The Pictures of Josephine Day

"It's the painting. The characters. They've gone..."

Writer: George Mann
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 4th November 2015
Printed in: Titan Comics: The Eighth Doctor #1

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Josie

Synopsis

The Eighth Doctor has come a long way since he regenerated in the morgue of Grace Holloway's hospital. He has known many friends and fast companions in his life - Charley Pollard, C'rizz, Lucie Miller, Tamsin Drew, Molly O'Sullivan, and many more.

Now travelling alone after an intense period in his long life, the Doctor has returned to his most regular haunt... Earth.

Verdict

The Pictures of Josephine Day was an excellent comic strip and a brilliant start to the Eighth Doctor's adventures in the pages of Titan Comics. It has taken me a while to finally purchase and start reading the A Matter of Life and Death graphic novel but thanks to some shoddy work by BBC Worldwide, the availability of the Titan stories is often confusing and mixed. Anyway, onto the story itself and I have the complete mini-run in my hands with this collection which is a positive and I thought this was a tremendously good start. The Doctor returned to his cottage which, judging from his description, he hadn't been to since his third incarnation and with the presumed present day setting, I'd like to think it hadn't been in use since the days he was UNIT's scientific adviser. I really enjoyed how he kept referring to his past incarnations in the third person and he was now looking for his copy of Jayne Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Things took a little detour, though, as he encountered Josie in humorous fashion but the opening exchange captured the likeness of Paul McGann's Doctor wonderfully well. The characterisation really was excellent and that made me very happy. Josie herself seems like another brilliant companion and I'm intrigued by her artistic similarities to Gabby who of course accompanied the Tenth Doctor during his travels. Josie is a very talented artist and had been selling her paintings in the local village, which I was delighted to read was in Wales, but what she was painting was remarkably interesting! She had painted a Kroton, Ice Warrior and even a Cyberman at one point and the Doctor's delayed reaction to wanting to know how that was possible was terrific. The way he nudged Josie into the story's resolution was fantastic and I liked how he angry and helpless she felt before his words clicked in her mind. Her paintings were helpless monsters because she was writing the story and all she had to do, with a little help from her anime particles, was draw the Doctor and the painted version would know exactly what to do. And that's exactly what happened. The simplicity was terrific and I loved how enthusiastic the Doctor was when Josie fetched him the copy of his book he sought after. Inside though, in some familiar but unrecognisable handwriting, was a sort of checklist of things to do. Space coordinates at the ready, the Doctor and Josie were about to have some adventures of their own. Overall, a superb start to the mini-range and I can't wait to read about the 'to-do list' adventures.

Rating: 9/10

The Chartwell Metamorphosis

"Before us hangs the antidote to death."

Writer: Ken Bentley
Format: Audio
Released: January 2016
Series: The Churchill Years 1.04

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Churchill

Synopsis

Comfortably retired to his home at Chartwell, Churchill plans to live out his days in peace, in the company of his butterflies - if his attendants would just leave him alone.

But it isn't simply Lepidoptera breeding in the gardens, as a far more sinister species is about to emerge from its cocoon - and is ready to feast on something more than just the shrubberies.

Surrounded on all sides, the former Prime Minister must put a life's worth of experience into action in order to win the day. Can his new nurse Lily Arwell offer her assistance?

Verdict

The Chartwell Metamorphosis was a very good story and a nice way to conclude the first volume of The Churchill Years! I have enjoyed this boxset very much and I will definitely look to purchase the second volume at some point in the future based upon the quality of this first series. It really has been delightful! I was quite surprised by this story in that Lily Arwell returned, quite some time after we first saw her in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, as I doubt she was at the top of anybody's wish list for characters they wanted to return. However, she worked very well and pairing her older self with an older Churchill was a terrific little combination. I was also surprised to see that the Doctor featured so prominently on the cover of this story as his arrival was actually quite late into its events. We've seen the Eleventh Doctor and Winston Churchill meet before in Victory of the Daleks so a meeting between the pair here wasn't as desirable as the first two stories in the boxset as we even had a TARDIS outing for them both in Living History. The Doctor was not missed though and I think that shows how good of a historical figure Winston Churchill really is. He can hold his own and lead a Doctor Who story! That's quite remarkable when you think about. His fascination with butterflies was really explored here and I have to admit that I was sceptical of the theme as the audio unfolded but once the metamorphosis of Mrs Whitaker occurred, my interest was peaked. It was very fascinating but this inhuman process surprised me the most when Churchill showed his displeasure at not being the first to undergo it! Churchill's desire for immortality was an excellent thing to explore and after all he's been through, it is hardly surprising that he would not want to die. Danvers was a good villain and once Churchill knew of his plan and pact with Whitaker, he wanted no part in what was going on here at Chartwell. He couldn't have known but he was caught up in something truly evil. They wanted the human race as hosts and that saw that the Doctor would be called upon for help. His arrival was brilliant and the moment you heard the TARDIS, even though Matt Smith didn't feature, you knew things had just gotten very interesting indeed. The presence of the Doctor is enough to change a story on its head. The threat was relatively quickly taken care of which was good and I liked Churchill finding out about the Doctor helping Lily to have Churchill in her care. The ending with the trio entering the TARDIS and heading to France was a delightful way to end a fantastic boxset. Overall, a very good story!

Rating: 8/10

Living History

"I meet Winston Churchill and he gets captured by Roman soldiers..."

