Dark Horizons

"A world lit only by fire."

Writer: Jenny T. Colgan
Format: Novel
Released: July 2012
Series: NSA 50

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor

Synopsis

'Now, you may or may not have noticed, but we appear to be on fire...'

On a windswept Northern shore, at the very tip of what will one day become Scotland, the islanders believe the worst they have to fear is a Viking attack.

Then the burning comes. They cannot run from it. Water will not stop it. It consumes everything in its path - yet the burned still speak.

The Doctor is just looking for a game on the famous Lewis chess set. Instead he encounters a people under attack from a power they cannot possibly understand. They have no weapons, no strategy and no protection against fire sent to engulf them all.

Add in some marauding Vikings with very bad timing, a kidnapped princess with a secret of her own and a TARDIS that seems to have developed an inexplicable fear of water, and they all have a battle on their hands.

The islanders must take on a ruthless alien force in a world without technology; without communications; without tea that isn't made out of bark. Still at least they have the Doctor on their side... Don't they?

Verdict

Dark Horizons was a very good novel! Jenny T. Colgan presented a very enjoyable story with a great style and I liked how this was set between The Angels Take Manhattan and The Snowmen and had the Eleventh Doctor travelling alone. That's something we barely saw on television so it was interesting to get a whole adventure here with that being the case. The setting of what would become Scotland was really good and I liked that the Vikings were present. Two bands of them! The differences between them were quite striking though and I liked how they developed. Erik wasn't having any of Henrik's compassion for the locals of Corc and co and wanted to ravage and loot in the proud Viking way. I thought Luag was a magnificent character and I really loved his relationship with the Doctor. The moment where they just ran around making silly noises was lovely and I don't think that would have occurred with any other incarnation of the Doctor. The characterisation of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor here was really good throughout which was a big positive and I liked how he was mistaken for a god once again. This time it was Loki and Freydis really continued to be sceptical of his true intentions. The Arill were really intriguing enemies (or is it enemy?) and their desire to continue the line was a prominent theme. It consumed them and was all they cared about. It burned within them. Freydis struggling to comprehend why the Doctor wouldn't fight against the Arill was fantastic and I thought she was just a superb character. She stood up for herself and didn't understand why her opinion as a woman meant less than her male counterparts. Her relationship with Henrik and her desire to be with the farmer boy was marvellous. They became a couple in a very good way. The death of Eoric was shocking and seeing how well Corc dealt with that was unexpected, but I liked that the Doctor reminded him that he had another son to look after. The little cameo of the Fourth Doctor, Leela and K9 was a magnificent touch and I also thought the reference to The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon was good. Brogan and Braan were another great couple but the death that meant they couldn't be together was heartbreaking too. The TARDIS sinking underwater was quite unexpected but really good and I liked how non-fussed Henrik was with the Doctor's ship. He was a God, of course it was bigger on the inside and an extraordinary colour. The Doctor battling with the pressure of half a mile of sea on top of him was incredible but his determination was brilliant. The way he gave the Arill a warning and a chance was perfectly typical of the Doctor's character but his reaction once they used that to attack and deceive was superb. He was having none of it now. The way the storm came and Luag told him his ears had popped was great and the Doctor using that and a chain of swords to shun the Arill into the upper atmosphere was very good. I did like that resolution. Overall, I thought this was a great novel. The playing of chess was terrific and I liked that the Doctor was placed in a time without technology with an alien that fed on electrical power. All there was the electrical current of human brains.

Rating: 8/10

Judoon Monsoon

"Why would a ghost town want to invade a colony simply to muck around with the furniture?"

Writer: Oli Smith
Format: Novel
Released: September 2010
Series: DYD 15

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

Bo-ro-lo-ko-sho! Giant alien insectoids are terrorising the rainy planet Betul and the menacing Judoon are wrecking havoc, too! What's going on? Only you can help the Doctor, Amy and Rory solve the mystery and restore peace!

Verdict

Judoon Monsoon was a very decent little book and a great continuation into my little foray into the Decide Your Destiny novels. Now, the format really isn't aimed at my audience and age group but they are a little bit of fun and I can't say no to an item in the Libraries West catalogue that I haven't blogged but for now, this will probably be my last for a while. They're good, entertaining and lots of fun but they don't quite feel like 'proper' stories. I think that's down to the second person format and I fully appreciate how this will appeal to the younger audience and I'd actively encourage them to continue. Personally though, I just think I should spread them out like I have done in the past and not do them so quickly after another like I have here following last week's reading of Empire of the Wolf. However, I did actually think the story was pretty good and whilst the Judoon didn't actually appear that much, it was great to get a story featuring them alongside the Eleventh Doctor. His reaction to their arrival when he'd just come to Betul for his favourite tea shop was magnificent. I thought the characterisation of the Doctor throughout was actually excellent with Matt Smith's likeness wonderfully captured on the page. I thought the writing of Rory was really good in this adventure too but I did think that Amy could have done a little more. The Doctor's flat out refusal to accept that ghosts exist was a good continuation of his past comments in previous incarnations and I liked how he was looking for something else to show up so he could stop referring to a ghost town. The moving town itself was quite intriguing and the reveal of the Varna was unexpected. They didn't sound like ghosts at all going by their description but they were actually trying to scare off the locals so they could stay on their moving town on a legal technicality. They needed refuge following the destruction of their own planet and the Judoon were just here to evict them. It was an intriguing premise but not the most exciting of ends and I thought the ending itself was pretty shocking which is why my rating lowered considerably. That's probably a bit harsh, and the less said about the typing error of the route that initially really confused me, but I am not a fan of stories that end with an unresolved conclusion and no sign of continuation. It just didn't make sense and things weren't finished with them heading to the Galactic Council? Are we just to assume that the Doctor talked things over? Overall though, still a good little read.

Rating: 7/10

The Armageddon Gambit

"I love a good unwind after being chased for my life by murderous aliens."

Writer: John Freeman
Format: Comic Strip
Released: May 2018
Printed in: Free Comic Book Day 2018

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

The Kla-Shi-Kel have been dominant throughout the universe, defeating the likes of the Draconians, Chimerons and Voord with absolute easy. How, then, have their warships been made inadequate in just three days? There is only one explanation...

Verdict

The Armageddon Gambit was a pretty good little story but as my rating will reflect, it was missing quite a lot of quality in order to be a story of significant good. It was a shame but I think the main problem here was simply the number of pages. Some stories manage to excel with just five pages to play with, take Hacked as an example from the Ninth Doctor's era, but this one was more of an introduction to the Seventh Doctor and Ace in Titan Comic's adventures. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that and it makes perfect sense to do that. One thing I will say though is that I really wish the placing of the stories within the graphic novel collecting these adventures with the Seventh Doctor was much better. This was so obviously a prelude into Operation Volcano and I found myself very confused to find it printed even after Hill of Beans! It just didn't make much sense at all to me given that it was the very first story for this TARDIS pairing from Titan. Surely it would make more sense to print the collection in its release order? It obviously didn't effect the story as I judge them as standalone where possible but it was just a little frustrating from a personal point of view. It was good to be able to finish the graphic novel though and I am once again hugely grateful to Libraries West for having this in their collection and for adhering to my first placed position in the reservation queue! The artwork was actually magnificent and I'm going to really try my best to get a copy of next year's Free Comic Book Day issue. The Doctor being labelled the Destroyer by the Kla-Shi-Kel was interesting and I liked how calm he was in wanting their surrender. The whole story was basically over in three pages which was a bit quick given the name droppings by this new race of aliens that they'd defeated. Of course, it was no surprise that the Doctor eradicated them though. I thought Gilmore calling in the Doctor following Remembrance of the Daleks was a nice lead in to what was the first 'proper' comic strip with the Seventh Doctor and this just served as a nice prelude and introduction. There wasn't much going on so I can't award a higher rating, but there just wasn't enough to make it great.

