I for one wouldn’t stand around arguing the case should one turn up on my doorstep!

The kids will love this and will want to read this time and time again. The Only Good Dalek is certainly one for the collection; for Doctor Who fans young and old. You can’t go wrong with a novel of this quality.  Very, very impressive.

Published by Ebury Publishing, Doctor Who: The Only Good Dalek is available from Amazon right now!