Writer: Justin Richards
Format: Audio
Released: January 2016
Series: The Churchill Years 1.03

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Churchill, Kazran

Synopsis

Finally given the chance to travel in the TARDIS, Winston Churchill cannot resist the opportunity of meeting Julius Caesar. But the trip does not go quite as planned. With the TARDIS gone, and Churchill stranded in ancient Britain with a young man he barely knows and who comes from the future, it seems things can hardly get any worse.

Until he is captured by the invading Romans.

Still, at least that means Churchill will meet Julius Caesar after all. But then Churchill learns of the Bronze God, feared and worshipped by the Ancient Britons. A god that he recognises as anything but divine when he meets it.

Verdict

Living History was an excellent continuation of the first volume of The Churchill Years and it definitely ranks as the best story in the boxset so far. It really was a terrific audio adventure! I was pleased to hear that the Eleventh Doctor now featured in this story and I liked the change in that Churchill recognised this incarnation of the Doctor following the events of Victory of the Daleks. The recognition from that episode would not stop there though. The placement of this story for the Doctor was very intriguing as it actually took place during the events of A Christmas Carol with Kazran Sardick accompanying him in the TARDIS. I thought it was brilliant to get an insight into that pair between the meetings with Abigail. The way that the Doctor was basically written out of the story for much of its duration was good and we really got to see Winston and Kazran get an adventure of their own. Churchill getting to travel in the TARDIS is just wonderful and I loved how he wanted to meet Julius Caesar. I often advocate more stories set in Ancient History but the likelihood of getting one with Churchill and a Dalek was rare so I loved that here. Churchill recognised the true identity of the famed Bronze God immediately and I really liked how he still referred to it as an Ironside. That was great continuity and I also thought it was good that Kazran knew of them. The battle between the Romans and the Britons was fantastic and the prospect of Caesar and Churchill teaming up to orchestrate a strategy was frightening. The Britons really didn't stand a chance, did they? Tristahna was another terrific character and I liked how we got to learn of her association with her Bronze God. It was a very good flashback and once Churchill and Kazran provided the Daleks with its mean to repair and escape in the ship, it wanted to exterminate all humanity. That led to an unlikely alliance between Caesar and Tristahna's troops which would ultimately end in a truce. Something I'm sure the Doctor would have been very proud of indeed. The way Kazran edited his device to blow the ship up on launch was great and I liked how helpless he and Churchill seemed in their efforts to escape. The belief being that they had perished in defeating the Bronze God was superb and I loved how the Doctor arrived just in the nick of time. He didn't know how long he had been gone for but deduced that the Time Lock and the Dalek had something to do with the untimely takeoff of the TARDIS on arrival. Overall, a brilliant audio adventure! Very close to full marks.

Rating: 9/10

Hounded

"A stowaway in the soul..."

Writer: Alan Barnes
Format: Audio
Released: January 2016
Series: The Churchill Years 1.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Churchill

Synopsis

In the dark days of 1941, Britain is in the midst of war. Churchill must stand strong against the might of the enemy - but he is plagued by a darkness in his own psyche. Something he calls 'the Black Dog'.

Can a visiting Swami hold the answer to his troubles? And can Hetty Warner prevent the Prime Minister's adversaries from taking advantage of the situation?

Across London, the Tenth Doctor's arrival may be the nation's only hope - but the Time Lord's plan to help his friend is endangered when he finds himself declared a traitor by the agents of the country he has come to protect...

Verdict 

Hounded was a great story and a very good continuation of The Churchill Years Volume I. This time around we got to see the famed historical figure encounter the Tenth Doctor for the first time and I really am enjoying how the boxset is providing us with adventures between Churchill and past Doctors because it was very clear in Victory of the Daleks that he had met the Time Lord in previous incarnations so it's good that we get to experience that here. Of course, Players provided us with an early meeting in Churchill's life for the Sixth Doctor but in this boxset he is very much the figure known to history so it isn't surprising for some stories set during World War II. This one had quite an interesting atmosphere given the story behind the Black Dog and I liked how there was a link between Churchill, his shadow and his long-distant past. Churchill disregarded any kind of association with events four decades previous and that was a perfect representation of his stubbornness. The Doctor getting dubbed a traitor by MI5 was an interesting direction for the story but I was delighted to hear Hetty was back again for this adventure. Following the events of The Oncoming Storm, she had garnered quite the admiration for the Doctor but she wasn't aware that she was talking to him when she first encountered him again here. The story behind the letter and how time was being unwritten was very intriguing and that letter really did become crucial to the audio. Ian McNiece's narration was pretty good once again but I again thought that he could have done better in impersonating the Doctor. There was one moment of brilliance where it did feel like David Tennant was present in the story but other than that, it didn't feel like much of an impression which was a shame. Khan was an excellent character and I liked how he revealed to Winston what needed to be done and what had occurred with the Black Dog. The moment where the Doctor gave a speech about London being occupied by the Nazis in 1944 was terrific and I loved how despite that, Churchill almost instantaneously dismissed it. That couldn't possibly happen under his leadership, could it? The conclusion was a little rushed sadly but it still was pretty logical. I just thought the Doctor could have stuck around for a while considering the sacrifice of Hetty. Given his encounters with her, attending her funeral would not have been uncharacteristic of this incarnation. Overall though, a very good story and a great continuation of the series.

