Ravens

"Snow and patterns and coincidence."

Writer: Andrew Cartmel
Format: Comic Strip
Released: June-August 1992
Printed in: DWM 188-190

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

In feudal Japan: A ronin Samurai trudges though ice and snow towards his destination, planning on committing seppuku, ritual suicide. He is the Raven.

Britain, the near future: A gang has taken a mother and her daughter hostage, along with other people in a petrol station. They are the Ravens.

What links these two events across time? Does it have anything to do with summoning a demon?

Verdict

Ravens was an excellent comic strip story to continue my reading of the Evening's Empire graphic novel! I was really impressed with the adventure and it was certainly noticeable as being a Seventh Doctor tale by the great Andrew Cartmel. I'm a huge fan of his work and I thought he did another stellar job here, even without the Doctor featuring too much. Despite that, the Doctor's role in it was subtly huge as the demon lord of time. The mix in settings between feudal Japan and near-future Britain was very good and I liked how similar they were presented despite the obvious distance in time. The alternation was frequent but not too quick and the contrasting ravens within each was fantastic. The Raven, as the Samurai was known, was grieving following the death of his wife and daughter and was now contemplating on joining them in the afterlife through his own means. He was a warrior equipped with a sword and I found it very intriguing that the Doctor went to him for help. He needed him to deal with the situation in what was presumably the beginning of the 21st century with the gang known only as the Ravens. I would have liked a tad more development on why they seemed to be draining their victims of their blood but that is literally my only qualm with this story. Other than that, it was brilliant. I thought the narration throughout was magnificent and the eeriness of the comic strip's atmosphere was hugely impressive. It was definitely a highlight of the story. The relationship between Christine and her daughter Demi was lovely and I liked how strong and full of confidence the latter was. She was too young to be scared of a gang in a petrol station. Rickie, Gerard and Annie were all very different members of the Ravens and I liked the surprise that the narration had been by Annie for the whole story. I really didn't expect that. Seeing the Doctor ensure that the Raven spared her life once he arrived in all the glory of the TARDIS was excellent and I loved that the swords were superior to the bullets. It was a chilling tale and I think the fact it was in black and white was hugely beneficial to its feel. I really liked it. Overall, a brilliant comic strip!











Rating: 9/10

Vortex Butterflies

"Hey, you, my brightest star... shine on me endlessly wherever you are..."

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Format: Comic Strip
Released: June-November 2017
Printed in: The Tenth Doctor #3.6-8, #3.10

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby, Cindy, Sarah Jane, Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor has abandoned his crew to chase a mysterious message into deep space! As Cindy recovers from the splitting headache she developed on her most recent adventure, Gabby's mysterious block-transfer butterfly powers evolve even further. But will the team ever be reunited? And what secrets will the Doctor find waiting for him, out in the cosmic dark?

Verdict

Vortex Butterflies was an excellent comic strip adventure! It really did feel like a finale and the scale of it was fantastic. I absolutely loved how it was firmly a story all about Gabby and she really did shine once again. I think she has been the best thing to come out of the comic strips from Titan. I firmly believe she's a superb companion and her emotional journey here was extraordinary. I liked that it started where Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth left off, and Gabby really was feeling the effects of seeing Cindy die. At least, what she thought was Cindy but was in fact one of the duplicates. Cindy naming all of them was a nice touch and I liked how she grew to understand how she became her own ancestor. That was pretty stunning. The way the events in China had altered Gabby and Cindy's relationship was quite heartbreaking to see and I was quite surprised that the Doctor left them alone in 2009 London, even after Gabby stood up to him about how he needed them. The Tenth Doctor meeting the Twelfth Doctor was a wonderful and unexpected treat and I thought the characterisation of both was very good. I really liked how sympathetic the Twelfth Doctor was to his previous self and I loved that he echoed his comments towards Gabby from Four Doctors in wishing that he kept her around. Her fate is of course unknown at this moment but the prospect of her becoming a sentient being and time sensitive at one with the universe seemed devastating. The Doctor wouldn't accept that was her fate but I did enjoy the images of the Classic-era opening titles depicting the vortex in one of the universe's most empty spaces. The link between Gabby and the TARDIS was fantastic and I loved how we saw moments from the past three years of adventures that led Gabby to becoming time sensitive and having the vortex butterflies. I really liked the references to The Arts in Space and I also thought bringing Sarah Jane back was a wonderful move. Her relationship with Gabby and Cindy was terrific and I loved how she recollected on her time with the Doctor in the upmost of positive ways. I loved how Gabby saw, just from physical contact with Sarah, that she had also met Sutekh in a great flashback from Pyramids of Mars. The Doctor working out that the chalked equations and Gabby's drawings were block transfers of his own equations to severe the link between the TARDIS and his companion was terrific and I liked how he didn't know it was his future self that provided the ammunition to shoot down the problem. The ending was lovely and I liked the cliffhanger with the return of the Time Sentinels. I look forward to seeing where things go from here! Overall, a brilliant comic strip story.

Rating: 9/10

Revolving Doors

"Another companion lost... through the revolving door of a life with you..."

Writer: James Peaty
Format: Comic Strip
Released: May 2017
Printed in: The Tenth Doctor #3.5

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby

Synopsis

An untold tale from Gabby's sketchbook! The Doctor and Gabby land in modern-day London, and Gabby can't understand the Doctor's refusal to stay in the city... until they're caught up in a hostile takeover by an alien fugitive!

Verdict

Revolving Doors was a very good little comic strip story! I was quite surprised to see a shift in the ongoing series with Cindy and Anubis and it seems that this adventure took place somewhere soon after Music Man, with Cindy being left behind to recuperate on Earth. However, this story also took place on Earth and I loved that the TARDIS randomiser was used. That's such a nifty little device and for it to bring the Doctor and Gabby to London was good but quite a generic setting. I was very surprised by the Doctor's reaction though and he seemed to have had enough of all the loss he had felt in this city. Gabby's feelings were completely contrasting though as she had been hoping to visit London for a long time during her travels in the TARDIS. The Doctor wanted to leave immediately and his little outburst towards his companion about her not knowing him was rather uncharacteristic of the Tenth Doctor's personality. In saying that, it shows what he was going through at this stage of his life following the loss of Donna. I found the Doctor's attire quite intriguing with the lack of tie and things didn't quite seem normal which was very interesting. The cry for help was something the Doctor could not ignore though and that led them to a very mysterious stockroom. But when was a stockroom not a stockroom? When it was a portal to another dimension of course. The squid-like creature looked very much perfect for a comic strip but I liked how it didn't depart into silliness, something that can be the case with aliens that look like this. Crossland was a good character and the way the Reach was using him as their link to this universe was very good. I quite liked how stern and villainous he appeared and the plan of them to harness the emotional strain of the Doctor's recent experiences was excellent. I really liked that. His reaction to finding Martha after he stepped through the portal to save Gabby was quite surprising as I don't think he'd actually leave her, but I did also like seeing the trauma he associated with Donna and Rose and the loss he felt towards them. I thought the ending was action-packed but I would have liked to know how Gabby managed to reach safety to enable her to aid the Doctor. Crossland fighting from within to severe the link with the Reach was good and his sacrifice by jumping through the portal to break all links the Reach had was extremely noble. I loved Gabby questioning how the Doctor would have coped if she actually was lost but he just wanted to move on. Overall, a very good story!

Rating: 8/10

The Furies

"I made you what you are."

Writer: Matt Fitton
Format: Audio
Released: January 2018
Series: The Diary of River Song 3.04

Featuring: River Song

Synopsis

Stories of the Furies abound across the cosmos: vengeful spirits hounding guilty souls to death. Madame Kovarian taught them to a child raised in fear, trained to kill, and placed inside a spacesuit.

Kovarian knows the universe's greatest threat, the Doctor must be eliminated. An assassin was created for that purpose.

