Quinnis

"I couldn't tell my tears from the rain."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: December 2010

Series: Companion Chronicles 5.06

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan

Synopsis 

Before Totter's Yard, before Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, before the chameleon circuit was broken... the Doctor and Susan travelled alone.

The planet Quinnis in the Fourth Universe appears at first glance, to be an agreeable, exotic refuge for the two travellers. But the world is experiencing a terrible drought, and the Doctor becomes its unwilling rainmaker.

Meanwhile, Susan makes an ally in a young girl called Meedla. But friends are not always what they appear, and the long-awaited rain isn't necessarily good news...

Verdict 

Quinnis was a fantastic audio adventure in the brilliant Companion Chronicles range! I really enjoyed this story and I thought it was nicely narrated by the terrific Carol Ann Ford as Susan. I loved the references to An Earthly Child with Susan describing how different Alex had become since meeting his great-grandfather and discovering about the TARDIS. The mentioned story was a superb subscription exclusive reuniting Susan with her grandfather only this time in his eighth and much younger looking incarnation. I really liked how Susan was telling this story to David, her husband of course. The references to The Dalek Invasion of Earth were delicately placed and with the Chronicles usually starting with the narrator after having left the TARDIS. I thought it was nice how Susan knew that the Doctor was right in leaving her from the TARDIS. She was now feeling the same for her son. She wanted Alex to socialise with people his own age and be in a time where there were no repercussions from the Dalek invasion which was still having a huge effect on society. But before she departed the TARDIS she travelled the universe with her grandfather as a young girl. This was even a time before Ian and Barbara stumbled upon the TARDIS in An Unearthly Child. I really love the idea of a story set before the TV series even started! It's almost not believable that an adventure should occur before the broadcast of the very first episode in 1963. But nearly five decades on and that's exactly what we got! The description of the TARDIS materialising into something the Doctor wasn't too happy was fantastic! Other than Attack of the Cybermen, we've not seen the TARDIS as anything other than a police telephone box so to have the Doctor react to his ship as something else naturally was quite unusual but the fact that it was so made it wonderful! It was nice actually having a story with just the First Doctor and Susan. It was lovely to see the family relationship between the pair and a visit to the Fourth Universe was interesting! Meedla was a unique character and I liked how she was messing with Susan and draining her whilst she was actually the bad luck bird that the town of Quinnis feared. The Doctor being forced to create rain was a good slant and when it came, things headed towards a decent climax which was done effectively I thought. The Doctor wouldn't allow Susan to be distracted by Meedla and her attempts to take off in the TARDIS. The Doctor explicitly telling his granddaughter not to allow anybody, in any circumstances, to enter the TARDIS was great as it seemed like immediately he didn't trust Meedla. Carol Ann Ford did her best attempting to show William Hartnell's Doctor but being who she is it was difficult for her to fully show the traits of the Doctor. The rainmaker he turned out to be worked out well, sort of, and then things came full circle for an intriguing finish. But overall, a very good Chronicle! 

Rating: 8/10

The Instruments of War Part 1

"You currently serve under a madman who lets his horoscope dictate his decisions in battle. He believes his destiny is written in the course of the stars."

Writer: Mike Collins

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 12th December 2014

Printed in: DWM 481

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

Expecting to arrive at a Frost Fair in London, 1641, a malfunction with the TARDIS brings the Doctor and Clara to the Sahara Desert in the middle of German occupation during the Second World War. But there's another batch of war hungry brutes present, one the Doctor knows all too well...

Verdict 

Part One of The Instruments of War was absolutely phenomenal! What an introductory part to a comic story! Now, it's only been around a year since I started collected DWM and reading the comics, John Smith and the Common Men was my first comic strip (that's how late I was to this party!), but after delving around and purchasing a couple of graphic novel collections, I must say that perhaps with the understandable exception of Hunters of the Burning Stone that this opening part was my favourite there has been. For me, as a big fan of History it had it in abundance with the Nazis featuring in the Sahara. We had some brilliant past story references with The Day of the Doctor, The Time of the Doctor and Flatline all being nicely mentioned. The middle story particularly as it loosely tied in with this issue of DWM being the Christmas edition. The Doctor didn't think too fondly of that word anymore after the centuries he defended the town on Trenzalore! I like how the TARDIS went wrong, it doesn't do that much does it? Clara wanted a Frost Fair, something she received in Silhouette although that was some time after 1641. Instead she got 1941 and a Nazi occupied Sahara Desert. Not too dissimilar then. That scenario of the TARDIS mucking up so bad just seems absolutely right for the pairing of the Twelfth Doctor and Clara and their unstable relationship. I do think though that, with what I took as a Flatline reference, that at this point in the relationship they're back as good friends as we saw in the series finale. If there's any doubt about compassion or consideration in this TARDIS pairing's relationship then I'm sure a Nazi based story can unite them beyond doubt! I loved how the Doctor used the alias of Johan Schmidt once again, something he has done so on more than one occasion when visiting Germany in his seventh incarnation for example, as seen in Colditz. I really liked how Clara was trying to use her gorgeously sublime cute charm and stunning looks to get any information she could. However things took a sour turn for her when Oberst confronted her about her identity. He knew she wasn't a spy but he also knew she wasn't a German which meant bad news for our brunette beauty. I found it quite shocking that he revealed it was he who was the spy! It'll be interesting to see where that aspect of the story goes. But that shock didn't pail in comparison to the absolutely magnificent cliffhanger! What old foe of the Doctor would happen to turn up in the middle of World War Two to be allies with Bhaki, the leader of the Tuareg tribesman? The race bred for war of course! The Sontarans were back! I was absolutely overjoyed when turning the page to see that it was the Sontarans who were in alliance. I probably could have and should have worked it out beforehand with the gun but that just made the cliffhanger so much better! It seems like these Sontarans are a nice blend of the Classic and revived series design but with the mention of them being from the Eighth Sontaran Battle Fleet, I place these Sontarans as Classic villains. And that very much excites me as they're going to come up against the Twelfth Doctor! I can't wait for the continuation of this comic strip! When it concludes, that's when the rating will come but what a magnificent start. 

The Masque of Mandragora

"He, the Doctor, was the unwitting cause of the death he had just witnessed. It was he who had brought this deadly menace to Earth. And at the moment he had no idea how to combat it."

Writer: Philip Hinchcliffe

Format: Novel

Released: December 1977

Series: Target 42

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah

Synopsis 

"I can tell your future," retorted the Doctor, "and it's likely to be very short and very unpleasant unless you listen to me..."

Forced by the Mandragora Helix to land in fifteenth-century Italy, the Doctor and Sarah find themselves at the mercy of Hieronymous, court astrologer it the province of San Martino. But Hieronymous and the other members of his star-worshipping black magic cult have also been taken over by the Mandragora energy form - they will be used as a bridgehead that will enable the Mandragora Helix to conquer the Earth and rule it through their chosen servants.