Rating: 8/10

The Oncoming Storm

"I'm an alien not a wizard."

Writer: Phil Mulryne
Format: Audio
Released: January 2016
Series: The Churchill Years 1.01

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Churchill

Synopsis

Late 1939. Britain faces the might of Germany. Winston Churchill serves as First Lord of the Admiralty. But Churchill soon finds himself facing a more immediate threat than the looming Nazi menace. A 'Stone' with the most mysterious properties is discovered in the Thames' sands, and soon oddly spoken soldiers are creeping round London ruthlessly trying to acquire it. Who are they? Can Churchill and his new secretary Hetty Warner defeat them? And what about the man in the battered leather jacket that Hetty meets? Churchill feels sure they can rely on the Doctor to help them! Except that this Doctor seems to want to stay hidden in the shadows...

Verdict

The Oncoming Storm was a brilliant audio adventure and a great start to the first volume of The Churchill Years. This has been a release I have been very interested in for two years now but with the vast amount of stuff out there, it has never seemed to be top of my purchase list. However, that all changed recently when I incredibly discovered it in a charity shop for just a tenner. I was hardly going to let that one slip! I liked the format and it really did feel like a Companion Chronicle with Churchill telling the tale of the first time he encountered the Ninth Doctor. The lack of Christopher Eccleston didn't really hurt the story too much but I did feel that Ian McNeice could have done a little more to try and capture the personality and likeness of this incarnation of the Doctor. The descriptions of him were good though and I liked how the focus was on his leather jacket. Hetty was a wonderful character and I really enjoyed her relationship with both the Doctor and Churchill. That's quite the pair of imposing figures! She stood her ground well and aided the efforts very nicely. The RATS were an intriguing enemy and I liked how this story, presumably set prior to the events of Rose, dealt with some fallout from the Time War. The concept behind the augur's stone was very good and I liked the idea of the Time Lords using something that would enhance intelligence in the latter days of the Time War to try and save Gallifrey from perishing. The Doctor firmly stating that he was on nobody's side was excellent and I really enjoyed Churchill's reaction to knowing that he was present. He placed an enormous amount of trust in the Doctor's abilities and knew that things would work out okay. Churchill himself was written very well and I very much enjoyed how stubborn he was. The RATS being an artificial intelligence searching for an intelligence augmentation was terrific and the Doctor's likening it to a scarecrow searching for a brain was superb. I really liked that. The Doctor knew that the AI would not be able to handle it though and was trying to prevent a massacre but that would prove futile. Hetty took matters into her own hands and grabbed the stone and the power she felt was almost instantaneous. Churchill's description of how she shared the intelligence levels of the Doctor at this point was fantastic and I thought the way it brought the conclusion, which was swift but great with the demise of the RATS, was very good indeed. Overall, I thought this was a brilliant start to the boxset and I really am looking forward to the rest of the series!

Rating: 9/10

This Sporting Life

"It's not only a cup. It's the World Cup!"

Writer: Una McCormick
Format: Audio
Released: May 2016
Series: Short Trips 6.05

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Dodo

Synopsis

When the Doctor, Steven and Dodo arrive in London in March 1966, World Cup fever is already underway. But disaster has struck: the trophy has been stolen, and the police are at a loss as to who could have taken it. When someone shoves part of the trophy into Steven's hands, the travellers become embroiled in the case...

Verdict

This Sporting Life was a decent little audio adventure and it is one that I had been looking forward to for quite some time. I'm not too sure why I took so long to finally purchase and listen to it but I was glad to be doing a Doctor Who story where football was a loose theme. I was actually quite surprised by how little football featured in this audio as the story was all about the World Cup going missing. I think it's terrific that there was a very own take from the Doctor Who universe regarding how the cup went missing and came to be found. It was quite humorous and that is often a good thing. Peter Purves was a very good narrator and I thought his impression of the First Doctor was excellent. He perfectly managed to capture the essence and likeness of William Hartnell and that is absolutely crucial in my opinion. I really liked some of the Doctor's moments in this story and the audio really captured the era it represented very nicely. The plot was intriguing but it definitely could have been improved. There was intrigue and mystery but there needed to be just a bit more action and excitement for me to give a higher rating. A story featuring Dodo is quite a rarity so I was delighted to hear her in this adventure and she was quite excited to be showing Steven the Swinging Sixties. Given the era the TARDIS trio come from (in terms of the show), just how the TARDIS was able to navigate its way successfully to a certain time and place is rather questionable. I won't dwell on it too much but it really doesn't fit with the characters that featured and the story's placement. The Goldsmith was a good character and the revelation that he was helping the aliens by wanting to use the World Cup to send them back on their way was interesting. Using the World Cup as parts was quite surprising and I liked how Dodo kept selling its importance. The Doctor being able to repair the ship was good even if it was quite easy and somewhat predictable. The length of this audio was good the pacing of the story was great but it was just missing a bit of an oomph factor. As a huge football fan myself, I was hoping for more about the sport but all we sadly got was Steven thinking it was a silly sport and his lack of understanding about the World Cup. Overall though, a pretty decent story!

Rating: 7/10

No Man's Land

"I am a coward."

Writer: Martin Day
Format: Audio
Released: November 2006
Series: Main Range 89

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Hex

Synopsis

It is 1917 and the Doctor, Hex and Ace find themselves in a military hospital in northern France. But the terrifying, relentless brutality of the Great War that wages only a few miles away is the least of their concerns.

