Tesseract

"The trees have escaped the boundaries of the parks."

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: January-February 2010
Printed in: Doctor Who (2009) #7-8

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Emily, Matthew, Martha

Synopsis

While the Tenth Doctor gives his new companions, Emily Winter and Matthew Finnegan, a tour of the TARDIS, the vessel is invaded by a number of dimension-hopping aliens. The Advocate places doubt into Matthew's mind about the Doctor's morality, while the Tea' Aree have much the same effect upon Emily...

Verdict

Tesseract was a pretty decent comic strip adventure to kickstart my reading of the third volume of IDW’s Tenth Doctor Archives! It was quite a lengthy story and somewhat an epic but it was because of that which made me surprised that there seemed to be so much jumping around without much linkage or elaboration. I appreciate the attempts for each double page to try and tell its own part of the story, usually with a companion that had been separated from the Doctor and the other fellow traveller, but at times I think it felt forced and there needed to be a bit more flow. I thought the first two parts felt like their own story which was weird but I actually thought it was pretty good with the rummaging around the TARDIS interior and the search for different console rooms. I wasn’t convinced by the whole story concerning the crank - that seemed a little easy - but seeing the Tenth Doctor in the console room associated with that of the Eighth Doctor from The Movie was magnificent! I really did enjoy that and I loved how he re-enacted the swinging scene from those mighty steps. The continuation of Emily and Matthew as companions was good but I thought the former was vastly superior, but the latter believing that to be the case thanks to the returning Advocate was really intriguing. Using the examples of Adric and Turlough as ways that the Doctor has used his companions in the past seemed a little harsh, and I felt quite saddened by the Doctor’s reaction when he found that Adric was being used against him. That did seem a little out of line! The Enochai were pretty good villains and I liked how they found their form in energy and got stuck in the trees. That was quite humorous but I loved the idea of the trees moving! The BBC report to try and cover that up was incredibly comedic though. The highlight of the comic strip for me was undoubtedly the return of Martha Jones! I loved that she called the Doctor again but following the events of The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End, and her attempted use of the Osterhagen Key. The Doctor confronting her about that was hugely intriguing! I did like the continued mentions of her marriage to Mickey and while they did go a tad overboard, the lead in to the little scene with the Sontarans in The End of Time was terrific. I thought the ending was a little sudden and anti-climatic given we had waited six parts to get there but the cliffhangers were strong throughout so that was a big positive. I thought the characterisation of the Tenth Doctor was also very good but I was surprised by his decision to let Matthew go off with the Advocate - that seemed a little out of character even if he did proclaim that he’d be back. Emily going along with it so easily was a surprise too. Overall though, it was a decent comic strip adventure that certainly had a lot going on!

Rating: 7/10

The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith

"This place is nowhere... and it's forever."

Writer: Gareth Roberts
Format: Novel
Released: November 2009
Series: SJA Novelisations 05

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, K9

Synopsis

Life on Earth can be an adventure, too. You just need to know where to look.

Sarah Jane is acting very suspiciously. When Luke, Clyde and Rani investigate, with the help of Mr Smith and K-9, they discover something unexpected - Sarah Jane has got a boyfriend and she's going to marry him! Of course, in Sarah Jane's life, things are not as they seem and some very special wedding guests ensure this is one day she will never forget!

Verdict

The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith was a superb novelisation of the televised story of the same name! It was my first ever book from The Sarah Jane Adventures and I have to say that I was very impressed. It was a wonderful read from start to finish and whilst it didn’t quite have the depth of a Target novelisation, I really enjoyed some of the additions that the prose format made possible for this adventure. I’ll get right into it and I have to say I love the idea of Clyde just calling up the Brigadier to let him know that he was worried about Peter and his intentions for Sarah Jane. The Brigadier wanted her to be happy though - which was lovely - and told Clyde to just let her enjoy her happiness. The splitting up of each part into five chapters worked really well and even though you’d expect it from a book that was quite short like this one, the pace was almost frantic and very exciting. The flow was superb and I particularly enjoyed the reaction of Clyde when he saw that all the secret activity of Sarah Jane in recent weeks was because she’d got herself a man. Rani seemed to love the idea though! The failed attempts at subtlety when Peter came to pick Sarah and Luke up was brilliantly humorous and it was perfectly portrayed in prose. The speed in which Sarah Jane and Peter’s relationship advanced from dating to meeting Luke to marriage was incredibly quick and that was even more obvious in a prose format. The build to the cliffhanger of both the Doctor and the Trickster’s arrival was superb and I loved the moment where the Doctor crashed the wedding by bursting through the doors. It was full of triumph and desperation and I loved the prospect of the Doctor doing battle with the Trickster. Their eventual meeting would come and I have always enjoyed the mention of the Key to Time and how a Time Lord would do battle with the Pantheon of Discord. The Doctor seemed to give some affirmation to the Trickster and his evil credentials which was fantastic and seeing just how he thrived on chaos and upheld the power of words was fantastic. A world without Sarah Jane defending the Earth would have been incredibly chaotic and that just couldn't happen. The Doctor coming to save her was just wonderful but it's such a shame that the power of love was used against her. Peter would become the hero in the end though after a little nudge by the Doctor, and he withdrew his agreement with his angel because he truly did love Sarah Jane. He would do anything for her, and that meant dying. K9 was terrific in this adventure and I really liked how he interacted with the Doctor. The last scene with the SJA gang getting to go inside the TARDIS was magnificent and as a whole, the was a wonderful novelisation!

Rating: 10/10

The Ultimate Adventure

"You have denied the right of the Daleks to rule the universe!"

Writer: Terrance Dicks
Format: Audio
Released: September 2008
Series: The Stageplays 01

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Jason, Crystal

Synopsis

The Daleks have allied themselves with the Cybermen and a deadly band of mercenaries. The future of Earth depends upon a vital peace conference. And Mrs T knows that only one Time Lord can save the world.

There are epic battles. There are betrayals. There is love, and there are even songs.

Take your seat for... Doctor Who - The Ultimate Adventure!

Verdict

The Ultimate Adventure was a very intriguing listen! I was glad to be able to an audio for the first time in a while as I travelled to South Wales to watch Wales win in a Euro 2020 qualifier and after doing a shift at a nightclub and getting very little sleep due to an early kick-off, this was one I thought would be quite a light listen - and I was right. It was just a lot of fun and quite a barmy adventure! Colin Baker was brilliant as the Sixth Doctor once again and I thought the introduction of Jason was quite good. I would very much like to hear a story depicting their first meeting at some point in the future, but it was alluded to on more than one occasion and with him clearly knowing a lot of how the TARDIS works, the French Revolutionary native soon became familiar as we got to know Crystal. The pair soon fell for each other and we ended the story with the Doctor being joined by a couple in the TARDIS, pre-dating that occurrence by Amy and Rory by quite some time! The prospect of a Classic-era tale teaming the Daleks and Cybermen together was salivating but this one was all about the Daleks which was a bit of a shame. The Cybermen didn't really need to be there at all and I thought they were very poorly utilised which was a huge shame. The Daleks were clearly the superior force and the Cybermen sadly seemed to be relegated to the same stature as the mercenaries. I think things probably would have been better as a whole without the Cybermen which is something I was not expecting to say prior to listening! The inclusion of songs came a little randomly but with this being a stage adaptation, I had absolutely no problem with that. I actually thought the Bar Galactica song was sublime and really catchy! The Daleks wanting to finally capture Earth was a good plot but I loved how cocky the Doctor got when he was threatened with death despite him hearing orders that he was to be taken alive on more than one occasion. When the Daleks finally threatened the companions though, that was different which added a dark element to the story. Zog was a delightful addition to what quickly became a very likeable trio and I loved the moment where he was inside a Dalek! The ending was quite well-paced and simplistic with the Cybermen finding out that the Daleks always planned on exterminating them once their use was over. The mercenaries changed sides some time before that and with the Doctor making sure the Peace Conference went ahead unscathed thanks to a cuppa, everything worked out well. There was even an extended appearance of Margaret Thatcher which was quite something! Overall, a fun adventure.