Verdict 

The Masque of Mandragora was a wonderful little read! Or should I add 'Doctor Who and...' to that title? I'm not sure as my Target reprint, as you can see from the photo the edition I have is simply named after the TV serial. It's been a long time since I watched the story on screen and having only done so on one occasion I didn't really remember the little details that were coming on the next page which was certainly beneficial. This wasn't the case in my read of Doctor Who and the Keys of Marinus, a story which I must have watched on screen at least five times so I knew pretty much everything that was going to happen and was anticipating the great moments that were to come. I didn't get that here which was good and it almost seemed like reading an original novel. I adored the setting of fifteenth century Italy in the province of San Martino, it really was effective in print with the variation of the palace and the catacombs. The pairing of the Fourth Doctor and Sarah is always brilliant and the relationship between them here was splendid. It's lovely seeing how well they get on and the comedy the Doctor brings to that relationship is outstanding. Sarah being shown around the TARDIS interior, far beyond she's been used to, was very good. The secondary control room being used was very interesting and I loved how after years of not using it, as soon as he does things go horribly wrong as the TARDIS gets pulled into the wrath of the Mandragora Helix and it hijacks the TARDIS taking it to Italy in 1492. I liked what happened upon arrival with the Doctor and Sarah being split up and that's where the story really got into action. The brethren were described excellently and I loved the mystery and enigmatic tension surrounding them! They really were just absurd. I loved the confusion they brought the Doctor as they were worshipping the mighty Demnos, a tradition that should have died out in the third century but here, twelve centuries later, is at large and planning a large movement. Their attempts at sacrificing Sarah were shocking but I just loved how the Doctor saved her in the nick of time in comedic fashion. The brethren weren't happy with that at all. I really liked the characters of Guiliano, Count Federico and Hieronymous. A tremendous trio with the Dukedom of San Martino the focal point behind the three. Guiliano had just inherited the throne after the passing of his father, as exactly prophesied by the court astrologer Hieronymous who was in league, not somewhat willingly, with Count Federico was who the uncle of Guiliano and next in line for the throne. However, with Guiliano's youth and his age, it's likely Federico would never rule the province. Unless something horrific occurred, like another death that was coincidentally prophesied.  When Guiliano found out the plans of his uncle I loved how he verbally mocked his cowardice method of attempting to gain power. I really liked Sarah's reference to The Time Warrior and how the Doctor has changed since they first met. Of course, a certain regeneration might have something to do with that! But I'm confident she meant how this incarnation had changed since Robot also. Marco was a good character and I liked how the accomplice in Guiliano also had a companion. But with that came the scar faced Rossini accompanying Federico. The mystery surrounding Hieronymous was fantastic throughout. Astrology is always an interesting subject, one I appreciate but don't think has any real value, and the prophecies that came were frightening. Having astrology as such a significant factor in a fifteenth century story was terrific because as the Doctor mentioned, man was stepping out of the Dark Ages and religion was becoming predominant across Europe. Religion is something I despise and fail to comprehend but as a big fan of History I can admire what changes it has made in developing society. The brethren though took things to the extreme! Maniacs was an understatement, and with that added to the Mandragora Helix we had quite a combination for the Doctor to combat. Their method of killing was ruthless and it was quite surprising Federico died when he did! But that set up the climax nicely. Guiliano was reestablished as the authority figure and that led the Doctor to carry out his ingenious plan, which was the destruction of the brethren in an extremely clever way. After draining Hieronymous of his power, he impersonated him behind the mask and the brethren fell into the wrath of the Helix Energy and were destroyed. The masque provided a great distraction for events and I liked the threat of all leading scientists and what have you being present. Human history was at stake, but the genius of the Doctor again saved the day. Overall, a wonderful story with an interesting reference from Sarah about how she could understand Italian. 

Rating: 9/10

Letting Go

"People in his class weren't meant to believe in humans."

Writer: Simon Guerrier

Format: Audio

Released: February 2011

Series: Short Trips 2.08

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis 

Charlotte Pollard learns a lot about the Doctor when she keeps a promise and the pair visit the family of a fallen hero.

Verdict 

Letting Go was a brilliant little audio story! The Short Trip range is an effective and snazzy little collection of stories and this one, featuring the magnificent pairing of the Eighth Doctor and Charley, was a real good listen. India Fisher is a wonderful narrator of stories and I think that showed when she was able to do so in a full length story in the outstanding Companion Chronicle Solitaire. I found the comments regarding Charley's early days travelling with the Doctor extremely intriguing and surprising! She claimed that the Eighth Doctor, all "flocks and cheeks", was someone she was smitten with! Now this is unprecedented! Romance suggestions from the companion towards the Doctor, in a Classic series pairing? I like the fact that it happened because it's occurred with just about every companion since the revived series so why shouldn't it have at least been thought of and referenced in a Classic based story. If it was going to happen to any Doctor I guess it would have to be Paul McGann's incarnation due to the look, as Charley mentioned, and the kiss with Grace in The Movie! I really liked seeing the kindness Charley possesses in this story and really just what a good person she is! Well, what companion isn't? The events depicted that involved Stan and his heroic death were fantastic and I thought it was really nice how Charley managed to get the Doctor to take her to the planet she couldn't remember the name of to carry out Stan's message to his tendril covered mother. The description of Charley being hugged by Vinx was very funny! It was almost like she was slobbered. The conversation around the awkward dinner table was good and I liked how the Doctor basically sat in silence and let Charley do all the talking, even under the influence of the giggly drink. She was the one who wanted to make sure Stan's message got home and so it would. He was mistaken. He did want to come home and see his mother again. He was missing her. But in being a hero he'd never seen her again. It was heartfelt and I liked the calm reactions from Vinx and the family. They thanked Charley for coming and telling them or the message. Charley's referencing of remembering those she's seen die was emotional with the Storm Warning reference. She wouldn't remember the names of those she'd seen die. But she would remember Stan. As he was a hero.

Rating: 8/10

Doctor vs Doctor

"You're probably right about everything normally, but just this once you're out of your depth."

Writer: Gareth Roberts 

Format: Short Story

Released: September 2005

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 2006

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis 

Dr Carr seems to be the man who can solve the unsolvable mystery. But when strange happenings continue at a guest event, the Doctor and Rose arrive and question the theory of the all knowing doctor...

Verdict 

Doctor vs Doctor was a very good short story to open the 2006 Annual and its canonical content! I really liked the atmosphere of the short piece of prose with the murder mystery theme and I also really liked the 1920s setting, though with the entire adventure indoors in one location that didn't matter too much other than a few comments about the people within the manor not being able to understand the truth about what was going on. The backdrop to Dr Carr was excellent and I liked how he was almost like a male equivalent of Agatha Christie, who of course appeared in The Unicorn and the Wasp. That TV story is undoubtedly the easiest one to compare this short story with and I really liked the similarities. Same sort of premise and aim but a completely different resolution about what just was going on. Ransom was a fantastic character and I really enjoyed how much of the story seemed to be from his perspective. His perception of the Doctor and Rose on their arrival was intriguing and I liked the use of historical setting with the companion's clothes being referred to as "boy's clothes". Oh how times have changed! Gareth Roberts, a very good writer of stories usually much longer than this one, nailed the traits and personality of the Ninth Doctor with ease. Just by simply saying "nope" instead of 'no' was more than enough to grasp this short lived incarnation of the Doctor. I say short lived but we did get 10 television stories with him, that's two more than Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor, eight more than Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor (don't you dare forget The Night of the Doctor!) and a whole nine more than John Hurt's War Doctor. I was actually recently thinking about things regarding Christopher Eccleston's Doctor. He seems to be slowly being forgotten, more so since the arrival of the Twelfth Doctor to our screens. Naturally the War Doctor will be forgotten over time with just the one appearance and exclusion from the numbering - and even the Doctor's own memory as best he can - but without the actor being a committed fan of the series people are forgetting the Doctor that brought the show back to our screens. Even in the States, the Titan comic series only features incarnations from the revived series but the Ninth Doctor is not one of them. It's a shame really because even in this short story, the quality the incarnation possesses was evident! After problems with the TARDIS, he was angered by the cause seemingly being from interfering aliens in 1920s England who shouldn't be there. So he just casually turned up and wanted to save everybody without them getting in his way. I liked how clearly he enjoyed having Rose around and it was evidently the same vice versa - she loved being around him as was seen when she jumped and wrapped her arms around him before being teleported into the ship that was causing all the murder. It was discovered that the crew were dead and the ship's systems were acting on automatic attempting to get the ship going again and unstuck from the plane it was stuck in. Unseen from the reader, the Doctor did do so, as you might expect. Dr Carr wanting to know all the facts in a rather aggressive fashion was very good! He couldn't handle not knowing everything! But what he did work out about Rose was frightening! The Doctor however proved to be difficult. He couldn't solve him and wouldn't as the TARDIS pair left in their police box just before the real police arrived. 

