Body Snatched

"It's a house of the dead - they just haven't stopped moving yet."

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: October-November 2011
Printed in: DW11 #10-11

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

Finding themselves inside an alien asylum, the Eleventh Doctor, Amy, and Rory discover that many of the human patients within actually house the minds of some of the Doctor's most terrifying enemies! As the Doctor tries to work out who has done this hideous body swap, the inmates riot... and two certain travellers will never be the same again!

Verdict

Body Snatched was another very good continuation of the Eleventh Doctor Archives! This first volume of adventures has been very impressive and this one was no different. I really enjoyed the Doctor's enthusiasm at the Trans-Universal Union and it just seemed right that the Eleventh Doctor would be so excited by post. Amy wasn't sharing in that which was unexpected but I really liked how the Doctor hadn't even set up his account yet but received mail from an old friend. The Horse Lord of Khan was quite a name, as Rory acknowledged, but he was better known as Trevor and the Doctor was soon enacting his plea for help and travelling to Bedlam. The planet. When they arrived, the revelations about what the planet actually entailed were hugely surprising and quite disturbing! It was a planet for the Biogrowers once their usefulness had run out which was just horrific. But I think their very nature was more horrifying as they were grown from a pod into a non-ageing person within a week and a guaranteed lifespan of a century. Now, that seemed pretty appealing to me and if I had one wish it would probably be to never age from where I am now and to be immortal, but what wasn't so appealing was the prospect of going braindead halfway through that period. This turned the Biogrowers into vegetative state and that allowed Rubin to have the idea for his awful schemes. He was into the mind-swapping business and these Biogrowers were the perfect potential hosts for those injured or dying to continue anew with a guaranteed fifty years. The Doctor was quick to realise how this could be misused and assumed authority to find out what was going on. The relationship between Amy and Rory was wonderful once again and the latter's love for the former was evident in abundance for another successive story. It was lovely to see. However, that was tested to the extreme following the story's cliffhanger as the Doctor and Amy ended up swapping bodies! It was a wonderful concept and the delivery was superb. Having Rory there really complimented what was going and I was quite stunned with how amazing he was towards Amy. I mean, he knew some things (sex) would be difficult but he was always going to be there for her which was wonderful. The Doctor reacting to being a woman now was terrific, especially as it predated the arrival of the Thirteenth Doctor by quite some time, and he proudly proclaimed them to be cool. Quite the compliment from the Eleventh Doctor. Amy was struggling to deal with a Time Lord body but she was managing to learn to handle the respiratory bypass system to thwart the Horse Lord when it was revealed that he wanted the Doctor here to take his body and apparent remaining regenerations. The Doctor was quick to reveal that he might not be so lucky as we would later learn in The Time of the Doctor that his regenerations had run out. The Doctor and Amy getting some strange help from the assorted aliens who had been forced out of their bodies and then forced to watch them burn by Rubin was good and I thought the conclusion was handled very well even if it was a bit simple. Overall though, a very good adventure!

Rating: 8/10

Space Squid

"Bow down before the Holy Space Squid! The End of Days is coming!"

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September 2011
Printed in: DW11 #9

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory, Kevin

Synopsis

The Doctor, Amy, Rory, and new travelling companion Kevin - a cybernetic dinosaur - arrive on a familiar-looking space station. They find a scientific crew under attack from a giant space squid! With the security robot destroyed, it's up to the Doctor and his friends to save the day. Who will sacrifice themselves to save the many?

Verdict

Space Squid was a decent continuation of the Eleventh Doctor's IDW run but I think it was the story with the least amount of quality thus far. As my rating reflects, though, it was far from bad and was surprisingly enjoyable! I was a little sceptical before reading this one due its name and with that being accompanied by the fact a dinosaur is a new companion, I think it was warranted! Now, I thought Kevin served his role well in When Worlds Collide but I really did not see the necessity in having him join the TARDIS crew. There were some humorous scenes concerning him and the TARDIS due to his size but apart from that I'm really not sure what he offered. It is a bit of a silly idea but by having him depart so soon, it can be gotten away with. He wasn't actually that bad in this story but the way he was used with having an exoskeleton was nothing more than a cheap laughs panel in my opinion. A triumphant dinosaur. Barmy. The spaceship setting worked well and I thought Fillion and Katic were very good characters. I was surprised with how willing they were to just let the Squid and his ship dock with them, even after the mysterious holy relics were sprinkled. It was so obvious that they were something more! The Doctor saw it straight away. I thought the characterisation of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor was brilliant throughout which is always great to be able to say and the little almost mention of Beep the Meep was terrific when listing religious figureheads. Rory and Amy had a good story together once again and I am liking the reminder of what Rory did for his wife in The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang in protecting her for 2,000 years. That was his purpose and it was never going to change now. Him telling Kevin that and how he would soon find his purpose after a shaky start to his travels was lovely and a fantastic way to give Rory some character depth. Amy took the backseat and the pair soon found themselves pretending to be working for the High Priest, to the very man himself! It was quite a humorous circumstance. The pace of the story was decent and although there was a tendency for some slight silliness, the conclusion with Kevin taking the fight to the giant Space Squid in space itself coming to mind, it didn't overshadow things and we actually had a really intriguing plot. The High Priest quickly came away from forced worship and was free but Kevin was going to stay and act as the ship's new security force. This was his purpose now and even though I thought the idea of a dinosaur companion was beyond ludicrous, this kind of departure was very much welcomed and a nice way for him to go out. Overall, a decent comic strip story!