Rating: 7/10

Mercury

"Isn't Mercury quite close to the sun?"

Writer: Eddie Robson
Format: Short Story
Released: October 2005
Series: Short Trips: The Solar System 01

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe have landed on a moving dome on the planet Mercury. While the Doctor and Zoe work out what the dome is, the TARDIS slides off its back and the trio soon meet a team of scientists encountering trouble with the native Mercurials...

Verdict

Mercury was a terrific little story! It saw me kick off my reading of The Solar System collection of stories from Big Finish and I'm really intrigued to see how they deliver in prose - if this first adventure is anything to go by then I will be impressed! This was a really good story with a fast pace and great plot which, considering the limitations of setting it on Mercury, was fantastic. I am hoping to make more time for stories like these with my increased university workload dominating my schedule until 13 May, but hopefully things like this can fill my Who fancy a couple of times a week! The trio of the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe are marvellous and I thought they were written wonderfully well here. I was very appreciative of the characterisation and I particularly enjoyed the battle of wits between the Doctor and Zoe when it came to explaining Mercury's cold side to Jamie. The Doctor didn't actually seem to enjoy an intellectual equal which was somewhat amusing. The loss of the TARDIS off the moving dome was decent but not an absolutely necessary derailing in the plot and I liked the idea of this dome moving to keep up with the optimum temperature due to Mercury's slow rotation. Alison was a very good character and she clearly had taken charge following Oleg's loss of brain processing. I was intrigued by that and further so when it occurred to Chelo - I loved it when the Mercurial revealed itself to be communicating through her! That was a great moment. The Doctor explaining how they had flesh-like properties appertaining to metal was very intriguing and the idea of them not wanting to be frozen again because of the 'giants' was very good indeed. Zoe wasn't so sure about blindly trusting them but the Doctor didn't like the numbers game, with them being so outnumbered by the planet's indigenous creatures. When it turned out that the giants that scared the Mercurials away was actually just the base's sun pylons, I was quite surprised but in a pleasant way. There was no enemy threat in this adventure, just a misunderstanding due to the technological construction of mankind's technology. They had to go tampering! The Doctor knowing that it could only be people of Earth that would come to Mercury was a great moment and real highlight and I thought the ending was good with things being cleared up and the natives returning the TARDIS. Overall, a very decent adventure!

Rating: 8/10

Let's Kill Hitler

"Rory, take Hitler and put him in that cupboard over there."

Writer: Steven Moffat
Format: TV
Broadcast: 27th August 2011
Series: 6.08

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory, River

Synopsis

Berlin, 1938. Hitler rules Germany. The TARDIS crash lands into his office and the greatest hero in space and time comes face to face with the worst humanity has ever offered. What will happen when these two incredible personalities meet? Well, one ends up locked in a cupboard...

Verdict

Let's Kill Hitler was a great episode! This, however, is an unusual blog entry as I was not watching this episode for entertainment but instead as part of research for an essay I am doing for my History MA on the portrayal and representation of Hitler in film and television. As soon as I decided this would be my essay for my Filming the Past unit, I just knew that I would have to include this episode and it gave me an excuse to find some time to blog in what is becoming a very hectic schedule ahead of three 5,000 word essays due in less than two months! Now, I'm going to focus on Hitler for this blog entry as I have blogged the episode properly before and even though he only appears in the story for about two-and-a-half minutes, he is incredibly significant. The episode title itself is luring enough and whilst it's a red herring, it immediately gets you thinking. The prospect of using Hitler in a Doctor Who story is beyond exciting and whilst what we actually get is not what I would have wished for, I can understand why the whole episode wasn't centred on him giving how controversial a figure he is. One thing I was stunned about when I came to analyse Hitler's role in the episode was the notion that the Doctor, a hero to so many children, saved the life of Hitler and thus inadvertently caused the deaths of millions of innocent people. It almost goes unnoticed and is just used as a comedic gag, but the implications of this are actually staggering! The Doctor saved Hitler in 1938! Just think about it. It's mind-blowing. Hitler is then questioned and stood up to by the Doctor which was great and I liked how he was told of the British coming, but from there on in he was nothing more than a gag really. He went to shoot the Doctor but then Rory knocked him to the floor with a swift punch and then he was just locked in the cupboard. It was a comical gag and using Hitler for comedy is going to be a major part of my essay's argument, but it works pretty well here after absolutely staggering happenings. The thing I seem to keep drawing back to from Hitler's scene in this episode is that the Doctor saved his life. It's an incredible notion. I did enjoy the idea of the Teselecta finding Hitler guilty and it showed that he was being brought to justice on a galactic idea which showed just how horrendous a human being he was.

Rating: 8/10

The Secret in Vault 13

"If I ignored an ancient mystical prophecy written in flowers, what kind of Time Lord would that make me?"

Writer: David Solomons
Format: Novel
Released: November 2018
Series: BBC Children's #1

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

A sinister school where graduation means death...

A monstrous mystery lurking beneath a quiet London street...

A desperate plea for help delivered by - hang on... A potted plant?

The Doctor has been summoned. The galaxy is in terrible danger, and only a Time Lord can save it. But to do so, she must break in to an ancient vault on a remote and frozen world - from which nobody has ever returned alive...

Can the Doctor and her friends Yaz, Ryan and Graham uncover the shocking secret in Vault 13?