The travellers become metaphysical detectives when the Doctor receives orders to investigate a murder. A murder that has yet to be committed...

Who will be the victim? Who will be the murderer? What is the real purpose of the Hate Room? Can the Doctor solve the mystery before the simmering hate and anger at Charnage hospital erupts into a frenzy of violence?

Verdict

No Man's Land was a great audio adventure which finally got me back listening to an extended story from the Main Range. I can never quite seem to get a decent run going from this range of audios and that simply is down to time but I am still determined to one day catch up with the monthly releases and the only way to do so is to simply crack on. I thought the setting of this story was very good with it being in France in the midst of the Great War. I also very much enjoyed how the audio began with the TARDIS trio very much having been involved in events that we didn't get the chance to listen to. There was no establishing things for a lengthy period and instead they were thrown right into a prison cell during World War One. I liked that. Ace warning Hex, who we forget is still a relatively new companion, about the dangers of interfering and changing history was great and I thought she had an excellent outing. She was even prepared to flaunt her looks at one point - something that I thought was refreshing and new and perfectly suited to her character. The reference to The Settling was very good and I was very intrigued by the companions' relationship throughout the story. The Seventh Doctor was terrific too and I liked how annoyed he was at being unable to prevent the murder that he was sent to stop. I thought Sergeant Wood was a great character and I was quite surprised that he was killed off at the halfway stage of proceedings. Brook was also good but I'd have preferred if he was the one to die with Wood being the monster that was trying to produce angry soldiers. Ace and Hex's trek across No Man's Land to the church was good and the revelation once they arrived that there were actually no German casualties was excellent. Dudgeon being sent to spy on matters at the hospital was also a little unexpected but my favourite part of the story was probably when the Doctor deduced that the warning letter had come from the typewriter of Taylor. They were all unique and after we got to experience some of his sleepwalking, in which he committed murder, he had warned people that he was likely to strike again. I thought that was brilliant. The ending was good but could have been a little faster paced and I was quite surprised to learn of the Forge's involvement. I do hope that gets elaborated on further in a future audio but I'm certainly not against it. The Hate Room was another good element of the story and I do wonder if it will have any kind of effect on Hex in the future too. Overall, a very good audio adventure!

Rating: 8/10

The Way through the Woods

"Who believed there were monsters in the woods?"

Writer: Una McCormick
Format: Novel
Released: April 2011
Series: NSA 44

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

'As long as people have lived here, they've gone out of their way to avoid the woods..."

Two teenage girls disappear into an ancient wood, a foreboding and malevolent presence both now and in the past. The modern motorway bends to avoid it, as did the old Roman road. In 1917, the Doctor and Amy are desperate to find out what's happened to Rory, who's vanished too.

But something is waiting for them in the woods. Something that's been there for thousands of years. Something that is now waking up.

Verdict

The Way through the Woods was a brilliant novel and a wonderful way to get back to reading an original novel for the first time this year. It has felt like an eternity since I have managed to read a full book and this was a great way to be back blogging prose. The trio of the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory really is right up there with the best TARDIS teams and they worked outstandingly well here. They all got to split up and do their own thing and the way it all linked was superb. We had Rory in 1917 getting acquainted with Emily while in present day Amy was garnering an interesting relationship with local journalist Jess. And as for the Doctor, well he was arrested and the prime suspect in a double missing persons case. It was quite the mashup. The story behind Swallow Woods was terrific and I love how people just unconsciously avoided going too close to them. Even the roads and motorways bent away from it. It was quite the phenomenon but nobody dared mention it. Vicky Caine's entry was a good place for the book to start and from there on in the pace was perfect. The revelations came at the right time and I particularly enjoyed the moment that the Doctor realised the pilot was still in the woods after all this time. Speaking of the Doctor, I thought the characterisation of number 11 was sublime with Matt Smith's likeness being excellently captured on the page. It really was very impressive. The conversation he had with Amy regarding her scarf and him explaining how the spaceship could bend space was magical and perfectly representative of their on-screen relationship. Rory was quite humorous and I was rather surprised when it was revealed that he was the man waiting for Emily to finish her shift. Reyn was not really an enemy at all but he provided the problem which the plot served to tackle. He was a Were-Fox which was quite unique and I was pleasantly surprised that he wasn't evil. He had kept Laura as company for over six decades but she was no captive. Their relationship was mightily intriguing. Porter and Galloway were quite humorous detectives and I loved how they dealt with the Doctor and eventually let him solve the problem of Swallow Woods. I though the conclusion really was well done and even when Reyn was going to risk the Shift going wrong because of his devotion to the Long War, the Doctor talked his way into saving the town. I do raise questions over the rules of interference for the Doctor with how he jumped around time regarding the woods and especially with the photos Amy supplied Jess regarding the bending roads through time. Laura, Emily and Harry getting to go off with Ship and travel through space was a nice way to end the book and I loved how we got little anecdotes at the story's end regarding the major characters. The novel also contained some wonderful references to Ian and Tegan and I also enjoyed the mentions of The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang with Rory being plastic. He just went through the simplicity of losing his memories here. But that wasn't Ship's fault, not once it was able to think for itself. Overall, a superb novel!

Rating: 9/10

The Deadly Assassin

"Why should anyone want to assassinate a retiring president?"