Rating: 6/10

Hill of Beans

"This is no ordinary circus."

Writer: Richard Dinnick
Format: Comic Strip
Released: June-August 2018
Printed in: The Seventh Doctor #1-3

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

The Doctor and Ace encountered Mags when she was part of the Psychic Circus, also known as the Greatest Show in the Galaxy. Mags is an alien werewolf from the planet Vulpana, and now it's time to know what she did next!

Verdict

Hill of Beans was sadly not the greatest of comic strip stories. Honestly, I just thought the writing was a bit lazy for this one and it didn't do much to capture my interest which was a real shame given that the Seventh Doctor and Ace were reunited with Mags. She's a long-favoured character amongst many Doctor Who fans, and whilst I'm not her biggest fan (that's not saying I dislike her in the slightest), I had hoped for their reunion to be a little better. I didn't like that she already knew he was coming to the one-millionth performance of the Psychic Circus and I think things would have fared better had she been surprised by his return. The elaboration on the Doctor's perfume spraying was quite poor in my opinion and we needed things to be a bit clearer about what he was actually doing. I know not knowing is something quite common to the Seventh Doctor but it just didn't quite feel right here. I had hoped for more of a reference to The Greatest Show in the Galaxy and some recollection of the first meeting between the Doctor and Mags but other than there actually being a performance, there was hardly a mention of their previous encounter which I just thought was wrong. Ace's desire to upset the locals was typical of her character and she wasn't having any of it when Targut was arrested. That seemed to happen awfully quickly after the Doctor enlisted her help and support. I thought the writing of Sylvester McCoy's seventh incarnation was pretty decent but the way he stopped Mags from being taken like the rest of her kind was a little lacklustre for me. I also thought the reunion between Mags and her sister was incredibly underwhelming. Surely there would be a lot of emotion there? Especially for Lodz too, even if she wasn't aware that the pair were now an item. I mean, she thought she was dead! I did like their sendoff though and I thought it was courageous of Mags to encourage Adele to go and live her life with Lodz. That was nice. Sadly, there just wasn't a great deal going on and with the issues stemming from the Moon being annexed, I expected a bit more oomph and some action. Things just never seemed to get going but I guess you can't expect a great deal more from a backup comic strip. The ending with Mags seemingly joining the Doctor and Ace on their travels was good though and that leaves some room for future Seventh Doctor comic strips. Overall, a bit of an average adventure!

Rating: 5/10

It Takes You Away

"Three locks on a deserted house in the middle of nowhere."

Writer: Ed Hime
Format: TV
Broadcast: 2nd December 2018
Series: 11.09

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

On the edge of a Norwegian fjord in the present day, the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz discover a boarded-up cottage and a girl named Hanne in need of their help. What has happened here? What monster lurks in the woods around the cottage - and beyond?

Verdict

It Takes You Away was a very good episode that was full of intrigue and interest from the get go. I really liked the setting of present day Norway and placing the TARDIS in the middle of a deserted woods was a great start. The creepiness didn't take long to appear and it all took place, technically, within a solitary house that had been boarded up. I thought Jodie Whittaker was once again magnificent as the Doctor and I really liked how she followed in the footsteps of some of her predecessors by identifying their location through taste. The soil didn't seem appealing and I loved when she offered her companions a taste. I have been surprised with the lack of TARDIS interior scenes for this series but I guess they're not really too important. Hanne was a fantastic character and her reactions to the arrival of Team TARDIS was fascinating. The Doctor quickly deduced that she was blind and I liked how that came into play towards the episode's conclusion. I really wasn't a fan of Ryan during this episode, for the most part at least, as I didn't think it was necessary for him to ridicule Hanne for her dad being missing for the past four days. Graham being lured by the reflection-less mirror was good and the reveal that it was actually a portal was unexpected. I was more than ready for there to be a monster in the woods with a story not too dissimilar to Hide but we got something entirely different! Ryan realising that the sounds of the monsters were actually from a speaker left by Hanne's dad was hard to comprehend because how could any father do that to their daughter, especially when they're blind? She was never going to work it out. The anti-zone was a really interesting place and Ribbons was a rather humorous character. I liked how he could just turn on his threat. His desire for the sonic screwdriver was interesting but the way he was devoured by the flesh-moths to try and retrieve it was quite horrifying. Their emergence through a different portal, the other side of the mirror, to the Solitract plane was hugely intriguing and I loved that we got to hear one of the Doctor's bedtime stories. The concept of the Solitract was quite extraordinary and trying to comprehend a universe having consciousness was rather difficult. I was a huge fan of its originality though and its presence causing the current universe's past inability to function with laws and light and the like was very good. It was expelled but now it was back. At the heart of this episode, there was a lonely universe. The use of Grace and Trine to try and lure Graham and Erik to staying and giving it some company was quite emotional. The way the rejections started and were carried out was very good and saved people but the Doctor was willing to sacrifice herself for everyone else. She still wasn't compatible with the Solitract though and she had to say goodbye to her new friend. I wasn't a fan of it taking the form of a frog with the voice of Grace but I'll try and forget about that bit. It was an emotional one for Graham but I did like how Ryan called him grandad. Hanne's blindness heightening her other senses to tell her that this Trine was not her actual mother was terrific and I liked how she and her dad would now head back to Oslo. Overall, a very good episode!

Rating: 8/10

In-Between Times

"They mustn't think we are hiding secrets!"

Writer: Paul Cornell
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September 2018
Printed in: Humble Bundle Exclusive

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

In the depths of the TARDIS, in the middle of the night, Ian and Barbara go in search of urgent answers

Verdict

In-Between Times was a very intriguing little comic strip adventure! I really hadn't expected to find a brand new comic strip for the First Doctor in the graphic novel that collected the Seventh Doctor's run in Titan Comics but I am certainly not complaining! I'm not entirely sure what Humble Bundle is or meant but for them to be able to gain an extra story is good in my books. I'm also very thankful that Titan printed this story within the Seventh Doctor collection as I'm really not sure if I would ever have been aware of it otherwise. Now, onto the story itself and it really did create an interesting atmosphere. I would suggest it was somewhere close to the very start of Ian and Barbara's travels in the TARDIS, and that would seem to make sense if Susan's writing was still present from before they came aboard. I liked the idea of her having a sketchpad and that seems to be like a likely trait of her personality and character. The drawing of the names Barbara and Ian to create the term 'BarbaraIan' was fantastic and something I have never noticed before. That is some coincidence I must say but I loved how it was used here. It was quite niche which I liked a lot. The Doctor didn't have much to do in this story but his presence immediately changed its tone which was excellent. I thought the brief characterisation of the First Doctor was really good and I was particularly impressed with the artwork. For a black and white story, it definitely had a distinct feeling of being more modern in terms of its presentation which was great. Ian and Barbara feeling a little underestimated by Susan was good and I liked how that was explored. Witnessing her incredible array of paintings was unexpected and it turns out she was actually rather good! Her works on Ian and Barbara were why she didn't want them snooping around the TARDIS but the pair were overcome with the quality of her works. I thought that was really nice. The line about there being a future for this kid was clever and a good way to finish. Despite not much going on, which was always really going to be the case in a five-page story, this story managed to impress and interest me. Overall, a lovely little read.

Rating: 7/10

Empire of the Wolf

"We're walking into the werewolf lair."