Rating: 7/10

When Worlds Collide

"Any world can be custom made just for you!"

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: June-August 2011
Printed in: DW11 #6-8

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

Multiworld. A place where any world can be created around you, every detail how you please. The Doctor has brought Amy and Rory to enjoy a holiday and to meet his friend Rok Soo'Gar. There's one problem though - the Sontarans need to crash-land and their leaking fluronic gas is about to cause chaos...

Verdict

When Worlds Collide was an outstanding comic strip adventure and certainly the best of the Eleventh Doctor stories from IDW yet! In fact, I think it was the best story from the whole of the IDW run - it really was marvellous! The Multiworld setting was very intriguing and I liked that the Doctor was enacting the Wild West claiming to be Doc Gallifrey whilst Rory couldn't quite get into the acting. The Doctor's old friend of Rok Soo'Gar soon turned up and there was a little bit of reminiscing before the Sontarans arrived! They are a favoured enemy of mine and I loved that they got a full outing with the Eleventh Doctor as that was something we didn't see on television. We had Strax but not a battle fleet like here. Their arrival caused chaos and mayhem as their ship crash-landed on Multiworld with leaking fluronic gas that didn't get on with the fluctuating rift that gave the planet its world-hopping abilities. The Sontarans, the Doctor and his companions were all shattered fragments resulting in twelve different versions spread across the worlds. The Sontarans all assumed different roles but I think the cliff-hanger to part one with them being Nazis was simply sublime. Amy's reaction to that was magnificent and it really was just incredible to see. An actual Sontaran wearing the Nazi armband! Superb stuff. The Doctor getting stuck in the Jurassic era without his sonic screwdriver was good as he had to tackle Kevin who was actually a robot dinosaur. He was set in character thanks to the crash and that posed problems for the Doctor. Rory being mistaken for Billy the Kid and being sentenced to hanging was quite something too but I loved that the Marshall was called Sonny Taran. Pure genius. I loved it. Lisa appearing in all three worlds was intriguing and a good way to show the shattering of everyone thanks to the crash. She was a really great character in each but her sacrifice in Amy's on the magic carpet was the most noble. But she did it for a reason because she and Amy had discovered that there were actually thirteen different types of Sontaran. This was what the Doctor was missing. It was Rok Soo'Gar and he had quickly assumed command of the Sontaran fleet. The Doctor using the Rutans to bring them around to his way of thinking was very good. Rory having to use Excalibur to defeat Rok was good and I loved how that spoke for his command and authority. The different versions of the Eleventh Doctor working together was a delight to see and I liked their combinations in the TARDIS. Rory enjoying the company of several versions of his wife was humorous and you could hardly blame him for enjoying himself! Amy had similar thoughts towards multiple versions of her husband too. Overall, this was a brilliant comic strip adventure with excellent cliffhangers, a very pacy story and a superb plot!

Rating: 10/10

The Unwanted Gift of Prophecy

"Marry a Time Lord and you forget we can change bodies."

Writer: Richard Dinnick

Format: Short Story

Released: June 2017

Printed in: Myths and Legends 03

Featuring: The Master, Lucy

Synopsis

The Master, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, recruits his wife, Lucy Saxon, to go on a mission though time to meet his past incarnations and offer them a deal in return for use of their TARDIS. There's one catch though, they believe Lucy is a recruit from the Doctor and it will lead to the Master's demise...

Verdict

The Unwanted Gift of Prophecy was another terrific story in the Myths and Legends collection! I was really impressed with this one and I absolutely love that it was set during the events of The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords in The Year That Never Was. It was a Doctor-less adventure but that absolutely fine as Lucy Saxon got to take centre stage! She might not be everybody’s favourite or most memorable character but I’ve always felt that she deserves more depth and this adventure provided that in abundance. The Master was clearly at the height of his power here and he was loving it, much to the expense of Lucy. She admitted she hated him but not to his face (at least the one she married) and I liked how this provided a lot of hints and provided direction and motive for Lucy’s actions in the events of the aforementioned finale. She would go on to shoot him after being pushed here. However, before all that the Master had a mission for her and it involved matrix data splices containing information on all the times the Doctor defeated him. He sent Lucy all the way back to meet the first televised incarnation during the events of The Sea Devils but he was not at all interested in giving up access to his TARDIS to Lucy’s mysterious employer and instead believed that it was a ploy of the Doctor himself. I wasn’t keen with the story not counting Big Finish meetings between the Doctor and the Master but I can appreciate the difficulties in cross-canonisation. We then flashed forward to the events of Castrovalva with the Tremas incarnation of the Master and he recognised Lucy after she managed to stumble into his TARDIS. He was more inclined to listen to her offer this time but since the terms had changed with just six data splices, he was not interested. The Harold Saxon version of the Master was irate and intended on sending Lucy to the same incarnation but at a later time, but he got the calculations wrong and instead Lucy Saxon met Missy which was terrific! The latter’s reaction to that was superb and she knew all about the Master’s plan and she warned her ex-wife what her husband would do. She advised what she should do next which was quite something and it ended up with Missy acquiring the Matrix data splices that we saw in Dark Water/Death in Heaven which was really clever. Missy understanding how Lucy was feeling was really good and she knew that she had done wrong in her past. As a whole, the story was pretty simple but just worked extremely well! I had no idea about the myth it was based upon but I thought the short story format worked really once again. Overall, a brilliant adventure!