Writer: Robert Holmes
Format: TV
Broadcast: 30th October - 20th November 1976
Series: 14.03

Featuring: Fourth Doctor

Synopsis

Gallifrey. Planet of the Time Lords. The Doctor has finally come home, but not by choice.

Summoned by a vision from The Matrix, he is drawn into a web of political intrigue and assassination. Nothing is quite what it seems, and in the shadows lurks his oldest and deadliest enemy...

Verdict

The Deadly Assassin was a great adventure and a very good and interesting story to watch my young cousin - our first serial together for quite some time! I thought this would be a good choice for him to watch and I was delighted when he failed to recognise the emaciated incarnation of the Master as his return would have been something of a surprise to him. I love the setting of Gallifrey for just about any story and whilst this one was obviously in the series' early days regarding the Doctor's home planet, I thought it provided a very intriguing look at the politics of the planet of the Time Lords. The Doctor getting the projection that the retiring President was going to be assassinated was quite a great way to start and I loved how the ending of part one made it look like he was responsible for the murder. That was probably the best cliffhanger but looking at the story through the eyes of a nine-year-old and his reactions told me that the other two cliffhangers were just as equally good. The way the identity of the dark figure was concealed and gradually revealed was excellent and for anyone who didn't know that he was the Master beforehand, the reveal must have been a tremendous surprise. I thought it was superb but I also admire how brave it was to take a character like the Master and present him in an entirely new form given the tragic death of Roger Delgado. This story is obviously crucial to the history of Doctor Who as it cements the Time Lord limit on regeneration and we witness its effects on the Master firsthand. The traits of the character were still there at the end of his life and I liked that the TCE was still a favoured weapon. I do like that device because of how deadly it is and once we saw its use, we knew the Master was on Gallifrey and that was very exciting. I thought the references to The War Games and The Three Doctors were excellent in recalling the past involvement of Gallifrey and the Time Lords in the series and whilst the story as a whole is a good one, I thought part three was a little tedious. I don't think we required an entire episode being devoted to the Doctor's struggle in the reality-projected Matrix and whilst there was a lot of action, it seemed a little too long. I thought Tom Baker though was outstanding in this story and he really didn't seem to miss a companion at all which was a positive. The story's conclusion regarding the Sash of Rassilon, the Great Key and the Eye of Harmony would set the future regarding Time Lord society and I liked how there was a battle between the Doctor and the Master. The ambiguity surrounding the ending being quickly summed up with the Master escaping in his own TARDIS was great and I like how the character was able to live on past the death of its actor. Overall, a very good adventure!

Rating: 8/10

The Neutron Knights

"What earthly barrier could withstand a man who had already breached the Gates of Hell?"

Writer: Steve Parkhouse
Format: Comic Strip
Released:
Printed in: DWM 60

Featuring: Fourth Doctor

Synopsis

Earth, in the far future: the fearsome Neutron Knights, led by the bloodthirsty warlord Catavolcus, descend on the inner sanctum of the fortress of a king and his few remaining defenders. The wizard summons the Doctor and Earth's final battle ensues...

Verdict

The Neutron Knights was a wonderful comic strip story to conclude my reading of the Dragon's Claw graphic novel! It really did bring the Fourth Doctor's comic strip adventure run in Doctor Who Magazine to an excellent finish and he now becomes the third Doctor for whom I have finished their original run in the magazine's pages in its entirety. Despite my skipping of Junk-Yard Demon in the graphic novel, I did manage to read that story a few years ago so that one has been blogged and rated a few years ago now but I was tempted to reread it given its high quality - I remember it being superb. I was then glad to see that this story followed in a similar way and I was especially pleased with it only being one part long. But it was just terrific from start to finish and I absolutely loved how the Wizard, later revealed to be Merlin, was able to summon the Doctor and the TARDIS by sheer force of will. That was quite an extraordinary feat and I was rather impressed and I loved the Doctor's reaction to the TARDIS setting off on its own. The characterisation of the Fourth Doctor was brilliant in this story which I was delighted by as it was this incarnation's final story in the magazine (at the time he was the Doctor of course) so I'm glad the likeness of Tom Baker was perfectly clear on the page. I thought the setting of the end of the world for Earth was good and the many variations of the planet's demise have all been quite different and this was exactly the case here. However, I very much liked how this was by no means a definitive representation of the planet's end and the moment the Doctor realised that he was with Merlin and being rescued by Arthur was terrific. He couldn't quite believe it! And I must admit that a smile came to my face. It was ridiculous and just impossible and that's something I always seem to enjoy. We were at the end of the world but we had these two figures from history making a final stand against the Neutron Knights to protect the last power source which was a gigantic nuclear fissure that was in the shape of the Dragon! Now there's some imagination for you. Barmy and brilliant. The ambiguous ending regarding whether the Doctor was dreaming or if it had been an illusion or a merger of the past and future was excellent and just perfect for what the story was. Overall, not quite a perfect rating but it was very, very close. A fantastic adventure!

Rating: 9/10

The Free-Fall Warriors

"There's not a vehicle in this solar system that can out-perform the TARDIS!"

Writer: Steve Parkhouse
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September-October 1981
Printed in: DWM 56-57

Featuring: Fourth Doctor

Synopsis

The Fourth Doctor is holidaying at the Festival of Five Planets in a distant solar system and has met an alien science-fiction writer by the name of Doctor Asimoff. The pair are invited on a hair-raising flight with one of the Free-Fall Warriors and the entertainment soon turns into danger...

