Blood and Ice Part 2

"I have these dreams... dreams of being someone else... sometimes it's like I've lived a thousand lives in a thousand places..."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 30th April 2015

Printed in: DWM 486

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

Clara has some explaining to do after she comes face to face with Winnie, short for Oswin, a fragment of her that was created when she entered the Doctor's timeline on Trenzalore. But things aren't going well for the Doctor himself, as he realises he's come back to the place he first died..,

Verdict 

It's that time again - it's DWM Thursday already! How time is flying, slightly too fast for my liking with A2 exams coming up, and it only seems like last week that I was debating over which cover to get of DWM 485, celebrating the tenth anniversary of Doctor Who's return to our screens for a regular series. This issue is slightly different however with the focus uniquely on a story that didn't appear on our television screens. The issue is going to take us back to Russell T Davies' first ever published Doctor Who story - the novel Damaged Goods which has recently been adapted for audio and will be released in the near future. I'm skeptical about reading the interviews as at my usual glance through, I noticed there was a spoiler warning. I don't own the story in any format but it is one I am eager to find due to who the author is. I'm intrigued to see how Russell T Davies wrote a Classic era story in novelised format, and also how he portrayed Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor. The issue also has an intriguing feature in looking at Doctor Who on Home Video. I'm looking forward to that write up! However, the issue doesn't seem much to shout about when compared with DWM's recent special edition - The Art of Doctor Who. That one really does look incredible. I'm very interested in the promotion of Doctor Who Adventures which has now been taken over by Panini and is a new sister title to DWM. I bought a few issues of DWM around 18 months back and I must say they were pretty awful. Upon a glance, the comic strip adventures look a million times better so I may pick up the first few issues as a trial. We'll see. I think the Carole Ann Ford interview will be a gem of a piece and I might actually try the crossword this issue! But now, to the story that the blog entry is named after. What an outstandingly great second part of Blood and Ice! It was so good I emailed Galaxy Forum my praise. Part one started off well with the fantastic cliffhanger but this was just magic. Upon seeing that Jacqueline Rayner was the writer in the last issue, I knew this was going to be good but she's just exceeded all expectation I had. I absolutely loved how she hid the fact that Winnie was short for Oswin in plain sight! Once it was revealed, I stopped reading for a second and just smiled. It was almost too obvious to notice the fact. I did speculate in my blogging of part one that Winnie may be a fragment Clara that was created in The Name of the Doctor and I was right. We even had a flashback from that very story! With the impossible girl theme somewhat forgotten in series eight, apart from the newspaper advert in Deep Breath, I think it's great how it's continuing in the comic strips. The Doctor and Clara have met a fragment! But that begs the question, why is she here? If the fragments were created to protect the Doctor, then why was she at Snowcap University? Is another Doctor on his way? Or was she just 62 years too late? The Doctor mentioning that their location seemed familiar in part one came full circle here and it was absolutely phenomenal. Again, I think I could have and probably should have worked out where the TARDIS had landed with the Antarctic mentioned and more than one use of 'Snowcap' but the revelation moment was just incredible. The Doctor was back on Snowcap Base! We'd returned to the venue of the Doctor's first regeneration! The flashbacks to The Tenth Planet were astounding with the beautiful image of the first design Cybermen and also the regeneration moment. It lives on! The reaction of the Doctor to finding out where he had arrived was most intriguing. The Doctor almost seemed distressed about remembering his first regeneration. Did he not want to change? I certainly got that impression. Does the Doctor not like being able to regenerate? I think he misses being the First Doctor, after all this time. And that's magnificent. The continuation of the mysterious project sub-zero was good but I did love how gobsmacked Clara was in realising who'd she met. She didn't have an answer. But then Winnie heard about the truth. She was doomed to death and obviously wasn't too pleased! She ran off on a snowmobile and Clara chased after her, but the ice got thin and they both seemed doomed to death as it split and they fell into oblivion... Overall, an outstanding second part and I seriously can't wait for part three!

Revolutions of Terror Part 3

"We destroyed our own world... all in the name of winning a local, petty squabble..."

Writer: Nick Abadzis 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 23rd April 2015

Printed in: DWC #3

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby

Synopsis 

Terror has gripped Sunset Park, Brooklyn, with Cerebravores manifesting as people's worst fears! The Doctor's investigation set him on a collision course with the irrepressibly curious Gabriella Gonzalez, and the pair tracked the incursion back to Gabby's father's laundromat, where strange vibrations opened a wormhole! The Doctor left Gabby to keep the nix care wormhole open while he travelled across the dimensional bridge. Both now find themselves under attack! 

Verdict 

Revolutions of Terror concluded in excellent fashion here and I'm happy to say that this is where my previous knowledge and reading of some of the Titan Comics' adventures comes to an end. It was quite an effort for me back at the mid to late of last year to try and pick these comics up due to travel and expense but I did manage to finish the first adventure of each Doctor (two for the Eleventh Doctor in fact) and this was the story and series, ironically despite having the lowest rating (which has actually now changed), that I felt I was quite gutted not to be able to continue with because I took an immediate shine to Gabby and I just felt that she'd suit the Tenth Doctor personally. I think with the Eleventh Doctor's section of what is now, to us in the UK, Doctor Who Comic, Alice just doesn't fit with Matt Smith's incarnation at all. Jones has now arrived so things might change but based on my first stint, this story was the one I was saddened most to not be able to continue. But along comes the wonderful Doctor Who Comic and finally in issue four I'll be able to read a new adventure with each Doctor! But anyway, to the Sri at hand and as a whole, this improved ratings wise than my first read which I was most pleased about. I loved the scene at the beginning, as pictured above, where the Doctor is in a struggle and flashbacks of the Master, a Time Lord, Sutekh and the Beast are seen. A wonderful image! I must admit I am enjoying Doctor Who Comic's use of Classic referencing and flashbacks where possible. It wasn't long after the pictured scene that we saw a flashback of a Cyberman and Rassilon either! For me though, this story was all about Gabby and I love how by now she's comfortable with the Doctor. I loved her non-defeatist attitude when singing to keep herself concentrated on keeping the wormhole open for the Doctor. On the other side, the revelation about the Cerebravores was most interesting! They were designed to be how they were - this wasn't their natural reaction. It's fair to say the Doctor wasn't overly impressed. I just loved the progression of Gabby. She took the amplification beam full whack in the face and despite that wiping out the Cerebravores and saving the entire planet, Gabby was glum about the fact her adventure was over. Back to boring old reality doing double shifts in the laundromat and restaurant whilst taking that wretched accounts class. It was obvious from the cliffhanger of part one that she was going to be companion but whilst it wasn't confirmed it was nice to see how things were turning out. Her reaction to going inside the TARDIS was absolutely stunning. Bewilderment and a huge smile, she simply exclaimed to the Doctor that his 'equipment hut' was rather roomy. I really liked that. I also liked how she worked out that the Doctor wasn't 'local' either. It was nice to hear how once again the Doctor thought of Earth as his second home and was rather fond of the human race. I wasn't surprised by how he avoided answering Gabby's questioning of his first home. As far as he was aware, the Doctor believed he destroyed his home planet. Sometime soon though, he'll put that right along with the help of a past and future self. Once all was saved, I was actually quite surprised that the Doctor stayed for a meal with Gabby's family! Cindy questioning whether Gabby and the Doctor were an item was quite funny because she was so immediately defensive about them not being anything of the sort. She then almost begged for the Doctor to take her with him - to see the universe. After initially refusing, it seemed Gabby echoed words leading up to The End of Time. Just one trip Gabby was promised. Well, we all know how lengthy that became for Martha... Overall, a great comic strip story! I loved the Weeping Angel moment too. 

