Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Volume 5 – Arena of Fear

On a strange world where everyone must fight to survive — neanderthals, humans, and aliens alike — The Doctor, his companion Gabby, her friend Cindy, Captain Jack Harkness, and several new companions have amnesia and are simply trying to uncover the meaning behind their predicament. And once they escape, other dire threats await them, like a journey through the TARDIS, a witch in a well, and more!

I don’t know that we’ve ever started an adventure with so many companions — four, plus Captain Jack — let alone those who join them during the Arena of Fear story, but it’s a lot of moving pieces to keep track of. Factor in abstract threats to the TARDIS, concluded (but not resolved) stories like the witch in the well, and the cliffhanger bit at the end, and you’ve got a recipe for a slightly frustrating read. It’s like we got just enough to appease us but not enough to satisfy.

This seems to be a running theme of the Tenth Doctor’s stories, and when you have companions with the potential of Cindy and Gabby floundering through these dodgy climaxes, it’s hard to stay invested in the long-term story.