Writer: Neil Corry
Format: Novel
Released: September 2010
Series: DYD 16

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis

There's a full moon rising and an ancient evil roams the streets. The Empire of the Wolf has begun! Can you help the Doctor and Amy destroy the werewolves before being turned into one yourself?

Verdict

Empire of the Wolf was a good and interesting read! It was my first Decide Your Destiny book for quite some time and that's no coincidence really given the nature of the series. They're quite clearly aimed at a much younger audience than I am a part of but I just couldn't help but take advantage of the resources available on the Libraries West catalogue. If there's a Doctor Who story on there, I'm not going to say no to being able to read it for free! Returning to the era of Series 5 was something I most welcomed and I thought the feel of that period of Doctor Who was pretty well captured. I thought the characterisation of the Eleventh Doctor was actually quite excellent and that made for better reading throughout. I've always found the format of Decide Your Destiny books particularly exciting and they certainly allow for a fast-paced adventure. That was definitely the case here! The story absolutely flew by but I am aware that may be down to my choices which can often result in a very abrupt or quick ending. If I'm being honest, I don't think I'd ever want to pay for one of these stories again but whilst they're in the library, and I do think most of the series are, I probably will delve into them from now on. Why waste good resources? I was a little surprised that the story only made a loose connection to Tooth and Claw given the Scottish setting but that could just have been the route my decisions took me. I was glad that none of my decisions led to the potential for an online decision as the website has been closed down now and I wouldn't want to force a decision. The second person format was intriguing and unusual and I liked how the Doctor and Amy were directly talking at us. We were involved in the story and I can see what that appeals to the younger audience. The Wolves themselves didn't appear too much but the threat of them was always present and referred to which was more than enough. I thought Lazenby was a very good character and his desire to contain the Wolf was brilliant. He really was struggling and that was rather ending. The connection with the wolf stone and the fifty seeds probably could have done with a bit more elaboration, but again that may be down to my chosen route. The ending was a little quick and abrupt but that's not uncommon to this type of story and I liked how quickly Lazenby ended things by sacrificing himself. Overall, an entertaining read!

Rating: 7/10

Molten Heart

"Everyone's denying the evidence of their own eyes."

Writer: Una McCormick
Format: Novel
Released: 8th November 2018
Series: NSA 64

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

"To find treasures, you must dig deep, below the surface... down to the heart."

Deep below the surface of the planet Adamantine lies a crystalline wonder world of lava seas and volcanic islands, home to living rock people.

But when the Doctor and her friends arrive they find Adamantine under threat. The seas are shrinking, the magma is cooling, and mysterious, fatal Seething Pools are spreading fast.

Something has come to Adamantine - but what does it want? Fearing an invasion is underway, the Doctor must lead an expedition to the surface of the world to save its molten heart...

Verdict

Molten Heart was a great novel to continue the stories of the Thirteenth Doctor! It was quite different to anything we've had so far in her run, across any format, and I liked it very much. The Adamantine setting was quite unique and the concept of a society being within the planet's core was really intriguing. I thought the rock people, let's call them Adamantines, were really good and I was particularly struck by Ash. She really was a terrific character and seeing her reaction to the wonder that was the arrival of the TARDIS and its inhabitants was magnificent. This world's refusal to believe their own eyes was quite extraordinary at times and I loved how frustrated that was making Graham. He really wasn't having any of Emerald's stupidity. Basalt was another brilliant character and his enquiring mind meant he got on with the Doctor incredibly well. He refused to believe that this planet was all there was in the cosmos and the lights coming through the cracks in the planet's roof must lead to more worlds. The Doctor and co were evidence of that yet some still needed convincing. I really liked Yaz in this novel and with her and Graham separated from the Doctor and Ryan, she took the initiative to follow the Doctor's lead and stand up for what she believed in. I thought that was a nice touch. Ryan getting to play shooter with the satellites was good and quite similar to his chance to shine in The Ghost Monument but he was far more successful here. I thought the characterisation of Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor was really strong throughout which made for pleasant reading and I thought the feel of Series 11 was well captured. The reference to Arachnids in the UK was very welcomed and I also liked the impact of Grace's death was still being felt. Quartz was a very good character and his desperation to show Emerald that Basalt was actually right was great - once he'd finally picked what side he was on. Onyx was an unexpected character and his connection with Emerald was something I didn't expect to feature so heavily. The journey for the Doctor, Ryan and Ash to find Basalt was fantastic and I liked how the latter was decoding the messages left by her father. The cracks in the fissure were almost at critical and that would mean sea water breaking through and ultimately destroying the interior of the planet. Cool mixing with hot in such rapidity would not be good. The absence of the lava seas was a shame and I was intrigued that Graham was so keen to leave because he believed you can't defeat climate change. But this was too rapid and the Doctor's expedition to the surface to find drilling continuing with nobody present, not for a long time, was very good. She saw that it was switched off with some help from the humorous Ouolulu and just when it seemed that Basalt wasn't going to make it, he did. He and the Doctor worked very well together and I loved the idea of multiple holograms of the Doctor in the city addressing the Great Family to get them to see that Emerald was wrong. The ending with Basalt getting to see the surface of his planet was a really lovely way to conclude. Overall, a terrific read!

Rating: 8/10

Operation Volcano

"Volcanoes have a nasty habit of erupting."

Writer: Andrew Cartmel
Format: Comic Strip
Released: June-August 2018
Printed in: The Seventh Doctor #1-3

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

An unknown intelligence in orbit. A terrifying vessel in the Australian outback. The future of the world at stake. The Intrusion Countermeasures Group activated. And the Doctor and Ace slap bang in the middle of it all! This is OPERATION VOLCANO!

Verdict

Operation Volcano was a great comic strip and a very good start to Titan Comics' take on the Seventh Doctor. I'm a huge fan of their continued exploring of other incarnations of the Doctor and I do hope it continues for the foreseeable future. I thought this story captured the era of the Seventh Doctor, at least that of which was televised, excellently and I liked the writing of the Doctor himself. The characterisation was very good with a great likeness to Sylvester McCoy evident on the page. I thought it was good not to complicate things and just have a one-off standalone comic strip adventure. It worked really well. Reuniting the Doctor and Ace with the Countermeasures team was an unexpected delight but I guess I shouldn't be too surprised given their success. The mix in settings between 1967 and 2029 was quite intriguing and whilst I was expecting more of a link than was actually the case, it worked rather well. My interest was always there and I was looking to find out how Gilmore ended up long haired and bearded sixty-two years into the future. In space. Allison and Rachel were fantastic characters throughout and I really liked how they took the initiative once they were the ones captured. They had to deal with the likely possibility that the Doctor, Ace and co were dead but that didn't deter them. I liked that they wanted to deal with things in facts and then act upon what they knew. That seemed a smart strategy and I'd be intrigued to see how similar they were here compared to their audio spinoff series. I was a little surprised by how inactive Ace was considering she's quite an explosive companion and isn't shy to a bit of action. Her volunteering to meet the Markarian was very good and I really enjoyed their conversation. The way it dipped into her brain to use terminology she understood was fantastic and I really liked how that then came into play when we got to hear the truth of how the Markarian ship had come to be placed at the epicentre of a nuclear bomb. The crooks, as they were conveniently dubbed, had actually placed themselves into human society and were doing some meddling that obviously wouldn't go down well with the Doctor. Darana and Delafield were very good characters and I also thought Palmer was decent before his unexpected death.The link with the volcano image of 4,500 years previous was outstanding and I really liked the Doctor's reaction to Allison and Rachel's photographic work. The cliffhangers were decent and I thought it was interesting for part one to be a double length. It was rather obvious where the initial cliffhanger was though. The climax was quite exciting and action-packed and I thought the way Gilmore was trapped in the launch and the story came full circle was pretty good. I loved that the Doctor and Ace went to greet him in 2029. That was a nice touch. Overall, a great comic strip with a quick but exciting conclusion. Maybe it just could have taken a little more to prevent the threat to make this an even better adventure.

