Torchwood: Pack Animals

Pack Animals is my least favorite Torchwood book so far, but even then it's not really all bad. The main plot is the problem: a troubled young man finds a piece of alien tech called a Vandrogonite Visualiser and uses it to bring to life monsters from the rift as reflected in a series of Magic: The Gathering-type cards he creates. The idea that real monsters would spring to life from a collectible card game would probably have been a fine plot on Buffy during the first or second season (imagine Ethan Rayne playing yet another trick on Sunnydale), but it's just too . . . silly for a Torchwood plot: I don't want to see Jack riding around on a unicorn or Tosh using the cards to summon a killer clown.

Main plot aside, the book has two really interesting subplots: first, an organization called Achenbrite which is actually one step ahead of Torchwood in understanding and manipulating the Rift; and second, an investigative journalist named David Brigstocke, who would make a great recurring character even if he gets dosed with Retcon at the end of every book. Oh, and did I mention that Jack and Ianto go on a date to the zoo? Very cute.

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