But if Melody Pond has failed, Kovarian will simply have to try again...

Verdict

The Furies was a terrific conclusion to the third series of The Diary of River Song! It really has been a fantastic box set but I was a little surprised with how little River Song actually interacted with the Fifth Doctor, especially considering he featured in each story. But, that was absolutely fine and I don't think it's overly important because the overall story arc was really clever. This adventure really saw River Song go after Kovarian in a brilliant encounter and I think a story between these two without the Doctor actually featuring was a superb idea. They bounced off each other very well and they were hugely contrasting characters with a lot of similarities given their relationship. I thought it was brilliant that we heard River reflecting on some of her childhood toys, even though they weren't quite resemblant of traditional children's toys. Brooke returning home to greet her sisters was very intriguing and I found the disdain felt by some of her siblings hugely interesting. They didn't have names like Brooke because they hadn't been given their mission. Now they were questioning their very purpose as Brooke had succeeded in the ultimate mission by killing the Doctor. Kovarian's dreams were very good and I liked how she was still being haunted by the Doctor even after she thought he was dead. The likes of O, H-One and H-Two were fantastic characters and I liked how they all differed despite being experiments of the same DNA. The way River managed to gain the upper hand throughout the story was wonderful, given that she pretty much started things behind bars and on hugely bad terms with Brooke. That relationship soon changed drastically though and they soon got on good terms once the truth about Kovarian came out and the 'experiments' learned of their true nature. Seeing so clearly how they were trained assassins was very good but I also liked the difficulties of their inhibitors in being unable to kill Kovarian. They would hurt her through other means though. The Deterrent were pretty decent and their desire to serve the universe and maintain harmony was very good. They were after Kovarian but she was not having a surrender. The story of the Furies being a story told by Kovarian to the proto-Time Lords was excellent and I adored the revelation that they were actually placed their by River and her sisters using their Time Lord abilities, presumably in the form of contact. River's emotion in reminiscing how her childhood was stolen from her and her parents was really good and I liked how Amy and Rory were mentioned more than once. Kovarian going insane was good but I wish it occurred slightly more gradually. The Doctor's death couldn't be maintained and bringing that kind of destructive event into the universe, after it occurred in a place without time, was too much for causality to deal with. The Doctor's influence slowly dissipating was fantastic and I thought the way Brooke fixed things and saved the Doctor's life was superb, but slightly rushed. Andrew would befit the fate of the Doctor and I liked that Brooke told River she wouldn't be able to do it because of their relationship. It worked out very nicely. Overall, a really fitting conclusion to the series and I liked how the Doctor was still feeling the effects of the hallucinogenic lipstick and couldn't quite recall River's name when she briefly saw how he was in the TARDIS.

Rating: 8/10

My Dinner with Andrew

"All must fall to the might of the Doctor."

Writer: John Dorney
Format: Audio
Released: January 2018
Series: The Diary of River Song 3.03

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, River Song

Synopsis

Welcome, Mesdames et Messieurs, to The Bumptious Gastropod.

The most exclusive, most discreet dining experience outside the universe. For the restaurant exists beyond spacetime itself, and the usual rules of causality do not apply. Anything could happen.

It is here that the Doctor has a date. With River Song. And with death.

Verdict

My Dinner with Andrew was a fantastic audio adventure and a brilliant continuation of The Diary of River Song's third series! It was the best of the set so far and was quite a wonderful little script. There wasn't too much actually going on but the threat of the Doctor dying was more than enough to keep me occupied and interested! I thought Alex Kingston was terrific once again as River Song and I really liked her reaction to discovering that Madame Kovarian was the person who had hired Brooke to kill the Doctor. Likewise, Kovarian's reaction to learning of River Song's presence on The Bumptious Gastropod was terrific too. I really liked that I didn't know that Kovarian was featuring in this story but given her presence on the boxset's artwork, my suspicions of her having something to do with Brooke were found correct. The setting of The Bumptious Gastropod was terrific and I really liked the idea of the restaurant existing outside of the normal laws of causality. The rumours that the Doctor died here were intriguing but given what we saw in The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon and The Wedding of River Song, River didn't really fear that he actually could due to the fixed point in time. But once she learned of the restaurant's unique temporality, things became very complicated. Maitre D' was a sublime character and I really loved his role throughout the story. It was so simple but so effective and River continuing to go back in time to an earlier point was met with some comical humour when he referred to meeting her again. The Doctor actually didn't do much in this story apart from become the subject of River's hallucinogenic lipstick which meant he forgot why he was on the Bumptious Gastropod. I suspect that will be how the Doctor fails to remember meeting her prior to Silence in the Library. I thought Andrew was a lovely character and his affection was quite cute. He just wanted a dinner with a beautiful woman but instead he got two - in the form of Brooke and Kovarian. Their failure to deduce that he wasn't actually the Doctor was quite humorous but I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The revelation that when River and Andrew went back in time to the Bumptious Gastropod before it actually became that was terrific as Andrew actually turned out to buy the restaurant here and own it during the future events we had already listened to. The adventure was certainly a timey-wimey one and the ending was hugely shocking! The Doctor was killed by Brooke, as Kovarian desired, and the regeneration inhibitors meant that he was actually dead. And the setting and causality laws meant that there was nothing to say he wasn't actually dead. Kovarian then killing Brooke for her to only regenerate wasn't too much of a surprising revelation but unlike the siblings we saw in The Lady in the Lake, Brooke seems to be the finished article. River's determination to try and now save the Doctor was great and I look forward to this series finale! Overall, an excellent audio.

Rating: 9/10

A Requiem for the Doctor

"The gratitude of widows has kept you alive."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner
Format: Audio
Released: January 2018
Series: The Diary of River Song 3.02

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, River Song

Synopsis

River has joined the Doctor and his friend Brooke on their travels, and they stop off in 18th century Vienna.

Brooke thinks history is dull. Until people start dying.

Mozart's legacy is not just his music. River has more than one mystery to solve before a killer is let loose on the people of Vienna - and on the Doctor.

Verdict

A Requiem for the Doctor was another great audio to continue the third series of The Diary of River Song! It didn't quite have the unique feel of River Song having a story with a past incarnation of the Doctor and I guess I'm just used to that now, even if this was her first outing with the Fifth Doctor. I would have perhaps liked a little more immediate continuation from the cliffhanger ending to The Lady in the Lake but at the same time I quite liked that we were thrown straight into the adventure with River Song already having taken her place alongside the Doctor and Brooke. The latter made for an interesting companion and I was quite surprised that the Doctor clearly had sympathy for her. She wasn't as clever as River and she knew it but the Doctor seemed confident that she would get there one day, even if she had been travelling with him for a long time now. I have a hunch I know why she wanted to kill the Doctor but I look forward to finding out the truth in the second half of this series. Alex Kingston was terrific once again as River and I loved how her love for the Doctor shone through. She was a little careless in revealing what she knew about the Doctor when she mentioned the sonic and I loved how the Fifth Doctor's run without the sonic screwdriver was taken advantage of here. She seemed to cover it up by pretending she meant a sonic lance and reacting hysterically to the very idea of a sonic screwdriver. Peter Davison gave a decent performance as the Fifth Doctor and I do hope that there's more time in the next story for them to bounce off each other in a flirtatious way. I think that's where River works best with the Doctor, regardless of his incarnation. She was clearly trying to outdo Brooke and claim her superiority and she succeeded at times as the Doctor quickly knew that River didn't need him. He felt like Brooke did need him though. Giulia was a very good character and her connection with Mozart and the aqua tofana was very good. The parasites literally inhabiting the emotions was fantastic and I liked how they weren't simply feeding on it. It was quite unique which is always good. Antoinette was a lovely character but her death was quite distressing, as were all of the deaths that occurred through the aqua tofana poison. The acids melting the abdomen away was quite horrifying! The way the Doctor, River and Brooke prevented the spread of tofana through the music was good and pacy and I liked the Vienna setting as a whole throughout. Brooke finally breaking her disguise as companion and planning to kill the Doctor was not unexpected but she did seem a bit inept in failing to allow the Doctor to open the doors to let River in. River saving his life through the positive emotions she had by loving him was wonderful but I would like to know why Brooke hated the Doctor so much. We will soon find out. Overall, a terrific audio adventure!