Verdict

The Secret in Vault 13 was a very good novel! I am not too sure why it was marketed as a children's novel as the writing really didn't seem too dissimilar to the NSA books but I guess the addition of illustrations at the start of each chapter catered for a younger audience. I thought the premise was decent despite obviously being a recycled format but it is one I very much enjoy! A quest for keys is great and with them being spread across time and space, the TARDIS could end up just about anywhere! I though the characterisation of the whole of Team TARDIS was excellent but it was particularly good for Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor. Her personality shone through on the page and was a real highlight of the novel. I was glad that Yaz was utilised to her full potential in this adventure as that is something that hasn't always occurred during this era of stories. The theme of gardens was surprisingly brilliant throughout and the secret held within Vault 13 was very intriguing. It turned out to be the Genesis Seed and could spark the creation of a new universe whilst replacing the current one. Nightshade, a deadly member of the Gardeners, believed now was that time and did all he could to get hold of the seed. The use of noughtweed was very intriguing especially considering not even the TARDIS was immune to its destructive effects. It could eat through any material in the universe and it showed. The first key being hidden within a school where graduation meant death was very good and I thought that whole concept was deeply concerning. Why would anyone in the earlier years want to succeed? It was baffling but very good. The second key being in present day London with a giant mole provided some humorous moments but I don't think anything was as funny as Ryan finding out that his and Graham's efforts to find the key were incredible compared to the third key actually being the TARDIS key! They'd had it all along. Yaz integrating with the TARDIS and seeing a younger Ryan was very good and I loved the idea of the chameleon circuit reverting back to full working order just long enough to get rid of the noughtweed. I thought the way the keys were actually obtained could have been a bit better and made clearer but the overall plot was really good. The history between the Gardeners and the Time Lords was very interesting and I loved how the Doctor bluffed her way to retrieving the Genesis Seed and ensuring that it was back in safe hands with the Attendant. Overall, a lovely little adventure!

Rating: 8/10

Herald of Madness Part 2

"This is an insult to the true study of the stars!"

Writer: Scott Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 7th March 2019
Printed in: DWM 536

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Madness descends on the Gathering of Castle Houska as the Baroness takes a vested interest in young student Johannes Kepler. Her foreknowledge could change the world of 1601 as we know it, so the Doctor and her friends set out to ensure that history follows the right path...

Verdict

Herald of Madness continued in decent form with this second part of the comic strip adventure! Firstly, to the magazine itself and sadly it may be some time before I actually get around to reading its content as I still haven't gotten around to starting last month's! As is evident by the sudden lack of blogging, my MA studies have taken full priority and I think sporadic blogging will sadly be the case at least up until the middle of May. Anyway, enough about me. This looks set to be a splendid issue of DWM and it has gotten me very excited about the upcoming animation release of The Macra Terror! I think it's a great choice for restoration and I look forward to reading all of the previews and everything associated with its release. The interviews with Frazier Hines and Anneke Wills should be splendid and I think Mark Troughton will also be a great interviewee. That's not all on offer this month though, as we have an interview with Christopher H. Bidmead which should be fantastic given his stature in the Doctor Who world. I know nothing of the content, but a feature that is titled 'Daleks vs Grass' should be quite spectacular so I look forward to that one very much. The Fact of Fiction is something I have increasingly enjoyed in recent issues and Gridlock being this month's subject is terrific as that is a superb episode! I'm also looking forward, as always, to the likes of Galaxy Forum and Gallifrey Guardian but I do wish we could be ridded of the god-awful Blogs of Doom! Yuck. Now, onto the comic strip and I thought it continued well from a decent cliffhanger in the first part. The Doctor was quickly able to overcome the telepathic threat and she did so in a way that ridiculed the perpetrator which I thought was fantastic. The characterisation of Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor continued to impress but I do wish Yaz was utilised more! Hopefully she gets more page time in the next part. The continued theme of Kepler being a student and Tycho misunderstanding why he isn't the important one was fantastic and it's something I have really enjoyed. The foreknowledge is very dangerous here and that was something that worried Yaz. Ryan didn't have a great deal to do in this part other than accompany the Doctor but that was absolutely fine. I thought the little flashback to the building of Castle Houska was brilliant and I can't wait to draw the connections between that and the Baroness. She was angered by the Doctor and her friends' presence and the cliffhanger was probably an improvement on last month as she grew the body of a horse amidst her attack and death threat towards Graham and Yaz! It was most unexpected. Overall, a great continuation!

The Ribos Operation

"Never trust gimmicky gadgets."

Writer: Robert Holmes
Format: TV
Broadcast: 2nd-23rd September 1978
Season: 16.01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana I, K9

Synopsis

The Doctor is summoned by the mysterious and powerful White Guardian, and sent on a quest to find the six segments of the Key to Time which, once assembled, will restore balance to the Universe. Joining the Doctor and K9 is the smart and sassy Romana, a Time Lord fresh from the Academy.

Landing on the wintry planet of Ribos to locate the first segment, the TARDIS crew quickly find themselves embroiled in a little local trouble with a pair of conmen and an unstable warlord...

Verdict

The Ribos Operation was a good story and a solid start to the sixteenth season! It kicks off the Key to Time story arc that encompasses the entire season and I thought the first half of part one did a stellar job in setting the scene and the Doctor's task in hand. The way the story started as the Doctor was immediately interrupted and summoned by the White Guardian was excellent and I loved how the Doctor's reaction made you realise just how important he was in universal affairs. The task of collecting the six pieces of the Key to Time is magnificent and basically an extended version of the plot of The Keys of Marinus - a story that I absolutely adore. The Doctor being aided in the form of a new assistant came with considerable humour as you might expect from the Fourth Doctor and it was lovely to see Tom Baker in top form with Romana. Now, this is the only the second time I have seen this serial since my first viewing of the Key to Time six days in succession back in 2012, so my memory of Romana I was not very good and she was a little different to how I remembered her. She was extremely elegant and a stark contrast from the previous companion of Leela. She seemed to get on well with K9 though which was fantastic as he was terrific once again following his reemergence into the story in part three. I didn't actually think the Ribos setting was too great as its scale was very small which didn't leave a lot of room for adventure. It was very contained and I don't think that worked overly well which was a shame. I really enjoyed the character of Garron and his plan to sell the planet to Graff Vynda-K was actually very good. He was quite convincing and his planting of the jethrik to try and broker a sale, along with a humorous tale of a mine of the universe's rarest mineral from Unstoffe, was very good indeed. The pair were extremely entertaining and I think all of their scenes were enjoyable and benefitted from the comedy. Binro was a good character too and his reaction to learning that his theory of other worlds was true was a wonderful moment. The ending was quite decent and full of action and the Doctor mastering the act of the switcheroo on two occasions was majestic. Five more segments to go! Overall, a good story.

Rating: 7/10

The Many Lives of Doctor Who

"The TARDIS has had almost as many facelifts as you have!"

Writer: Richard Dinnick
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September 2018
Printed in: The Thirteenth Doctor #0

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Twelfth Doctor, Bill, Eleventh Doctor, Alice, River, Tenth Doctor, Gabby, Cindy, Ninth Doctor, Rose, Captain Jack, War Doctor, Eighth Doctor, Josie, Seventh Doctor, Ace, Sixth Doctor, Peri, Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough, Fourth Doctor, Romana II, Third Doctor,  Sarah Jane, Second Doctor, Polly, Ben, First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis 

When you die, your life flashes before your eyes - and the Doctor's had a lot of lives! The Thirteenth Doctor relives unseen adventures from all her past selves!