Verdict

The Free-Fall Warriors was another great comic strip adventure in the Dragon's Claw graphic novel! This collection is plodding along very nicely and I have now nearly wrapped up my reading of the Fourth Doctor's initial comic library from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine. It's still a little weird seeing him travelling alone but there is plenty of leeway for that to occur as it did of course happen on television in The Deadly Assassin so I'm going to assume the story's placement is somewhere around that excellent serial. I absolutely loved the first page of this adventure and I have to say it was extremely well done. The Doctor was engaged in a rapid game of Space Invaders but when reading the opening page the reader was unaware and it looked as though the Doctor was actually targeting and shooting down people! Of course, that would never occur but that brought intrigue as to why he would enjoy the video game but I'm probably looking into things way too much there. I could just appreciate the ambiguity and the thought of the Doctor going rogue. I very much liked it. I was happy to see that this was the first story to feature Doctor Asimoff as I have met him before in Polly the Glot and I thought he had a humorous relationship with the Fourth Doctor here. The pair getting embroiled in the lives of the Free-Fall Warriors was quite interesting and I loved how dearly the Doctor was defending his beloved TARDIS. He accepted a gracious challenge from Machine Head to see which vehicle was more exhilarating and there was no contest. The TARDIS certainly came up short which is quite an unusual feat. The Festival of Five Planets was a very good setting and I liked how it ended up serving as a mini battleground in the battling between the Free-Fall Warriors and the Raiders. That little fight was very action-packed and exciting which was great and I loved that once the Raiders were dealt with, the Warriors returned as heroes. Asimoff being a sci-fi writer was the perfect profession for someone to accompany the Doctor and I am looking forward to the unread meetings between the pair. The Warriors were excellent and I loved their names with Big Cat and Cool Breeze being my particular favourites. I was quite surprised to learn that they got their own origin comic strip though - that's quite a feat! Overall, a terrific little adventure!

Rating: 8/10

End of the Line

"Is this how it ends... after four incarnations?"

Writer: Steve Parkhouse
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July-August 1981
Printed in: DWM 54-55

Featuring: Fourth Doctor

Synopsis

The Fourth Doctor lands on an automatic subway line and soon finds himself being chased by zombie-like creatures known as Cannibals. Uniting with Angel of the Guardian Angels, a battle for control of the subway ensues but the Doctor will make a harrowing discovery...

Verdict

End of the Line was a very good comic strip and a great continuation of my reading of the Dragon's Claw graphic novel. For a Doctor Who story, and particularly of the comic strip format, I did think it was rather graphic and I was quite surprised to be reading a story that dealt with cannibalism. Of course, we didn't see anything of the kind of human consumption but the dialogue and some of the artwork didn't leave much to the imagination! It obviously wasn't on the levels of Countrycide but that story was from Torchwood and with the adult themed nature of the series that felt rather suited. This though was a little disturbing but I enjoyed the contrast between the Cannibals and the fun-loving Fourth Doctor. I did feel the usage of speech from the Doctor rather than reading his thoughts was a little too much and even though I'd say the Fourth Doctor is the most likely incarnation to splutter to himself, it could have been a little decreased. The automatic subway setting was good and I quite liked the action-packed start with the Doctor narrowly escaping being hit by a train. The characterisation of Tom Baker's fourth incarnation was pretty decent and I liked how he thought his life may be over in just this fourth body when it came to the possibility of him being devoured. That would have been a horrible way to go! The Cannibals were interesting and I liked how they hunted in a pack and despite their hunger still managed to maintain a semblance of order. That was admirable. Angel of the Guardian Angels saving the Doctor from becoming a meal was good and I liked the concept of the people she represented. The Doctor's claiming not to be a medical doctor was quite a surprise and it seemed like he really was unable to help the Engineer in a form that wasn't advice. The Doctor helping the group's plan to get a train of their own and into the famed and desirable countryside was great and I loved how he fended off the Cannibals so they could reach safety. However, he wanted to know for sure that they made it and I really liked that. But he was unable to discover if they had with the thought countryside actually being a wasteland. The ambiguity surrounding the conclusion was brilliant and I liked the reaction of the Doctor. It really got you thinking about the story and I was a big fan of that. Overall, a great comic strip adventure!

Rating: 8/10

The Deal

"I kill... they pay... that's the deal!"

Writer: Steve Parkhouse
Format: Comic Strip
Released: June 1981
Printed in: DWM 53

Featuring: Fourth Doctor

Synopsis

The Fourth Doctor finds himself embroiled in the Millennium Wars, a devastating battle between a thousand worlds that has been ensuing for a thousand years. The reasons are long lost but the Doctor is caught up with a deadly man who's got himself a deal, he kills for pay...