Rating: 8/10

The Lady in the Lake

"Here you can end your life in anyway you choose."

Writer: Kev Fountain
Format: Audio
Released: January 2018
Series: The Diary of River Song 3.01

Featuring: River Song

Synopsis

On Terminus Prime, clients choose their own means of demise. Something exciting, meaningful, or heroic to end it all.

But when River discovers that there are repeat customers, she knows something more is going on.

She begins to uncover a cult with worrying abilities. Its members can apparently cheat death, and that's not all they have in common with River...

Verdict

The Lady in the Lake was a great start to the third series of The Diary of River Song! It saw River kick things off by herself and she was dealing with unknown effects following on from A Good Man Goes to War. I thought the whole concept was hugely intriguing and the idea of Madame Kovarian having experimented on River as an embryonic Time Lord and creating seven other Time Lord prototypes if you will was most unexpected but something I really liked. I didn't expect it at all and it was quite monumental. I'd have liked to know how River came to learn of her siblings' existence but I think that might come a bit later in the series. The link between the start and end of the audio was good and I thought Alex Kingston gave a stellar performance. I particularly enjoyed the conversation between the two Rivers and just imaging them together is wonderful. The great Lake was an excellent enemy and his connection with River was pretty good. The idea of him experimenting on all of the prototypes concerning regeneration was horrific enough, but his selfish reasoning was just appalling. River was disgusted by him and even though he knew he had other lives to live, he needed to know his limit. But given the nature of Kovarian's experimentation and the very essence of the Time Lords, their regenerative capabilities were not typical. Lake was disgusted that he didn't know and throughout I really liked his calm demeanour, particularly with his voice recorder. Lily was a lovely character and her relationship with River was wonderful. She really did love her and that made the ending all the more surprising. River taking great satisfaction in murdering Lake was good as she really was disgusted with his actions but I did not expect him to regenerate into Lily! River's reaction was fantastic and it tied in nicely with what we heard at the start of the story. Kevin was a very good character and I thought the whole setting of Terminus Prime was very good. The prospect of people paying for their deaths was hugely interesting and I'd like to see a story there again. River faking her death was genius and I really liked that she was investigating the impossibility of repeat users. How could anyone die more than once? Tarn and Rindle were some more good characters and I loved the water theme with the names. River really needing the Doctor was lovely and heartfelt but I bet she wasn't expecting his fifth incarnation to show up. Her wanting to travel with him for a bit was nice but I'm not sure how it won't contradict Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, but there are three more stories yet to prevent that. I look forward to finding out who Brooke is and I can't wait for an adventure with the Fifth Doctor and River Song! Overall, a terrific start to the series.

Rating: 8/10

Resolution

"There's been a Dalek buried on Earth since the ninth century."

Writer: Chris Chibnall
Format: TV
Broadcast: 1st January 2019
Series: 2019 New Year's Special

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Graham, Ryan

Synopsis

As the new year begins, a terrifying evil from across the centuries of Earth's history is stirring. As the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz return home, will they be able to overcome the threat to planet Earth? The Doctor will be reunited with an old enemy and the stakes couldn't be higher...

Verdict

Resolution was a pretty decent episode to serve as the New Year's Day Special, but despite my rating this blog entry will probably sound a bit negative. That shouldn't be the case as I did enjoy it but I do think I might have been a bit jealous. I was delighted that the Thirteenth Doctor got to do battle with her ancient enemy at last but it was far from a traditional Dalek story. I commend Chris Chibnall for wanting to do something different with the Daleks which was fine but I wasn't sure about the size of the Dalek mutant despite it being revealed that it was a reconnaissance scout. That whole concept of them being the first Daleks to leave Skaro was really intriguing and I think there's a lot there to be developed but I really do question how it could know about the Dalek. The Dalek timeline might be even more controversial than the UNIT dating confections but surely if this was one of the first Daleks to depart Skaro, presumably before The Daleks, and for it then to be buried for twelve centuries, would it have knowledge of the Doctor? I'm not sure and it's not a big issue as I thought the scene where the Doctor revealed her identity was done masterfully by Jodie Whittaker. She really was sublime once again and I think she's absolutely marvellous. I loved the addition of the scarf to her attire as it really does work terrifically well. I wasn't too much of a fan of the stuff with Ryan and his Dad, Aaron, but it did give the story more of a human element. I just think it took up a lot of time that wasn't quite needed. The relationship between Mitch and Lin was nice and I thought they were both good characters and the latter's relationship with the Dalek and her literal inner conflict was quite intriguing. Her desire to fight it was very good indeed. I'm really not sure why the specials needed to address the day it airs and I thought the scene with the family where the WiFi and phones had gone off and they'd had to have a conversation was horrendous. It was beyond cringeworthy and just unnecessary. The Doctor calling for Kate Stewart and UNIT was good and I liked the subtle satire towards Brexit with them having lost funding. I'm sure Big Finish weren't too thrilled with that! Yaz had a quiet episode which was a shame but I thought Graham was very good once again. The way the Doctor sold the threat of the Daleks was excellent, especially where Graham couldn't quite comprehend how a giant squid could topple the Doctor and 7 billion people. The Doctor's thoughts concerning how she could never git rid of them was a nice inclusion though and I liked how it was clear how personal the Doctor's relationship with the Daleks was. The design was pretty cool with it being melded in a somewhat repetitive scene from The Woman Who Fell to Earth with the sonic screwdriver being created and I was a big fan of the inner lighting when it spoke. The way it was defeated was nothing more than average for me but it was fine, I just wish there was a little less silliness concerning the microwave oven. I hoped for a bit more about the actual myths of the way it was defeated by the forces of humanity back in the ninth century but what we did get of that was terrific. Overall, a decent episode and it was nice to see an old enemy back but still room for improvement.

Rating: 7/10

Bill and the Three Jackets

"Ziggy stole my face!"

Writer: Dorothy Koomson
Format: Short Story
Released: 8th March 2018
Printed in: The Day She Saved the Doctor

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill

Synopsis

Preparing for a date, Bill goes shopping for a new jacket. In the mysterious shop on the outskirts of Bristol city centre, she tries on three jackets but is prevented from taking selfies in them. Ziggy, the shop assistant, claims to be preventing plagiarism but the real reason is far more consequential...

Verdict

Bill and the Three Jackets was an average story but a somewhat decent conclusion to The Day She Saved the Doctor collection of stories. This was the most recent, chronologically, story in the set and I was quite surprised by how little the Doctor actually featured. I fully appreciate that this book, released on International Women's Day, was all about highlighting the women of Doctor Who but compared with other stories in this collection, he didn't feature much at all. I thought the concept of this story was pretty good with someone taking over Bill but the means by which that was achieved was a little too easy and silly for me. I was sceptical of this story purely based on its title which I know is wrong of me but how could a story actually be about jackets? I didn't think it would be so centred on jackets but it actually was! Sadly, it didn't quite have the quality of The Doctor's Coat but it certainly wasn't without its positives. I thought the writing of Bill was actually fantastic and with her being in another body, we got a trip into her mind and I really liked reading her thoughts. She didn't panic too much and was sure that she was able to convince the Doctor of her true identity. Sadly, I just think the idea of taking the companion out of their own skin has been recycled too many times and this was just lacking some originality. The characterisation of the Twelfth Doctor was decent and I liked that Nardole was mentioned, but I just don't buy that the Doctor wouldn't have noticed that Bill had been taken over. He seemed to immediately know when Martha was cloned in The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky, down to a single hair detail, so for him to need convincing here was quite surprising. However, after a while of dismissing who he saw as a stranger, he was rather quick in being convinced that Bill had actually been subjected to a body swap. Ziggy was an interesting one and she seemed evil at first but I found her explanation quite annoying really as things didn't make much sense. If all she wanted was to go home, which was actually the case, why go to such efforts to get to the Doctor and ask him to take you home in the body of his friends if you were then going to reveal your identity anyway? It just didn't make much sense to me which was a shame. Sadly, the story itself was average but Bill's kindness was so powerful throughout this book and that's why it scores a respectable rating.