Verdict

The Many Lives of Doctor Who was an excellent story! It really is quite a bonus to have this in advance of the Thirteenth Doctor's run in the comic strips and the idea of the Doctor reliving his many lives and literally having his whole life flash before his eyes whilst talking to himself was superb. This could only occur during regeneration and I like the idea of all of these unseen adventures occurring during a split second of Twice Upon a Time. The artwork of the few moments from that television episode was stunning and I thought it was great for most of the adventure. There seemed to be a slight blip for the Fourth Doctor though. It started nicely with The Path of Skulls and I loved how the Doctor was reminiscing on his very first companions and how all of those who followed would remark about the TARDIS interior. The Second Doctor's outing in Card Conundrum was quite humorous and I loved that we got to see Polly and Ben as well as Jamie. The Doctor admitting how much he missed them was a lovely gesture! The Third Doctor's story of Invasion of the Scorpion Men was comical as he remembered defeating the titular enemies with the help of Rasputin in the past. The reference to The War Machines and the appearance of Sarah Jane were both magnificent. I thought Time Lady of Means was a little naff and the artwork was like something out of Doctor Who Adventures which was very strange but I did love how the Doctor clearly remembered Romana with fondness. The Fifth Doctor outing of Ophiucus was sublime and it took him, along with Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough, to Gallifrey and a meeting with the Sliders. The appearance of a modern era Cyberman in the background was delightful. I thought Virtually Indestructible was a fun little story for the Sixth Doctor with a lot of irony. I do wish there was more narration from the Doctor at that point though. Whilst I remember, I should also mention the little snippet of the Thirteenth Doctor herself and the nod to dedicated fans in how we'll call her the Thirteenth Doctor but she really is not. The Seventh Doctor being reunited with the Master in Crossing the Rubicon was fantastic with the Roman setting at the time of Julius Caesar. The Master being outsmarted by the Doctor was a little paradoxical but I enjoyed that it was clearly a story set post-Survival. The Time Ball was a great little story for the Eighth Doctor and I loved that we got to see Josie again. I do hope we get more of her as companion because she is terrific and just hasn't had the time she deserves! The Whole Thing's Bananas was an adequate title for the memory of the War Doctor and I thought it was brilliant that Dorium appeared in a story chronologically before any meeting with the Eleventh Doctor. The use of bananas was comical too! Return of the Volsci brought things nicely into the modern era, but I think the narration took a bit of a backseat from there on in which was a little bit of a shame. The Volsci sounded a really great enemy being all female and I'd like them to get a full story at some point. The Doctor reminding herself that this was when she needed to start being the Doctor again following the Time War was excellent. The Tenth Doctor being ill in Nurse Who? was very good and I liked that Gabby recruited Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first female Doctor, and the irony of that with the Doctor's narration given her incoming female incarnation was superb. Without a Paddle was a humorous little story and I loved that River Song got an appearance. She always works best alongside the Eleventh Doctor and her attempted stealing of the oar was very good. The comical element is always wonderful but the truth being about lace was an unexpected twist. The story's concluding mini-story of Harvest of the Daleks was very good and the idea of Daleks using children for their pathweb was quite horrific. Bill remembering the events of The Pilot where she caught a glance of them was brilliant and I loved that the ship was so ancient that it was actually Kaled. The Thirteenth Doctor's emergence and seeing the final moments of Twice Upon a Time was superb and I loved that we then saw the Thirteenth Doctor in all her glory during The Ghost Monument. Overall, a lovely tale of adventures!

Rating: 9/10

Ghost Stories

"You don't say no when the cosmic comes calling."

Writer: George Mann
Format: Comic Strip
Released: April-July 2017
Series: Ghost Stories #1-8

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis

Together, the Doctor, Lucy, and Grant defeated the nefarious forces of Harmony Shoal. The world saved, and his love for Lucy reciprocated, Grant put away the costume, and the Doctor left Grant and Lucy to their new life together.

But the Doctor is terrible for picking at loose ends...

Verdict

Ghost Stories was a terrific story and a great bonus series of Twelfth Doctor comic strips! This adventure saw the Doctor reunited with Grant and Lucy eight years following the events of The Return of Doctor Mysterio and I am definitely in favour of the superhero returning. The mix of the Doctor and the Ghost is fantastic and I love the differences between the pair despite them both recognisably being superheroes. The Doctor needed Grant now as the universe was in grave danger and I thought the premise of needing all of the gemstones was very good. Of course, one of these in the form of the Hazandra was what gave Grant his superpowers and now the Doctor was going to use it in the TARDIS to locate the others. The first mini-story taking us to an apocalyptic future of New York was very good and the emergence of the Smoke was most unexpected! He was a super-villain and its connections to the Ghost were hugely intriguing. I loved the narration throughout from Lucy and it was really great to read her thoughts and comments as the stories went on. It was very beneficial to the storytelling and for learning what things had been like in her and Grant's relationship in the intermittent years without the Doctor. I'm not quite sure how Jennifer could already be 11 years old, but the details weren't overly important. She had a good little role in the story. The Nixtus III setting for the second gemstone was very good and I loved the cliffhanger where the Ghost's powers had stopped working altogether. The Doctor certainly didn't see that one coming! He recruited Grant for those very powers. It was brilliant that some of the Harmony Shoal returned here and the fear that it invoked in Lucy was tremendous which was brilliant. I thought the story concerning the third gemstone was the best as we saw the Twelfth Doctor do battle with the Sycorax! Kraxnor made for a great leader and I liked how he recalled the events of The Christmas Invasion. The use of blood, this time the Doctor's, to enforce the sacrifice engine into fruition was nice continuity and I liked that the Ghost challenged the leader. Honour dictated that it must be carried out. One little aspect of the story that I didn't like was Lucy overcoming a Sycorax as I thought that made them look a little weak, but her bid to impress her husband was a nice aspect. Jennifer was then aided by her superhero stepdad to retrieve the gemstone and all was secured. Just one thing, the Doctor needed the one within Grant now. He gave it up to save the universe and rid it of dark matter excess but his powers were not gone. The gemstone had still bonded with his DNA and with another visit a week after departing the TARDIS, the Doctor showed Grant that his powers remained if he willed them. Overall, a fantastic little story!

Rating: 8/10

A True Gentleman

"The Doctor can't help you right now. He's fixing my bicycle."

Writer: Jamie Hailstone
Format: Audio
Released: November 2010
Series: Short Trips 1.03

Featuring: Third Doctor

Synopsis

A young boy finds himself part of the adventure when the Doctor helps him fix his bicycle tyre...