Rating: 9/10

What He Wants...

"Davros, for instance. On first glance you don't go: 'now there's someone who's a whizz at reality bombs'." 

Writer: Rob Williams

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 23rd April 2015

Printed in: DWC #3

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Alice, Jones

Synopsis 

Alice Obiefune was at her lowest ebb when the Doctor crashed into her life - now she's travelling through the universe at his side! Their first stop? The planet of Rokhandi, a verdant paradise before SERVEYOUinc (and their pet protoplasmic mind-controller) turned it into a creepy theme park. After defeating the protoplasm with an overload of data, the Doctor and Alice are off travelling again!

Verdict 

What He Wants... was a great little comic strip adventure and surprisingly introduced us to another brand new companion for the Eleventh Doctor! I'm not convinced Amy and Rory would be too pleased to find out that whilst they were enjoying their honeymoon after being happily wed, as seen in The Big Bang, the Doctor was off having numerous adventures with brand new companions! Of course, I doubt they ever would find out. One thing I am hoping for with these comics is that we get to see an appearance from River Song! That is something I really would love and I think it could fill in some gaps with the TV story between the pair. There's plenty of room for a River story in there in my opinion! Anyway, back to the comic strip at hand and if you think the TV story surrounding the Eleventh Doctor and River was complicated, it looks like this segment of the UK Doctor Who Comic is going to be rather complex itself! I liked it that The Friendly Place was referred to on more than one occasion here and I was surprised that SURVEYOUinc appeared again so quickly after their debut last time around. I liked that the Doctor acknowledged that he'd ran into the same bunch of people, albeit some time in the past, and he wasn't convinced that bumping into each other again was a coincidence. I'm not sure if I like that the story was a tad similar to the opening part of The Swords of Kali with what we see at the start being led up to in the proceeding pages. I did like though that it gave us a snapshot of Jones already being companion, as mentioned in The Friendly Place as well. I absolutely loved the Doctor's reference to Journey's End with Davros being namedropped. I thought that was quite a big deal though I do hope that this may lead to a possible return in comic strip format for the great villain. In saying that, I found it quite ironic how on the day I found out about the strong Davros rumours for Series 9, he only goes and gets mentioned in the one story I do today. Speaking of which, the story was pretty good, though I am getting a little tiresome of Alice constantly mentioning her mother and what she was like and what she loved. I get that she's obviously upset and I do think it's nice that the Doctor is trying to cheer up but I just find it slightly boring now and I'm starting to lose my sympathy towards her, as cynical as that may sound. I'm not convinced about the revamping of Bessie into a monster struck! The idea is pretty barmy but I don't think the Third Doctor would have approved! It did provide Alice with her most humorous scene though. Jones being a semi-chameleon was something I found very intriguing and I do hope it is explained a bit more. I liked the character of Robert Johnson and he was almost like a lite-companion in the story. He brought some decent comedy. I loved the scene where the Doctor is asked what he wanted most and a Time Lord appears! Was this the company that projected the Time Lord we saw in the shadows in After Life? I would certainly think so. The way Alice used the sonic screwdriver amplified using the TARDIS was a pretty good climax to a very good little story. Welcome aboard Jones!

Rating: 8/10

The Swords of Kali Part 1

"They're only eyebrows! There should be a law about judging a man by his eyebrows!"

Writer: Robbie Morrison

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 23rd April 2015

Printed in: DWC #3

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

The Doctor and Clara came to the ice world of Isen VI only to find it terraformed into a lush jungle! The terraforming machinery woke a corrupted, starlike being - a Hyperion. Stoking the fires of the Hyperion's ego, the Doctor kept it occupied until the terraformers could direct a vast storm into its path - a storm they flash-froze, putting the Hyperion back on ice! Now Clara and the Doctor travel on to a new adventure... unaware that there are more Hyperions still out there... including one frozen in Earth's own solar system!

Verdict 

The Swords of Kali opened in excellent style with this first part in today's newly released Doctor Who Comic UK! It looks like I was lucky to pick up the issue in my local WH Smith (my supply of all DWMs, figurines and some novels) as there was just the one copy so I quickly picked up! Ever since Titan announced that they were bring these stories to the UK for release, it's been this third issue that I've been most looking forward to! That's because this story, and the Eleventh Doctor's segment, will be entirely new to me which I was looking extremely forward to! The Tenth Doctor's first story also comes to an end here so I'm looking forward for his new story next month. But for now it was all about the Twelfth Doctor and Clara. I thought DWC got things a lot more representative for Clara in this story and that's a breath of fresh air as I'm not convinced at all that DWM have got her characterisation correct. I thought it was wonderful how the Twelfth Doctor was visiting Leonardo da Vinci at the time he was painting the infamous Mona Lisa. At first I thought we might have had some sort of linking with City of Death but that didn't come sadly. Not that there's an obligation that it should of course! I thought the moment where it revealed that Clara was the model for the Mona Lisa was incredible! I couldn't quite believe it! She must be one of the most travelled and experienced companions ever, probably the most! She was there when the First Doctor left Gallifrey. She entered the Doctor's timeline. Now she's the bloody Mona Lisa! I love it! I loved the fact that Da Vinci was appearing at all but that was trumped by a flashback and a couple of images of the Fourth Doctor! I certainly wasn't expecting anything like that so it was a wonderful surprise. I liked how the Doctor spoke about the TARDIS phone and how he'd given out its number and then forgotten all about doing so. It's always a special occasion when the TARDIS phone calls. Just look at the beautiful moment in The Bells of Saint John for example. I did like how the Doctor immediately recognised who was phoning, despite it being some nine incarnations ago for him! I think giving the name of Maratha was very subtly clever as at first glance I mistakenly read it as Martha! As much I'd love her to return with a different Doctor, I was quite glad it wasn't her for some reason. Perhaps because I was intrigued by the fact the Doctor had a history with Tiger! I really was fascinated that he'd travelled with the Fourth Doctor a couple of times. I liked the jump in setting from 22nd century Mumbai all the way back to the same location but in 1825! The idea of a four dimensional location was one I found magical. I've often wondered what time meant as a fourth dimension and now I know! A place that exists simultaneously in more than one time! Brilliant. I'm not a fan of calling a character Rani (unless she turns out to be the Time Lady!) though. Priyanka was a great character I must say though and I liked how she just kind of got muddled up in being a companion for the story. Her memory of the Fourth Doctor was stunning. The climax was good and I did like the cliffhanger with the Doctor jumping times back to 1825 where we came full circle with what we saw at the start of the comic. Possibly a bit complex in places with the plot, but this looks to be a promising adventure for however long it lasts! 