Rating: 8/10

Reluctant Warriors

"There, in the thick of it, his scarf trailing, blood on his face and on his sword, was the Doctor."

Writer: Paul Crompton 

Format: Short Story

Released: September 1979

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1980

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana I, K9

Synopsis 

The Doctor lands the TARDIS on the planet Banto where he intends on catching up with Alix, one of his oldest friends. However, upon arrival things aren't like the Doctor remembers and there's a reluctant fight to the death ensuing...

Verdict 

Reluctant Warriors was a magnificent little short story and it is definitely the best of what the 1980 Annual has had to offer thus far! Now, I purchased the novelty gem a few months back now for £3.50 as something to go into my ever growing collection of Doctor Who memorabilia which includes many DVDs, figures, books and CDs. With a splendid recent purchase of Target novels, of which I easily now have over 30 in my collection which as a relatively young viewer at eighteen years old, I prize very closely as I just wasn't around when these were in the shops! Much like the Classic annuals. It's all well and good reading a few of them on Scribd but there's nothing like actually having something that has such a retro and brilliant feel like an Annual right in front of you, in your possession. That's why I bought the Annual, but after delving into the stories at hand there has been some quality such as Terror on Xaboi and X-Rani and the Ugly Mutants. But this story eclipsed the lot! The subtle similarities to the society of Nazi Germany was absolutely outstanding I thought! Where in Germany the Communists and alike were referred to as 'enemies of the state', here it was those who believed against the regime that were labelled 'enemies of the city'. I really loved that! Something else I loved was the description of how the Doctor acts when he's at the controls of the TARDIS. The relationship between him and Romana is captured in text much like it was on screen which I think is very important. The Doctor talking to K9 as if he's an everyday person is brilliant and the literal replies the robotic dog gives are comedic gems on times. The arrival on Banto was intriguing and I liked the idea of the Doctor having visited the planet before but things changing in great detail since his last visit, much like the stance he faced at the beginning of The Dominators. He was looking forward to being reunited with his old friend Alix but that reunion would soon be short lived as Leondin's own personal police force burst in and broke up the unlawful meeting. The Doctor trying to smile his way out of trouble wasn't going to work this time! Although I did admire the attempt. The fact that Leondin was igniting a reluctant war between the Thralls and Yemites was a sadistic plot especially considering the purpose was for high street entertainment! The ray of wrath was being implemented, a device name I really like, and things were getting intensified. I loved how Leondin's arrival to his position of power seemed to mirror Hitler's back in 1933. I'd love to know what his Reichstag Fire equivalent was! The fact that the Doctor and Alix were added to the battle provided good action scenes and the depiction of the Doctor having blood on his sword was horrendous! Did he really kill someone? It was left unanswered and the ambiguity leaves it up to the reader to decide if the Doctor did draw blood or not. It does seem as though inferences can be made! The climax was done very effectively with Romana and K9 working as a cohesive unit to take out Leondin and extinguish the ray of wrath. I adored how the Doctor attempted to take all the credit for stopping the ray by leading a revolt against the cameras but eventually he did acknowledge the help which was nice. The friendly reunion would soon take place and all would be restored on Banta. Overall, a brilliant short story and if it wasn't for the mention of luck regarding the other cameras this may have gotten full marks! 

Rating: 9/10

Light Fantastic

"Even if you were to conquer the Time Lords, it would not give you their knowledge. And only knowledge is true power."

Writer: Paul Crompton

Format: Short Story

Released: September 1979

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1980

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana I, K9

Synopsis 

The Doctor, Romana and K9 land on the planet UX80, home to a mystery of a missing Gallifreyan. Here, they find a single life on the thought uninhabited planet and they find he's messing with waves, including light waves...

Verdict 

Light Fantastic wasn't as fantastic as its title might like to suggest as it was a bit of a mixed bag but I don't think there's any doubt that the good outweighed the bad. It's just the bad brought the perhaps generous rating down a mark or two then it may have been. I really did enjoy the dialogue and interaction between the Fourth Doctor, Romana and K9. Crompton really did nail the traits of this incarnation of the Doctor, particularly when Romana suggested something and it turned out to be correct. The Doctor didn't want to allow his robot dog to think that someone who he travelled with was of greater intellect! I liked how the Doctor treated the TARDIS with delight, anthropomorphising it. How dare Romana suggest his "old girl" was getting old and missing destinations or arriving a couple of seconds late. What's a couple of seconds to Time Lords in the grand scheme of things anyway? The use of the light waves fluctuating was an intriguing concept I thought. From darkness to extreme brightness in nanoseconds, anything was possible with somebody manipulating the waves themselves! Radik was an interesting character and I loved his backdrop on Gallifrey, being a failed Time Lord he stole a TM and came to this planet, eradicated it of any life and through the extension of his radiation experiments, he'd gained access to controlling the waves. The claim that he could even control the Doctor's brain waves was quite a scary concept! That's something very powerful if you can control the brain waves of the Doctor himself! However, his powers of concentration would prove too much. The part that brought the quality of the episode down was on the fourth page where, with Romana engulfed in mysterious orange slime and the Doctor powerless to stop its attack on him, it just shifted to the aftermath with barely an explanation as to what had gone on. I didn't like that at all I must say. K9 though was a great highlight with his monotonous tone and almost inadvertent wit. The relationship between he and the Doctor is just splendid! The climax of the story was done well but I think coincidence was just a cover up for lack of quality resolution. Somehow it seemed to get away with it as it worked decently okay. Romana using the sonic screwdriver to wipe out Radik was neatly done and I enjoyed the humoir when the TARDIS trio could see themselves again. Overall, a decent story but a big let down in the middle which was a shame. 

Rating: 7/10

42

"Burn with me! Burn with me, Martha."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 19th May 2007

Series: 3.07

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis 

As a spaceship hurtles towards the sun, the Doctor and Martha have just 42 minutes to prevent a devastating and fatal collision.