Verdict

A True Gentleman was a pretty good little Short Trip audio and despite it not really having any negative qualities, it fell victim to the very nature of the range in which it is a part of. The Short Trips were extremely short during their first stint which, I am aware, sounds quite self-defeating but when compared with the monthly releases we get now, there really isn't a lot of substance to some of the adventures and that can hurt things when it comes to story quality. Now, this was just a lovely little tale of the Doctor helping out a young kid in need and whilst that's nice and exactly what you would expect of him, it didn't make for the most exciting of stories. That being said, I thought Katy Manning did an excellent job as the story's narrator and I was hugely impressed with her impression of Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor. It was probably the major highlight of the audio! I think this story was very well written for the Third Doctor and it's hard to imagine a more gentlemanly incarnation than the third. I could actually see pretty much any incarnation of the Doctor stopping to fix a child's bicycle, but I don't think they'd all have been as kind as the Third Doctor was here. He didn't just fix the tyre, but he ensured that it would never get punctured again. I liked how the Doctor had a reputation in the area where he rented out the house and it was so good that the landlord encouraged his son to go off with the Time Lord! How's that for parenting? I really liked the initial encounter between the child and the Ambassador of Cobaltis with the latter utterly distraught that the Doctor was busy fixing the young boy's bike. The Doctor soon appeared though and a lump of lead made the Ambassador very happy as it was a scarce material in its galaxy and was priceless. I do wonder how they reacted when the Doctor suddenly stopped renting the house! Overall, this was just a nice little story of the Doctor doing a good deed.

Rating: 6/10

Fugitive

"The universe is riddled with people who should be dead but who live because of your actions."

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September-December 2009
Printed in: Doctor Who Ongoing (2009) #3-6

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor is put on trial by the Shadow Proclamation for saving Emily Winter's life in the 1920s and thus breaking the precepts handed down to them by the Time Lords by interfering with a static point in time. But there's dissension in the ranks as Mister Finch returns and is out for revenge. Forming an unlikely alliance, the Doctor looks to thwart the Krillitanes once again...

Verdict

Fugitive was an outstanding comic strip adventure! It was another impressive story from IDW and it has concluded my reading of the second volume of the Tenth Doctor Archives. I am already looking forward to the third and final collection but as my local library doesn't stock a copy, I am not sure when I will get around to reading it. Anyhow, the story followed on nicely from Silver Scream and the Doctor was facing the consequences of his interference in 1920s Hollywood and saving the life of Emily Winter. He was reminded of what occurred last time he did something like this with Charley Pollard which was an excellent reference to the Big Finish audios and now the Shadow Architect was showing no tolerance. The Doctor was put on trial and prosecuted by Mister Finch who made a stunning return, now permanently in human form. The idea of a Krillitane having a position in the Shadow Proclamation seemed a little sketchy but the prospect of them trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm for the Proclamation was most unexpected! The Doctor was soon sentenced to death and he was to be put in prison transport with a Draconian, Sontaran and an Ogran. It was like the start of a good joke, as the Doctor acknowledged, but I loved how he was challenged to the effects of his actions. The Ogrons had failed miserably and were on the verge of economic collapse following the events of Day of the Daleks as their reputation was tarnished following defeat to the Third Doctor. They had been replaced by the Judoon as the most reputable mercenaries for hire and I loved how that was a great clash of two eras of Doctor Who. The Sontarans were now resorting to potential alliances because the actions of the Doctor had led them to a losing position in their battle against the Rutans. Kraden was a superb character as the Draconian and I liked how he was making the Doctor see things from a different perspective. The story was very pacy and full of action which was terrific and I loved how maddening the Doctor made Finch. He of course would see that he was defeated once again and I found some irony in the idea of using the likes of Ogrons and Sontarans to crack the Skasis Paradigm - they weren't the most intelligent of species. The revelation that the Shadow Architect suspected some wrongdoing within the Shadow Proclamation was most unexpected and she entrusted the Doctor, without his knowledge, to root out the problem and solve it. There would be no more un-loyal Judoon and things would be restored. Of course, they proclaimed that they'd rather the Doctor travelled alone, so what did he do? Well, Emily and Matthew look set to become temporary passengers in the TARDIS. Overall, an excellent comic strip!

Rating: 10/10

Silver Scream

"After you fail a Leo Miller audition - it's like you never want to act again."

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July-August 2009
Printed in: Doctor Who Ongoing (2009) #1-2

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

Still grieving over the events that led to losing Donna as his companion, the Tenth Doctor is following through on her final wish of visiting a Hollywood movie set. Here, the Doctor befriends the man who will become Charlie Chaplin and uncovers a vicious alien plot, but will he face consequences for interfering in a static point in time?

Verdict 

Silver Scream was a very good comic strip story to kickstart a brand new ongoing series of Tenth Doctor adventures from IDW! Now, I'm still reading the second volume of the Tenth Doctor Archives graphic novel, but it seems like a big shift in direction as we now move away from the very successful standalone stories and into what is already clearly a series of some kind. The setting here of 1920s Hollywood was magnificent and I thought it was wonderful how the Doctor was carrying one of Donna's final wishes before her emotional departure in Journey's End. The Doctor meeting Maplin, who would of course go on to become the famed Charlie Chaplin, was terrific and I thought it was quite humorous how he mentioned the times in Maplin's personal future where he would encounter previous incarnations of the Doctor. It seems such a great combination and whilst they actually didn't have too much time on the page together, what we did get worked really well and I was particularly a fan of the silent movie double pages - that was original and fresh and just perfect for the setting and the story itself. It was a lovely nod to cinematic history and it worked very well in the comic strip format. Leo Miller was an intriguing villain and the importance he placed on the auditions was good. He was working with Maximilian Love who appeared to be feeding on the optimism of individuals. That was a very harsh trait to try and alter and take away and the results were hardly surprising. Victims went from being optimistic about their acting future to not wanting to act at all! This was what happened to Emily who became a lovely character and she, along with Matthew, filled the companion role very well for this adventure. I thought the cliffhanger was sublime with the Doctor tied down to a rail track and a train seen in the reflections of his glasses oncoming, but his new friends managed to save him in the nick of time after they'd followed him to see what Miller was up to. The ending was entertaining and full of action which was good, although I'm still not convinced the Doctor would have been happy with Emily firing the gun, even if it was to his aid and not actually shooting any part of someone. The conclusion was very surprising as, after rejecting Emily and Matthew's request to join him in the Doctor, the familiar face of the Shadow Architect flanked by the Judoon showed up and commanded that the Doctor was put on trial for his interference! I look forward to seeing where things go from here. Overall, a great story!

Rating: 8/10

Black Death White Life

"The only thing that keeps this world healthy is constant war."

Writer: Charlie Kirchoff
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September 2009
Printed in: IDW #3.06

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

After the Doctor and his companion Martha Jones mistakenly land the TARDIS soon after the Great Plague of London, the discovery of a healer draws them into a mystery that could mean the end of the companion's life. Is the Plague still around?