Rating: 8/10

The Great Shopping Bill

"Everything you'll ever need. Under one sky."

Writer: Richard Dinnick

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November 2017

Printed in: The Twelfth Doctor #3.9

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill, Nardole

Synopsis

For a different flavour of peril, the Doctor takes Bill and Nardole on a trip to an intergalactic superstore, where they make an unexpected new friend... or is that enemy?!

Verdict

The Great Shopping Bill was a decent little comic strip adventure to conclude The Wolves of Winter graphic novel! I really needed to get this done quickly as I'm starting to exceed my limit of loans at the local library with an ever increasing list of reservations not helping my case! I was delighted to see that Nardole joined the Doctor and Bill in the comic strips and I thought that made the writing of the story as a whole much better. It really did fit into the grander picture of Series 10 and I loved that we saw a little cameo from Missy. I would love a full length comic strip with her as the enemy but given her direction towards becoming good and feeling guilty for all of those she has killed, this stage of the Twelfth Doctor's life probably wouldn't be best for that. The dimension stabiliser being a tad faulty in the Vault was interesting and I did find Bill's line about Missy becoming squishy so bad that it was good. I couldn't help but laugh. The setting of the Ubermarket was quite interesting and seeing this being almost like a guilty pleasure for the Doctor was delightful. Nardole keeping tabs on him throughout was excellent though. Bill getting split up from the pair was good and the Doctor didn't even notice for a while because of how wrapped up he was with shopping! She ended up meeting Olivia who was lost from her parents and they had both been reported as missing. However, Bill was accused of being a fugitive and I really liked the Doctor's reaction to that. She couldn't possibly be one! I thought the earlier discussion regarding Back to the Future was terrific and seeing the Doctor disapprove of its use of time was wonderful. I'm a huge fan of the franchise and the second film is probably my favourite of all time but even I couldn't be mad at the Doctor's negativity. How else would this incarnation really react? His reference to Father's Day was fantastic. The cameo appearances of Brannigan and Heather were welcomed additions and I also liked seeing the Trees of Cheem. Olivia actually being a Pathicol was unexpected but I liked how it fitted into the bigger picture of the story. I do wonder why she was being chased by other Pathicols though if she was one, even disguised. The theme of empathy was really good and I liked this story's simplicity. At large, it was just about shopping and sometimes the simpler things are refreshing. That's what I liked here. Overall, a lovely little story! 

Rating: 7/10

The Wolves of Winter

"We shall take the weapons of our enemy and use them against him."

Writer: Richard Dinnick
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July-September 2017
Printed in: The Twelfth Doctor #3.5-7

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill

Synopsis

The TARDIS crashes into the heart of a Viking camp! But this is no interactive history lesson - a terrifying alien force has taken over the icy kingdom. As the snow melts, the Doctor realises that he is about to face more than one unwelcome face from the past...

Verdict

The Wolves of Winter was a very good comic strip adventure! There was a great deal going on and it worked well which was terrific. It finally saw the comic strip debut of Bill from Titan and she had a strong showing. I thought it was brilliant to pit the Ice Warriors against the Twelfth Doctor once again following Empress of Mars and I liked that Bill's recognition of them placed this story after that episode and didn't contradict anything that occurred on television. How it fitted in with Nardole, Missy and the latter part of Series 10 was left unmentioned and I think that was the right move. The 9th century setting was excellent and I liked how it was on a remote and volcanic island. That served the plot very well which was hugely pleasing. I absolutely loved that some of the Ice Warriors were infected with the Flood and them returning following The Waters of Mars was fantastic. They were absolutely deserving of a return and the Martian link with the Ice Warriors was finally put into action. I thought that two returnees for a comic strip adventure was good but things didn't stop there! Quite incredibly, the Haemovores and Fenric made an astonishing comeback! The cliffhanger finish to part two was really good and interesting and I loved how quickly the Doctor was to count off his past companions as they were what he had faith in. I thought that was a lovely mention. Sadly, the likes of Katarina and Sara were looked over which was a bit of a shame. I enjoyed the reference to Cold War with the Doctor mentioning Skaldak and seeing Grand Marshall Sskoll's reaction to that was marvellous. Bill referencing Oxygen was also great and I liked that the Doctor mentioned his recent being mistaken for Odin in The Girl Who Died. There really was a lot of throwback to the past and that's something I'm a big fan of reading. The Vikings were very good and seeing their numerous relationship was really interesting. Torkal's relationship with the Doctor was lovely and the way he had to tell her that her husband was no more despite the outward appearance was a touching and emotional moment. The flashbacks to The Curse of Fenric and the mentioning of the similarities between Ace and Bill was excellent. I thought the ending was a little rushed though which was a slight tarnishing on a fantastic adventure. It just seemed a tad quick and I'm not so sure the Ice Warriors would just accept going home and leaving things to the Doctor so soon after they declared it was a Martian problem and they'd take things into their own hands. Bill being worried because the Doctor was worried was very good and I liked how she was consoling him because he'd already dealt with the Haemovores in the planet's future but his past. The way he was able to convince the Haemovores that Fenric was hoping to gain an allegiance with the Flood could have been fleshed out a bit more, but as a whole, I thought this was a great comic strip story!

Rating: 8/10

The Witchfinders

"We must purify the land."

Writer: Joy Wilkinson
Format: TV
Broadcast: 25th November 2018
Series: 11.08

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The Thirteenth Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz arrive in 17th-century Lancashire and become embroiled in a witch trial, run by the local landowner; as fear stalks the land, the arrival of King James I only serves to intensify the witch hunt.

Verdict

The Witchfinders was a very good episode! As Series 11's conclusion draws ever closer, I'm glad to see that it isn't going out with a whimper and is maintaining its high standard. This was a hugely enjoyable episode and I was glad to get a historical that wasn't set in the twentieth century. We went back to the seventeenth century and to the reign of King James I (or VI). That was a lovely setting and the focus being on Pendle Hill in Lancashire really was excellent. Savage really was what her name states and the ruthlessness with which she put 'witches' on trial was quite shocking. It wasn't too different to what my expectation of someone from this period of history in her position would be like and I really liked her change in tone when the Doctor showed her the psychic papers which proclaimed her as the General Witch-finder. King James not seeing that in quite the same way, refusing to believe that a woman could be a general, was terrific and I thought the whole episode dealt with gender fantastically. The Doctor herself was put on trial for being a witch and I loved that the change in sex of our Time Lord hero was directly put to use for something new. I was a big fan of that. Ryan's relationship with James was intriguing and I liked how the latter offered the former a role as his protector at the episode's close but I felt like the companion didn't have a great deal to do here. Yaz was on top form again with her relationship with Willa was wonderful. The way she dealt wit the tendril was very good. Graham taking on his role as the General Witch-finder was humorous too. As for the Doctor, well I thought this was Jodie Whittaker's best performance yet. She was simply sublime as the Thirteenth Doctor! Her speech about knowledge to King James was extraordinary and could later be seen as her defining moment as the Doctor. I loved that the Doctor tried to save Willa's gran just moments after saying that established history needs to be maintained. I am quite fascinated as to why Team TARDIS were intending on visiting the coronation of Queen Elizabeth I though. Especially with the Doctor's history with her. Savage being so adamant that Satan needed to be defeated, something echoed by James, who was played wonderfully, was very good and the revelation that she herself was the witch was very good. I liked how it was played out. The Morax were a decent villain, even if they weren't around long, and I was a fan of the Hill serving as a prison and the tree actually being ancient alien technology that kept them imprisoned. The Doctor saw that was reanimated though and it took all the Morax with them. Overall, a great episode!