Rating: 9/10

The Terrible Manussa

"Manussa intends to use the weapon to freeze entire planets."

Writer: Richard Dinnick

Format: Short Story

Released: June 2017
Printed in: Myths and Legends 02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor

Synopsis

Persis is recruited by the Time Lords to prevent the terrible Manussa from using her special crystals to wreak havoc across the universe and causing unprecedented damage. She has always yearned for adventure, but she will need to keep the words of the most adventurous Time Lord close in her mind if she is to defeat the Mara...

Verdict

The Terrible Manussa was a superb continuation of the Myths and Legends collection of short stories! Unlike the first story in the collection, the legend of Madusa is actually a myth I know relatively well from childhood stories and past depictions in Doctor Who adventures. I thought it worked really well here and is just a great little idea that can be adapted for this wonderful show. The short story format worked wonders as things stayed simple and I think in having Persis as the lead character, there was a lot of unexpected depth given quite early. Learning of her growing up on Gallifrey and her intrigue of the Celestials and the CIA was terrific as she clearly had an enquiring mind. The Doctor would have loved her and my only wish was that she actually got to interact with him for longer. It was pretty much a cameo appearance for the Sixth Doctor but a very good and important one as he provided her with the sonic shield and the means for Manussa’s defeat. The little passage on Grey-Eye was very good and I would love for the Doctor to meet Persis once again as she was magnificent. Her desire for adventure was brilliant and she even got to have a Time Ring! The little nod back to Genesis of the Daleks there was sublime with the similar dialogue and mission, as was the line about the Ogrons always having complications. That was really humorous. Persis showing her training and oozing an authoritative presence was really fantastic and she didn’t take any questions! She was firmly in control which was great. The return of the Mara was very logical but excellent and obviously the perfect monster for a story based on Madusa. The snake-like symbol being synonymous and spreading to become the only religion was good and I really liked that Persis got to encounter it. She was firm and strong with the words of the Doctor echoing in her mind. She would not be tempted despite the Mara’s plea to take it back to Gallifrey and assume a place of power. It could tell that she yearned for that but her emphatic response of no resonated with the alien snake. Persis noticing and understanding that the snake tattoo was the link between Manussa and the Mara was terrific and with a sudden ending where the sonic shield was used as a reflection sending the power of Manussa and the Mara right back at them, cutting them in half. Persis had carried out her mission in impressive fashion but the ending with the Mara tattoo sliding onto Manussa’s servant was a lovely way to leave things open for a future return and a reminder that the Mara would take a lot of defeating. Overall, a fantastic short story! 

Rating: 9/10

Doctor Who and the Invasion From Space

"The One is all around us."

Writer: J. L. Morrissey
Format: Audiobook
Released: October 2018
Series: Special Release

Featuring: First Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor lands in the futuristic world of The One. Along with the Mortimer family, whom he rescued from the Great Fire of London, he finds himself recruited to lead a galactic invasion from Andromeda - with the TARDIS instrumental in the plan!

Verdict

Doctor Who and the Invasion From Space was a decent audio adventure and my first experience of an audiobook reading of an actual story. It is highly unlikely that I will ever come across (and be able to afford) the printed edition of this story so when I saw that the recently released audiobook was available through my library on BorrowBox, I just had to listen to it! I’m not entirely sure why there wasn’t some adaptation when it came to the Doctor being continuously referred to simply as ‘Doctor Who’ and the TARDIS being mentioned without the ‘the’ in a way reminiscent of the Peter Cushing Dalek movies. However, by retaining those sentiments the story did have a nostalgic feel which I can appreciate and it certainly did feel like a story from the 1960s. The First Doctor’s characterisation was absolutely perfect and with a family he rescued from the Great Fire of London travelling with him, he was quick to have it on record that he categorically did not save them from burning and it was nothing more than a coincidence that he landed where and when he did to save them. Just when in the chronology of the televised show that the First Doctor was travelling alone I am not sure, but he was very much the centre of attention which wasn’t always the case during the 60s era. George and the rest of the Mortimer family were very much just background characters and barely featured at all in the second half. They weren’t really missed though but they did serve as an intriguing look at how different this incarnation of the Doctor is compared to the modern version. He’d inadvertently left the family behind with the One and the Aalas but there was nothing he could do about it so he just quickly forgot about them in flash! It was quite shocking but perfectly in line with the very early days of Hartnell’s Doctor which was fantastic. The whole concept of the One was really good and the dialogue between the Doctor and the enigmatic voice was certainly a story highlight. They bounced off each other well and the Doctor’s desire to learn what it was featured prominently. Peter Purves gave an assured performance as the story’s narrator although I had wished he adopted more of his Hartnell impression that he does so well for Big Finish. The story had a good pace and transitioned well into an audiobook format and it really didn’t seem like someone was just reading lines. The Andromeda setting was very good but the confusion over whether it was a ship, planetoids or asteroid (or neither!) needed a tad more elaboration for my liking. The Aalahs having the intention to invade the Milky Way and the place of their ancestors of man was a really intriguing prospect but it wasn’t developed more and definitely warranted further exploration. It just became a battle between them and the Doctor and his disbelief over the lack of control he had over the TARDIS. I really liked that as he really was astonished that someone else could control it and that he couldn’t escape. The Doctor being likened to a wizard was good and I just wish things were left clearer with him and the Mortimers. I thought the ending with Ida throwing her bowl and basically just sending the Aalas into breakdown was a little weak and needed more explanation but what followed with the Doctor pondering over the word ‘galaxy’ was wonderful and just one of those great little moments in Doctor Who. Beautifully written and then realised in audio. Overall, a very intriguing story that had a great deal of good but some elements just needed some developing but I guess that’s a consequence of it initially having a page count limit in its original format. Still, a very decent listen! 