Embrace the Darkness

"Your eyes... You've lost your eyes!"

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: April 2002

Series: Main Range 31

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis 

The Doctor and Charley travel to the remote Cimmerian System to unravel the mystery of its sun. But darkness has already embraced the scientific base on Cimmeria IV in more ways than one. In a fight for survival, the Doctor must use all his wits against a deadly artificial lifeform and an ancient race whose return to the Cimmerian System threatens suffering and death on an apocalyptic scale.

Verdict 

Embrace the Darkness was a pretty decent audio adventure but I did think it could have been a lot better. This was unusually not the greatest of stories which came as a slight surprise as I've absolutely loved the pairing of the Eighth Doctor and Charley in their previous adventures! Now don't get me wrong, the pair were still magnificent together here and were probably the saving grace of the story when it comes to the rating, but they haven't had what I'd consider to be a bad story yet. That is up until I completed this audio. Any story that scores below an 8/10 from me I would consider bad. Now that may be harsh as 70% is pretty good but when it comes to Doctor Who, I'm always striving for at least an 8/10. This story actually started off promisingly with the Doctor intrigued by the sudden appearance of a cluster of Type-70 TARDISes. I'm not sure what that was all about but after the narration in Seasons of Fear, I get the feeling the Time Lords are going to catch up with the Doctot about his saving of Charley in Storm Warning, an adventure that seems an awfully long time ago! I really liked Charley in this story and it was about time that she was angered by the Doctor. I really loved the way she stood up to him in the latter parts of the story and it was probably my highlight of the entire audio adventure. She was angered by the fact he'd ran off to the problem without her, in order to save her, and then she was almost outraged at the fact the Doctor accepted full responsibility for what he saw as interference. There did seem to be a more than feasible excuse I must say though. The Cimmerians were an intriguing race and I liked the revelation at the end of the story. Orllensa was a great guest character and I loved how she didn't want pity when she'd lost her eyes. Speaking of eyes, this is where things got lost for me sadly. I wasn't overly struck on the plot and the fact that the most likely hypothesis to the events was that we were dealing with an alien optician was pretty appalling in my opinion. The cliffhanger to part one was actually good but what followed wasn't. I just don't find it believable in any kind of way that two people, intelligent enough to be working as part of the team that they were, could possibly mistake their eyes being burned away for darkness. I'm sorry but that's balderdash. Rubbish. The games of draughts were a nice inclusion as I don't mind a game myself from time to time! I'm not entirely sure why they persisted with some of the quiet conversations either. That really was irritating me. The plot had tendencies to be quite boring at some intervals and although audio is obviously going to rely on a mass annount of dialogue, I felt this was perhaps too dialogue-heavy. But anyway, the story wasn't all bad. ROSM was pretty good! I loved how he immediately stopped the Doctor from saying his repetition at the start. But even he could get annoying. Overall, a slightly disappointing story that just didn't quite get going. It's a good thing Paul McGann and India Fisher were present to try and save something! 

Rating: 7/10

The Girl in the Fireplace

"I'm the Doctor, and I've just snogged Madame de Pompadour!"

Writer: Steven Moffat 

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 6th May 2006

Series: 2.04

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose, Mickey

Synopsis 

Madame de Pompadour is being haunted by a stranger called the Doctor - can he save her from the clockwork killers?

Verdict 

The Girl in the Fireplace is such a poignant and emotional story! It really is a wonderful episode. There's no surprise at all that this episode won a Hugo award because it really is just magnificent! I really loved the plot, the history throughout and the characters of the story! I really am struggling to find any criticisms which is obviously an incredibly good thing! I liked how things started with Reinette at what would become the climax of the episode. We see her making the speech she five years younger overhears herself making as the Clockwork Droids plan their attack and bring it into action. We can see that things are historical somewhere in the not so distant past but then after the opening credits we jump 3000 years into the future! I was a bit skeptical of that on my first viewing I must admit. But things panned out astoundingly and what we got was a joyous episode. The TARDIS arriving on the ship was good and I liked how Rose, despite not being overjoyed about the fact in School Reunion, seemed quite pleased to be able to show Mickey the wonders of the universe. I loved the idea of time windows on a spaceship and it was intriguing how they all led to a different point in a woman's life. The moment the Doctor worked out who she was, after snogging her, was magnificent! I also thought the scene with Reinette as a 7-year-old girl was sublime where we see the Clockwork Droids for the first time. The Doctor noticed that the clock was broken but there was still something in her bedroom that was ticking. He chucked for a monster under Reinette's bed and the Doctor found one!  I thought David Tennant was staggeringly good as the Tenth Doctor in this episode. It really was one of his best performances. I loved how the Doctor tried to be fancy and make up a word for the link between the time corridor instead of just calling it a magic door. His reaction to the two companions running off despite being told not to do so was equally great. He said there could be anything on the ship but I bet he wasn't expecting to find a horse! With the Doctor engulfed in a little love story, I liked how Rose was somewhat on the back burner. I did absolutely love her hairstyle in this episode though! It really suited her. Back to the love story, and I think Tennant tackled the prospect of the Doctor falling in love very well. It's something that may really only have been touched upon in The Movie and hinted at with the Ninth Doctor but here it seems the Doctor genuinely fell in love. He engages in the snogging, he offers her to be companion and he accepts riding on the slow path for what would be 33 centuries just to save Madame de Pompadour and defeat the Clockwork Droids. I loved the climax with the time window being found where the Droids seemed to believe that Reinette was now complete. The Doctor explaining that whilst acting drunk was hilarious. The ship was 37 as was she, and they believed her head could kickstart the ship. It was a poignant ending though as the Doctor sacrificed everything to defeat them. Reinette was distraught that he wanted to go back so eagerly. The Doctor was then devastated to find that he'd arrived after her passing. He had a final farewell letter but she was now gone. Overall, an incredible episode! The scene where the Doctor sees into Reinette's mind and then she looks into his stands as one of my all time favourites! 

Rating: 10/10

Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin

"The Doctor is never more dangerous than when the odds are against him."

Writer: Terrance Dicks

Format: Novel

Released: October 1977

Series: Target 19

Featuring: Fourth Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor is suddenly summoned to Gallifrey, the home of the Time Lords, where his ghastly hallucination of the President's assassination seems to turn into reality. When the Doctor id arrested for the murder, there is a hideous, dawk, cowled figure gleefully watching in the shadows. 