Verdict 

42 was a brilliant little episode and one that I think is widely underrated and for some fans forgettable, which I fail to understand. Granted that it has its flaws, there are very few stories across all the formats that I consider don't have any, but it's a very fast paced and tense 42 minutes of Who drama! I loved how after eventually becoming a "frequent flyer" of the TARDIS, Martha's first official trip as companion was quite an eventful one! No longer was the Doctor thanking her for her help in Smith and Jones, he finally acknowledged what she had to offer which was nice, because she has been crying out for his attention ever since The Shakespeare Code! I loved the action packed scenes with the Doctor and Martha thrown into immediate action as soon as they exited the TARDIS. The scenario they were thrown into was quite a disastrous one! A ship that was on a collision course with the sun, had failing engines and there was only 42 minutes to do something about it. The Doctor disliking the crew's defeatists attitude was excellent, I really did enjoy that. I assume he once again was pondering why he continually saves them when there's actually quite a bit he doesn't like about them! When given the situation, and although it didn't seem it a considerable amount of time, the crew immediately dismissed any chance of survival. So it was up to the Doctor to inspire them and give them hope and that's exactly what he did! Martha and Riley would try to reach the front deck to access the backup engines, via a silly pub quiz, whilst the rest of the crew would attempt to deal with keeping the heat shield up and preventing the possessed Korwin from killing. The idea of the sun being alive is rather frightening! A great big giant ball of fire that gives us light, heat and power every day and the suggestion that it's a living organism is almost unbelievable. But, if there's ever a God (I'm an Atheist and think religion is just ridiculous) then the sun would be it. The killing spree Korwin went on provided a horrifying villain and the helmet certainly added to the fear factor. A very nice addition. Ashton would soon follow and we soon had a double act of possessed walking hydrogen breathing monsters with the power to vaporise! Not a bad obstacle to come up against. So how do you defeat it? The stasis chamber of course. I liked that effective bit of kit vert much. The description of the internal makeup of Korwin was merciful, how could anybody or anything cope with an internal body temperature of 100 degrees celsuis? It may just have been enough to drive the possessed pair as insane as they went! The burn patch that was left of the victims was extremely gruesome. Kath was a terrific character and I liked how horrified she was at what had happened to her husband. I thought it was brilliant when she demanded the Doctor tell her the truth about whether there was a chance of bringing him back. There was not of course. Martha and Riley being sent away in the escape pod was a shocking moment and for a while it did genuinely seem like they had no way back. But then the Doctor put on his spacesuit and just about saved the day, at a cost. He too became possessed and David Tennant gave an incredible performance as the Tenth Doctor. The aggression he showed was outstanding and in something not unlike scenes at the beginning of The Twin Dilemma, the Doctor did seem to be well capable of taking his companion's life. Martha though rescued him which I thought was wonderful. She returned the favour from The Lazarus Experiment and saved him. He was thankful and a TARDIS key was hers. The inclusion of the series arc with Mr Saxon's crew and Francine's phone tied in with the episode superbly. Overall, despite a poor pub quiz, a very good and tense episode! 

Rating: 8/10

Revenge of the Judoon

"You've got the King, the castle, and the Judoon. What harm can impossible do you on my own?"

Writer: Terrance Dicks

Format: Novel

Released: February 2008

Series: Quick Reads 03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis 

The TARDIS brings the Doctor and Martha to Balmoral in 1902. Here they meet Captain Harry Carruthers - friend of the new king, Edward VII. Together they head for the castle to see the king - only to find that Balmoral Castle is gone, leaving just a hole in the ground. The Doctor realises it is the work of the Judoon - race of ruthless space police. 

While Martha and Carruthers seek answers in London, the Doctor finds himself in what should be the most deserted place on Earth - and he is not alone.

With help from Arthur Conan Doyle, the Doctor and his friends discover a ploy to take over the world. With time running out, who will fall victim to the revenge of the Judoon?

Verdict 

Revenge of the Judoon was a brilliant novel by the master of prose Who! Terrance Dicks really is the man when it comes to writing novelised Doctor Who, whether it's based on TV stories like the brilliant Doctor Who and the Deadly Assasssin or original works like the acclaimed Players, Dicks knows what he's doing. Like my read of Made of Steel last week, he knows how to pace a book expertly even in the Quick Read genre, as was again the case here. I loved this story very much with a fantastic use of pseudo-history. We had 1902 as the setting during the first year of King Edward VII's reign which was interesting I thought as I would have thought a more historically significant time period would have been chosen. Even the Doctor says that the time is pretty uneventful with the Boer War at its climax and World War One some way away yet. However, an uneventful time period in regards to history was perfect for this novel! That was the one the Judoon arrived and made things very significant! The description of it raining upwards was absolutely brilliant I thought with a wonderful throwback to Smith and Jones, a story that was referenced in quite some detail which was good. Carruthers was an excellent character in this story I must say. I really enjoyed how easy he got along with the Doctor and Martha after the latter prevented him from shooting a stag on their meeting. Harry seemingly being loyal but not too keen on working with the King was interesting and I think it's a good thing that despite his role being aide to the King, we didn't see a great deal of them together. The position was just used effectively which was good. Having a writer prominently associated with Classic novels, predominantly the Target range (a range I was extremely lucky enough to pick up 12 different copies, including the novels based on The Seeds of Death, The Keeper of Traken and Ghost Light, for a measly £12 yesterday!), is excellent because that can mean some wonderful references to past stories from the Classic series, something that doesn't happen as often as it should in the revived series. I absolutely loved the references regarding the master plan of Challoner and linking it with The Daleks' Master Plan! He was almost mocking his arch rivals by referring to them having a master plan every week, each one of course was defeated. The early adventure references didn't stop there though as Marco Polo, The Reign of Terror and The Abominable Snowmen were all beautifully included. However, the revived series references also had their fair share with Tooth and Claw expectedly referenced in excellent fashion. The Judoon abducting the castle was intriguing and I liked how they were seen as enemies for the most part during this novel, being tricked by the Cosmic Peacemakers of course. That's a group name I really was fond of! Challoner was interesting and I liked how he was trying to take over the world by extending the British Empire to a global scale. The references to the relations across the many royal families was fantastic! Some great historical references in this story which I loved! The climax was done very well with the Doctor revealing to the Judoon that they had been tricked and then the battle of the castle occurred! The description of the battle was done magnificently! Martha being threatened at the end added tension but the Judoon Captain showed no mercy to Challoner and execution was carried out. Overall, a fantastic novel with wonderful references, a brilliant plot and the return of a brilliant alien race! 

Rating: 9/10

Dead on Arrival

"Jo looks inside... and sees with a ghastly shock that it is her own body lying in the coffin."

Writer: Edgar Hodges

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 1974

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1975

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis 

Jo Grant thinks she is dead, after she is transported to an alternate Earth due to cosmic dust reacting with a molecular adjuster...

Verdict 

Hurrah! Dead on Arrival has managed to pull off something that is very rare to me when it comes to Doctor Who Annual stories - it genuinely impressed me! This was certainly one of my favourite Annual comic strips ever as it was just magnificent from start to finish! You can get a lovely taste of what the story was all about from my picture and quote above - that really was the highlight of the story! Job thought she had died! Not for the first time either! This actually surprisingly bore a couple of similarities to the acclaimed Companion Chronicle The Many Deaths of Jo Grant. Of course, she only thought she'd died once in this comic strip story but the idea was similar which is interesting to crop up amongst the same TARDIS pairing over the years and across the different formats of stories. But repetition can sometimes be a good thing! I loved the way Jo got molecularly shifted to the Breelian plane! The Doctor was attempting something that didn't seem all that convincing, which seems to ring bells for whatever reason, and it went wrong thanks to the cosmic dust encountered by the TARDIS at precisely the wrong time! The Doctor attending Jo's funeral was a shocking scene! There he was, in flesh and bone, at the funeral of his companion. Of course, this couldn't be right unless things changed drastically following the events of The Green Death. So we knew Jo was going to survive some way or another! I loved her determination, despite accepting that she was dead, to somehow make contact with the Doctor and warn him of the Breelian invasion plans on Earth. They wanted to wipe out the "flabby" creatures and take over. It seemed like the Doctor was going to let them through but he managed to save Jo and prevent the materialiser coming through, which was in turn destroyed, and prevent the invasion for billions of years. The Brigadier was pretty useless despite appearing which was comical, but overall a really good comic story told over a small amount of pages. A job really well done! 

Rating: 9/10

The Doctor's Wife

"She's a women and she's the TARDIS!"

Writer: Neil Gaiman

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 11th May 2011

Series: 6.04

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis 

The Doctor is lured by a Time Lord to a junkyard outside of the universe. There, the TARDIS matrix is implanted into a women called Idris, and for the first time the madman and his box interact. But House is at hand, and plans on continuing his feast of TARDISes...