Rating: 6/10

The Grief

"The Sorshans killed themselves and their planet."

Writer: Dan Abnett
Format: Comic Strip
Released: March-May 1992
Printed in: DWM 185-187

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

In the back of a C.H.E.X. all-terrain vehicle on the surface of the dead world Sorsha, an unspeakable device known as the Grief has just brought back to life a nightmare that had been extinct for three thousand years...

Verdict

The Grief was a very good comic strip and a welcomed return to decent quality in my reading of the Evening's Empire graphic novel! I was quite worried when I saw that this adventure shared the same writing as the rather bad Conflict of Interests but thankfully the Doctor and Ace were back in the comic strips and that injected a lot of quality and familiarity which was very much welcomed. The setting of Sorsha was very intriguing and I found Ace's dismissive reaction to the planet once they exited the TARDIS quite humorous. Her thoughts soon changed though as the Doctor revealed why the planet was somewhat war-torn and that he was paying respects to the Sorshans. The story concerning the Sorshans and their sacrifice to rid the universe of the Lom was very enlightening and incredibly surprising and they immediately became the heroes and focus of the story without even featuring. I thought that was quite impressive and I would love a story one day that depicts the awful but incredible sacrifice of the Sorshans. They even sacrificed their planet along with themselves which was the most selfless act one could imagine. I thought the relationship between the Doctor and Ace was very interesting and it seemed to shift quite a bit with each part of the story. I liked the confidence she had in the Doctor's abilities to put things right even when she had heard all about the Lom and the extent the Sorshans went to in order to eradicate them from existence. Their warlike desire and nature was interesting and I found their locust mentality in travelling as one very intriguing. It was quite different to a traditional enemy. Frethil was a good character whilst she lasted but I was quite surprised by how bluntly the Doctor revealed she had succumbed to the fate of the Grief. That weapon being the most deadly of the Lom's was terrific and I liked how it actually rewrote DNA to create a new member of the Lom species. They could constantly replenish themselves with each world they devoured. The sacrifices of both Skrane and Strauss were incredibly courageous and echoed the actions of the Sorshans in order to stop the Lom from spreading and devouring the galaxy. Ace's reaction at her and the Doctor surviving again when others die was quite sudden but something I was a huge fan of. I look forward to seeing if this has any kind of effect on their travelling relationship and the lack of response by the Doctor spoke volumes. Overall, a very good adventure!

Rating: 8/10

Conflict of Interests

"Sontarans - can't live with 'em, can't shoot 'em."

Writer: Dan Abnett
Format: Comic Strip
Released: January 1992
Printed in: DWM 183

Synopsis

The Foreign Hazard Duty team led by Captain Geoff Monmouth are on the planet Aleph 777 in he Deneb Sector protecting the ruins of a site of great archaeological significance from the Sontarans. Breaking from the fighting and under a white flag, the leaders try to establish why the other is there.

Verdict

Conflict of Interests was not the best comic strip story in the world, it has to be said. This is my lowest rating for quite some time and one of my lowest ever - I actually don't think I've ever given less but I would have to check. That would involve some serious consultation of my notes or scrolling through 1300+ blog entries and that just doesn't appeal to me. I was hoping this would see a positive return to the Evening's Empire graphic novel for myself but sadly it really was quite the opposite! It's such a shame that the quality in this collection of stories thus far has been incredibly fluctuating and I do hope that now I get into a consistent run of purely Seventh Doctor comic strips, the quality improves and becomes more consistent. I am fully appreciative of the conditions surrounding this release with the issues concerning the production and deadline of the graphic novel's titular story at the time in Doctor Who Magazine, but that doesn't really mean that I should not give this story any slack. It was quite bad and just rather boring. I couldn't comprehend why we shouldn't understand what the Sontarans were saying and it just made their panels quite pointless. It didn't add anything to story because we had no idea what they were saying! We had a brief translator but even then he wasn't sure on what precisely was said so that just seemed another waste. I do hope the FHD feature in some of the stories that I have to read in this collection as that would make sense in terms of the ordering of the stories in this graphic novel but they didn't exactly seem the most interesting bunch of characters so I won't really mind just forgetting all about this one. Nothing much happened, nothing was resolved and it was bland. I'm honestly surprised I gave it as high as I did! I do think the lack of the Doctor's presence contributed to the poorer standard of story but there have been numerous adventures without him that have been superb so that is no excuse. The Sontarans are a great and familiar enemy but they really didn't offer much here which was a big shame as I adore them. The ending was shocking and I mean that in the negative, not surprising, tense. Nothing was resolved and the FHD and Sontarans just continued fighting as the story had started. It didn't make much sense to me and left me a little disappointed. Overall, this was quite a poor comic strip.

Rating: 4/10

The Parting of the Ways

"Everything human has been purged."

Writer: Russell T Davies
Format: TV
Broadcast: 18th June 2005
Series: 1.13

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose, Captain Jack

Synopsis

As the Daleks attack the Game Station led by their Emperor, the Ninth Doctor finds himself helpless. He knows he must make big sacrifices if he is going to survive. But does this mean losing Rose?

With Captain Jack assembling an army and the Doctor powerless against the Dalek Emperor, a deadly net closes around the whole universe. One thing is for certain, not everyone will make it out of this deadly battle alive. But who or what is Bad Wolf? It's time for the Doctor and Rose to find out.

Verdict

The Parting of the Ways was a stunning conclusion to the story that already started with Bad Wolf. It's just a sublime finale and a fitting end to the Ninth Doctor's run. It really was fantastic and following on from the reveal of the Daleks and their survival of the Time War, the Dalek Emperor also returned in epic style. I really liked the dialogue concerning the Time War and the reaction of the Doctor was actually quite surprising though. He acknowledged that the Time Lords died for nothing but didn't seem to react much and instead was immediately concerned with eradicating the Daleks from existence for good. The Emperor explaining how his ship survived the Doctor's inferno was really good and it made us know that it was the Doctor who ended the Time War. The Daleks here were desperate though and the reveal that they had extrapolated cells from the human race to replenish and rebuild the Dalek race. The Doctor's reaction to that was excellent and I loved how he stated that they hated their own existence and that made them more dangerous than ever. The Daleks hated everything that wasn't them and now they even hated themselves. There might be no stopping them. Their invasion of the Game Station was tremendous and the rise through levels from 495 to 500 was superb and full of tension. They easily despatched of the obstacles and even exterminated Captain Jack at point blank range. Their hatred stretched so far that they went down to floor 0 and killed the hundred or so stranded people that weren't evacuated. Lynda's reaction to that was very sad and her extermination was incredible though. The way we didn't hear the Dalek say 'exterminate' but just saw the lights flashing on its head was superb. The verbal battles between the Doctor and Dalek Emperor were brilliant and I loved how the latter was constantly challenging the Doctor. One thing I did love was that the Doctor saved Rose in quick time, doing exactly what he said he would, and invoked fear in the seemingly emotionless Daleks. Their little step back so to speak was so powerful as to just what the Doctor meant to the Daleks. His building of the delta wave to wipe out the Daleks was good but it would wipe out Earth and everything on it too, and he was too much of a coward to do that, as he admitted. He surrendered and admitted that maybe it was time for his extermination which was surprising with the Earth being ravaged and continents being destroyed. He had no more answers but then Rose returned with the power of the Time Vortex running through her after she managed to get back after the Doctor harshly but selflessly sent her home. His reaction was one of shock and Rose revealed that she was the Bad Wolf. She created herself and sent the words through time to lead her here to save the Doctor and wipe out the Daleks. The Doctor took the power from her once she destroyed the Daleks and brought Jack back to life, but that would prove too much for him. The regeneration process had started and I liked how quick but detailed his hints at would now happen were. It was terrific and I liked how the Ninth Doctor's final words were simple and just fantastic in stating that both Rose and himself were just that. Overall, a superb finale!