Rating: 7/10

Assassin in the Limelight

"Dead in Ford's Theatre!"

Writer: Robert Ross

Format: Audio

Released: May 2008

Series: Main Range 108

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn

Synopsis

Ford's Theatre, Washington. Friday, 14th April, 1865. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

The place, the date and the event which made history. Or did it? Someone has been tampering with time, muddying the waters of history for his own purposes. Time itself is out of joint and the chief culprit is the enigmatic Doctor Knox.

Somehow the Doctor and Evelyn must put history back on track before the future dissolves into chaos. But Knox, it turns out, may be the last of their worries...

Verdict

Assassin in the Limelight was an excellent audio adventure! It was a real joy to listen to and it saw some great Main Range continuity with the return of Knox to do battle with the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn once again. I liked that there was no beating around the bat concerning his return and he actually featured for quite some time before encountering the Doctor again.  I thought the setting was absolutely perfect and a really good choice for a time meddler story! The assassination of Abraham Lincoln isn't actually a historical event I knew a great deal about prior to listening so it was also an insightful listen into a period of history that I am currently not studying for part of my Masters Degree. There was a lot of meddling going on and I thought it was good that Evelyn was on hand to tell us all about the event. Her knowledge as a history lecturer came incredibly useful for listeners like me who didn't know the finer details of the event and her desire to ensure that history was put back on its rightful course because of the impact Lincoln surviving would have was wonderful. The Doctor was also unhappy with what was going on but didn't seem as bothered by the prospect of Lincoln surviving because he knew that Time would be up to its tricks and trying to fix things. The story between Booth and Parker and the true identity of Lincoln's would-be assassin was great and I really enjoyed Evelyn's reaction when she found out that the real assassin was going to be framed. She couldn't quite believe it! Clara Harris was a lovely character and I really enjoyed her relationship with Evelyn. Everything seems to be coming back to her but she really did have one of her best stories as companion thus far. Colin Baker was great as the Doctor too. Knox served as a superb villainous enemy and I really do hope that he returns in the future. His gift from the grave to the Doctor when trapping the returning Indo from Pier Pressure was fantastic! I didn't think they were quite as good as Knox but it was a nice return and unexpected surprise. The Doctor trapped them in the elevator quite easily though in humorous fashion! Major Eckert was a great character too and I was very impressed with all of the guest performances. The ending was good with Knox changing bodies due to Indo technology and leaving things open for a return. Overall, a fantastic audio! 

Rating: 9/10

They Think It's All Over

"A penalty shootout to the death!"

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: May 2011
Printed in: DW11 #5

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

The Doctor, Amy and Rory try to travel to Wembley Stadium in 1966 to watch the World Cup Final between England and Germany. However, the TARDIS has other ideas and lands them in the right location, but misses out on the year by a millennium, plunging the Doctor and his companions in the Viking Age...

Verdict

They Think It's All Over was a brilliant comic strip adventure! A football and history based Doctor Who story is pretty much my idea of perfection given my love of the sport and my passion and Masters study for History so the mix here was very much welcomed! Now, I may be a big football fan but I am certainly not a fan of the English football team as I am very patriotically Welsh and follow my nation home and away but I could appreciate this story and the desire to see the 1966 World Cup Final. Seeing the Doctor in a football scarf was a great sight and I really liked how they had arrived at the right destination but the wrong time. They were actually a millennium off and encountered Vikings at Wemba's Lea rather than a grand footballing spectacle at Wembley. It was quite a contrast! The Doctor dealing with the Vikings and the defence of Wessex was excellent and I liked how he took charge of things quite quickly following his reputation with Alfred the Great. One of the best things about this comic strip was the relationship between Amy and Rory. Now, prior to Pond Life and Asylum of the Daleks it was always seen as being incredibly strong and that really was evident during this adventure. Rory standing up to Henghist was terrific when the latter was acting as a sore loser. He'd lost the penalty shootout fair and square but the very fact I can say that such an event occurred in the Viking era is simply magnificent and one of the great things about Doctor Who! It even made sense because Henghist's arrogance meant he agreed to any kind of duel. The Doctor put all the terms forward and quite clearly knew that all would be lost had he been defeated. Rory was not the best goalkeeper but the Doctor had some other tricks on his mind in the form of distractions. The moment it was used against him immediately after was absolutely brilliant though. I was a big fan of that. Rory talking their way to victory was really good and I loved how the Doctor claimed the tactics to be Rory getting the Viking leader to hate him so much that he would aim the penalty at him! I really liked that. The Doctor explaining to Rory how much Amy meant to him was also a terrific moment and it was really quite emotional. He really did hold the memory of The Eleventh Hour close to his hearts. Henghist killing his dad and Rory seeing that was good and the selling of his complete lack of honour was good. I think a little more about the Vikings was needed to propel this into perfection, but for me it was brilliant. Overall, a sublime comic strip!                                               

Rating: 9/10

The Ripper's Curse

"Jack the Ripper has been captured!"