Verdict 

The Doctor's Wife is utterly stunning. It really is one of the most beautiful stories ever told. The madman who stole a box to travel the universe - that's the general consensus of the Doctor's early days in leaving Gallifrey. But after this spectacular episode out perception may have been wrong! Could the TARDIS have stolen the Doctor? We know from episodes such as Boom Town and the later Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS that the TARDIS herself is well and truly alive. But that's never been more true here! The Doctor and co exited the universe. It's quite an incomprehensible fact to get your head around but they did. The TARDIS trio left the universe and entered what's seemingly dubbed as the 'Bubble Universe' despite the Doctor's disagreement with his own analogy. He was lured from an infamous psychic box which was an incredible throwback to my favourite ever Doctor Who story - The War Games. Seeing the boxes brought back really was a special moment for me. From 1969 to 2011, things truly never are forgotten. The look of happiness and glee from the Doctor when he thought there was still a living Time Lord out there was heartbreaking after what was to come. The boxes well and truly made the Doctor angry, a storage of messages from Time Lords long dead. House fed upon the Time Lords and their TARDISes. A diabolical scheme and the luring of a Time Lord was just despicable! However, upon arrival the TARDIS shutdown and despite that usually being a bad thing, what we got was absolutely astounding. The TARDIS was manifested into human flesh in the form of the beautiful Idris! Her character was just truly wonderful from start to finish. The idea of the TARDIS personified is just incredible in itself but Idris, something I imagine would be the female kind of name of TARDIS, was excellent. The barmy kissing scenes were terrific at the start with her getting new ideas regarding tongues! It was adorable that Idris referred to the Doctor as her thief. Truly magnificent. This story was just outstanding! Uncle and Auntie were extremely mysterious and freaky with their persona and attitude. The fact they were rebuilt using Time Lords was horrific and the Doctor was outraged at that, and rightfully so! He thought he was going to meet the Corsair but instead got people who didn't care about a thing. Nephew, the Ood, was interesting as he didn't really serve much of a purpose other than for the Doctor not to save him! It was intriguing that when things concerned the Doctor and the Time Lords, a possible reunion and the chance of the Doctor being forgiven what he did in the Time War, he sent Amy and Rory away into the TARDIS on a wild goose chase for the sonic screwdriver. Of course, things didn't go to swell from there onwards! House taking over the TARDIS was intriguing and despite the story being all about the Doctor and Idris, it was great that Amy and Rory had an eventful status in the episode! The way House was messing with their heads caused an emotional stir between the married couple with Amy believing her husband was dead at one point! It was brilliant seeing somewhere in the TARDIS that wasn't the console room. Speaking of which, it was magnificent to have the TARDIS console room of the Ninth and Tenth Doctors returned to! It was really interesting seeing a TARDIS combination that seemed out of place in that control room. It reminded of the beauty of seeing the Eleventh Doctor enter the TARDIS in the Junkyard during the events of An Unearthly Child. The absolute highlight of the episode has to be the dialogue between the Doctor and Idris. It was just incredible! Forget any relationships involving companions or what have you, this story undoubtedly portrays the greatest love story ever told in the Whoniverse! They really were like an old married couple, and why wouldn't they be? The mention of being the most beautiful thing the Doctor had ever seen was stunning, as was the emotion behind Idris telling her thief that she was always taking the Doctor where he needed to go. That'll teach him for questioning her unreliability! The building of the junk TARDIS was done incredibly and I thought it was fantastic how Idris felt pain at seeing her sister's corpses scattered beyond the end of the universe. Idris thinking Rory was the pretty one out of the two companions was hilarious! Well, she doesn't like strays does she! The defeating of House was done magnificently and the goodbye between the Doctor and his TARDIS was incredibly emotional. This was when they talked. And it was utterly astounding. 

Rating: 10:10

X-Rani and the Ugly Mutants

"The sight of a grinning, unblemished, handsome man, twirling a long scarf, brought all wrestling to a premature halt."

Writer: Paul Crompton

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 1979

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1980

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana I

Synopsis 

The Doctor and Romana venture to Xethra where they meet many strange and intriguingly mutated creatures. They soon meet the being who put them in that state, the mysterious X-Rani.

Verdict  

X-Rani and the Ugly Mutants was just as weird and wonderful as it sounds! It's certainly one of the most bizarre titles of a Doctor Who story I've come across throughout all the formats! Even for an Annual story, of which I've been perhaps critical of in the past, this was pushing it. Now you may not think the title is too bad but upon seeing it just seemed strange to me so I was amazed that the story was pretty much everything it said on the tin! There were plenty of ugly mutants and X-Rani was the culprit for those awfully mutated beings. The fact that she did it via mind control was awfully disturbing I thought! How sick, twisted and sadistic must she have been to imagine the abysmal mutations she brought to the Xethrans. The relationship between the Fourth Doctor and Romana I was at a high which was nice to see. It's good to see the pair have adventures outside of finding the Key to Time segments. It is rather nice to have a more varied style of story featuring this particular TARDIS pair as opposed to what we got on television with the season long search for keys. The reference to K9 being repaired in service was good and I am glad that the little but brilliant robot dog isn't being forgotten in the Annual. X-Rani hiding under the veil was interesting and with the references to the creatures cowering from her beauty, I'm not sure why but I imagined these mutants moved the same as the Zarbi, infamous enemies of course from lacklustre The Web Planet. The Doctor travelling with X-Rani in the TARDIS was interesting and my opinion on her as an enemy enhanced when her plan was hatched and revealed at the climax. She lured the Doctor for her own gain but unfortunately for her she would bring her own downfall after the mutations on the a Doctor. He helped the Controller over X-Rani resulting in victory. He'd be safe to return, although not in a hurry, to Romana and rescue her from under the veil. Overall, a good and weird little story! But weird can be fantastic! The name of the X-Rani was also good with its insight to a future villain who would never be forgotten...

Rating: 8/10

When the Wolves Came

"I've moved you to outside the danger zone - a bit north of London... I think it's called Bedfordshire. You'll be safe here."

Writer: Moray Laing

Format: Short Story

Released: September 2014

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 2015

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

With Earth devastated in the 22nd century following a ruthless alien invasion, Simon can find no survivors. Running from wolves, he finds solace in the form of a blue police box...

Verdict 

When the Wolves Came was a fantastic little, and I do mean little, short story adventure from the 2015 Annual! Although not directly referenced, perhaps due to the younger child audience aim, the story being set during or prior to the events of The Dalek Invasion of Earth was just magnificent! It really did depict the devastation of the Dalek conquest incredibly well. Simon was alone in the city and he'd just found no survivors. That's how ruthless the Daleks had been. Not one survivor for Simon to join up with up. The only food he could find was a tin of baked beans, and he was being hunted by wolves. I think that just captures the scale and mass of the Dalek invasion terrifically. It wasn't just the humans that were affected, naturally. Food was short. So the Wolves were hunting, and if humans would be the supply then for them so be it. I loved how the TARDIS seemingly refused to leave the devastated 22nd century until Simon was saved and well, safe back with his parents. Alive. It was just wonderful how as he ran to the TARDIS, the doors opened wide for him and slammed shut on the Wolves. He was safe. With the Twelfth Doctor, I'd usually think that if someone just walked their way straight into the TARDIS then he'd go ballistic! But instead the Doctor thanked Simon which was a bit of a shock. Despite this, it was still Clara giving him the comforting welcome inside and helping him deal with the sheer amazement that was the TARDIS and its whole bigger on the inside malarkey. To be fair, it is quite an incomprehensible concept so going into it after being chased by Wolves must have been overwhelming! The TARDIS breaking free from whatever it was keeping it in the 22nd century was lovely, because it seemed like she wanted to save Simon. With Daleks on the loose planning to take over the planet and use it as a travelling device, Wolves would be a harsh way to go. So the Doctor took Simon to his parents in the safe area of Bedfordshire. Hmm, I'm not so sure about the Doctor's memory in regards to that! But the blend between the current series and Doctor and the early Classic era was superb. It's just a shame it was only 2 pages long! Though what we got was a wonderful little read. 