Rating: 8/10

Infamy of the Zaross

"The show must go on."

Writer: John Dorney
Format: Audio
Released: November 2017
Series: TDA 2.01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

When Jackie Tyler takes an away day to visit her old friend Marge in Norwich, she finds her holiday immediately interrupted in the worst way possible - an alien invasion! The infamous Zaross have come to take over Earth. Or have they? After Jackie calls in the Doctor and Rose to deal with the menace, it soon becomes clear that this is a very unusual mission indeed.

The Doctor is about to uncover one of the most heinous crimes in the history of the galaxy. And if he can't stop it... an awful lot of people are going to die.

Verdict

Infamy of the Zaross was a very good audio adventure and a great way to spend my birthday! I have been dying to get the second series of the Tenth Doctor Adventures now but I just couldn't justify the £35 price tag for three stories and I could never seem to find a good offer on eBay. Thankfully though, with enough hints directed towards my girlfriend, I unwrapped the set today and just had to start it straight away! Hearing David Tennant and Billie Piper reunited was an absolute treat and I thought the era of Series 2 was pretty well captured. I liked having Jackie in the story as well and I thought the shift in setting from London to Norwich was really refreshing. I particularly enjoyed that Norwich's proximity to alien invasion was referenced. The Doctor not having heard of the Zaross was intriguing given his knowledge but as Rose mentioned, he couldn't possibly know of every single alien species. Even the ones that were prone to a planetary invasion. What made this all the more interesting was when the TARDIS didn't recognise them either. Now things began to fall into place and after hearing the retake scene much earlier in the story, the truth was soon revealed. The Zaross weren't actually invading Earth, they were just filming for a television show and had made it look like the planet was at their mercy! It was quite extraordinary but they were actually killing people and the Doctor was appalled in the greatest possible regard. He was vexed. Rose was disgusted too and I liked that Jackie didn't know the truth until quite a bit later than the pair. I did love how she just called the Doctor and Rose to Norwich when an alien invasion had occurred. The calmness was terrific and I really enjoyed that they had arrived their early and were hiding. That was quite humorous. Ikron was a decent villain and his role as the director of the show was very good. The reveal that the Zaross were actually the Forzell, the very species the TARDIS identified them as having the closest resemblance to, was unexpected and the way the Doctor ridiculed that was great. I thought the Tenth Doctor was on top form for this story and I particularly enjoyed how he convinced the Zaross to turn on the producers of the TV show after it turned out they were just a wheel in the cog and would soon be killed once their ability to pull in viewers faded. The fact they were oblivious to that was quite startling. I really liked how they wanted to make sure that the Doctor and Rose got away before enacting their revenge. Jackie's relationship with Marge was quite good and I thought Jess was decent too with her obsession with fame. She was taken with the offer of intergalactic celebrity status but Rose wasn't too pleased with her actions. Overall, a very good audio adventure!

Rating: 8/10

World Without End

"Something is attacking our heliosphere."

Writers: John & Carole E. Barrowman
Format: Comic Strip
Released:
Printed in: Torchwood #1.1-4

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen

Synopsis

Torchwood: outside the government, beyond the police. Tracking down alien life on Earth, arming the human race against the future.

Gwen Cooper, acting head of Torchwood Cardiff, is hoping for a quieter life, but her plans are disrupted by the reappearance of Captain Jack Harkness.

Along with the immortal former Time Agent and the crew of the alien tech-filled ship the Ice Maiden, Gwen is plunged into danger once again. But can this new-look Torchwood cope with a series of alien attacks, a mysterious stowaway, the return of an old enemy and the arrival of a new one who could well be Jack's equal...?

Verdict

World Without End was a decent and very interesting beginning to Titan's take on Torchwood in these brand new comic strips. Continuing Torchwood in any format is something I'm a huge fan of but I have to say I was quite surprised with the direction here. I'm really glad that I recently read Exodus Code otherwise I don't think I'd have been overly pleased with this story's presentation. There was an awful lot going on without any real threat so I thought, for the casual reader, the least they could have done was explain the background to Jack and Gwen knowing the crew of the Ice Maiden and how Jack came to have this alien ship under his command. It was great to put visuals to the characters that were very good in the aforementioned novel and I liked how humorous Shelley continued to be. Her comments towards Jack and Hollis were excellent and one thing I was very surprised about was the intimacy of Jack and Gwen's relationship. That didn't seem quite right for me. But it's an interesting perspective that's for sure! The return of Captain John Hart is something I have been longing for and to see him back in action here was fantastic. I liked how Torchwood House was incorporated into the story in a rather crucial way and I was very surprised to find Sir James still alive. That was a very unexpected revelation. I loved the cameo of a Sontaran in white armour and I thought the continuous change in setting was an intriguing approach. There was a lot to follow but it allowed us to see a lot which was good. The artwork was very impressive throughout with my only qualm being on the drawing of Gwen in some panels. Seeing Rhys have to put up with her leaving again was heartbreaking and he really does deserve a medal for all she puts him through. The 'foreplay' of building up to what was actually going on was probably longer than it needed to be but that seems to be a theme of this pair of writers. They like setting the stage a lot and don't leave much for the actual story and resolution. Thankfully, there will be a whole other collection of stories to reveal all about the Navigators and Jack and John's encounter with them in the past. But the library doesn't have that one so I'll have to purchase it! Overall, I thought this was a solid but unexpected start to Torchwood's life in the Titan comics. One thing I forgot to mention, I really wasn't a fan of the Ice Maiden having a chameleon circuit - be original! I've focused a little too much on the negatives in this Verdict but that's just because it's new! I did actually really enjoy it.

Rating: 7/10

Bringer of Darkness

"You're a living plague of fear and hatred."

Writer: Warwick Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: June 1993
Printed in: DWM Summer Special 1993

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Victoria

Synopsis

A special Dalek story! Victoria sees a new side to the Second Doctor as he challenges his oldest enemies! Her journal reveals an untold encounter between the Doctor and the Daleks and it reveals a dark side to our Time Lord hero...

Verdict

Bringer of Darkness was a terrific comic strip story and a great bonus to conclude the Land of the Blind graphic novel! This collection of comic strip adventures has certainly finished on a high and I've just been grateful to be able to read it free of charge thanks to the wonderful Libraries West catalogue. They really are doing me wonders with all of their inter-library transfers and they must be sick of putting my name on the reservations in the holds! Anyway, doing a story from the journal of Victoria was a brilliant idea and it was almost like the comic strip version of a Companion Chronicle audio. It worked really well and at just one part, I was very impressed with how much this story managed to achieve. It saw the Second Doctor encounter the Daleks following the events of The Evil of the Daleks and I loved how that story was referenced. The Daleks explained that the humanised Daleks were traitors and had been wiped out and that the Emperor had resumed control. So much for it being their fatal end then. I liked how the effects of Victoria's first meeting with the Daleks were extremely prominent in this story after they had killed her father and the Doctor initially not thinking about her well-being with them present was intriguing. He was very apologetic though as you'd expect of his second incarnation. Jamie was keen to get into action and showed no fear which I liked very much. The fact that there were just three Daleks was good and their threat was clear. Jamie wanting to just leave because they were hoping to send a signal to the greater Dalek fleet was quite surprising and I liked how quick the Doctor was to dismiss that. These were Daleks and they had to be stopped. The way he went about it was excellent and I loved how he fed them the information of his identity. Their refusal to shoot him and Jamie because of their proximity to the signal beacon was good and the ruthlessness with which the Doctor redirected the flow into blowing the Daleks up was quite uncanny. But it was efficient and showed just how dangerous the Daleks were. They needed to be stopped at all costs. Victoria wasn't so pleased though and her echoing of her departure in Fury From the Deep was quite interesting. This wasn't quite the Doctor she knew. She was stunned and horrified by his actions and that was incredibly fascinating because it was the Daleks he killed. The very beings who killed her father and she felt sympathy. Overall, an excellent comic strip!