Verdict

The Deal was a decent little comic strip adventure that saw me finally continue my reading of the Dragon's Claw graphic novel. I have been overdue to continue my reading of the Fourth Doctor's comic strip adventures in Doctor Who Magazine but after my coming to Mid Wales, I made a quick visit to my young cousin's house to retrieve his copy of this collection of stories, something I haven't done for well over a year. Sadly, the quality wasn't quite as great as the stories I read in my previous little run of reading this but that's not to say it was bad at all. I thought the characterisation of Tom Baker's fourth incarnation was actually excellent with his likeness being very well-captured on the page. I really liked the idea of the Millennium Wars and I would love to return to that in some form in considerable detail - I really do think there is a lot of potential there for something quite great. An early replication of the Time War, perhaps? The Doctor having trouble with the TARDIS is not a new concept but it's always a fun one to revisit and this time it was the gravitational stabilisers that were on the brink. I did think Spider (if that was what he was called) and his chum managed to get into the TARDIS a little too quickly and easily but the Doctor's thoughts were rather humorous regarding his encounters with them. He was actually dematerialising the TARDIS towards the planet's core which was another surprise but then he surprisingly just left the pair of cronies to die when a king pursuit ship came to find them. I'm not sure that was a great representation of the Doctor's personality but it was pretty much how I figured the story would end. With my recent reading of the Nemesis of the Daleks graphic novel, I suspected this story to just be five pages but at only part I was very happy to see that it was a full eight pages which is a decent length story. Those three pages really do make a difference! I thought they played a little too much into the whole deal agreement that Spider had made and whilst it was clear he was a hired assassin, I'm not sure he needed to continuously mention it. It did end the comic strip nicely though and as a whole this was quite a fun little adventure. Overall, a pretty good story!

Rating: 7/10

Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons

"Anything plastic, anything at all, can become a vehicle for the Nestene consciousness.'"

Writer: Terrance Dicks
Format: Novel
Released: May 1975
Series: Target 63

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

The evil Master leered at the Doctor, and triumphantly pointed out of the cabin window. The many-tentacled Nestene monster - spearhead of the second Auton invasion of Earth - crouched beside the radio tower!

Part crab, part spider, part octopus, its single huge eye blazed with alien intelligence and deadly hatred...

Can the Doctor outwit his rival Time Lord, the Master, and save the Earth from the Nestene horror?

Verdict

Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons was a terrific novelisation of the television serial of (pretty much) the same name and I have to say it was wonderful to be back reading a book! It was my first one for quite some time but with a month before my dissertation being due and no other assignments left for me to complete, a train journey from South England to Mid Wales was the perfect opportunity for me to pick up a book again. And I picked an excellent one! This story is quite a momentous one as it introduces both the Master and Jo to Doctor Who and in their first story, both are in stellar form. We also see the return of the Autons following Spearhead from Space and they make great enemies at the command of the Nestene High Command. I really liked how Terrance Dicks fleshed out the detail of this story and it really did make for a brilliant read. I thought the characterisation of the Third Doctor was absolutely superb with Jon Pertwee's likeness being effortlessly captured. The Master was terrific in this story and I really enjoyed how gradual his meeting with the Doctor was. We saw him arrive at the Rossini Circus in his TARDIS with which we saw the successful use of the chameleon circuit. The length before it was revealed that he was a Time Lord was good and I quite liked how the Doctor was warned about his presence. The threat of him being completely erased from history was good and I liked that the Time Lord visitor the Doctor had at the DSRC2 was one who was present during his trial in The War Games. I thought the reference to An Unearthly Child was magnificent and I also liked the revelation that Philips was actually holding a Sontaran grenade with the Doctor recognising it in a story some time before The Time Warrior. I really liked the accompanying illustrations with this novel and the scenes they picked to present were good. Jo wanting to impress the Doctor after her hasty arrival and ruining of his dematerialisation circuit was fantastic and she really was brilliant in her first story. The Brigadier was in similarly good form and his stubbornness in doing things the militaristic way was good because it was proving irksome for the Doctor. I thought the pace of the book was perfect and the exciting climax was written very well. The hints at the Nestene's disapproval of the Master was good and the Brigadier threatening the Time Lord to cooperate with the Doctor was a nice addition. I still enjoyed his escape and continuing disguises and for his debut, this was a brilliant showing for the Master. We got to see the Nestene arrive on Earth but the two Time Lords quickly prevented a full-scale invasion. Overall, an excellent novelisation of what is a great story!

Rating: 9/10

Forever Fallen

"We may awaken our potential."

Writer: Joshua Wanisko
Format: Audio
Released: December 2016
Series: Short Trips 6.X

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

Until now, an offered chance from the Doctor has never stopped the villain's schemes.

Until now, the android armies, the powerful space stations, the mind-control rays, have gone unchecked to disastrous effect.

Until now...

...But then what happens?

Verdict

Forever Fallen was a pretty decent little audio and considering it was free to download, I can't really have any complaints! I recently discovered with Landbound that Big Finish run a memorial award where the winner gets to write a Short Trip story that is released for free and I think it's a terrific idea! Nicholas Briggs provided the narration for this audio and I thought he did a very good job of delivering the story. His impersonation of Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor was actually excellent and whilst the identity of the intruder on the space ship was not named, the mannerisms and likeness of the Doctor's seventh incarnation could clearly be heard which meant that the listener knew pretty much from the start who was present. I did not expect Ace to be joining the Doctor in this audio but that may just be because I am so used to him travelling alone lately with my reading of the Nemesis of the Daleks graphic novel. She didn't play too much of a role here but her presence was definitely welcomed. She nearly got into a little fight with Sean Calvin which was interesting but after things died down, a few years later she was treating his daughter to a milkshake. The way Odessa had altered Sean's perspective on life was really good and I liked how he ended up going full circle. The Doctor prevented him from doing something awful but after getting the fame of saving the world, he would end up getting punished anyway. I thought the concept of the Doctor and Ace meeting up with Sean every year for a decade was good but it did get a little repetitive and I'm not sure enough happened at some of the meetings. It was clear the Doctor wasn't waiting the long way for a year to pass but it still seemed a little unnecessary to meet every year, considering some of the things that were said. Considering this was the first story for Joshua Wanisko, he did a good job but I think he needed to inject a little more excitement into the adventure. What we got was very good but I found myself waiting for a bit of action or a shocking event to transpire but sadly it didn't come. It is difficult with the Short Trips range to get everything you want out of a story but this one tried valiantly and gave us a more than decent outing for the Seventh Doctor and Ace. Overall, a good audio adventure!

