Now Michelle Gomez has left the role of Missy on TV (fingers crossed for future audio), the BBC has produced The Missy Chronicles, six tales of Missy’s incarnation covering elements of her entire existence. Each story is by a different writer, each bringing something to Missy’s character.
James Goss starts with just what the Master does when first regenerated, and just why should that change with a change of gender? His story, Dismemberment, is a clever, fun and over the top story, hugely entertaining and yet uncomfortable at times as we find ourselves more sympathetic to Missy than might really be morally correct.
Cavan Scott’s Lords and Masters gives us Time Lords, deception and the ruthless entity we’ve long known in many guises. Capricious and without morals, this is Missy at her most direct.
Paul Magrs has a history of looking at the canon from odd angles, and in Teddy Sparkles Must Die! He amuses, entertains and addresses a specific facet of Missy’s style with great effect. To say more would be to spoil, but it’s a good mix of dark and comic.
Peter Anghelides takes over with The Liar, The Glitch and the War Zone, and it’s a very time-twisted story of Venice, deception and hints there’s even more, going on than even Missy first suspects. It’s fast-paced and paradoxical, and a good contrast as we see Missy almost (but not really) out of her depth.
The only female writer, Jacqueline Rayner, gives us Girl Power!, and it explores just a little of what Missy was up to when imprisoned by the Doctor and Nardole. Told through as a sequence of messages, for the most part, it shines a spotlight on gender inequality without proselytising. It’s also very amusing and very clever.
Richard Dinnick takes us almost to the end with Missy and the Simms Master in Alit in Wonderland, a story squeezed into the end of the last TV series. It explores whether or not Missy has really changed by having time incarcerated, as well as filling out more of the innards of the amazing time-locked spaceship.
Overall, The Missy Chronicles are a good set of stories, and there is probably room for much more if sales warrant. It might not be essential reading, but fans won’t be disappointed.
DOCTOR WHO: THE MISSY CHRONICLES / AUTHOR: JAMES GOSS, CAVAN SCOTT, PAUL MAGRS, PETER ANGHELIDES, JACQUELINE RAYNER, RICHARD DINNICK / PUBLISHER: BBC BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 22ND