Rating: 9/10

Land of the Blind

"All actions made by sentient life must be accountable."

Writer: W. Scott Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: March-May 1994
Printed in: DWM 224-226

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

The Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive in Denossus: an alien city in the thrall of the all-powerful Vortexians! Why are they so concerned with protecting the population from themselves? The Shroud's power will soon be recognised...

Verdict

Land of the Blind was an excellent comic strip adventure and definitely the best of the graphic novel for which it is the titular story! In terms of the run of past Doctor adventures, they certainly saved the best until last. I really liked this one and I thought it started strong and never seemed to fade in quality. The trio of the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe is a wonderful one and I thought the writing for them was very good here. The characterisation of the Second Doctor was particularly good and I loved how well the likeness of Patrick Troughton was captured on the page. The artwork was very good too which isn't always the case in the stories void of colour and I was quite intrigued to later find that the design for the Vortexians actually came from a DWM competition! That was really fascinating and I actually thought they were brilliant. Their whole structure and being based upon strict rules was very good and I liked how quick they were to respond to crime. In an instant they would just appear from out of nowhere. The Doctor was quick to get on their wrong side and was soon at the mercy of the Speculum, a deadly mind probe that showed the rest of the universe to its victim all at once. Luther hadn't managed to escape its effects and was basically a living vegetable because of it, but the Doctor's mind was stronger than your average so he wouldn't have such an adverse reaction. The cliffhangers were good and I really liked the horror in Jamie and Zoe's reactions to knowing that they were too late to save the Doctor from going under the Speculum's torment. The importance of the Shroud was intriguing and I loved how much pleasure the Doctor took in exposing its truth. He quite easily disrupted the Vortexians' teleport signal to engage them in conversation but the way Ronayne was able to bring about their defeat was incredibly clever. He'd earlier heard Jamie offer a potentially racist remark and that was just a scale-one chastisement which meant a quick stun of the central nervous system. But Ronayne was old and that invoked a heart attack. He knew what he was doing and was quick to tell the Doctor that this was against their prime code. The Doctor drove home that point and the only answer was for the Vortexians to be sentenced to the speculum and for the planet to be returned from the Vortex. I loved that. Overall, a very strong comic strip story!

Rating: 9/10

Change of Mind

"She saved everyone, but it killer her!"

Writer: Kate Orman
Format: Comic Strip
Released: December 1994 - February 1995
Printed in: DWM 221-223

Featuring: Third Doctor, Liz

Synopsis

The Third Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier investigate a series of impossible murders, and face a psychotic psychic! What connects a miraculous plane crash survival and the paranormal department of Cambridge University? The Doctor will soon find out...

Verdict

Change of Mind was a very good comic strip adventure and a great continuation of the Land of the Blind graphic novel! After a somewhat inconsistent and slightly slacking (probably harsh) start to things, I really was delighted with this one. I thought reuniting the Third Doctor with Liz in a story set after Inferno was a really fantastic idea. I loved that the Doctor echoed his comments in Terror of the Autons that he was sad to see Liz return to her research but I liked how this provided her with the opportunity to explain why she left UNIT. This isn't the first time the pair have been reunited following her departure but it was great to see just how personal Liz's feelings were towards the Doctor and what went on at UNIT. I was quite surprised that she claimed the Doctor wasn't teaching her anything but seeing the pair rediscover their friendship was a real delight. The story starting with a plane crash was quite explosive and thrust things right into action but the Doctor's help with Hardin's student in keeping the plane from a deadly descent through telepathy and psychokinesis was quite extraordinary. The calmness with which he accepted her death was startling and Liz was very quick to pick up on that. It was clear that she wasn't so comfortable with UNIT nowadays. The plan of Hardin to tap into mankind's potential for psychokinesis was intriguing and seeing it in action was quite something. I liked the arrival of the Brigadier in part three and his reaction the scientists' sit in was very humorous. I thought the writing of his character was brilliant though. The characterisation of the Third Doctor was also excellent and I think this adventure really did a great job of fitting into the era in which it was set. That was a really impressive aspect of the comic strip. The ending was quite abrupt but I think that sold just how powerful it was. It was unexpected and with Hardin using his psychokinetic powers to destroy the Doctor's lungs, the Brigadier and Liz emerged and the former's gun was fired. Hardin used his powers to prevent the bullet from hitting him straight away but he wasn't powerful enough to carry out two tasks so the bullet killed him instantly once his grip was let go. Liz's reaction was one of horror and that was why she left UNIT. It was a very emotional and powerful end to what was a very good comic strip story. Overall, this was great!

Rating: 8/10

Food for Thought

"Find ways to feed us."

Writer: Nick Briggs
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September-November 1994
Printed in: DWM 218-220

Featuring: First Doctor, Polly, Ben

Synopsis

The First Doctor, Polly and Ben enter a deserted city with a gigantic intruder - one that wants to consume their minds! Having already digested the TARDIS, the Doctor is helpless and it seems that the Mollusi is still hungry...

Verdict

Food for Thought was a good comic strip adventure but despite a high rating, I can't help but be a little frustrated by it! It was so close to being so much better which was a shame but things cannot be helped. I was intrigued to find Nicholas Briggs (I'm going to safely assume it's the same famed audio writer) penning a comic strip story but I thought he did a superb job in capturing the likeness of William Hartnell. I was hugely impressed with the characterisation of the First Doctor and I really do think it was a big factor in why this adventure maintained a high rating. I also thought the writing of both Polly and Ben was good and I loved that we got an extra adventure with this underrated and short-stayed TARDIS trio. They work brilliantly together and that remained the case on the page here. I was a little bit shocked by Polly being described as the Doctor's 'swinging sixties fashion accessory.' That didn't set well with me at all I have to say. Maybe this was what Steven Moffat read prior to his writing of Twice Upon a Time? The TARDIS being literally eaten by the Mollusi was really unexpected and it obviously left the Doctor in a bit of a predicament but he didn't seem worried in the slightest. His plan seemed to just be to wait for it to come out of the other side. He knew the TARDIS wouldn't be broken down by digestive enzymes or anything so his plan was patience. But there was something else going on here though and it all centred around Melthorpe. He had been subjected to the mental powers of the Mollusi long ago and he was being used to feed them. He was actually in charge of a rather horrifying food production service and that entailed the peoples of Apresar IV becoming food for the Mollusi. The Doctor was himself consumed and I found the panels with him inside the Mollusi rather humorous. He was delightful as you'd expect but his mental powers were strong and he would not subject himself to its will to feed them. The cliffhangers were both good but the one thing that let down this comic strip for me was the abrupt ending. The penultimate page would have actually served as a fantastic cliffhanger with Ben revealing that the Mollusi young had actually grown up but one of them just being filled with Melthorpe's discontent and hatred and leaving things there seemed a bit incomplete. I needed more clarity which was a shame because I really thought this was going to be the best of the Land of the Blind graphic novel by a clear margin. Overall though, it was still decent but it could have been great!

Rating: 7/10

Kerblam!

"Pick it, click it... Kerblam it!"