Rating: 8/10

Terrorformer Part 2

"The most powerful races in the universe formed an alliance. Led by Rassilon, Lord President of the Time Lords of Gallifrey, they declared war. A war that would extinguish the fires of Hyperios forever..."

Writer: Robbie Morrison

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November 2014

Printed in: DW12 #2

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

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

Verdict 

Terrorformer continued (and I'm almost certainly finished) tremendously well in this second part in the latest issue of the brand new series of Twelfth Doctor comic adventures by Titan from across the pond in the US. I must admit it irked me a little when 'favour' was spelt as 'favor' and it came from the Doctor's lips - surely he uses the English language properly. The British way. The correct way I may add. Woops, slight dig at Americans there! Ahh well, bless 'em, they still think 1812 was a big deal. Anyway, back to the story at hand and I really liked it! Continuing nicely on from the intriguing cliffhanger of the first part with Hyperios rising, it turned out that name was actually a planet, home of the Hyperions, and not a Time Lord as I first figured and hoped. But my slight disappointment was soon eradicated when we got the history of the Hyperions and the historical war they had with an intergalactic alliance led by the Time Lords, or more specifically Rassilon. Seeing the Alliance looked brilliant with Rassilon standing side by the side with the likes of Silurians and Sontarans! Not too shabby an alliance at all. The depiction of the War was excellent and I really liked the way the Hyperions were defeated millennia ago, after they rampaged through the universe holding on for survival as they burned up. The idea of the species really is unique - sentient sun beings with vast intelligence! Now that's quite a combination. I can see why a Time Lord led alliance was needed to defeat the species! The Doctor standing up to Ramm-Korr as it was named (I'll just stick to calling it the Hyperion) was splendid and very typical of the Twelfth Doctor in my opinion. I read every line in my head with the voice of Peter Capaldi and the dialogue really was spot on for this incarnation which is always a brilliant thing. I think The Blood Cell failed a little in that and was a reason why I didn't rate it so highly as the other two BBC New Adventure novels which nailed the persona of this current Doctor. The war of words between the Doctor and the Hyperion was excellent and I loved how since gaining an extra regeneration cycle, the Doctor is seemingly more attached to the race he ran away from all those years ago. As seen in Death in Heaven when Missy lied about Gallifrey's whereabouts he was devastated, and here he was just silent when the Hyperion worked out that he was all that was left and Gallifrey had fallen. Clara was very good in this story with the humorous references to the ski-pole and the way it came in handy at the end. I was also impressed by her combat skills against Eric! One-nil to Coal Hill indeed! The Doctor bluffing about the plans he had was oh so topically wonderfully but what he actually carried out was great. He literally froze the Hyperion and returned Isen VI to its cold and snowy state. Dollar was abandoned after the wedding went to hell and all things just about worked out for once. The Doctor had defeated the last of the Hyperions, or so he thinks. The ending was intriguing with the Neptune rising but that was some 300 years before the setting of this adventure. I do hope it was just a late prelude into what we had read because the story ending fantastically and I don't think and I do hope that this particular one is over, because if so it was marvellous! 

Rating: 9/10

Made of Steel

"They need me in order to survive, and that's the thing that drives them. Not emotions, not love or hate or ambition or greed. Survival."

Writer: Terrance Dicks

Format: Novel

Released: March 2007

Series: Quick Reads 02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis 

A deadly night attack on an army base. Vehicles are destroyed, buildings burned, soldiers killed. The attackers vanish as swiftly as they came, taking highly advanced equipment with them. 

Metal figures attack a shopping mall. But why do they only want a new games console from an ordinary electronics shop? An obscure Government Ministry is blown up - but, in the wreckage, no trace is found of the secret, state-of-the-art decoding equipment. 

When the TARDIS returns the Doctor and Martha to Earth from a distant galaxy, they try to piece together the mystery. But someone - or something - is waiting for them. An old enemy stalks the night, men no longer made of flesh...

Verdict 

Made of Steel, a title I really do love especially with the relation to the story itself, was a fantastic quick read novel! I think it's brilliant that between Doomsday and The Next Doctor, the Tenth Doctor had an encounter with the Cybermen and also, so did Martha Jones for the first time! It's always great seeing Doctors or, in this case companions, getting a story against a villain they never faced on television. A long sought after encounter was the Third Doctor and the Cybermen and we finally got that in the lacklustre a The Blue Tooth. It's just magnificent and intriguing having encounters with familiar heroes or villains that we've not seen before. Lords of the Storm had that effect for me with the Fifth Doctor pitted against the Sontarans. So I think a possible reason why I loved this little book so much was because I don't associate Martha with having faced the Cybermen. Another possible reason might be the fact it was written by the terrific Terrance Dicks. I loved how the story started off in the Jurassic period with the Doctor and Martha almost being eaten by a T-Rex. But the way Dicks linked that little chapter at the start with the climax of the story was incredible! The way the Doctor and Martha came to be in the present day was good and I loved how the Doctor said it couldn't be the Cybermen causing the mysteries. Oh the irony. I really liked Martha's reaction to seeing the Cybermen once more. The numerous references to Doomsday and the Battle of Canary Wharf were superb I thought. I particularly loved the emotional reference to Adeola, the cousin Martha lost and who the Doctor technically killed. He couldn't tell her the truth. The difficulty for Dicks in bringing the Cybermen back was actually pretty large after the way they were last defeated with them all being sucked into the Void and the gateway being permanently closed. That was something the Doctor didn't like to reference as the anguish of losing Rose was still at large for him. It was very clever how Dicks brought them back though because the Cybermen that featured here hadn't actually gone anywhere since the Battle. These were Cybermen all converted using parts purely from this dimension. They didn't contain any void stuff so couldn't be sucked in! A brilliant way around them all being defeated last time around. In many ways, this was a direct sequel to Army of Ghosts/Doomsday from the Cybermen's perspective and I just loved it. Martha returning to the hospital that suffered so much during Smith and Jones was great and I liked her attempts to avoid any awkward questioning about her disappearance and relationship with the Doctor. Sheila Sarandon was a very good character and the relationship she had with the Doctor throughout was excellent. It really was typical of the Doctor I thought. The lack of distinction between the Cyber Leader and normal Cybermen was the only slight flaw I had with the story. Surely there should be the black on the helmet to represent him as Leader? Anyway, I can't complain too much. The teleportation of the Cybermen was a superb addition to the infamous foes, even if it was fluctuating in operation. The Cybermen wanting the Doctor to reopen the Void and bring back the Cybermen army was tremendous but the fact they got a T-Rex was fantastic! The Cyber Leader, by that time all that remained of the Cybermen after a brilliant battle, was gobbled up by the ferocious dinosaur. A great climax and resolution to a wonderful story! 

Rating: 9/10

The Lazarus Experiment

"There's no such thing as an ordinary human."

Writer: Stephen Greenhorn

Format: TV

Broadcast: 5th May 2007

Series: 5.06

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis 

Martha returns home, but has to save her family from the schemes of the monstrous Professor Lazarus, the man who has changed what it means to be human.  