Rating: 10/10

Bad Wolf

"Don't try to escape. It's play or die."

Writer: Russell T Davies
Format: TV
Broadcast: 11th June 2005
Series: 1.12

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose, Captain Jack

Synopsis

Separated and with no TARDIS, the Ninth Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack have to fight for their lives on board the Game Station, but a far more dangerous threat is lurking, just out of sight. The Doctor realises that the entire human race has been blinded to the threat on its doorsteps, and he was the cause...

Verdict

Bad Wolf was an outstanding episode and just about the perfect first part of a series finale! It really is superb from start to finish and sets up the final episode incredibly well whilst being a fantastic episode in its own right. It is a sequel to The Long Game and the links with that episode really are terrific. The Doctor didn't actually fix things when he defeated the Mighty Jagrafess, he actually sent Earth into chaos by shutting down all of the news programmes and the blankness allowed the Bad Wolf Corporation to step in and take control. The concept of the game shows is a brilliant one and seeing the Doctor in a Big Brother house was just marvellous! His reaction to what was happening when he realised he was in the diary room was superb and I also loved how Jack was dealing with a dangerous makeover from Trinny and Susannah. Rose taking part in The Weakest Link was very good and I liked how her lack of knowledge as to what happened to those voted as the weakest link was presented. She couldn't understand why people were reduced to tears. To her it was just a gameshow and the Doctor had similar feelings with eviction in Big Brother. He knew he was needed though and broke property to force an eviction but he would not get disintegrated. Instead he managed to get out and from there, he joined with Jack and took Lynda with him and started to cause chaos. His realisation that he was at fault for the horrendous condition of Earth was fantastic and he really did share a wonderful relationship with her. She was very sweet indeed. The tension was magnificent and drip fed at a perfect pace and just as Rose was about to be disintegrated, the Doctor burst in and could save her. Except he didn't and she was shot with the disintegrator. The reactions of the Doctor and Jack were so different yet both told the story of how horrific this was. There was nothing worse. The Doctor soon got into action and engaged in an intriguing conversation with the Controller and I liked how it was her that brought him here to stop her masters. She'd had enough and now she had brought their downfall. The reveal of the Daleks was simply perfect and I adored how in just a few minutes, they were incredibly fearful. There were half a million of them. They had Rose. They shouldn't be there. Their dialogue when they conversed with the Doctor was so good as well and just simple Daleks. Everything they should be. They had the Doctor's companion so he would obey. But he didn't! He was coming to save her. He was going to wipe out the Daleks. And he was going to do it all without a weapon. As well as this episode hyping up the Daleks, it also showed how much the Daleks feared the Doctor and I thought that was simply sublime. It really was an incredible episode where everything just clicked. I look forward to its conclusion but for now, absolute brilliance!

Running Out of Time

"I have to tell you who you are."

Writer: Dorothy Koomson
Format: Audio
Released: November 2010
Series: Short Trips 1.08

Featuring: Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

A young man is on the run. But he can't remember why he is running - or who is following him...

Verdict

Running Out of Time was a bit of an average return to my listening of the Short Trips range of audios! I jumped back to the very first series because it is available for free on Spotify and I really couldn't do anything of much longer length due to the simple fact of it being Boxing Day. There's so much going on with football and food but, along with some university work, I impressed myself by continuing my lengthy consecutive day run with this adventure. I was glad to be back doing an Eighth Doctor story but honestly, you couldn't really tell which incarnation of the Doctor featured here. The only element of description illustrating his appearance could easily have been construed as that of the Sixth Doctor but given that India Fisher is reading, who was of course brilliant companion Charley, and the fact there's already been a Sixth Doctor tale, I'll safely assume it was the Eighth Doctor. Anyway, enough of my pedantic nature and I thought the story was a bit average. There was only so much that could be done in around quarter of a hour but it just didn't seem very good for the most part. It had its moments and the concept actually wasn't bad at all but it didn't quite work in the format it was provided with. One actress makes things difficult with no other voice to hear but I did think India Fisher did a decent job of narration. I do really like her so it was nice to hear again. The story behind Jeff was quite interesting and I was surprised that he had been in the TARDIS before. I didn't expect that but we quickly learned all about his past with Malson and the way he had become part of him had the prospect to be a very good story. However, the time constraints meant things seemed extremely rushed. The revelation concerning Isobella seemed to come so quickly that it almost felt like we'd just found out about the character she turned out to be! Everything was happening very quick and it just needed some time to reflect and elaborate on what was happening. I liked that the means for the resolution were laid out by the Doctor with him needing Isobella's DNA to free Jeff of Malson. Once that was the direction the story was heading for, everything fell into place quite suddenly but I wasn't expecting Jeff to sacrifice himself to see off Malson. That was a shock and I did like how that showed the Doctor why the human race was worth saving. But as a whole, it just needed more depth and elaboration. Overall, it had a good concept but couldn't quite deliver what it was attempting to do.

Rating: 5/10

Supremacy of the Cybermen

"You look for crisis in the beating of a butterfly wing."

Writers: Cavan Scott & George Mann
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July-November 2016
Printed in: Supremacy of the Cybermen #1-5

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor, Alice, Tenth Doctor, Gabby, Cindy, Ninth Doctor, Rose, Captain Jack

Synopsis

The Cybermen have already won... YOU WILL BE DELETED!

Exiled from Gallifrey at the very end of Time, Rassilon, fallen leader of the Time Lords, has been captured by the last of the Cybermen. Now the Cybermen have access to time travel! With it, every defeated is now a victory. All of the Doctors' lives are in grave peril, but will they be able to defeat the odds and champion over a Cyberized universe?!