Faced with his old enemy, the Master, Doctor Who approaches defeat in a battle of minds in a nightmare world created by the Master's imagination. But the Master's evil intentions go much further - he has a Doomsday Plan. It is up to the Doctor to prevent him from destroying Gallifrey and taking over the Universe!

Verdict 

Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin was an outstanding little novel! I really did love this from start to finish! I think it's certainly taken a claim to being my all time favourite Target novelisation and I think I was possibly somewhat surprised by my own reaction to what I was reading. Now it's not often at all that I mention the cover of the novel in my verdict but I just had to say something this time! The cover is absolutely tremendous and really suits the name of the story. Speaking of which, I liked the start with the reference to The Hand of Fear and Sarah's sudden and bundled departure from the TARDIS just after the Doctor has received his summons to return back home. I loved the way the Doctor arrived back to Gallifrey by landing the TARDIS in an unrestricted zone of the Capitol. I really liked how his TARDIS being a type-40 was mocked at. The Doctor wouldn't have any of it though and consoled his "old girl". I liked how the Time Lords were amazed by the TARDIS still being operational due to it being quite antiquated and the chameleon circuit being jammed! But the TARDIS was (and still is) going strong. The Doctor's wish to get out of the TARDIS unnoticed was good and I liked how he went about achieving that. He eluded everybody into thinking that he was in a 53-storey building when actually he'd just sent the lift back up and slipped around the corner. Brilliant. I liked how the Master though tried to frame him for murder after the Doctor almost immediately had arrived. I liked the build up to the Master's return and in terms of the TV story it must have been a very difficult decision to bring the renegade Time Lord back following the death of Roger Delgado. But due to the brilliance of the actor, the character had to live on. I loved the premise of the story with the Master coming to the end of his regeneration cycle and he was desperate of finding a way to restart or renew the regenerative cycle. The Master was desperate to survive and was prepared to steal the Eye of Harmony which would destroy Gallifrey just in the hope of gaining enough energy to reboot his regeneration cycle. I loved how there was a lot mentioned about Time Lord history and my particular highlight regarding that was Rassilon and how he founded Time Lord society. I also liked the references to the Doctor being a Prydonian. The idea of a political assassination on Gallifrey is staggeringly good and I loved the way the Master went about framing the Doctor. After sending the premonitions through the vortex to the Doctor, the Master was once again after revenge. Decayed, rotting and barely surviving, he did though still have his tissue compression eliminator and was leaving his trademark subtly on Gallifrey. I thought it was a great twist having Chancellor Goth being the pawn controlled by the Master and the scenes in the Matrix were fantastic with him, whilst hidden, being referred to as the Hunter. The reveal at the end of the battle was terrific. Spandrel, Hildred and Engin were all great characters in their own little ways. I loved the references to The War Games and The Three Doctors and it kind of goes unnoticed in novelised format how important this story is in that it establishes the life limit of a Time Lord. The climax was exciting and dangerous and I loved how the grandfather clock was eluded to at least twice before the Master somehow survived his fall before escaping in the clock which was actually his TARDIS. Overall, a wonderful read! 

Rating: 10/10

Earthshock

"The history of your planet is secure after all. Thanks to the Cybermen!"

Writer: Ian Marter

Format: Novel

Released: August 1983

Series: Target 78

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis 

"'Why on Earth?' asked Nyssa disapprovingly. 'Why on Earth not?' replied the Doctor.

A group of palaeontologists have been savagely attacked while carrying out a study of fossilised dinosaur remains in an underground cave system on twenty-sixth century Earth. A party of troopers and Professor Kyle, the only survivor of the attack, are investigating the deaths when they come across the Doctor and his companions at the site of the massacre. The time travellers are immediately suspected. 

Verdict 

Earthshock was a fantastic novelisation of a televised story I really do love. I've seen the TV story of this adventure on two occasions and upon my last viewing I scored it at full marks so you can forgive me for having very high expectations of the novel. At first, I thought things were starting off pretty slowly and nothing much exciting was happening. But soon after the first mention of the TARDIS crew regulars things kicked on into a quite excellent little novel. I love doing these Target adventures, particularly the ones that consist of roughly 120 pages, as they're the perfect length for my frequent train journey from south to mid Wales as I go from my mother's to my father's. I was almost laughing at how perfect the timing was this time around as just as I finished the last line of the last page I noticed the station coming into view where I get off. Not a bad choice out of my selection of Targets I didn't think! I really liked the quarrelling between the Doctor and Adric about the latter wanting to go back home. I really liked the references to Full Circle and Warriors' Gate and I thought it was great how Adric thought Romana may be able to help him and the TARDIS return home to E-Space. The Doctor dismissing the very idea of going to another universe without discussion was very typical of our hero. I liked how Nyssa and Tegan were slightly on the side of Adric though as they hoped to calm the Doctor down so that he'd at least consider the request. The Doctor wanting to take a wonder whilst he'd handed over access to the TARDIS computer to Adric was good and I loved the humour in him selecting Earth as the location. Nyssa and Adric both seemed to be bored of coming to this planet and even Tegan seemed slightly disappointed at being back on her home planet once again. The Doctor though was joyful and set off out into the dark surroundings of the cave system. It was obvious from the get go, and the Doctor's ability to somehow lure danger towards himself on so many previous occasions, that things wouldn't work out in a great way. They were soon approached and blamed for a savage attack that caused the massacre of a group of palaeontologists. It was pretty obvious that the Doctor and co weren't the culprits but it certainly didn't look good for them. As things went on I liked how the Doctor gradually got on to the friendly side of Lieutenant Scott, who I thought was a very good character. I also really liked Professor Kyle as well as Ringway when it comes to the characters of the story. The build up to the reveal of the Cybermen was intriguing and much different to what I was expecting. With the book at 120 pages I was guessing that they'd appear around the thirty page mark but they actually turned up nearer the fiftieth page! Nonetheless, it wasn't the most spectacular of entrances but the very presence of the Cybermen added something very special to the novel. I liked how there was nothing hidden about their plan. They just wanted to blow up Earth for revenge and to prevent the Galactic Congress from building an alliance against the Cybermen. I loved how the scene where the Doctor's meddling in past plans of the Cybermen was depicted. The references to The Tenth Planet, The Tomb of the Cybermen and Revenge of the Cybermen were wonderful and I loved the descriptions of the First, Second and Fourth Doctors. The shift in scene from the caves to the freighter allowed for a climatic ending to the novel. We had key characters dying, the TARDIS team being separated and Cybermen inside the TARDIS itself! The way the Cybermen were stopped was fantastic and even the silver monsters were shocked. I liked how they again exploited the Doctor's emotional weakness but he used their weakness of exposure to gold. The freighter fluctuating in time was quite incredible and I loved how the mention of the dinosaurs' extinction came full circle with the freighter actually being the thing responsible! It was quite a comical irony until it was revealed Adric was still trapped on board trying to break those codes to prevent the crash. When all seemed well he was distracted and would never know if he was right. Adric died as the freighter collided with Earth putting an end to dinosaur life. The atmosphere of the TARDIS was presented incredibly solemnly in print. Overall, a really excellent novel! 

