Between the future and the past lies horror! The Doctor, Clara and their allies are split between two time zones, as the clock counts down to the resurrection of the vengeful ‘goddess’ Kali! In an attempt to save Clara from the evil family Scindia, a shapeshifting dynasty dedicated to reviving the ancient Kali, the Doctor has reluctantly agreed to find Kali’s final sword – which will grant their restored alien benefactor ultimate power. Will the ageless cult succeed where so many villains have failed? What chance does the Doctor have against a plan that has been in motion for thousands of years…?

Well, I did wonder last issue how the creative team could possibly tie up all the complexities of the Swords of Kali storyline in this concluding episode.

This third and final chapter wastes no time in tracking the fourth sword of Kali, which is achieved within a page by means of the handy TARDIS. Nor does it hang about in terms of resolving other aspects of the plot, with the monstrous Kaliratha revealing their true natures before the global media, the Doctor correctly surmising their evil plans for the Haven space station, and dealing with Kali with a deus ex machina ending. The latter is not so much a case of “god from the machine” (the literal translation of deus ex machina) as defeating a god via a machine.

Still, the god-like being is attractive while she lasts. As ever, there is some impressive art in this issue, including a beautiful verdant landscape on the opening page, Kali in all her sexy glory on pages 11 and 16, and brilliant and detailed fireworks on page 23.

This story feels as though it could have been played out for a further episode, but then of course that would have required an extra month for the tale to be told, which may have tried the patience of some readers, who don’t all have the patience of the Kaliratha’s long game!

6

Richard McGinlay