Writer: Pete McTighe
Format: TV
Broadcast: 18th November 2018
Series: 11.07

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

After receiving a mysterious package, the Doctor, Graham, Yaz and Ryan investigate the moon orbiting Kandoka and find that there's something amiss going on at the galaxy's biggest retailer. What role do the Teammates play? And why is the System asking for help?

Verdict

Kerblam! was a fantastic episode to continue the eleventh series of Doctor Who very nicely! It was quite unique in terms of previous Doctor Who episodes and I liked how there was finally an episode with an exclamation mark in its title. It didn't really seem like it needed one but that was beside the point. The Doctor's reaction to the Kablam Man entering the TARDIS was truly wonderful and I really am loving Jodie Whittaker's performances as the Thirteenth Doctor. She continues to shine but I also thought the companions all had great moments in the story too which was a big positive. The Doctor having ordered a fez a long time ago was great paying homage to the Eleventh Doctor and I also really liked the reference to The Unicorn and the Wasp. Judy was a delightful character and I liked how the presence of the Doctor and co was making her blab away. She was quite embarrassed by it all. Ryan and the Doctor meeting Kira was good and I loved just how nice she was. The Doctor commended her on that in a lovely moment. The referencing of Ryan's dyspraxia was better than most episodes since the first and I thought he had a relatively strong episode has he knew the environment quite well due to his past employment history. Graham getting to know Charlie as a cleaner was very good and I liked how devious he was in getting the plans of the Kerblam buildings. Yaz getting on with Dan was touching and when he became a victim of the Teammates I liked how she wanted to honour him for his daughter and return the key chain. Slade was an intriguing character and his demeanour definitely made me think he was the one behind the mysterious happenings at Kerblam. Judy wanting to help Team TARDIS was nice and I was quite surprised that Slade joined in to help too. The Doctor's warning to them both when she thought they might be behind it all was excellent. I really can't compliment Jodie Whittaker enough. I was very surprised that Charlie turned out to be the one behind the help needed at Kerblam and that was brilliant. I didn't see it coming at all but seeing his devastated reaction to Kira's death was very good. He would get what he was dishing out. The concept of killer bubblewrap was certainly unique and the prospect of Kerblam inadvertently killing their customers to ensure a distrust towards automation and a return to favouring organic control was really very good. I liked it a lot and I was quite stunned by the Doctor almost ensuring that Charlie perished with the rest of the Teammates. Overall, a fantastic episode!

Rating: 9/10

The Warmonger Part 2

"This city... it was beautiful. Now it's in pieces."

Writer: Scott Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 15th November 2018
Printed in: DWM 532

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The destruction of Gatan continues as Kraytus and Tumat obliterate each other in any way they can. Yaz is struggling to keep Tondi safe while Ryan and Graham have been taken to the mysterious Eye Above. There they find out the truth of what's going on on Gatan, and the Doctor will meet someone who knows all about her history...

Verdict

The Warmonger continued in very good style with a more than decent second part of the story! More of it in a minute but as for the issue of DWM itself, it looks set to be a very good read once again. I haven't actually managed to finish the previous issue yet as I'm a little bit behind but that can't be helped when you're studying for a Masters, play for the university darts team and have a girlfriend! But I try. Anyway, the previews of the episodes are always something I enjoy reading at this time of year in DWM and I am hugely intrigued by the titles, especially the season finale's. It's just not what you would expect but I guess that has been the remit of Series 11. Reading the thoughts on the latest episodes to air will also be of keen interest to me in both Galaxy Forum and the DWM Review and I'm very interested to see how my opinions conflict with those of other fans. I'm quite surprised that the Time Team will be covering the Thirteenth Doctor so soon and honestly, I'm not sure the new format has worked overly effectively with the use of pop songs last month. Bernard Cribbins is a wonderful guest to have for the Out of the TARDIS feature which is always a great read and I'm also looking forward to reading about more of the staff that have helped make the latest batch of episodes that will soon air. The TARDIS Revolution feature also looks to be a terrific read and that is something I will be eagerly anticipating! I'll have to finish last month's issue pronto. Now, back to the comic strip itself and I thought it continued very well. I liked how the first page gave us a snippet into the thinking of the Doctor with her rapid calculations being rather impressive. I liked how evenly this part was split between Team TARDIS (yes, I am continuing to dub them that now after they themselves called them it on TV) and Ryan and Graham being taken to The Eye Above was really intriguing. Kraytus and Tumat had ravaged the city to pieces and it was all part of an intergalactic broadcast. Yaz protecting Tondi was lovely to see and I liked how the Doctor was trying to keep Gorny calm but didn't get very far in succeeding. The cliffhanger ending was very good and unexpected but I like how it keeps continuity across the comic strip format despite the change of Doctor. I think that's a positive move to make. The emergence of Berakka Dogbolter thanks to Sandola was very good and I look forward to things proceeding from here! Overall, a very good continuation of the story.

The Condemned

"He's not even the right Doctor."

Writer: Eddie Robson
Format: Audio
Released: February 2008
Series: Main Range 105

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

"Dr John Smith - you're under arrest. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mentioned when questioned something which you later rely on in court..."

Manchester, 2008. The TARDIS lands inside a run-down tower block, beside a dead body - which leads to some awkward questions when the Doctor is found there by the police. Made the prime suspect, how can the Doctor prove to the no-nonsense DI Patricia Menzies that this is not the open-and-shut case it seems, and that she's actually investigating the death of an alien?

Higher up in Ackley House, a girl named Maxine watches the Doctor being taken away in a squad car. Someone wants her to find out what happened in that room, and isn't going to be happy if she doesn't come up with the goods. But she's got hold of someone who knows - someone very important to the Doctor.

A deadly conspiracy is at work - one whose effects will be felt far beyond the walls of Ackley House...

Verdict

The Condemned was a fantastic audio adventure! I have been looking forward to the cliffhanger at the end of The Girl Who Never Was getting resolved and it was done so in a marvellous way. Pairing Charley up with the Sixth Doctor is a magnificent idea and the pair worked really well together in this audio. I loved their relationship and the questions the Doctor had about her were really intriguing. She obviously knew all about him but she couldn’t let too much on. I liked how she deduced that he wasn’t her Doctor yet and ‘her’ Doctor’s TARDIS interior was considerably bigger which was a really good comment. It’s incredibly sad to know that Charley thinks the Eighth Doctor is dead because he didn’t come back for her and it seems an incredibly emotional end to their rollercoaster of a journey. But we move on now and I can’t wait to discover why the Eighth Doctor has no memory of having already met Charley. It seems the pairing are here to say. Charley’s fail in saying ‘hello operator’ when using a phone was fantastic as that allowed the Doctor to deduce exactly where she was. The fact she was abandoned in 500,002 was intriguing and I do hope Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways were in Eddie Robson’s mind when writing that. DI Menzies was a superb character and her relationship with the Doctor was certainly a highlight of the audio. They were brilliant together and hearing how quickly she accepted the alien life and the Doctor was terrific. Her investigative instincts were being severely challenged here but she dealt with the task well which was great to hear. Charley being handcuffed to the bed by Maxine was interesting and I loved her reaction to the ease of getting an Indian takeaway. After everything she’s seen it’s lovely to think that it’s the little things like that which surprise her. The murder of Gregory Bailey was an excellent focal point for the story and it worked incredibly well, especially considering he was an alien. The Doctor instructing Menzies to find the microchip was really good. I thought Alderitch was another good character and his business of being a doctor to aliens was quite something! Imagine having that as a reputation. Sam’s story was really sad as he thought he was in the basement but it turns out he’d become Ackley House! I didn’t see that coming but it actually worked brilliantly. He couldn’t bring himself to believe that he’d become the house but the plan of Slater to invade Earth by becoming its architecture was incredibly unique! The radiation had worked on Sam and even though he’d murdered Gregory, at the wishes of Antonia so they could be together, he now wanted her to feel the guilt of killing somebody so she did. It really was an emotional ending to the audio and I can’t wait for the continued relationship between the Sixth Doctor and Charley. Overall, a magnificent listen!