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: March-April 2011
Printed in: DW11 #2-4

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

Jack the Ripper is caught, and even the Doctor has trouble talking his way out of this one! But why is the true Ripper following Amy? What is her connection to Mary Kelly? And how has Rory become the chief of police? Can the true course of history be maintained?

Verdict

The Ripper's Curse was an excellent continuation of the Eleventh Doctor Archives! Now, I'm only on the second story of the first volume but I have to say that this will take some beating. It was a wonderful  story from start to finish with it being Doctor Who's take on Jack the Ripper. It's quite shocking that this has, to my knowledge and blog entries covered, not been done before and the direction was certainly unique and somewhat unexpected. It turns out that Jack the Ripper was actually a very large and green shape shifting alien that fed on the energies built up by emotions such as excitement and fear. Why his victims were all women I'm not sure, but I was willing to let that slide. The era of the late nineteenth century was wonderfully captured and I really enjoyed how the Doctor, Amy and Rory all managed to fit in. Rory being dubbed Inspector Clousaeu was terrific and after a shaky start, he embraced his newfound role fantastically. His desperation when it appeared that Amy had become the sixth victim of Jack the Ripper was lovely to see and I was quite surprised by how unmoved the Doctor was with everything that was going on. It was great how Amy had used an alias and that had become a talking point on a modern day Jack the Ripper tour which the Doctor used to cheat a little bit and save his companion. I thought it was quite ironic that this was the case after he gave a stern speech about how history had to stay on track and that Amy could not save Mary. She went and did so anyway, only for another Mary to die in her place. Abberline was excellent as the man in charge of the case to find Jack the Ripper and I liked how well the era of the story accommodated an alien war from the future. Jack the Ripper actually being a Re'nar was unexpected but I liked how it was used as the explanation for why the Ripper case is so unexplainable. Why wouldn't it be an alien in the Doctor Who universe? The concluding moment for Mac'atyde were quite sudden with the Ju'Wes engaging in battle and shoving him through his own time portal meaning instant death. The only qualm I had with this story was the fact that Mac'atyde was in the TARDIS with the Doctor at his mercy at one point, simply walked out, and then later claimed that he would take the Doctor's time machine. Surely he already gave up the opportunity? Regardless, I thought it was a superb adventure that was brilliantly captured in the era. Overall, a great comic strip!

Rating: 9/10

Herald of Madness Part 3

"Knowledge always comes with a price."

Writer: Scott Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 4th April 2019
Printed in: DWM 537

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The Gathering at Castle Houska reaches its horrific conclusion as the plan of the evil Baroness comes into fruition with the meeting of the minds of all the scientific theorists present. The Doctor has gone loopy and is no help, leaving Johannes Kepler helpless at Dagmar's mercy...

Verdict

Herald of Madness continued in style with this third part but first I look ahead to the magazine itself this month, despite being some way behind in my DWM reading! I am barely halfway through the last issue due to building university deadlines and essay writing as well as a successful darts weekend away in Newcastle but this looks set to be an interesting issue. The focus being on a university remake of Mission to the Unknown is quite intriguing but I probably have a hugely unpopular opinion on this as I don't think it should get any kind of DVD release from the BBC. Remakes that use original footage and animation are great in my eyes but I'm not a fan of complete remakes as I think they're the equivalent of recasting an actor, something I am not in favour of and is probably why I have next to no interest in the David Bradley audios from Big Finish. Something doesn't sit right with me about it. I look forward to reading all about the project as I am sure those carrying it out are incredibly passionate about the show's history so it should be great to read. The current Time Team are growing on me and I look forward to them viewing the Eighth Doctor as he's just superb and does not get the credit he deserves because of a lack of televised episodes, but I'm also looking forward to the Doctor Theatre feature following on from my listening of The Ultimate Adventure. The costume feature for Tzim-Sha should also be a good read too as it was quite the gruesome look! Now, onto the comic strip itself and I thought it was another solid continuation. The adventure hasn't been anything better than good so far but I have very much enjoyed and I'm liking the utilisation of the Castle Houska setting very much. Johannes getting involved more was very good and his nobility in ensuring that Graham and Yaz were saved in return for his cooperation was excellent. Yaz using her phone and the Snapchat bunny ears to get out of the dungeon was hilarious as the theme of witchcraft was maintained, something of a recurring feature under the Thirteenth Doctor. The fate of the Doctor in investigating the mysterious sword that the underground coven worship was unexpected and her gibberish really did worry Ryan. I did hope that more would be made of the fact that Dagmar was actually half-horse and owed something to Greek myth but she didn't stay in what is presumably her true form for very long. The meeting of the minds happened very well and I look forward to seeing its effects in the next part. I get the feeling that Tycho will play a big part after learning that Johannes will become far more renowned than he ever will. Overall, a good continuation!

The Mondas Touch

"He had become a superhuman in less than a week."

Writer: Richard Dinnick
Format: Short Story
Released: June 2017
Printed in: Myths and Legends 01

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis

The society of Catrigan Nova is changing with technological advancement on an unprecedented scale in the form of Queen Lydia's new gauntlet. It can enhance strength and memory but it begins to spread and a familiar silver grows. Only Mr. Clever can put a stop to this disease...