Verdict

Supremacy of the Cybermen was a superb comic strip adventure! I have been waiting for over two years to do this story but I have never found a good enough offer and the local library sadly doesn't have it in their collection. However, I opened it this morning as a terrific gift from my wonderful girlfriend and with no festive episode of Doctor Who on, I had to read this straight away! It was quite different to what I expected and I was surprised that the Doctors didn't actually meet up. Instead, it was pretty much a Twelfth Doctor tale with extended flashbacks to the three immediate predecessors. That was a decent approach and I think it definitely worked well with Cybermen rewriting time. I question why the publishers of this graphic novel didn't put the prologues at the very start of the collection but I really enjoyed them, and the little flashbacks to Classic-era Doctors was terrific. I particularly loved the Fifth Doctor and Peri arriving on Skaro but found that the Cybermen had wiped the Daleks out. That really sold just how much the Cybermen were in control. Pairing them with Rassilon following his expulsion in Hell Bent was an incredible concept and a brilliant partnership. Imagine just how powerful they could be with full cooperation! The Ninth Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack rescuing Jackie from a Cyber-ravaged Earth in 2006 was intriguing and I thought Rose getting partially-converted was fantastic. The Doctor's reaction to that was one of immense anger but he quickly accepted that he wouldn't get her back. The Tenth Doctor, Gabby and Cindy encountering the Sontarans was delightful and I loved the irony of the Doctor being appointed Field Marshall. The Rutan had been made extinct by the Cybermen and now the Sontarans didn't know what to do. I was surprised they quite obviously feared the Cybermen and seeing a Sontaran Prime was also excellent! The Eleventh Doctor and Alice being on prehistoric Earth to find a fruit for Vastra was great but they soon encounter Cyber-Silurians! I loved that idea and the Doctor's reaction to it was tremendous - it just shouldn't have been possible. One slight qualm here, I didn't think the artwork for the Eleventh Doctor was too good sadly but that didn't have an effect on the story. The Twelfth Doctor returning to Gallifrey via Karn was superb and I just loved that we had another modern era story set on the planet of the Time Lords. The return of the General was very good and I liked all of the statues of past incarnations of Rassilon very much. The plan to create a new universe and give the Cybermen the powers of creation was staggering but they soon turned on Rassilon as they wanted everything for themselves. The Cyberiad was an interesting concept and I also liked that we saw the CyberKings and the Cyber Controller. The latter has been well overdue a return! The ending was pacy and quick with the Doctor and Rassilon making contact in the traditional multi-Doctor story way with the latter realising that an alliance with the Cybermen was not the way forward. Their rewritten victories were soon returned to defeats and time was put back on its rightful path. The use of regenerative power going backwards there was a simple yet great way to defeat the Cybermen. Overall, a superb comic strip! Merry Christmas!

Rating: 10/10

Evening's Empire

"This is my world and I decide who I share it with."

Writer: Andrew Cartmel
Format: Comic Strip
Released: October 1991/September 1993
Printed in: DWM 180/DWCC Autumn Holiday Special

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

Arriving in Middlesbrough, the Doctor, Ace aid Colonel Muriel Frost in an investigation into a plane crash during World War Two.

Meanwhile, women are being kidnapped, and UNIT is trapped on a strange world of contemporary Earth consisting of building, primitive human bows and arrows and two suns in the sky.

How are these events connected? The Doctor and Ace will soon find out.

Verdict

Evening's Empire was a superb comic strip adventure! I can clearly see why this gets the title of the graphic novel as it was simply a masterpiece from Andrew Cartmel. I adored it from start to finish and I just loved its enigmatic atmosphere. The character of Alex Evening was brilliant with his disturbed nature and I have to say, the feel of the story was so perfectly reminiscent of the Seventh Doctor's era. The writing was just outstanding and I loved how little the Doctor actually did. That's not too unfamiliar for the seventh incarnation and he just stood back, watched things play out, and then came in once he'd worked out how to fix things. It was incredibly good. I really liked the relationship between the Doctor and Ace and he acknowledged that she had gone through a lot in Alex's reality but didn't want to dwell on it. Ace joining the other girls who had been drugged and captured was quite interesting but things soon got stressful and ambiguous surrounding what their fate actually was. They hated it when they did the thing with the head and the imagery of that was very distressing. The warriors that Alex had created were barbaric and very Roman-like and the prospect of them doing battle with UNIT troops was very exciting. I thought the artwork for this story was absolutely tremendous and the switching between panels and merging pages was divine and it just added to the enigmatic feel of the story. Everything just clicked which was hugely impressive. Colonel Frost was a very good character and I liked that UNIT had a female in charge. Her relationship at home with Nick was quite fragmented and it seemed he was only staying with her for sex, even though he made it abundantly clear he was imagining somebody else each time they engaged in physical activity. I found it quite surprising for something like that to make it into a Doctor Who comic strip but it made things very real which was good. Ives was a great character and her fate was very sad though. She died simply because she was 'fat and ugly' which was horrific. The Doctor's reaction was calm but sorry and now he would fix things. Finding the spaceship that had crashed during World War Two being so small was good and the Q'Dhite sounded like a very intriguing race. They weren't evil, but Alex Evening's mind was and he'd used them for twisted purposes. The Doctor brought Alex's mum to his reality though and that shattered everything. His secret was revealed and she wasn't happy. The link with the Bible and how he was raised was good and I liked how Ace was still shaken up. She was going to be okay, and now Alex's warped reality had been stopped. I loved how his imagination had literally been captured but the Doctor saw that it ended. Overall, a simply superb comic strip story! It's a great shame that it didn't get a full release in DWM but at least it was completed in the end. It's fantastic.

Rating: 10/10

Living in the Past

"They're building a town!"

Writer: Andy Lane
Format: Short Story
Released: July 1990
Printed in: DWM 162

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor arrives in what will become Mongolia during the Cretaceous period to pick up Ace, whom he had dropped off there some time ago. Along the way he encounters a put of Dholes and an alien slave who has escaped from a nearby construction site. Where is Ace, and can she play a role in stopping the colonisation?

Verdict

Living in the Past was sadly a bit of an average start to my reading of the Evening's Empire graphic novel! It seems to be a good collection of stories and my final bunch of Seventh Doctor comic strips but I decided to read things in release order and that meant starting with this text story that was printed some eighteen issues before the rest of the collection. I'm not sure why they would print things in a different order to the way it was released but I do understand the desire to kick things off with a comic strip rather than a text story. Sadly, this adventure failed to capture my imagination in a great way and I was always left wanting more. But I think the very nature and format of the story meant it was defeated right from the word go. A story that is just three pages, including illustrations, really does not have a lot of room to impress but even so, there just needed to be more happening. It was basically the Doctor wondering around, seeing a few different kinds of dinosaurs, nearly falling down a hole, seeing that there was civilisation being built and then Ace emerging on a dinosaur and trampling it. It probably sounds a bit more exciting than it actually was but I was very surprised to find out that this was Ace's debut in Doctor Who Magazine fiction! Surely they could have saved such a momentous occasion for a better story? It was quite a good image though seeing her riding a dinosaur but I just felt there needed to be more going on. There just wasn't enough backstory for anything to be impactful and that begs the question of the point of these kind of stories. I mean, it won't stop me reading and blogging them but I do question their necessity. It did actually tie in well with the comic strips as Ace's whereabouts here were acknowledged in Train-Flight but I just felt there needed to be more elaboration on why Ace had been left here and why the Doctor chose now to come and pick her up. The prospect of a civilised town being built in the Cretaceous period was very interesting but it wasn't developed much at all sadly thanks to Ace's trampling on a dinosaur. I liked the idea of an alien coming to Earth in prehistory and trying to build civilisation for slaves - there's a fantastic idea for a story there - but it just needed more time to expand and become meaningful. The Doctor barely had a conversation with the escaped slave and had he, I think it would have been important. The dholes provided a decent illustration but that was about that. The Doctor and Ace were later reunited and off they went. It was a bit anticlimactic and just needed more elaboration, action and impact. Overall, the ideas are there but the delivery was difficult which I fully appreciate.

Rating: 5/10

The Warmonger Part 3

"They were thrown into a hyper-dimensional orbit around the physical universe."

Writer: Scott Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 13th December 2018
Printed in: DWM 533

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The Doctor encounters the daughter of an old enemy, and the younger Dogbolter is out for revenge after what the Time Lord did to her father. Gatan continues to be ravaged by the televised battle and the Doctor is not happy. Will she be able to survive the wrath of Dogbolter before she can stop the destruction?