Rating: 9/10

Seasons of Fear

"I'm shopping around, trying out all the different cults..."

Writers: Paul Cornell & Caroline Symcox

Format: Audio

Released: March 2002

Series: Main Range 30

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis 

On New Year's Eve, 1930, the Doctor lets Charley keep her appointment at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. But his unease at what he's done to time by saving her life soon turns into fear. Sebastian Grayle: immortal, obsessed, ruthless, has come to the city to meet the Time Lord. To the Doctor, he's a complete stranger, but to Grayle, the Doctor is an old enemy.

An enemy that, many years ago, he finally succeeded in killing. And this is his only chance to gloat.

The Doctor and Charley desperately search human history for the secret of Grayle's power and immortality. Their quest takes in four different time periods, the Hellfire Club, the court of Edward the Confessor and the time vortex itself. And when the monsters arrive, the stakes are raised from the life of one Time Lord to the existence of all humanity.

Verdict 

Seasons of Fear was an excellent audio adventure! It felt great to listen to my first Main Range story since September! I put off doing this story because I stumbled upon the knowledge that the Nimon were featuring and I was honest with myself in that I couldn't remember much at all about The Horns of Nimon or the Nimon themselves. I recently though rewatched that story after completing my Hartnell and Troughton Classic story run and to be honest, I kind of regret that decision now. I don't feel this audio really required any past knowledge of the Nimon as their aim was fully explained and there was nothing unique about them that you needed to watch their TV story to understand. But oh well. Time can't be changed. Speaking of which, I found it very intriguing how during this story the laws of time were suspended and the Doctor and Charley set out on purposely going back in time to alter the future! The story behind Sebastian Grayle was terrific and I enjoyed the continuity from Storm Warning with the Singapore references and the fact that Charley was intent on meeting Alex Grayle. I found the device the Doctor used of the TARDIS, gaining the Grayle DNA from Charley's mouth because she'd kissed him, most fascinating. Is there any kind of device the TARDIS doesn't have? I'm loving the Eighth Doctor audios from the Main Range though as at the time of release, these were the current stories and the Eighth Doctor and Charley were the current TARDIS team. They truly are wonderful together though and I'll be extremely surprised if the audios can reproduce a companion pairing that comes anywhere close to these two. I loved how they jumped across time and through history to locate Sebastian Grayle who was seeking immortality from his mysterious and anonymous masters. I loved how he'd changed between each meeting with the Doctor and Charley. From Roman times, where we randomly heard some Dalek voices that weren't explained, to just preceding the Battle of Hastings and then in 1806 during the time of George III and Pitt the Younger. With my love of History, I rather enjoyed the three different periods. From Romans to Edward the Confessor to merry old 1806. Not a bad coverage in two hours I must say. I found Sebastian to be a very good character but despite his wish he almost didn't seem to be a villain. I liked how he was growing increasingly difficult to kill though. The Doctor through him off a house far below into the sea but he just simply swam away. The Doctor's reaction to doing that though was stunning I must say. He couldn't believe that he almost wanted to kill somebody. It showed how much he cared about Charley as he imagined Sebastian having her blood on his hands. That's something that horrified him. I liked the Hellfire Club appearing once again with this pairing, albeit some time prior to Minuet in Hell. The obvious references to The Horns of Nimon were definitely welcomed and I really liked the subtle hints to the fact that they'd be returning. That's the one benefit of watching their only TV appearance beforehand I guess. Richard and Lucy were wonderful characters though their apparent demise was very confusing but intriguing. What was the creature that sounded like Charley but seeked both her and the Doctor? I'm sure we'll come to find out - just like why Daleks were heard in Roman times! The reference to The Chimes of Midnight was nicely included too. I also thought it was very interesting that the Doctor was narrating some of the events of this story. With the heavy references to Charley's survival that shouldn't have occurred, and the Doctor referring to the person he was telling the events as 'my lord', I get the impression the Doctor might be on trial for a third time! But time will tell. Here however, he'd thwarted the Nimon in another attempt of theirs to capture Earth. This time they had to use a time corridor but the Doctor saw to blocking that. The use of the rustless sword to drain the energy from Sebastian was excellent but I was quite shocked that the younger Sebastian killed what he'd become if he sought his desire for immortality. That put away an awkward situation for the Doctor. The Nimon sounded more impressive than they did on TV and I guess we've got time to thanks for that. After a relatively poor TV showing, I'm glad the Nimon got a second bite at the cherry and appear in a story to be proud of. Overall, a great plot with a lot of questions left to be answered! 

Rating: 9/10  

The Sontaran Experiment

"Now, where's my five hundred year diary. I remember jotting some notes on the Sontarans..."

Writers: Bob Baker & Dave Martin

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 22nd February - 1st March 1975

Season: 12.03

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Harry

Synopsis 

Transmitting down from Nerva Beacon, the Doctor, Sarah and Harry find themselves on Earth in the far future, long-since abandoned by the human race. But it soon becomes clear that they are not alone: a shipwrecked crew of Galsec colonists are being hunted down, one by one. What is the creature that lives in the rocks, and what is the purpose of the lethal tests it is conducting? Can the Doctor ensure the safety of the Earth for future generations of mankind?

Verdict 

The Sontaran Experiment is a fantastic little story and I'm glad that after an impressive debut, the Sontarans were back for more. Now, it's quite ironic how the budgetary costs of their first story meant they'd return due to the wonderfully impressive Sontaran ship capsule and costume. I find it quite funny with Classic stories when they leave the reveal of the big enemy until a cliffhanger despite the name of that very monster being in the title! It happened here and it happened in Destiny of the Daleks and The Power of the Daleks. But, in saying that, I do like knowing that a great cliffhanger is on the horizon with the return of a great enemy. That was the case here with the Sontarans. I liked the continuity from The Ark in Space with the far in the future setting remaining consistent and Earth being abandoned. Imagine coming to this planet with all its wonders and there wasn't a soul in sight. I imagine that'd be pretty daunting! Sarah's reaction to the Doctor saying where Trafalgar Square might be was brilliant. The arrival of the trio to the countryside was quite humorous and I liked how the Doctor immediately got to work on his task of fixing the circle. I liked his lack of reaction to Harry coming and going and then being quite oblivious to Sarah landing on her back a distance away. I really liked Sarah in this story despite the outfit being somewhat questionable, even for the 1970s. Her relationship with Roth throughout the story was nice to see and it's clear that she can get along with just about anybody if they're nice in return. Tom Baker was magnificent as the Fourth Doctor in this one and even for an early adventure we see some wonderful traits that would become synonymous with the incarnation. I loved it when he told Harry never to throw away anything as he was throwing away the very thing that saved him from the Sontaran gunshot. I liked the numerous references to The Time Warrior with Sarah believing that Styre was actually Link whom she had encountered way back into history from this time zone. I liked how it was established that the Sontarans were a clone race and I also liked how we saw the Grand Marshall who was eager to see that the experiments on the human race were finished. Styre though was having problems with the GalSec party and the arrival of the TARDIS trio. The Doctor intentionally going into where Harry had gotten himself trapped was pretty funny I must say! I liked how the Doctor challenged Styre to single combat and knowing that the Sontaran was prone to a weakness and the cure being removed from his ship, the Sontaran literally withered away into nothingness. It was quite a gruesome death! The Doctor talking to the Marshall about his victory was fantastic. He does like to gloat! Overall, a great little two part story and I'm glad that the Sontarans returned and went on to become a memorable villain. 