Verdict

The Mondas Touch was a decent beginning to my reading of the Myths and Legends collection of short stories! I quite like the idea of this book as I have always found mythology incredibly interesting despite it not being my preferred area of study when it comes to my current Masters and previous Bachelors degrees in History. I thought this one was a little slow to start with the absence of any familiar characters for the first third of the adventure but once it got going, it turned into a very good tale! I am unsure why the Doctor was not referred to by his name but I thought it actually suited the Twelfth Doctor to want to be known as Mr Clever. It was quite apt for this incarnation and I liked how he had been hunting down this gauntlet that had found its way to Catrigan Nova which sold the credibility of just what it meant. The little hints of the truth of the technology's identity were very good and I liked how it wasn't until the Doctor arrived that it was confirmed to be of Cyber origin. I thought the one thing that might have hurt this story a little was the restrictions on its length because the idea here was actually fantastic. It was almost like a Cyber disease with the way the gauntlet spread Cyber technology and upgraded humans, even just part of them, into Cybermen. The Doctor was quick to realise this would happen and his prediction of them creating Leaders soon came into fruition. He was hardly surprised. The Doctor's relationship with both Lydia and Mida was very good and I thought their relationship with each other was actually one of the best things about the story. They had disagreements over the use of the gauntlet which were seemingly warranted but they emotionally came to embrace each other in an emotional conclusion to the story. I'll admit that I didn't really know anything about the mythological story this adventure was based upon but I still enjoyed it. Taking myths into space is a great concept and I thought it worked well here as there was a familiar element. The Doctor mentioning Handles was a lovely throwback to The Time of the Doctor but his whole Mr Clever monicker was realised wonderfully with how quickly the Queen accepted his expert knowledge. He didn't stay in the cell long and quickly used the gold in the controlled water flow of the planet to basically drown and destroy the Cybermen once they had been lured in. It was a clever ending and I thought Lydia losing her arm was excellent as we shouldn't always get happy endings, especially in mythology. Overall, a good start.

Rating: 7/10

Spam Filtered

"I have a floating cartoon stapler now."

Writer: Tony Lee

Format: Comic Strip

Released: January 2011

Printed in: DW11 #1

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

The Eleventh Doctor era starts here! When the TARDIS becomes infected with holographic spam, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory are forced to land on an alien world, but it's been targeted for invasion by intergalactic mercenaries!

Verdict

Spam Filtered was a very good start to the Eleventh Doctor era from the IDW comics! It kicked off my reading of the first volume of the Eleventh Doctor Archives and I thought it captured the era of Series 5 very well. It was clearly set sometime soon after The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang with many references to Amy and Rory's wedding. The Doctor was not impressed with the latter though after he had been fiddling with the mobile phone that could call anywhere at any time. But that was not what he'd been using it for as he wanted to have a little look at its data plan which I thought was very humorous and perfectly typical of Rory's personality. The characterisation of all three of the TARDIS crew was superb from start to finish which was a massive bonus. When it turned out that Amy had actually done something similar, the reactions were terrific. The concept of junk mail linking with the TARDIS and manifesting in the form of holograms was very unique and I thought it worked very well. There was a lot of comedy and some second guessing whether a person was actually real or not which was great. It didn't get confusing which was most welcomed as that is often a danger in that type of scenario. The TARDIS needing time to reboot and basically flush out its systems was good and that meant a mandatory stay on Phayke, a cleverly named planet of holograms. However, it was wanted by the Scroungers despite technically not being anything at all and they knew of the Doctor which made things even more interesting. The scenes in the TARDIS with Amy and Rory conjuring up Claude and Joanne were very funny and I loved the relationship between the pair when they both realised they were as guilty as each other. I would have maybe liked to have seen a bit more of a threat from the Scroungers than their typical 'destroying the planet' plan but I did like them as the enemies. The Doctor gave them some credibility which was good and I liked how they went off with the phishing Doctor instead of the real article. I thought there needed to be some elaboration on the blue pills that they were left as they went back victorious and I think a tad more on their willingness to abandon the planet was needed but it still worked well. Amy and Rory getting blocked and their potential other suitors becoming dinosaurs was quite something but the use of the cartoon stapler for assistance was magnificent. Overall, a very good comic strip!

Rating: 8/10

Venus

"Beautiful but deadly."

Writer: Stuart Manning
Format: Short Story
Released: October 2005
Printed in: Short Trips: The Solar System 02

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

Hovering over the planet of Venus, the Eighth Doctor and Charley are enjoying some quiet time in the TARDIS following their recent adventures. Charley marvels at how close they are and the meaning of the planet's name, but they'll soon get close to becoming imprints on its blotted surface...