Verdict

The Warmonger continued in very good fashion with this great third part. I'll talk more about the comic strip imminently but for now let's delve into the magazine itself and it looks set to be a fantastic Christmas issue! I really love the subscriber-exclusive cover and that is something I have been very impressed with lately. I haven't actually read any of the content other than the comic strip yet but I'm very much looking forward to the preview of Resolution. A New Year's Day special is quite intriguing and I'm excited to see what is in store. It looks set to be an extended preview compared to what we had for Series 11 and that is a big positive in my book. It's the last new episode for over a year so it better be good! I'm still a bit sceptical over the new-look Time Team but I am quite excited to read their thoughts and reactions to The Feast of Steven. I do hope they don't knock what is a superb episode! An interview with Sharon D Clarke should be very good as Grace played such a key part in the last series despite dying in the first episode and I'm also looking forward to the return of The Fact of Fiction with A Girl's Best Friend. It's certainly a unique choice for a Christmas issue! The Season Survey is something I always love filling out so I will really get into that and I should also say that Frazer Hines is a terrific guest for Out of the TARDIS. I've also really liked the reviews of the Series 11 episodes so seeing more of those should be brilliant. Now, onto the comic strip itself and seeing the Doctor and Dogbolter, both female, was really great and a contrast to past comic strip adventures. It didn't make much difference though and I liked that the latter was after revenge following The Stockbridge Showdown and what the Doctor did to her father. Ryan and Graham being reunited with her was good but that didn't last long but I was intrigued by the fact Dogbolter wanted them to be comfortable. The ease in which they convinced Sandola to leave them be though was a tad easy. I didn't mind though and I do wonder where Graham has found the escape. Yaz showing her command presence was unexpected and I'm not sure it was befitting of her character but I liked that she was standing up against violence and bullying. Tondi being reunited with her aunt was good and I liked that Yaz has got her to her relative and I also liked how Dogbolter had done her research on the Doctor and seemed to be one step ahead of her. That's something we're not quite used to so it was quite a shift to usual circumstances. The cliffhanger was exciting though and I do like action so the prospect of the Doctor getting her head chopped off was rather extraordinary! I do wonder if we'll get a freeze-frame resolution again but it seems improbable that she'll escape unscathed! That's a good sign in a cliffhanger. Overall, a very good continuation!

The Forgotten

"I've got my own exhibition?"

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: August 2008 - January 2009
Printed in: IDW: Doctor Who (2009) #1-6

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

The Tenth Doctor discovers a museum dedicated to all his lives and has to remember events from his previous incarnations in order to restore his fading memories. The TARDIS is missing from time and space and the only links to the Doctor's past are mysterious items connected with some familiar looking outfits...

Verdict

The Forgotten was a very good comic strip adventure and an improvement on Agent Provocateur from IDW! It was much different to their first stab at Doctor Who and it definitely didn't feel as alien and different, and that's not just because I read the previous release yesterday. The writing of the Tenth Doctor was much better but I still have to question some of the artwork. I thought the format was very similar in nature to The Eight Doctors but showing a mini unseen adventure with each Doctor didn't quite have the same effect as the Doctor visiting a previously seen story. It was still good to see the first ten Doctors in action and it was also nice to see some old companions too. The link between the objects associated with each Doctor and the adventure seen was decent but something that could have been a bit stronger. I do question the drawing of some of the key characters though, particularly the Second and Sixth Doctors and Jo. The latter was horrendously done and until she was referred to by name, I was convinced that she was Liz. Anyway, it wasn't overly important but it definitely should an could have been better. The Fifth Doctor battling the Judoon was great and I liked how fond the Tenth Doctor was of this predecessor following Time Crash. Martha featuring was good and I was surprised that she continued to be IDW's choice of companion even though she had departed the show over a year previous. However, it didn't turn out to be Martha at all and was actually the TARDIS as an interface! I liked that but I wasn't sure about the whole shuffle setting of companions. It was nice to get snippets of what adventures with the likes of the Tenth Doctor and Leela would be like. His regret towards the way he left Susan behind in The Dalek Invasion of Earth was quite emotional but I really liked his brilliance in deducing that Martha wasn't who she appeared to be. When a subtle reference to Turn Left was made, I was questioning the story placement but the Doctor also losing memories of his future was a great twist. Some of the imagery of past stories and enemies was fantastic and I loved seeing the likes of a Voord helmet and Cyber-head. The cliffhanger to part five was extraordinary and the prospect of the Meta-Crisis Doctor going rogue and somewhat Master-like was incredibly unexpected but he turned out to be a Tactire, a species that was part of the missing planet saga in The Stolen Earth/Journey's End that had its entire species wiped out by the Daleks and the Doctor's battle. I thought that truth of him being Es'Cartrss came a little soon but I loved how the Doctor just laughed off the suggestion that he was in fact the Valeyard. The image of the ten Doctors all in the Classic-era console room was wonderful and I enjoyed that the differing incarnations all got to have a little conversation. The Doctor restored his memory and was alone again with the TARDIS. Overall, a great comic strip!

Rating: 8/10

Agent Provocateur

"One survivor, one person to remember... one key to the past."

Writer: Gary Russell
Format: Comic Strip
Released: February-August 2008
Series: IDW Doctor Who #1-6

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

Over the course of seemingly unrelated adventures, the Doctor and Martha find that events are being manipulated by an alien Pantheon who need the Doctor to clean up their mess. They just want the best milkshake the galaxy has to offer, but end up in a heap of trouble...

Verdict

Agent Provocateur was a really intriguing read and a decent start to my reading of the IDW comic strips! It was incredibly different to the stuff produced in DWM and from Titan and I really just found it fascinating. The story was more six interconnected adventures than a single one spreading over six parts but those connections were strong so that was absolutely fine. I thought it was good to start off with a familiar enemy in the form of the Sycorax and the Doctor realising that it was just after him and not Martha was really good. I thought the first page backstory and what exactly Doctor Who is all about and just who the Doctor is was really beneficial to new readers and a clear target at setting the scene for the comic series as a whole. Now, the artwork was somewhat questionable and often fluctuating, which was going to happen with a number of different artists, but it wasn't great in terms of consistency. I did think the drawing of Martha particularly was quite horrendous for the first few parts as her likeness wasn't captured at all. I also found that the characterisation of both the Doctor and Martha was quite poor at the start but it did improve considerably as the adventure went on. I just found the whole thing really interesting and it was quite unlike anything I've ever read in the Doctor Who world. It was clearly  written for the American audience which was fine and I did enjoy the multiple jumps in setting. That kept things fresh. The Pantheon were an intriguing bunch and I liked how they all came together to see if they could lure the Doctor into fixing what they did wrong. The inclusion of the Catkind was a big positive and I liked that we got to learn a lot more about their history. I also liked the continued reference to The Lazarus Experiment where Francine lashed the Doctor. He hadn't got over that at all. Reading Martha's gratitude towards the Doctor for being on her travels was really nice but I thought their relationship was weirdly presented with the likes of them sharing a drink with two straws. Bubastion was an interesting character following the Doctor and Martha around and I also thought Silas Wain was intriguing and there's definitely unfinished business there which I was quite surprised about given the circumstances around his departure from the Doctor. Tharlot made a good villain but I thought his demise came a little suddenly but it was in quite horrific circumstances! His desire to have the sonic screwdriver and use it as a weapon was incredibly unique but I liked how the Doctor used it with the sonic canon to destroy the beast from the other universe that had contracted Tharlot and saw that this universe was saved. Overall, an action-packed and incredibly intriguing adventure!

Rating: 7/10

Submission

"Welcome to the bottom of the world."

Writer: Ryan Scott
Format: Audio
Released: July 2011
Series: Torchwood: The Lost Files 02

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Ianto

Synopsis

Torchwood are chasing aliens down the M4, when Jack accidentally blows a hole in the Severn Bridge, and the SUV hits the water. Whilst submerged, Jack, Gwen and Ianto hear a strange noise, which, back at the Hub they realise is a cry for help. They track the cry to its source which turns out to be the deepest part of the Ocean - the Mariana Trench. Ianto rings old Torchwood flame, Carlie Roberts, who's an expert in marine geology, and Jack pulls strings with the US government to get them all on board the USS Calvin, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer, which is heading for the Trench. From there they board the Octopus Rock, the only submarine built to withstand the pressure at that depth, and follow the signal. But when the Submarine crashes, the team are left at the mercy of a hungry alien.