Rating: 8/10

Rose

"Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!"

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 26th March 2005

Series: 1.01

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

When Rose Tyler meets a mysterious stranger called the Doctor, her life will never be the same again. Soon, she realises that her mum, her boyfriend, and the whole of planet Earth are in danger. The only hope for salvation lies inside a strange blue box...

Verdict

Rose was an excellent episode and it really is a fantastic way to bring Doctor Who back to our screens on a regular basis after a 16 year hiatus. I think I may have preferred things if Paul McGann reprised his role as the Eighth Doctor for the reboot but I can see why Russell T Davies opted for a new incarnation. I do wish that we saw the regeneration however in the pages of DWM and I still can't believe they turned that opportunity down! Obviously, it allowed us to have The Day of the Doctor but a comic strip regeneration would have been something amazing. The episode obviously sees a lot of firsts with a new Doctor, companion, opening credits and TARDIS interior. I like how the Doctor is kept quite a mystery to the new viewers that would have been watching Doctor Who for the first time and we really don't get to learn a great deal about him. We hear the Nestene Consciousness mutter that he's a Time Lord and he does confirm himself that he's alien, but despite the bigger on the inside time travelling spaceship, we don't know much about the northerner. I think the format decided upon really does modernise the programme and a 45 minute single episode (most of the time) really does add excitement to the story. It's fast paced and with the array of special effects now available, Doctor Who really was brought into the 21st century with this episode. I think it's great how we see the companion first. The focus is all on Rose and it's clear from the start that we're going to be introduced to the Doctor through her perspective. A clever move for new fans I think. I'm not a fan of meeting the companion's family and boyfriend even if Mickey is important to the plot. The moment the Doctor was standing in Jackie's bedroom was pretty funny though I must say! I liked how despite this being a debut for a whole new generation, there was still a blend of the Classic era in the episode. We had the return of the Autons controlled by the Nestene Consciousness and we have the looming presence of the TARDIS. The relationship between the Doctor and Rose was excellent and you could see that despite the quarrelling they were going to get along magnificently. The Doctor referencing what we'd later learn to be The Time War was intriguing and it also makes me wonder how many other planets and races were affected by a war between the Time Lords and the Daleks. The Doctor acknowledging his apparently newly regenerated body for the first time was great. Though I do think it was a good idea to depict this incarnation as having previous adventures - just without seeing a mirror obviously! Clive was fantastic and I liked his theory on who the Doctor was. The fact that shop window dummies came to life is a massively frightening one and shows that danger just about lurks everywhere. The moment where Rose pointed out the London Eye as the transmitter was wonderful. I think that was the moment she became companion. Either that or the moment she fell back on her previous gymnastics and heroically saved the Doctor and allowed the anti-plastic to destroy the Consciousness. I really liked the end scene with Rose initially saying no to the Doctor's offer before accepting after he returned to tell her it travels in time. So there we are, an Auton invasion thwarted and a new Doctor and companion introduced. Not bad for the first episode of a debut season! The first in 16 years! 

Rating: 9/10

The King's Demons

"Chaos shall reign and I shall be its Emperor!"

Writer: Terence Dudley

Format: TV

Broadcast: 15th - 16th March 1985

Season: 20.06

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis 

England, March 1215. King John is visiting the castle of Sir Ranulph Fitzwilliam. The arrival of the TARDIS disturbs a medieval joust, but the Doctor and his companions are proclaimed to be friendly demons by the King, who seems strangely interested in their 'blue engine'.

It soon becomes clear that neither King John or his Champion, Sir Gilles Estram, are who they pretend to be. One of the Doctor's oldest and deadliest enemies threatens the future of democracy on Earth, and he must be stopped!  

Verdict 

The King's Demons is a great little story to conclude the landmark twentieth season of Doctor Who. After the eventful 'Black Guardian Trilogy' that saw the Doctor reunited with old friend the Brigadier, Nyssa's departure and Turlough's arrival, this is a nice place to drop in with the season with a relatively calm feel. I really liked the plot and the setting and even if the Master's disguise was pretty poor, the fact that we knew the revelation was coming filled me with great anticipation. Before blogging this story I read a little about how the adventure was perceived in the Radio Times and I find it pretty funny how JNT went to the trouble of having the Master's return hidden only for him to basically just dye his hair and grow a beard! I did think it was clever to go under the name of Estram though. This is only the second Classic era adventure I've blogged and I really am looking forward to getting stuck into them but with my A2 exams looming I'm struggling to find the time to consistently blog as I had been most of 2015. I'm still aiming for 20 stories a month but for now revision has to be my priority. The TARDIS arriving into 13th century England in the middle of a joust was rather funny! I like how the Doctor just calmly sauntered out as if what just happened was normal. The portrayal of King John was intriguing but of course there was later a big revelation regarding that. The sword fight that closed part one between the Doctor and Estram was excellent and cast my mind back to The Sea Devils where the two, in previous incarnations, also engaged in sword combat. Just like then, the Doctor got the upper hand. Or so he thought. Then came the looming cliffhanger of the Master breaking the disguise and immediately taking control. I loved the disguise of his TARDIS, a very eloquent hiding place. The story wasn't the best one for companions with Turlough just locked away and Tegan not offering much at all to the Doctor. Peter Davison was brilliant as the Fifth Doctor and showed signs of why on my original DVD hunting where I was watching these Classics for the first time, I considered him to be my favourite Doctor. That has since been revised but I do hold a soft spot for Davison's incarnation I must admit. The plot of the Master, though something possibly more likely to be associated with the Monk, was fantastic. As I was earlier speaking of my upcoming A2 exams, the references to Magna Carta and the fact that the Master was intent on preventing that Act being signed by the King was wonderful! Imagine a world ravaged by a lack of parliamentary democracy. There would be chaos indeed. However, the Doctor knew something was wrong and that's when the revelation surrounding King John was revealed. He was actually a shape shifting robot known as Kamelion! I really liked the idea with the robot being controlled by mind. The battle of wits between the Doctor and the Mastet was a superb moment. I like how the Doctor got the upper hand and decided to take Kamelion inside the TARDIS. The Master got away but the Doctor used his own tissue compression eliminator against him to meddle with his TARDIS dimensions! Overall, a great little plot. The disguise of the Master could obviously have been better but a decent little season finale.