Verdict

Venus was another decent little story in The Solar System collection of Short Trips! It was fantastic to get an adventure with the Eighth Doctor and Charley in a format other than audio and I was hugely impressed with the characterisation of both characters. The feel of the audio era the two shared was certainly evident on the page which was a massive positive and I just loved the dialogue between the pair. Their relationship is one of the greatest things to come out of Big Finish and this bonus piece of prose was a very welcomed addition to their era. I was a little disappointed that the Doctor and Charley didn't actually set foot on Venus but if that was what I was expecting for all ten stories, it would hardly be the most exciting collection in the world if they all followed the same format! Venus became the subject of the story and actually the intended canvas for one spectacular piece of artwork. That is certainly not the way I was expecting things to go but that is exactly what the Aristede was planning. The Doctor and Charley being dumbfounded by the inhabitants of the ship, which was very much alive,  when they looked at them with stupidity when they warned them of their impending death. But of course, they had all signed on for that and hoped to get one image that nobody else ever had nor ever would see right before they died. It was quite the sacrifice! I certainly shared the Doctor and Charley's thoughts as they realised they were helpless and everybody around them was going to die. There would be no convincing them of changing their minds and escaping in the TARDIS. There was nothing they could do and their reactions were full of emotion. Even Scarlet, who they had met at the start of the story, claimed there was nothing better for her than to become a blot on the surface of Venus. The little links with mythology and Venus's role in death were good and I found the whole concept actually quite horrifying. Devotion to things like this is something I can never quite wrap my head around and it was on full display here. Nothing much happened other than a basic arrival, meet the locals, leave kind of story and that's all this needed to be. Simplicity works well sometimes, and I definitely welcomed it here. Overall, a very decent little story!

Rating: 7/10

To Sleep, Perchance to Scream

"They are coming back!"

Writer: Al Davison
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July 2010
Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 2010 (Comic)

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor is dreaming. It's not quite a nightmare, but he's not having a good time. Feeling guilty of his past mistakes with companions, the Time Lord's dreams try to compensate for his mishaps with the aid of a certain blue box...

Verdict

To Sleep, Perchance to Scream was a very good conclusion to the comic version of the 2010 Doctor Who Annual and also to my reading of the third volume of the Tenth Doctor Archives from IDW! I now look very forward to moving onto the Eleventh Doctor Archives but this was a nice little way to say goodbye to the Tenth Doctor from IDW. I thought the lack of speech was really intriguing and I did think that it was going to be extremely similar to Onomatopoeia but thankfully it was not to be. I liked that story but I don't think it should be overly done as the comic strip format really does need speech! Of course, for much of the Doctor's dream there was not anybody to talk to but that soon changed when we saw a young Sarah Jane alongside the Tenth Doctor. That was a wonderful image but it didn't stay that way as she transformed into Adric and then Turlough as perhaps people the Doctor felt guilt for his actions towards them. The images of Susan and Astrid Peth were also terrific and I was a little surprised that the Doctor felt guilt for leaving her at the end of The Dalek Invasion of Earth. He surely knew from  An Earthly Child that she was fine and had a child but he still felt some sort of guilt. I really liked the scene with the Doctor brushing his teeth before bed and seeing the faces of his first three incarnations in the mirror! Was that a regular occurrence for the Doctor when he did decide he needed sleep? I'd like to think so. The dream landscape was good and the Doctor was struggling through it, all leading up to seeing his impending future self in the form of the Eleventh Doctor. He reassured his past self that everything was going to be okay. I found that this comic strip was actually very good without doing a great deal as it left the reader with a lot of room to think for themselves about what was going on. When the Doctor did awake from his slumber, the involvement of the TARDIS was an unexpected delight. I loved the idea of it siphoning some of the Doctor's bad dreams off and it always reacted in a troublesome way when it did so. But, it was doing what it could to aid its pilot! I love the relationship between the Doctor and the TARDIS and this was another terrific example of it being evident. Overall, a lovely little story!

Rating: 8/10

The Big, Blue Box

"The same blue box. Watching me."

Writer: Matthew Dow Smith
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July 2010
Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 2010 (Comic)

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

The Tenth Doctor saves Douglas Henderson from an alien. Taking him aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor reveals that Douglas is in fact a bomb designed to disable electronics and leave a planet prone for alien invasion. It just so happens that two competing species are after him...

Verdict

The Big, Blue Box was a decent continuation of the 2010 comic version of the Doctor Who Annual! I'm liking the theme of the TARDIS being the centre of attention and I did think that it was just going to be a coincidence that Douglas continued to see the TARDIS every time something weird was happening in the area. I had hoped it was just going to be coincidental with the events of many episodes of the modern era being the explanation for the Doctor's presence, but I guess that wouldn't always be possible in such a small locality. I never suspected that Douglas was anything more than an ordinary human but the relevance of ordinary humanity was something that came to be quite significant by the story's end. The characterisation of the Tenth Doctor was excellent and I really liked how the likeness of David Tennant was captured in the page. It is always a big positive when that occurs, especially in stories of this length. Douglas getting up close and personal with the TARDIS for the first time after seeing it on so many occasions was a lovely moment. His reaction upon meeting the Doctor and him revealing the TARDIS to be his was sublime. It was probably my favourite moment of the whole story. He was more surprised by the fact that an alien was chasing him than the TARDIS being bigger on the inside, which was actually a little disappointing to be honest, but he was a little more surprised by the reveal that he was actually a weapon. A weapon that the horrifically dubbed green and red aliens were after in their war against each other. The narration from Douglas throughout was decent and I liked how well he took everything in his stride despite the bombardment of shocking revelations. He took it upon himself to use his own weaponry and wiped out both of the red and green aliens and some quick ingenuity from the Doctor meant that he wouldn't have to go out with it. He saved the Earth and the Doctor saved him and allowed him to live out an ordinary human life which was a really nice touch. That is all he ever wanted. The little allusion to The End of Time was very good and the links with the TV series is something I have been very impressed with from IDW. The Doctor pondering over what was to come as he slightly delayed entering the TARDIS is also a common feature and one I approve of. Overall, a decent little story!