Rating: 7/10

The Clockwise War Part 1

"There have been six regenerations in the past hour. They have all failed!"

Writer: Scott Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 5th April 2018
Printed in: DWM 524

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill

Synopsis

The Twelfth Doctor is following a faint distress call but is doing his best to hide the information from Bill... but isn't doing very well. He's freaking out and is soon caught up in a time machine graveyard where he is reunited with some old foes...

Verdict

The Clockwise War started in tremendous fashion with this terrific first part! It really was rather eventful and has left a lot of questions to be answered which is a good sign because I really cannot wait for part two now! This is the first time in quite a while I have blogged the DWM comic strip on the release day and that is partly down to my subscription copy arriving on time this month! I think the cover is wonderful and I really am looking forward to reading about the upcoming additions to the Target range with the novelisations of some new series episodes. I will certainly look to pick up a copy at some point as they do interest me greatly. The continuation of the Logo-Polis feature is something I am also looking forward to this month as I thought the first part of the feature in the previous issue was excellent and really intriguing. I am quite disappointed to see that the Cosplay feature is continuing as that doesn't interest me at all and I'm really not sure there's a big enough audience to warrant its position in DWM. To Infinity looks another interesting feature and it will be good to read about an upcoming Doctor Who game which is something I have never fully dived into. Resl Mania is an incredible title as I am a huge wrestling fan and whilst I doubt there are connections between Doctor Who and WWE in this article, it will provide another interesting read. I quite enjoyed the Out of the TARDIS interview with Dan Starkey in the previous issue so that segment continuing should be good and I'm delighted to see that Russell T Davies is back in the Production Notes this month. I even read the Fact of Fiction last month for the first time in full and I found it quite good so I think I'll give it another chance here with Sleep No More. Anyway, the issue looks good but I've already dived into the comic strip and it was tremendous. A partial Gallifreyan setting after the events of Heaven Sent/Hell Bent excites me very much and the idea of regenerations failing is superb. I really look forward to seeing how that connects with the overall story will be very intriguing. I was surprised to not see Fey feature but her role in the adventure was very much felt as not only did Gol Clutha return from The Stockbridge Showdown but she was now working for Jodafra who was back from Oblivion! It was quite the assembly and the connections are something that I can't wait to discover. The cliffhanger was really good with the emergence of the Clockwise Men and I thought they seemed very good in their brief appearance. Overall, a terrific start to the story!

The Haven

"Life is going on..."

Writer: Unknown
Format: Short Story
Released: September 1982
Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1983

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

The Fifth Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan investigate some strange life signs on the barren Planet 435 and they discover a mysterious and monotonous Carnak, the apparent caretaker for the planet's haven of bodies in suspended animation. But all is not as it seems...

Verdict

The Haven was a terrific little short story that saw me return to my reading of the 1983 Doctor Who Annual for the first time in nearly two years! I seem to have favoured stories of more prestige and greater length in recent times but after a venture into the attic and numerous wardrobes and chest of drawers to locate sources, I couldn't resist the retro feel of a Classic-era Annual and I was excited to be reading another story. The format was much better than I remembered it and I really did think the accompanying artwork was good and adds a little bit of flavour to this kind of story. I'm not sure it would really work all that well if it was just a big block of text. Thankfully, that was not the case! I thought the trio of the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan worked really well and I was very impressed with the writing of the Doctor as Peter Davison's likeness was captured effortlessly on the page - something that is not always the case in these Doctor Who Annuals. I thought the plot was excellent and despite some sketchy moments, I really enjoyed the premise of what was going on. The Haven was a great basis for the story and the 24th century setting was really intriguing. The links it had with the 1990s was what really caught my attention and I liked how reading in hindsight brought a different perspective to the story. As it is 2018 and cryogenics is far from perfect, we know that freezing bodies and waiting for deadly diseases to be cured is not a thing but in 1982, it seems that it might have been an imminent expectation and as a History student, I really do find that extremely fascinating. It paints a wonderful picture of the world at that time and it's brilliant to see it reflected in a Doctor Who story. I thought Nyssa was really good in this adventure and I liked how inquisitive she was regarding what was happening around her. Tegan was decent too but I think the native of Traken was definitely the better companion in this story. Carnak was mysterious which was great and although I wasn't sure about his sudden change of tone once he caught the Doctor and co snooping around, he served as a good villain. He was using the people who had voluntarily allowed themselves to be frozen as glorified robots in order to maintain perfection on the Haven and the Doctor was having none of it. The battle of minds was good but I was also unsure over the Doctor's confidence in having defeated him forever. That seemed a tad too easy but as a whole, I really did enjoy this little text adventure and I think with my reaching the end of university and the workload that comes with that, they could be a little more common on the blog in the near future. Overall, a great story!

Rating: 8/10