Rating: 8/10

Revolutions of Terror Part 2

"You talk a lot, but I think you deliberately leave out important stuff..."

Writer: Nick Abadzis 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 26th March 2015

Printed in: DWC #2

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby

Synopsis 

Terror has gripped Gabriella Gonzalez's corner of Sunset Park: vortices exploded from every machine in her father's laundromat; Gabby's future brother-in-law, Hector, claims he saw the Devil; and her grandmother saw a demonic vision of her dead husband. And right now Gabby is trapped in a Subway car by a monster wearing her face. Her only help - some skinny guy in a suit who won't stop waving a little blue flashlight around!

Verdict 

Revolutions of Terrof continued absolutely wonderfully in this second part of the adventure! It really was brilliant from start to finish. With the first part mostly all about getting to know Gabby and her family, l adored how this was just the Doctor and Gabby getting to know each other. After the great cliffhanger that concluded part one, I liked how the Tenth Doctor was consoling his would-be companion about the monster she was facing, who rather uncomfortably was wearing her face! Who wouldn't be petrified seeing a horrific monster threaten to kill you whilst looking like a horrendous version of yourself. I can't imagine how uncomfortable and unnerved Gabby must have felt. The Doctor told her not to look at the atrocity and to be fair, Gabby followed his instructions. It seemed she initially trusted him which would bode well for the future. The chase through the train was entertaining and I loved how worried Gabby was when she realised that the train was running out! The jump onto the platform was good and I liked how in all the uproar and fright, the Doctor was trying to work out how the monster was accessing the speakers. Once back in the normality of New York City, obviously a superb setting, the Doctor had that affect he always does on others during encounters as would later be mentioned in The Snowmen. The Doctor tried to tell Gabby to forget ever meeting him but after a chase through a train by a monster who looked like her which then turned back into the train security guard, along with emergency exits magically reappearing, could she just forget the man who handled that kind of situation ever so calmly? I liked how she went back to the TARDIS after seeing the Doctor go inside. The Doctor's cover story of it being his equipment hut of the blue branch of the police force wasn't believable in the slightest. The Pranavores were a very nice species and I liked how the Doctor wasn't modest about knowing of their existence and admitted he only discovered them recently. Gabby found them beautiful which was nice and I liked how they fed off the negative human emotion. But then came the Cerebravores who were alien to the planet, unlike their sentient counterparts, and were trying to manifest onto the planet by attacking the negative emotions and feeding on fear. Frighteningly, they showed you what you most feared. Not too bad an enemy at all! The psychosphere was most interesting and I liked how they were being attacked from beyond human perception. I liked how their arrival through the laundromat washing machines was explained and almost recreated as the Doctor crossed the bridge to try and stop the upcoming invasion plans that would be spreading across the planet. Danger lurked and Gabby was left with strict instructions to ensure that the washing machine cycle remained spinning. But a dangerous Cindy seemingly under control had arrived and seemed intent on stopping her. The Doctor too was in big trouble as a Cerebravore was ready to pounce! Overall, a sublime second part to the story with an absolutely gorgeous reference to The Aztecs. I loved how Cameca was name-dropped by the Doctor after he mistakenly got engaged to her during his first incarnation! I also liked the continuation from The Christmas Invasion with the Tenth Doctor being a one chance man. I look greatly forward to part three and that's where the rating will come upon the adventure completing. 

The Friendly Place

"There'd be monsters and baddies and happy endings. Probably a moral."

Writer: Al Ewing

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 26th March 2015

Printed in: DWC #2

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

Alice lost her mother, her job and her apartment, and was at her lowest ebb. That's when the Doctor crashed into her life, chasing an alien rainbow dog - known as Kharitite - through the streets of London! 

The Doctor and Alice proved a pretty good team, reuniting the Kharitite and its owner without totally decimating the Houses of Parliament. Now they're on a new adventure...

Verdict 

The Friendly Place was another excellent little story to continue along the Eleventh Doctor section of the wonderful new Doctor Who Comic. After a successful opening story in After Life in which Alice was introduced as companion, I really loved how the Doctor wanted to show her something wonderful for her first trip in the TARDIS. That didn't work out though unfortunately as he'd misjudged the time period in landing on Rokhandi. Possibly only by ten years but it was enough to really annoy the Time Lord. I'm intrigued that we're seeing this side of Matt Smith's Doctor in these comics and I really do think he'd play the part incredibly well. Alice and him are an interesting match up so I'm looking forward to seeing how they get along with great anticipation. The theme park was presented fantastically with an array of colour and ebullience. The pig the Doctor was shouting at for what was actually his mistake was a pretty funny moment. Alice, the library assistant not librarian as the Doctor was keen to keep getting wrong, didn't seem too bothered by the fact the time period was wrong. She was just over the moon to have landed on a different planet in the future! With a theme park! The Doctor, and Alice to her credit, noticed that the place was severely lacking unhappy people. A theme park isn't that amazing that there's not one single person who isn't happy. I liked how they'd picked up on that. The segment of an incredible quote, which appears in my chosen quote accompanying the blog entry above, was terrific throughout the story and I loved how it was brought full circle at the story's closure. The mystery of the theme park was good and I liked the singing of it being a friendly world. It tied in nicely with the adventure's title but actually this wasn't as friendly and happy as it appeared. As the Doctor and Alice went deeper into the theme park, the mystery was soon becoming clearer. The offers of dental floss and 100% cotton t-shirts most certainly shouldn't be accepted! I found the Entity (I'm not sure it should be a capital but for now that's how it's known so I'll keep it like that) a really good idea and found it not too dissimilar to the Flesh from The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People. However, they could show you what you most desired. Before it was revealed what the Doctor asked for, I thought it may have been what was responsible for the Doctor seeing a Time Lord in After Life. I'm very excited to see how that is explained in the future. I'm also looking forward to August Hart's first meeting with the Doctor, Alice and what seems to be a future companion. A very clever and brilliant preview of a future adventure. Just who is "the other one" to whom he referred. I can't wait to find out. The man himself was a good villain and it's clear he's not a happy chap about what the Doctor and co did to his plans on their last meeting. Obviously it's in his past but from the Doctor and the reader's perspective, it's something very much to look forward to. The conclusion was very nice with the theme park being returned to normal and most of the controlled employees getting their memories back. Alice mentioning my opening quote was a beautiful end to a great story! I'm very impressed with Doctor Who Comic and next issue I won't be rereading two thirds of it which will be fantastic.