Rating: 7/10

Ground Control

"How did you turn the TARDIS off?"

Writer: Jonathan L. Davis
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July 2010
Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 2010 (Comic)

Featuring: Tenth Doctor,

Synopsis

Somewhere in the time stream, a panda-like creature is floating.

Somewhere else, the Tenth Doctor is in the TARDIS but it is being taken somewhere. Refusing to ignore procedure, the Doctor opens its doors to Mister K. He quickly grounds the TARDIS and starts a full interrogation of the truth of the TARDIS...

Verdict

Ground Control was a very good start to this unique collection of stories from a comic Doctor Who Annual! I love the idea and I would have loved for it to be a mainstay and have hit British shelves but I'll take reading it in the third volume of the Tenth Doctor Archives from IDW! It went by at a frantic pace given the nature of the story and I thought that worked really well. The idea of the Doctor just opening the TARDIS doors because of procedure was very humorous and I really liked how Mister K just didn't hold back in asserting his apparent authority! He walked straight into the TARDIS, marvelled at its existence, and then quickly grounded it. The Doctor was absolutely stunned that K had the capability to keep his time and space machine on the ground. He wasn't best pleased and was a little confused by what became an absolute barrage of questions regarding the Doctor and his use of the TARDIS. I thought some of the questions were a little unfair and it is beyond doubt that the Doctor does good things for the universe with his TARDIS, but Mister K was less convinced. He was in full on interrogation mode and used the likes of regeneration to show that the Doctor was not always in control. I loved the Doctor's reaction to seeing himself regenerate but I was quite taken aback by its effects on the rest of the universe outside of the TARDIS and didn't quite by the fact. It didn't exactly cause damage in the likes of Planet of the Spiders and The Caves of Androzani, for example. The Doctor soon got comfortable with all of the questions and defended his actions well. He did good for the universe and a montage drawing of several recent enemies defeated was terrific. The story of the Cobalite panda was an unexpected one but the image of a panda in the Time Vortex was somewhat amusing! I was quite surprised that the Doctor almost laughed when he was told that was what happened after Donna almost started a war with them. The cameo of Martha, albeit as a fabrication, was welcomed too and I liked how the Doctor did accept that he wasn't always in control and that the TARDIS could be a weapon in the wrong hands. However, he knew that K was just distracting him to steal some of the TARDIS energies and quite easily and calmly left with no problems at all. But wasn't the TARDIS grounded? There needed to be a little more elaboration on the conclusion for my liking. As a whole though, it was a very entertaining comic strip story!

Rating: 8/10

Final Sacrifice

"We can take future technology and use it now."

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July-October 2010
Series: Doctor Who (2009) #13-16

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Emily, Matthew

Synopsis

On a war-ravaged alien world, the Doctor and Emily fight to save Matthew from the Advocate, while avoiding a planetoid civil war and a space-and-time misplaced Edwardian Torchwood, still hunting the Doctor since The Time Machination! Everything leads to this point - but who will die?

Verdict

Final Sacrifice was a very good conclusion to the Tenth Doctor's run in the IDW comic strips! It has been one great big story arc to send him off and whilst there was considerable depth and a lot of tying things up here, I probably would have preferred a more standalone approach as things tend to get very complicated! I just think there needs to be somewhat of a less assumption that the reader remembers perfectly what has gone in previous stories and that can be remedied by some more elaboration about what's going on. Or maybe American-style comic strips just aren't for me, although I have loved the work of Titan Comics! Anyway, seeing the Doctor do battle with the Advocate one last time was fantastic and I loved the dilemma she concocted. It was pure evil. The Doctor had to sacrifice one of his companions or an entire planet. How would he choose between those horrible scenarios? It was a devious scheme and one I absolutely loved, I have to say. I was hugely impressed with it. I would have liked to actually have a story or two between Matthew's decision to join the Advocate and then the Doctor going after him and whilst we did sort of get that in the form of the Old Friend, it wasn't quite enough but I do appreciate the constraints of time and production! I just would have loved to have seen the Doctor and Emily visiting Turlough. The truth that his journal was a fake wasn't exactly a surprise but was a welcomed relief as remembering him that way wouldn't have been an enjoyable legacy. The return of Eliza and Robert following The Time Machination was terrific and I really liked how the former decided to side with the Doctor. The latter was quite berserk in his duty for King and Country as part of Torchwood but Eliza entrusted Captain Jack's good work and the fact that Queen Victoria had knighted him before banishing him. The story of the Tef'Aree was quite astonishing and I loved how the war between the Terror Famers and Soul Free was based around nothing as they were actually the same species from Earth! Kol-Nee-Wah was actually a colony ship and words had been corrupted through time. I love it when that happens and it worked very well here. Finchy playing a crucial role in saving the planet and becoming part of the shield permanently was a noble sacrifice but quite the unexpected end for a character who has changed considerably in these comic strips! Matthew sacrificing himself and taking the Advocate with him to save the planet was what I expected to happen but the Doctor was genuinely hurt by his loss. I thought Emily would have reacted in a worse way though and I was very surprised by how unaffected she was. Her becoming Annabella Primavera was a wonderful addition though as it maintained the fixed point of time as she wasn't supposed to die. Going back to the scenes of her first meeting the Doctor was a lovely moment and brought things terrifically full circle.

Rating: 8/10