Verdict

Black Death White Life was another decent comic strip from IDW and I am now only one adventure away from completing the second volume of Tenth Doctor Archives. This one saw a slight drop in standard but it was still very much enjoyable and it also saw the return of Martha Jones as companion for the Tenth Doctor. I actually thought she had a slightly poor outing as companion here and she didn't really do much apart from get infected and need curing which was a bit of a shame because she can offer so much more. Sicking with the negatives, I thought some of the artwork was very shaky in this adventure and I was very much confused by one instance of the Doctor's coat quickly alternating to a cream-like colour! It was very random and obviously a quite glaring production error. Thankfully it didn't take away from the story but it was noticeably bad. The drawing of both the Doctor and Martha at the start was also a bit off which was a shame. Anyway, into the story itself and I liked the 1669 setting as it wasn't too far removed from the Doctor and Martha's visit to the Globe Theatre in The Shakespeare Code. With the last record of there Great Plague having been recorded in 1666, the presence of plague doctors here was very intriguing and I thought the artwork for them was superb. Martha managing to explain that they were aliens was good but I do wish we learned a tad more about them before the reveal of them being a Macro-Virus. That name seemed a bit naff, as did the provider of the resolution being an immunoglobulin, but somehow it seemed to work in quite the enjoyable way. The pace of the story was fantastic and I think that's once again where the standalone nature of the IDW stories is working an absolute treat. It flew by! There was some excellent action and I thought the characterisation of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor was pretty good throughout. I really liked the reference to The Visitation and the Doctor's relationship with the Healer. The ease with which he deduced that with just one person having the cure, he must have a relationship with the disease was great and what followed was quite simple but done very well with the speed. The Doctor convinced the Healer to use his abilities and to not fear the Macro-Virus, but to instead eradicate it. With a TARDIS trip to its home planet to help with the process, it was an amicable end, even if war had to prevail. Overall, a decent comic strip!

Rating: 7/10

Room with a Deja View

"Nature abhors a vacuum."

Writer: Rich Johnston

Format: Comic Strip

Released: July 2009

Printed in: IDW #3.05

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

A murder has taken place, committed by a member of a species that lives in the opposite direction to the timeline, who, from its own perspective, has not yet committed the crime in question.

It's locked house murder mystery where the culprit is clear from the beginning, but the process is anything but. The Doctor lands smack bang in the middle of it all.

Verdict

Room with a Deja View was another magnificent comic strip in what is turning out to be a quite brilliant second volume of Tenth Doctor Archives from IDW! The standard is really impressive and I think they are reaping the benefits of only having standalone stories. I do enjoy a comic strip story arc but I think they can get a little complicated at times so this format works well for me. I liked how the Tenth Doctor travelling alone was addressed and him actually thinking that he might need to be alone for a little while was very intriguing. He was in the Dead Zone which was a really interesting concept and I loved that this place - a place so far away from anything and everything - was the source of a distress call. That was more than enough to get the Doctor out of his meditation. I loved the mockery of many formats of Doctor Who storytelling in saying how he would arrive at a place, be charged with the murder (because there usually was one), find the true culprit to free his name and then stop whatever other nonsense or trouble was occurring. However, this time he wasn't arrested as per usual and was instead blasted in the face in case he was carrying the plague. The use of disease in this comic strip was very good and I liked how well it was sold as being deadly and wiping out trillions. Peoples of all kinds had come to the Dead Zone as the Great Refuge and those in charge couldn't quite believe that the Doctor was 100% clean of its infections. Their knowing of Time Lord legends was great and I liked how the Doctor pounced upon that. He soon took charge of the murder investigation and encountered the mysterious Tx. He was a fantastic character and the concept of him living on the opposite timeline and living in reverse was sublime. I loved that and the conversation with the Doctor during his interrogation only making sense whilst reading in reverse was superb. It was a little confusing but I appreciated the complexity and it worked fantastically well. It turned out that he wasn't actually a murderer at all but had allowed the victim to live much longer than he would have without Tx's intervention. He would still be convicted though as he had technically given a full confession and the law must be followed. Tx just had one request of having a final day with his family. The truth of that actually being his reversion to being born in our timeline was excellent. Overall, a brilliant comic strip story! 

Rating: 9/10

Cold-Blooded War

"What does a woman know of the art of war?"

Writer: Richard Starkings (story from Gary Russell)
Format: Comic Strip
Released: August 2009
Series: IDW #3.04

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna

Synopsis

The Tenth Doctor and Donna attempt to broker a peace plan between two very hierarchical and pompous alien races, the Draconians and the Ice Warriors. But their best efforts are derailed by someone who stands to gain from the continued conflict...

Verdict

Cold-Blooded War was an outstanding comic strip adventure! It was definitely the best story I've read from IDW yet that only features one incarnation of the Doctor and I loved how its roots were fuelled with Classic Who. The return of the Galactic Federation was wonderful and the addition of Draconia to its ranks was always going to be problematic given the nature of the Draconians. I loved that there was impending civil war on Draconia because of the ascension of Empress Kwan to the throne. The Draconians did not take too well to the prospect of being ruled by a woman and that was why there was trouble in the Federation, not because of the Draconians in general. I thought Kwan handled her responsibilities and the trouble she had caused very well and I very much approved of her not backing down. She was on the throne now and she would rule. She had been questioned by the fact of calling in the Galactic Federation which was plausible but she held her own very well. The appearance of the Ice Warriors was magnificent and I'm usually not a huge fan when they're not up to some evil scheme, but they actually had a somewhat calming presence here which was unusual. I loved that Donna finally got to meet some actual Martians though! I thought she was sublime as the companion in this adventure and her being a woman certainly helped with the story. She basically prevented civil war with rational thoughts but it was her delivery of her defence of women that was the key addition to preventing bloodshed. Reminding the Draconians that they had a mother and adhered to her authority was fantastic and it was clear early on in the speech that she had already won. I was hugely impressed. The Doctor getting captured posing as the Earth Adjudicator was great and I enjoyed the throwback to Frontier in Space as he tried to impose the fact he was a nobleman of the Draconian Empire. It was of course in vain. He had some help in escaping from Agita, the daughter of the assassin Fusek Kljuco who headed the house that wanted to be ridded of female rule, but the conclusion was shocking and brilliant. Kljuco was followed as he was close to carrying out his assassination on Kwan but he didn't realise his daughter was there and he shot her dead as she protected the Empress. It was an unexpected turn of events but the shock factor was sublime. I was stunned. Overall, a superb comic strip story!

Rating: 10/10

Autopia

"We will be avenged."

Writer: John Ostrander
Format: Comic Strip
Released: June 2009
Printed in: IDW #3.03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna

Synopsis

The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble arrive on the automated utopian planet of Autopia - a planet where robots do all of the manual labour. But things aren't quite what they seem when the Doctor meets Ixtalia, the wondrous and mysterious leader...

Verdict

Autopia was another decent comic strip adventure to continue my reading of the second volume of the Tenth Doctor Archives from IDW! It's a really weird little collection in that Martha is on the cover but she's only featured in the first of the three stories thus far. These standalone stories are jumping around the era of the Tenth Doctor which I'm absolutely fine with and I liked that we got a story with Donna as the companion. I'm very intrigued to see if she will remain for the rest of the stories in the graphic novel. But for this one, I thought Donna was pretty decent and I really liked her relationship with the Doctor, it was very reminiscent of what we saw on screen. The story did a pretty good job at capturing the era of Series 4 and I particularly liked that the Doctor wasn't quite letting on everything he knew about Autopia. Thankfully, Donna was asking all of the right questions and the Doctor did basically give all of the answers. It was certainly helpful to the storytelling. The setting of Autopia was decent but I have to admit, I was slightly disappointed that it had nothing to do with Autons! That was my expectation going in but it was actually just an automated utopia. That concept was really intriguing and worked quite well and I liked how things developed once the Doctor and Donna encountered Ixtalia. She was quite the ruthless leader and her thoughts towards the Automatrons were very heartless. The Doctor was fantastic in exploiting the programming of the Automatrons and when the one Donna dubbed as Sam was ordered to kill them, in a horrific method involving the sun, the Doctor plead to him for their lives and used language wonderfully well. He showed Sam that he had a choice and wouldn't be going against his programming too much. After hours of fiddling, the Doctor actually managed to make Sam a sentient robot, but it turned out he wasn't the first. Ixtalia had been killing off those that were developing sentience ever since the mission the Doctor was curious about had arrived but what followed seemed a little strange as the conclusion. Donna put forward a suggestion that was nothing more than common sense now that all of the robots were sentient and it seemingly ended a revolution and led to peaceful harmony, very quickly and very strangely. Overall, it was still a decent comic strip!