Rating: 9/10  

Blood and Ice Part 1

"You are looking at the most unspoiled view on this planet."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 2nd April 2015

Printed in: DWM 485 

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

The Twelfth Doctor and Clara arrive at Snowcap U, a study base in the Antarctic. There, some students are acting suspiciously and Clara receives the shock of her life...

Verdict

Hurrah! It's a DWM Thursday and quite a celebratory one as the magazine has four collectable covers for the keen reader to choose from. Seeing as the magazine is celebrating the tenth anniversary of Doctor Who's return in 2005 with Rose, I thought I should pick the Christopher Eccleston cover seeing as he was the Ninth Doctor that so successfully brought it back to our screens a decade ago. The issue looks to be a promising with an abundance of interviews from many of those responsible or part of bringing the show we all love back to our television screens. I've already read Steven Moffat's column which was as good as ever and I loved how he admired a fan theory relating to Delta and the Bannermen! I'm not sure I'll be entering any of the competitions as I wasn't overly struck on the prizes though I may be tempted by the audio of Frontios. Gallifrey Guardian is always a good read so I'm looking forward to that and I adored DWM's distaste at the DVD release of The Underwater Menace still not having occurred. I'm not a fan of Fact of Fiction and I usually give that a miss but seeing as it's covering the episode that brought it all back I may give it a go this time around. I always look forward to Jacqueline Rayner's little column that follows the comic strip and speaking of which, I was absolutely thrilled to see that she was penning Blood and Ice! I really liked the comic strip this month as I expected after seeing that the wonderfully barmy Jacqueline Rayner was the writer! The setting of the Antarctic in 2048 was a superb one and I like how a big future cliffhanger was immediately opened with the Doctor declaring that their location seemed familiar. I wonder just what might have caught the Doctor's eye about his surroundings. Again though, Clara's representation in DWM isn't like it truly is on television at all which I'm finding quite annoying now because I love her and I love these comics but they're getting her wrong consistently. I'm going to try and not let it affect each story's rating, as I did with the relationship with Danny during Series 8, but I do hope it improves. The Titan Doctor Who Comic has it so much closer to reality. To give DWM its credit though, it's absolutely nailed Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor in probably a more effective way than the Doctor Who Comic has. I wasn't struck on how they presented Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor early doors but here they've nailed the Doctor to precision which is vitally important. The story was good and I liked the subtle reference to this Doctor being an unprecedented thirteenth (shouldn't it technically be fourteenth) member of the party. There should only have been twelve just as the Doctor should only have regenerated twelve times. That was really clever. George Evans enquiring about his daughter Polly had me thinking at first that we were going to meet the First and Second Doctor companion of the same name during her late teenage/early 20s years. But the year soon quashed that theory. Dr. Audley was a mysterious character and there's obviously more there than meets the eye. Winnie was a quiet character but after a shocking albatross attack on the helicopter, an even bigger shock followed back at the complex as Clara and Winnie were changing clothes, Winnie looked identical to Clara! Have we met a fragment of Clara that we saw were splintered in The Name of the Doctor? I bloody hope so! A fantastic start to the comic strip. 

  

Terrorformer Part 2

"The energies within them out of control - an entire race on the verge of supernova."

Writer: Robbie Morrison

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 26th March 2015

Printed in: DWC #2

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

The Doctor and Clara came to the ice world of Isen VI - to find it transformed into a lush jungle by terraformers in the pay of the richest man in the 25th century, Kano Dollar! But this is no holiday - the Doctor has tracked a signal of Time Lord origin to the planet. After ingratiating himself with the terraformers, they descended to the core of the planet to discover that the terraforming machines had ruptured an ancient containment unit. And now, after millions of years in cryogenic suspension, a fearsome Hyperion is awake!

Verdict 

Terrorformer concluded excellently in this second part! Now, the blog entry for this story's conclusion is nearly two weeks later than I expected and hoped! Firstly, during my blogging of part one, I wasn't planning on starting the Series 8 DVD rewatch - that actually came after purchasing the Half-Face Man figurine magazine when I thought I wouldn't be able to have it after my usual supplier didn't have any in stock. Just by chance I found it in a market in a city not too far away. Anyway, originally I had blabbed on this blog going out on March 19th (the advertised release date of issue 2 of the new UK Doctor Who Comic). However, the issue was put back a week and I didn't want to interfere with my DVD rewatch of the travels of the Twelfth Doctor and Clara by seeing what they were getting up to in the comic strips! I was lucky to find the second issue of this comic actually as it was almost hidden away in WH Smith! Right at the bottom and right at the back. But I got there in the end (along with the stunning Tereleptil figurine) and have now managed to conclude the story (once again) today. I read this story back in November-December time with the US version but whilst I'm getting the UK DWC I thought I should reread the stories I've already done to get back into the swing of things with each Doctor and respective companion. I thought this part was weaker than the story's first but it was still very good indeed! The story as a whole gets a superb rating so I can't have any complaints really. The cliffhanger was excellent last time out so I enjoyed how we got a history of the Hyperions to start off this issue. I loved how they were sentient sun-like beings who at first, were very helpful and kind to other species. But as their evolution was coming to an end, that all changed. They became evil and desperate to prolong their lives. They harnessed the powers of suns outside of their solar system and took the energy into themselves, leaving innocent creatures and their planets to freeze. The picture of Rassilon standing side by side with Sontaran's and Silurians as part of the intergalactic alliance was sublime. Not too shabby an alliance to go to war against the Hyperions then! The Doctor standing up the Rann-Korr was brilliant. Despite blowing them all up and then saving them all but losing them in a pocket dimension, the Doctor was still representing the Time Lords even if he was technically the last in this universe. Rann-Korr mocked that but that just seemed to ignite the fire in the Doctor's eyes to put an end to the great inferno after all. His statement about having plans within plans only to not have the slightest idea of a plan was just wonderful and typical of the Twelfth Doctor. I loved that. I'm not convinced the characterisation of Clara is accurate but I actually liked her here. The sword fight with Eric was neatly done indeed. I liked how she stood proudly but was almost engulfed by the fire of Hyperios. That would have been embarrassing. Professor Spector was a good character and I liked how suddenly Kano Dollar changed his stance on his wedding to a warrior bride after she challenged him to see who would dominate the bedroom! I'm not sure any man would be quite pleased about that though! Aurora was a great little addition to the story after the crash too! I liked the build up to the conclusion with Rann-Korr laughing ferociously thinking victory was his and that Hyperios would rise. The Doctor though had other ideas and with the help of Clara and co, turned the Hyperion into a great ice lolly! Or pretty much anyway. It was a comical ending but a logical one. I do like how it leaves things open for a possible return of Rann-Korr because eventually, that ice has got to melt! I also thought the ending was peculiar going back to Neptune in the 22nd century. I'm not sure if anything will be made of that though. Overall though, a very good conclusion to the excellent story started in issue one! A good start to the US imported Twelfth Doctor comics!

Rating: 8/10