Rating: 9/10

The Lunar Strangers

"Talking cows from space!"

Writer: Gareth Roberts
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July-September 1994
Printed in: DWM 215-217

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

The Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough land on a moonbase, and encounter some alien bovines hiding a deadly secret! Why are they so concerned at finding the treasure they themselves left some time ago? Whatever the answer, they will go to some deadly lengths to retrieve it...

Verdict

The Lunar Strangers was a bit of an average comic strip it has to be said. It was quite the mixed bag which was a shame as I was kind of hoping for a better start to the Land of the Blind graphic novel when this is considered with Victims (that's not saying that was a bad story in any stretch of the imagination though). I really liked the trio of the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough and it's not a team I seem to have done an awful lot of together at all so I really welcomed that. I thought the characterisation of Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor was really good throughout with his likeness captured very well and that made for a positive effect on the comic strip as a whole. However, I think Tegan and Turlough went missing towards the second half of the adventure and that was definitely noticeable which isn't a great thing to have happen. The first page was actually terrific and seeing cows on the moon was quite extraordinary. I think I'd actually have much preferred it if a story could have been centred on actual cows on the moon because that's just incredibly barmy. The Dryrth, who they actually were, were quite weird enemies and once their association with cows had been made, it was difficult to take my mind off that aspect of their appearance and it just became more and more ridiculous as the story progressed. I couldn't take them seriously which was a shame. Jackson was a good character but her sudden u-turn on trusting Vartex and Ravnok didn't make much sense and seemed to come out of nowhere which was a shame. I did like how she didn't want them to remain alive once she was against them, despite the Doctor's best wishes. The way she killed Vortex was unexpected but the deviousness with which she ridded Ravnok of his oxygen tank was really good. I didn't see that coming at all and the Doctor's reaction spoke volumes. I was particularly intrigued, now reading in 2018, by the 2015 setting. I do wonder what the thoughts of those in 1994 were for the future and space exploration. It wasn't made into a huge deal which was good but the story ending on the revelation that the treasure was just cheese was far too silly for my liking. An economy based on cheese? Maybe. But it just wasn't for me and took away from some of the seriousness of the story. Overall, some decent aspects but a few too many negatives to make it really good.

Rating: 6/10

Human Resources Part 2

"Your suggestion is we invade your world?"

Writer: Eddie Robson
Format: Audio
Released: August 2007
Series: EDA 1.08

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Lucie

Synopsis

Business as usual? Not at Hulbert Logistics, where staff are facing a menace far worse than the prospect of the office Christmas party. Lucie's made some new friends and the Doctor's met some old enemies. But just who will become the Headhunter's new apprentice? Welcome to the job interview from hell.


Verdict

Human Resources concluded in excellent style with this fantastic second part that was much improved from the first instalment of the story! It really did finish what has been a somewhat inconsistent series in explosive form which I was really happy about. The Headhunter story arc came to a neat end and I loved that the Eighth Doctor and Lucie are sticking around for further adventures. Their relationship has been a real joy to listen to and I like how much they've grown as a pairing since Blood of the Daleks. It was explained to us how she came to be in the Doctor's company and the way everything tied in was really good. Paul McGann and Sheridan Smith had superb chemistry together once again and I can't wait to hear that continue in future stories with the pair. They really are brilliant together. The Doctor's shock at the Cybermen being the ones that were the oppressed, and thus the ones he had aided, was terrific but his disdain for the species was clear. He would go so far as saying they deserved to be oppressed which was extremely powerful to hear. The role of the Time Lords in this story was also clearly large which was intriguing and Lucie Miller being the subject of an internal Gallifreyan conflict between the High Council and the CIA was most unexpected! I really liked it though and Straxus played a very good part in its explanation. The Doctor wasn't too pleased at Gallifreyan politics interfering with things. The Cybermen were really strong here and I liked how they were intent on converting humanity into their own. Hulbert trying to form an alliance with them to gain his safety was good and I liked their reaction to his proposal of invading Earth. He wasn't too pleased with the ultimatum of being converted or killed though. The references to The Tenth Planet and The Invasion with the Cybermen knowing of the Doctor were wonderful but the highlight of this part of the adventure for me was Lucie's reaction to discovering just what had been happened to her. It was a powerful defence and she didn't like the Time Lords very much at all. The revelation that things had been a case of mistaken identity was another unexpected inclusion and the fact that Karen was the one the Time Lords discovered would become an aggressive dictator was really intriguing! The Headhunter getting her at the conclusion was good and I liked how she got her way in the end. The use of the Crystalliser was great and I thought it was a rather impressive weapon! The Cybermen were simply doomed to fail and the Doctor demonstrating that with the Cyber Leader was fantastic. Overall, a really strong conclusion to what was, as a whole, a great finale.

Rating: 8/10

Human Resources Part 1

"Who's doing the brainwashing?"

Writer: Eddie Robson
Format: Audio
Released: July 2007
Series: EDA 1.07

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Lucie

Synopsis

Lucie Miller's been headhunted to join the staff of Hulbert Logistics, a respectable blue-chip firm in Telford. Great prospects, competitive salary - you don't have to be mad to work here! But wasn't she made for better things, like travelling by TARDIS through time and space? The Doctor, meanwhile, has been fired - into a confrontation with the most terrifying of enemies...

Verdict

Human Resources started in intriguing style with this first part of the audio adventure. I'm still a little baffled as to why these Eighth Doctor Adventures adopted a new style of format in one-hour releases if half of the first series was actually stories containing two parts, but it is what it is. It's not really a big deal but I just don't quite understand it. It was quite different from what I expected and very unique for a Doctor Who story as it literally was all about human resources in the office sense of the term. That seems to be, without considering the hour that I have just listened to, like an impossible setting for a story and whilst it wasn't amazing, it did actually work. It was a little slow in places but things were brewing nicely and the normality of what appeared, at least to me, like quite weird and uncommon office tasks was what struck me most. Data kept changing and it hardly felt like a job that fitted in with Lucie's time period of 2006. Something wasn't quite right but even the Doctor was barely noticing. I thought Paul McGann gave an assured performance as the Eighth Doctor but it was Sheridan Smith as Lucie that took the limelight here. She was fantastic and I loved her reaction when she saw the Doctor, whom she was to become his PA, and knew that all of her travels in the TARDIS had actually taken place. That was a delightful moment I must say. The effects of the TARDIS not working without Lucie being inside were very interesting and the Doctor being greeted by a member of the High Council was quite unexpected but I welcomed the continued involvement of the Time Lords. I'm intrigued to see where that direction goes in the future. Karen was a great character and I really enjoyed her relationship with Lucie, something which I think will be key in part two with them now outside of the robot posing as an office work environment. Clive was another weird element of the audio with the lack of surprise at him adding to my thoughts of it not feeling very 2006. The Doctor's meeting with Hulbert was really good and I liked how he was trying to sell off Gallifrey to his business of planet excavation for growing species. The situation on Lonsis had been ongoing for some time and the emergence of the Cybermen at the cliffhanger was as typical a cliffhanger as you can expect in Doctor Who. But it still works and I can't help but look forward to the second part because of their involvement. I'm very interested by them as this hasn't felt at all like a Cyberman story so it will be interesting to see where things fit. Overall, a decent start to the story!