Rating: 7/10

The Time Machination

"Who wants to go junkyard hunting?"

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: May 2009
Printed in: IDW #3.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

London, 1889 and a time-stranded Doctor needs the help of an old friend to fix the TARDIS... but is beset by pursuers sent by Queen Victoria herself! How is this connected to a previous tale of the Sixth Doctor - and a Fourth Doctor adventure that hasn't happened yet? And what will happen if the Doctor is captured by the Torchwood Institute?

Verdict

The Time Machination was a great comic strip adventure to continue my reading of the IDW collection of Tenth Doctor Archives! This was a really enjoyable story and I liked that the Tenth Doctor was travelling alone as when this comic adventure was released, that is exactly what was happening in the world of Doctor Who. The 1889 setting was magnificent and I was really impressed with the numerous connections with and references to past Doctor Who stories. The return of H.G. Well was terrific and I liked the obvious reference to and little flashback of Timelash that came with that. His relationship with the Doctor was really good and I loved the irony of the Doctor meeting someone with the moniker of John Smith. He immediately questioned what he was hiding and the reaction to that was excellent. I thought the characterisation of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor was really good throughout which always makes for a better comic strip. The appearance of the Torchwood Institute soon after the events of Tooth and Claw but long before the incarnation that Captain Jack would head was wonderful and I can't quite believe I haven't come across it before. It was a tremendous idea and one that worked very well. The way the Doctor tricked Smith into revealing his knowledge of Torchwood was very clever and the reveal that he was also a time traveller was a little unexpected. His purpose being there was a huge surprise but I was really shocked by his desire to save Magnus Greel. The Doctor proudly recalling the events of The Talons of Weng-Chiang, which were yet to come, was brilliant and I loved how the TARDIS being stuck was just a cover story. He knew all about Smith's plan and had allowed him to think that he had the Doctor cornered, but that was never the case. The Doctor was always in control and one step ahead of the game. The only thing I had a slight qualm with was the Doctor dismissing some elements of the explanation to Smith and whilst they were a little confusing with the paradoxes, I thought that was a bit of a shortchange to the reader. Other than that though, it was a very entertaining comic strip and I loved how at the conclusion, Wells was viewing the arrival of the Fourth Doctor and Leela on their way to meet Magnus Greel. Overall, a terrific little tale!

Rating: 8/10

Genesis of the Daleks

"Destroy Davros and you destroy the Daleks."

Writer: Terry Nation
Format: TV
Broadcast: 8th March - 12th April 1975
Season: 12.04

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Harry

Synopsis

The Doctor's own people - the Time Lords - have foreseen a time in which the Daleks dominate all other lifeforms in the universe. So disturbing is this possibility, that they break their own Laws of Time in an attempt to change the future. And who better to send on this quest than their own renegade himself - the Doctor.

Unwittingly transporter into the fields and trenches of a battle-exhausted Skaro, the Doctor must face his most dangerous mission ever - to prevent the Daleks from ever being created...

Verdict

Genesis of the Daleks was an excellent serial and there's no surprise that it occupies the esteemed position in Doctor Who history that it does. Now, it's not quite perfect but I think it warrants its reputation and I thought I should finally get around to blogging this adventure after my listening of the I, Davros audio series recently. I think it was of huge benefit to listen to that series before my re-watching here and I loved putting firm visuals to what was heard in that series. I think part one is the best of all six and it's just the perfect setup for what was to come. The Doctor being out on the mission by the Time Lords instantly sold just how deadly the Daleks were, as if that was required, but I was quite surprised with how willing the Doctor was to carry out that mission. The first moments for the Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry on Skaro were fantastic and I loved how ravaged and war-torn it was. Getting acquainted with the war between the Kaleds and the Thals was terrific and I loved the Doctor's reaction to hearing the name of the former species. He'd met the latter before but they weren't quite like this. The Doctor meeting and learning about Davros for the first time was a superb moment and I also loved how primitive Davros was. It was clear that he was still in the early days of his vast knowledge and he even admitted how the Doctor was his better when it came to knowing about time and space. Davros wanting to know about all of the Dalek defeats was excellent and I loved how excited he was at receiving this foreknowledge. Nyder was a sublime character and his devotion and loyalty to Davros was an absolute delight to see. The way he lured out the names of all those with doubts towards Davros and the Dalek project was evil brilliance. With the prospect of the Elite putting a stop to the Daleks' creation, Davros went to the Thals and gave them the means of destroying the Kaled protective dome and wiped out the majority of his own species. The Daleks had to prevail. It was an extraordinary depth to reach but it further highlighted how much of a maniac Davros was. The likeness to Nazi Germany and Hitler with the bunker and the dislike for the unlike was incredible and something I wasn't aware of on my first couple of viewings before I learned about that era in history. The ending with the Daleks overpowering their creator and increasing their own production was fantastic and thus the Daleks were born. It was brilliant. The moment at the start of part six where the Doctor contemplates wiping out the entire Dalek mutants was phenomenal and I loved how he couldn't even bring himself to destroying his greatest enemies. Overall, a superb serial!

Rating: 9/10

The Haunting of Thomas Brewster

"They invade the past in order to shape the future."

Writer: Jonathan Morris
Format: Audio
Released: April 2008
Series: Main Range 107

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis

Thomas Brewster is haunted by the ghost of his drowned mother. But she is not the only apparition to disturb his dreams. Every few years, he is visited by a mysterious blue box...

Helped by his new assistant, the young Scottish scientist Robert McIntosh, the Fifth Doctor struggles to unravel the twisted knot of temporal implausibilities which hind the TARDIS to Thomas Brewster. Meanwhile, lost in the stews of Victorian London, Nyssa must face a host of special creatures, gathering in the fog.