Verdict 

The Lazarus Experiment is an interesting episode that despite the good it holds, is a bit of a mixed bag as a whole. It started off well with the Doctor dropping Martha home the morning after the night before. Just like that, it seemed Martha's travels were over. That was a little hard to believe somehow, especially with this incarnation and his offer to Donna in The Runaway Bride. But here he was, in Martha's bedroom saying goodbye after her picking up her drying underwear. It's interesting to think that if Martha hadn't turned on the TV and heard Richard Lazarus' speech, then the Doctor and Martha's time together would have been cut significantly short! It was good that the Doctor soon ran back to Martha when it'd sunk in what Lazarus had said. He was going to change what it meant to be human, so naturally the Doctor had to go and see what that was all about! The idea was good with Lazarus making himself younger, and despite my liking of the awakening of dormant genes - a path for humanity that evolution said no to, the idea just wasn't believable. Changing your DNA doesn't necessarily make you look younger, does it? I mean, in 30 years time I'll be 48 but I'll still have the same DNA structure I've got now, age and appearance isn't a factor so that was something I disagreed with from the get go. The experiment going into overload couldn't have been good and at least it went some way into explaining the horrifying creature that was human in origin. The design of the creature was slightly over the top I thought and I wasn't convinced it'd be able to speak perfect English! The way it just dissected its victims though was monstrous which made if fantastic. I loved the references to past stories in this story, it really did keep me interested, with every story previously in the series being mentioned as well as Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel with the Doctor's tux and The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances with the Doctor being present during the London blitz. The series arc really heightened here with numerous namedrops to Harold Saxon, who of course will be revealed as the Master in the final story of the series. The logo in the building matching that of the Master's ring was something I only noticed during this viewing which was a nice surprise! But the story was just lacking in consistency I felt. With the fluctuating DNA, we had a young human going into a monster every now and then. It was illogical in parts. Tish was a big highlight of the story joining up with her sister and the Doctor as a sort of sub-companion during the episode! She was saved before snogging the creature that would devour her and then she helped kill it in the cathedral! The comical references to the bible didn't strike home with me and my Atheist beliefs but I could admire the intention. The way Lazarus was dealt with wasn't as incredible as I thought it may have been. After reversing the polarity, which was wonderfully referenced to be taking too long, magical referencing to the Third Doctor, sonic waves propelled from an organ would be the cause of death. The scenes were exciting I must say but the result wasn't outstanding. At least Martha has been fully recognised by the Doctor as companion now! A great end scene to a pretty decent episode which certainly had its moments. It's enough to cure the appetite. 

Rating: 7/10

Evolution of the Daleks

"You told us to imagine, and we imagined your irrelevance."

Writer: Helen Raynor 

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 28th April 2007

Series: 3.05

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis 

As a new Dalek Empire rises in 1930s New York, the Tenth Doctor must enter an unholy alliance with the Cult of Skaro and their newly humanised leader...

Verdict 

Evolution of the Daleks was a fantastic concluding episode to the story already started in the previous episode. Long and behold, in their sixth full appearance since the series was revived in 2005, we've finally had the infamous '... of the Daleks' title! And what a good one it is! Perfect for the story. Absolutely spot on. That's what the story really was all about, the Daleks evolving. After the excellent cliffhanger of Daleks in Manhattan with Dalek Sec emerging from his case humanised, we got to see the Dalek-Human in action, in command of the Cult of Skaro, temporarily at least. That authority would soon disappear. I liked how the Doctor didn't keep his presence in the lair of the Empire State secret for much longer after seeing a new species born. The greatest enemy was identified and the explanation for why the Daleks seemed to be cowering away hidden in the previous episode was revealed. The emergency temporal shift seen in Doomsday caused a right energy and resource drain. But thankfully, the Daleks were back to their very aggressive and ruthless best. They were utterly destructive. The scenes in Hooverville were shocking which made the Daleks absolutely brilliant in my books. After tge incredible speech from Solomon likening himself and the Daleks as outcasts, the Daleks just replied in one single and familiar word, "Extermimate!" and killed him point blank on the spot. The Doctor's disgust towards his arch enemies was incredible, I really did think this was one of David Tennant's best performances as the Tenth Doctor. I just wish he'd acknowledge Martha as companion a bit more! Sec ordering the Daleks not to kill the Doctor was a bit of a shock I must say. I loved how the Doctor was liking how much more human the leader of the Cult of Skaro was becoming. At first he likened them to geniuses of war, but now he could see and feel the courage. His comments about the purpose of a Dalek being wrong was just incredibly surprising! He questioned Davros, not by name sadly, and even said that the Daleks not being the supreme beings would be a good thing. Blimey, can you get anything further away from a Dalek? I struggle to think so! The plan of the Daleks, or Sec rather, to hybridise the human shells they'd created and create a species of Human-Daleks to live on a far away world was intriguing to say the least. But of course, the rest of the Cult weren't having it and interfered, taking their leader prisoner in the process. The Doctor's efforts to get in the way of the gamma strike were fantastic! He ensured Time Lord DNA got all mixed up in the process, which in turn would save his life in superb fashion. Dalek Sec sacrificed  himself to extermination to prevent the Doctor from receiving the fate but then all hell broke lose when the hybrids questioned orders. They soon turned on Thay and Jast were destroyed and that just left Caan, the last Dalek in the universe. And he committed genocide, wiping out the hybridised Dalek-Time Lords. The Doctor was devastated, and now it was just him and Caan left. It would remain that way too, as the latter used an emergency temporal shift to get away from the Doctor. After brilliant help from Martha, Tallulah and Frank, as well as Laszlo, the Doctor finally seemed to get the better of the Daleks as a whole. Had a Dalek plan ever failed so badly before? I struggle to come with an argument disproving the theory! But overall, the two episodes as a whole were superb and gave us an extremely strong opening two-parter of the series!

Rating: 9/10

Daleks in Manhattan

"The children of Skaro must walk again."

Writer: Helen Raynor

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 21st April 2007

Series: 3.04

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis 

During the building of the Empire State Building in 1930s New York, the Cult of Skaro continues their attempts to destroy humanity and reign supreme.

Verdict 

Daleks in Manhattan was a very good opening episode to this eventful two-part story! The story is essentially what the title suggests - the Daleks are in Manhattan! After their last gasp get away at the end of Doomsday, where the Doctor lost everything, the Daleks had arrived in 1930s Manhattan and were soon involved in the building of the Empire State Building. Still in the memory banks from the Daleks' previous brief visit during The Chase? I do like to think so. I love the unusual take on the Daleks in this episode that Helen Raynor has taken. And before I explain why I like I'd just like to express my happiness of having a female writer pen a story of such significance! Why don't we have more stories from the wonderful women of Who? Anyway, the unusual take I liked was that the Cult of Skaro weren't aggressive or conquering as seen in their previous appearance, instead they were cowering in the basement and sewers letting Pig Slaves do their dirty work. The Daleks genuinely seemed frightened and suddenly aware that they were the only four of their species left in existence. Just as in The Evil of the Daleks, it seemed the Daleks were utterly jealous of the human ability to survive. They mentioned how New York was echoed and replicated across history which I thought was nice and I was quite surprised to see the Daleks apparently complimenting the human race on the architecture of the city of NYC. It really is stunning, I know from experience when I visited in 2010, and I really was blown away by the scale. It most certainly is a concrete jungle! The scene with Diagoras and the Dalek overlooking the city really captured the beauty gracefully. The start of the episode was interesting with Tallulah and Laszlo in a loved up relationship but that would soon become mysterious when the latter would go missing but still leave a flower on her table before every show. The Doctor and Martha visiting Hooverville was very good and I liked the references to the Wall Street Crash of 1929 that sent the economy into ruins. Solomon was a brilliant character throughout this episode and his reporting back to Hooverville was very good. What the papers were saying was true - people were going missing. They were being taken by Pig Slaves for the Dalek cause and their great 'Final Experiment'. Diagoras was a fantastic character for the part he played but with him voicing his loyalty towards the Daleks, it seemed he'd become the pivotal part of this experiment. For he was literally engulfed into the Dalek casing by Sec. The Daleks were evolving. The human factor 2.0 it seemed! Martha explicitly stating that she felt strong about the Doctor wasn't a great surprise but you could see the anguish she had when she told Tallulah that he didn't feel the same way. That though wasn't matched by the anguish the Doctor showed when he found who he was once again up against. His most evil adversaries. The ones he thought were gone for good. The Daleks. The brain mutant glob (that's not the technical term!) that the Doctor examined was intriguing and I liked how the Daleks almost wanted it to be found. The Doctor seemed bitter, and rightfully so, that despite losing Rose the Cult of Skaro had survived. Now, they were after New York. And they were planning something with Dalekanium and the spire of the Empire State Building itself. A gamma ray strike was incoming and the Daleks would use it for something atrocious that's for sure! But we wouldn't find out yet, because the Dalek experiment was almost at a finish. The Doctor had comically rejoined Martha and Frank after uncomfortable intelligence tests and they bore witness to the new Dalek. The human Dalek Sec. DNA has merged and Sec and Diagoras had become one in terrifying circumstances! Overall, a freaky cliffhanger to a fantastic story with great references to the two preceding stories. Martha recognising the Daleks from the Doctor's telling of the Time War at the end of Gridlock was excellent but now this was something the Doctor had never come up against in all his meetings with the arch enemies. A walking human Dalek. Just what would it be capable of? I guess we'll find out in the second part, which is where my rating for the story overall will appear. But this was a very strong start!