Verdict

Submission was another very good Torchwood audio adventure! In a round about way, over a number of years, it saw me conclude the full cast Torchwood audios from the BBC and I was very grateful once again to Libraries West for their online service allowing me to access this story for free. It was a fantastic little adventure and I thought the predominant setting of the bottom of the ocean at the Mariana Trench was excellent. It was like a completely different world down there and I found it really fascinating that the submarine went deeper than ever before in human history. That was quite the feat for the Torchwood team! With a journey planned across the Severn Bridge tomorrow, thankfully into Wales (no tolls!), the image of half of it blowing up was quite something! It turned out to be a minimal feature of the audio though and the plunge into the waters below was of more importance. The noise heard was quite entrancing but I liked how once it was slowed down it was a cry for help. So Torchwood being what they are, they tracked it down and wanted to help. Ianto enlisting Carlie, an old flame from his days at Torchwood One, was really good and I liked how knowledgeable she was on the Trench. She was really helpful for explaining just what it was and what was around them. Gwen was terrific once again here and I just really liked that we got an original adventure with this Torchwood trio. I wish there were more of them. The dangers below the sea with the immense pressure were fantastic and I liked how the submarine used was the only one built to withstand it. Jack had to pull some strings at UNIT by mentioning the Doctor to get it which was good. Sam was a hugely fascinating character and the history behind the 1959 mission was really intriguing. The alien parasite actually being hungry for memories was a good twist but I thought the revelation surrounding the connection over the 50 year wait and the fact that Sam was 50 on the mission was a little too obvious. It worked well though and after going through all of his memories, the parasite needed more to feed on. It needed to replace the memories of losing a loved one which I thought was quite emotional but its connection with the underwater volcano, and only being able to breath in the proximity of its toxic atmosphere was good, and it made for a simple resolution. Once it took over Carlie, Jack being more than willing to see her to die to rid the ocean of the parasite was very good but Ianto couldn't quite see it the same way. His determination meant she would survive though and I loved how Gwen didn't let him give up. Overall, a very good audio!

Rating: 8/10

The Devil and Miss Carew

"Every piece of technology will fail."

Writer: Rupert Laight
Format: Audio
Released: July 2011
Series: Torchwood: The Lost Files 01

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Ianto

Synopsis

When Rhys's elderly Uncle Bryn has a heart attack while listening to the shipping forecast, it seems like another routine death at Ivyday Nursing Home. But when Rhys and Gwen go to collect the old man's effects, Gwen's suspicions are roused by another elderly resident. The conversation is cut short, though, by a fire alarm, one of many consequences of the mysterious power cuts that are sweeping the nation. Gwen has a hunch that something is wrong and her search leads to Miss Carew, a suspiciously fit and strong octogenarian who, despite having supposedly terminal heart disease, has left Ivyday and gone back to work at the computer firm she used to run. Miss Carew has been offered a deal by Fitzroy, a wandering alien with an aversion to electricity who is looking for a home. It's a deal that Miss Carew can't refuse. But the consequences for planet Earth are unthinkable.

Verdict

The Devil and Miss Carew was a great audio adventure! It has been far too long since I have done a Torchwood audio and even longer since I've done one set between the original televised run. It was lovely to take a trip back down memory lane and I really enjoyed this. It was delightful to hear Gwen, Jack and Ianto together and I like the gap that's available between Series 2 and 3 for these kind of stories. It works well and there's no contradictions whatsoever. I really like Torchwood and part of that is its familiarity with the Welsh setting. Hearing places like Crickhowell get a mention and partial setting is very nice. Gwen is one of my all time favourite characters from any television show and she was on top form again here. She's just so likeable and her determination is admirable. Her sympathy towards Miss Carew in this adventure was lovely to see, even though she was tied up! Miss Carew herself was an intriguing character and something unique about this story was that she wasn't under Fitzroy's control. They'd simply made a deal together and she was going to keep her end of the pact because she liked the idea of a simple world without technology. It was a somewhat frightening concept and I can't imagine the chaos if the world's electrical supply just vanished but that made it an excellent threat. The danger really was on a global and catastrophic scale. Jack and Ianto's relationship was terrific here too and I quite liked how they were separated from Gwen. That allowed us more time with Rhys which is something I'm a big fan of hearing. The innuendo between Jack and Ianto was great though, particularly concerning the bushes. They're just fantastic together. Their encounter with Fitzroy was very good and I liked how we learned all about his loneliness and how he needed electricity out of the way to make Earth accessible for his form. I had hoped to learn a little more as to what exactly he was but I liked the idea of him talking through radio. He was almost like a male version of the Wire from The Idiot's Lantern. The ending seemed a tad too easy for me with Miss Carew just falling off the roof as the satellite needed alteration to send the killer signal that would allow for Fitzroy to come through, but the emotional way in which she died and had a final conversation with Gwen and Rhys meant I couldn't dislike it too much. I felt there needed to be just a bit more done like blocking the signal for good or something to sell the fact that Fitzroy's threat was no more. But as a whole, it was still a hugely enjoyable audio adventure and I was delighted to be back doing some performed Torchwood!

Rating: 8/10

Clara and the Maze of Cui Palta

"It's important to stop and smell the flowers."

Writer: Susan Calman
Format: Short Story
Released: March 2018
Printed in: The Day She Saved the Doctor

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis

The Eleventh Doctor takes Clara to Cui Palta, voted the Most Beautiful City in the Galaxy, only to find the place completely deserted. Against her better judgement, Clara convinces the Doctor into entering the Maze of Cui Palta, but the pair are soon wondering around for hours and seem lost and beyond help...

Verdict

Clara and the Maze of Cui Palta was a terrific little story! It was definitely the best of The Day She Saved the Doctor thus far and I was really impressed with Susan Calman's first contribution to the world of Doctor Who. It was a little gem I have to say. She really nailed the characterisation of the Eleventh Doctor and managed to capture all of the little quirks of Matt Smith superbly well. Her writing of Clara was also good and I thought the feel of the second half of Series 7 was very much felt which was a big positive. It sat well in its era and that's definitely a benefit. I was quite surprised that the Doctor and Clara were the only characters in the entire story and when it's put like that, it sounds like it might be boring but this was far from the case. The centrality of the maze was excellent and I really liked how the Doctor's confidence in his ability to solve the puzzle slowly decreased as the story went on. Clara worked out pretty quickly that they were just going around in circles but the Doctor wasn't having any of it. He was stubborn and wanted to solve this puzzle. The danger being the unknown was very good and I liked how well-paced the adventure was. Considering it pretty much all took place within the maze, things advanced quickly and that was testament to the writing. I really enjoyed it. Some of the Doctor's jokes were perhaps in slightly bad taste (ie I couldn't see him actually joking about someone's skeleton's skull falling off). That was really my only issue with this though so it hasn't done badly at all there. The feeling of anxiety was very well portrayed though Clara as she yearned for escape but it wasn't coming. They had seen victims of presumably long waits, walls were ascending out of nowhere and the three doors labelled for escape just brought them straight back to the entry point. There was no way out. I did like that the Doctor eventually admitted he was lost as I thought he would be too stubborn. The Doctor and Clara having to separate for the latter to work out what was going on was great because we could see just how much he trusted her. In an instance, it was absolutely clear that the Doctor went from joking and humour to absolute seriousness. Of course he trusted her. Clara realising that the flowers, which had been making her sneeze, were the reason for the maze disorienting and deceiving them was good but a little quick and easy, but I enjoyed that the signs had been there throughout the adventure. The Doctor did as he was instructed and the haze was cleared and the Doctor and Clara were fine. They'd just been walking around in circles for a long time. Overall, a great story!

Rating: 8/10