Attack of the 50ft Rory

"When you start playing around with an alien machine you can never be quite sure what will happen."

Writer: Colin Brake

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 2011

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 2012

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis 

The Doctor, Amy and Rory track a distress signal to a planet where animal size is way out of proportion, and when Rory soon starts meddling with alien equipment, he grows to 50ft tall...

Verdict 

Attack of the 50ft Rory was a rather bonkers comic strip! The title itself just sounds completely absurd and that's exactly what it was. I slightly disagree with the naming of the story however, because the giant Rory didn't actually attack anybody or anything. But hey, I'm not going to argue semantics! The story starting off with Rory as a giant in the streets picking up the TARDIS was like nothing before and I like how it flashbacked to the events leading up to that moment, much like the Twelfth Doctor's comic strip debut in The Eye of Torment. The events leading up to what kicked off the story were decent and definitely logical with the Doctor picking up a distress signal and heading for the source. He's been known to do that one or twice in the past has he not? I liked the banter between the TARDIS trio throughout and that's something that was nicely portrayed from the screen and into the comic strip. I particularly liked tge humour surrounding the size of Rory's nose! The Doctor leaving Amy to try and remind and convince Rory who he was and what she meant to him was a rather risky move but it certainly paid off! Amy eventually got through to the 50ft giant boyfriend of hers and he soon put her down to safety. The references to numerous stories were very much welcomed but I think there were perhaps one or two too many. Just by including a lot of continuity, it doesn't make a great story! The plea though for Rory to remember the events of The Eleventh Hour, The Vampires of Venice, The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang and A Christmas Carol were nicely thrown in, particularly the latter with Amy wanting Rory to make sure he didn't forget their honeymoon! Imagine having a week with someone who looks like Karen Gillan... Incredible thoughts! The ending was average I guess with the Doctor sonicing a diamond like object that was the power of the alteration of size. Rory came back down to normal size and everything was restored. No lasting effects. Overall, a pretty decent comic strip but I think I must say this in every blog entry of every comic strip from the Annuals - make them bloody longer! 

Rating: 7/10

The Light at the End

"Is this some kind of Doctors afterlife?"

Writer: Nicholas Briggs 

Format: Audio

Released: November 2013

Series: 50th Anniversary Special

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley, Seventh Doctor, Ace, Sixth Doctor, Peri, Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough, Fourth Doctor, Leela, Third Doctor, Jo, Second Doctor, Polly, Ben, Jamie, Zoe, First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara, Steven, Sara, Vicki

Synopsis 

November 23rd 1963 proves to be a significant day in the lives of all eight Doctors...

It is the day that Bob Dovie's life is ripped apart...

It's also the day that sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events which forces the first eight incarnations of the Doctor the fight for their very own existence. As a mysterious, insidious chaos unfolds within the TARDIS, the barriers of time break apart...

From suburban England through war-torn alien landscapes and info a deadly artificial dimension, all these Doctors and their companions must struggle against the power of an unfathomable, a alien technology. From the very beginning, it is clear that the Master is somehow involved.

By the end, for the Doctors, there may only be darkness 

Verdict 

The Light at the End was a fantastic audio story to celebrate the landmark 50th anniversary! And it's no coincidence that I've listened to this story exactly one year on from The Day of the Doctor. So, happy 51st birthday to Doctor Who and I think I've adequately celebrated with this much praised audio adventure. The plot was really good and like the numerous Christmas stories, I like how the story has an inadvertent link with the theme of the story. Here, the story was centred around the broadcast date and time of Doctor Who's very first episode, An Unearthly Child. I really liked how things were kept current with Big Finish with the latest Doctor and companion combination seemingly being the lead pairing in the story. The Eighth Doctor and Charley were brilliant throughout and I loved how they were centrefold at the start of the story. The use of the mysterious red light in the TARDIS for all eight incarnations was good and I like how the absence of the time stream and the events of this story being erased from memory meant each Doctor was seeing the light for the very first time, or so they believed. The echoes were very intriguing but they were the reason this spectacular and landmark story didn't get full marks from me. They seemed to be all over the place sadly and not explained enough. I mean we heard remnants of Ben, Polly, Sara, Tegan and Turlough but nothing was really made of it. It just seemed like they were there to get a very small part in the story. I did love Polly talking to the Doctor just shortly after his regeneration in the excellently referenced The Tenth Planet. I also loved the reference to Charley's debut in Storm Warning! The relationship between the Eighth Doctor & Charley and the Fourth Doctor & Leela was a highlight of the story. Charley's reaction to meeting the Fourth Doctor in a much different TARDIS interior to what she's used to was wonderful. The numerous tellings of regeneration to companions were terrific throughout! The relationship between the Sixth Doctor & Peri and the Seventh Doctor & Ace was brilliant too. There really was some great Doctor and companion pairing pairings (if that makes sense). The Fifth Doctor's relationship with Bob Dovie was an interesting one and I'm a tad surprised he was the Doctor chosen to walk into the TARDIS with him. Peter Davison's Doctor isn't the greatest in audio so I think having some multi-Doctor action for him would have been better served. The depiction of the TARDIS crashing into the Dovie household was pretty funny and I loved that Kevin thought it was Santa! The Master's efforts in destroying the time stream of the Doctor and causing time to bend around the TARDIS was as devious a plan as ever from the madman! Now, I'm not keen on Geoffrey Beavers' take on the Master. He doesn't seem to carry the infamous villain trait well enough. In audio, you need something that stands out and I just don't think he does. But the plan of the Master was just incredible! He wanted to make the TARDIS that the Doctor stole to never have existed. It's like Turn Left but with incredibly higher stakes! Everything the Doctor had ever done would be wiped from history. The direct references to The Dalek Invasion of Earth and The War Games as events that weren't stopped by the Doctor. The Dalek occupation long lived and the War Lord's armies raged across the galaxy. The climax was done very well I thought with all the echoes joining well. The way the first three incarnations were written out of being able to fully materialise was excellently explained and put in. It actually made sense which was much better than them just not appearing. The resolution was admirable with eight Doctors coming together against the Master. Did he stand a chance? The time streams were so mucked up now that the Doctors would go back and prevent the Master from stealing whatever weapon he did from the Vess. The use of distraction from the Fourth and Eighth Doctors was wonderful! The way Bob was prevented from imploding was cleverly done and I just loved his comments at the end after being visited by eight different versions of the Doctor to check if he was okay! Outstanding! Overall, a wonderful celebration but some slight flaws that prevent full marks. 

Rating: 9/10