Verdict

The Haunting of Thomas Brewster was a fantastic audio adventure and got the quality of the Main Range series back on track. Jonathan Morris provided us with a very unique and intriguing tale and I liked how distinct this felt in the range. It really was unique and that's quite rare to come by in Doctor Who with the sheer quantity of stories available. The first part barely even featured the Doctor and Nyssa and it worked well as the context for who exactly Thomas Brewster was came with ease. It was very important to know that his first memory was of his mother's funeral and that must be something he has struggled to live with since he can remember. He wasn't met with much pity as a child and his experience in the workhouse would certainly have shaped the character he came by the time he met the Doctor and Nyssa. I thought this pairing were excellent together and I loved how Nyssa's intelligence was utilised as she so easily understood everything that was happening with the paradoxes. It's difficult to imagine Tegan or Peri, for example, reacting in quite the same way. She had a really strong outing. Brewster himself was a very decent character and he warranted the amount of narration that he provided. I was really glad that it didn't stay as heavy as it did in part one and I think that was actually crucial to my enjoyment of the story. It was given to us in just the perfect quantities. The threat of the mysterious and enigmatic beings within the fog and mist was very good and I loved the prospect of them coming from a possible future, invading the past, and doing everything they could to ensure that their possible future became the one that prevailed. It was a hugely paradoxical concept but I'm a massive fan of the timey-wimey so this worked well for me. The use of the TARDIS was also of particular interest, especially when the Doctor materialised inside an earlier version of his own one! That was unprecedented. The humour when he realised that Nyssa's key had been stolen by Brewster, only for him to casually reveal he had a spare was a lovely moment too. Brewster stopping his past self from believing his 'mother' was good and I liked how it was he who severed the link before it even began. Brewster meeting his mum on the bridge before she committed suicide was an emotional aspect of the story but the thing that shocked me most was the ending! Brewster ended up stealing a version of the TARDIS once again! I certainly didn't see that coming and I'm very excited to know where things go from here. Overall, a brilliant audio!

Rating: 9/10

United

"The whole of Great Britain is under siege from prehistoric monsters."

Writer: Matt Fitton
Format: Audio
Released: May 2017
Series: UNIT: Assembled 04

Featuring: Kate, Osgood, Josh, Sam, Jo, Benton, Yates

Synopsis

The Silurians hold Great Britain under siege. Grand Marshall Jastrok rules the seas and the skies with reptile forces. On the ground, Commander Kalana crushes all ape resistance.

With Kate Stewart trapped, defence of the realm falls to UNIT's old guard. Jo Jones, Mike Yates and John Benton are ready to do their duty and stand united.

Verdict

United was a great conclusion to what has been a very good and extremely consistent Assembled anthology of stories to serve as the fourth series of the modern-day UNIT's adventures! It saw everybody that we've enjoyed listening to in the three previous stories join together, and that goes for both hero and villain. I liked the immediate continuation from Retrieval and the idea of dinosaurs roaming the country was excellent. I loved the reference to Invasion of the Dinosaurs from Yates and given what went on in that story, I don't think anybody else could have brought it up with such casualness. I really liked it. The trio of Yates, Benton and Jo being reunited after all this time was wonderful and it was clear that they had changed with age, but there were still nice little nods to the past they shared together. The continued mentions of the Doctor were very good and I loved how everything Jo was doing was in a way that he would approve and be proud of. That really was lovely to hear. Whilst doing so, she was keen to put forward her environmental attitudes and I also liked how similar that was to Osgood explaining to Benton the little things had changed since his time at UNIT. The very fact that some of the soldiers were now women went under the radar for our old sergeant. With Kate stranded, the Classic trio having to take command was lovely and the readiness with which they accepted responsibility was just wonderful. They were more than up for the mission! Jastrok proved a great villain once again and I enjoyed how active he was in this adventure compared with the previous two. His entering of Westminster was superb. He wanted to initiate humanity's surrender but as time went on, Kate came to him with the terms of Silurian surrender. Kate having to think of something new because of Jastrok's control over Burmaster was fantastic and I loved how UNIT ended up using weather-controller technology. The Silurians couldn't handle the cold and it got far too close to freezing for them. The ruthlessness with which Kate ordered that Jastrok and Kalana be detained was brilliant and showed just how damage the Silurians had caused to mankind. The casualties were high and whilst they would be dealt with by the good of their own species, being contained beneath a nuclear warhead and the Black Archive was quite a perilous position to be in. The Silurians may not have got their planet back, but they had made a big impact. Overall, a great conclusion to a terrific little boxset!

Rating: 8/10

Retrieval

"Please don't let me have to kill dinosaurs."

Writer: Guy Adams 

Format: Audio

Released: May 2017

Series: UNIT: Assembled 03

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis

As Earth's primeval rulers reclaim their birthright, UNIT must stand against them. And Kate Stewart and Osgood must venture into a Mediterranean stronghold to retrieve a means to fight back.

But a Silurian warrior is on their trail. Once she has the humans' scent, Commander Tryska will never give up the hunt.

Verdict

Retrieval was a very good continuation of the Assembled anthology of UNIT adventures. This fourth series really has been consistent and I quite liked how this story just focused on the modern team with Kate and Osgood deservedly taking the centre of attention. They were wonderful together as a pair and the cave setting worked really well. I thought the humour between the pair was fantastic and I loved how Osgood knew she was one of UNIT's greatest scientific minds that Kate was referring to when deciding who would go on the retrieval mission, but she didn't know that her superior also meant herself. Osgood meddling with different Silurian technology was a lot of fun and I really liked how what she thought might be a life scanner actually turned out to be something that attracted reptiles. Not quite what she had in mind. The continuation of Jastrok pulling the strings from afar was excellent and I am looking forward to him hopefully taking the centre of attention in the series finale. It is bound to be explosive! Commander Tryska was a brilliant enemy in this story and the speed with which she poisoned Kate and sent Osgood running with a psychic imprint was fantastic. She was very impressive. Osgood dealing with the psychological threat to her mind was really intriguing with her inner self almost talking her actual self into calming down. She had to imagine Sam naked but she was okay once he arrived in full uniform. Josh played a good role in the story too, especially when he violently got the better of Tryska. Her devotion to the Silurian cause was impressive, even more so when she let herself plummet into the depths of the cave than be saved by a 'primitive ape.' Her distain for humanity was a brilliant theme throughout and the chase and battle of wits between her and UNIT for the weaponry was very good. The appearance of dinosaurs was an unexpected bonus in the audio and Kate's reaction to it really was brilliantly comical. She didn't want to have to kill the amazing creatures! The ending was quite surprising with Tryska being washed up on the shores but a new female Silurian figure in the form of Kalana would pick up the reigns and try to bring the Silurians back onto the surface as rulers. I look forward to what is bound to be a fantastic finale! But for now, this was a very good story.

Rating: 8/10

Tidal Wave

"So much for a peaceful resolution..."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: May 2017

Series: UNIT: Assembled 02

Featuring: Kate, Osgood, Jo

Synopsis

When an experimental tidal power generator needs its eco-friendly credentials checked, Kate Stewart calls in an expert.

Soon, Jo Jones is bound for 'Project Charybdis' in the South Atlantic, along with an awestruck Osgood. But out at sea, a treacherous plan is set in motion to awake an ancient race.

Beneath the seabed an army is sleeping - an army of Sea Devils!

Verdict

Tidal Wave was a great continuation of the Assembled fourth series of UNIT adventures! This story saw Kate and Osgood unite with Classic companion Jo and it was absolutely delightful. I loved hearing her alongside both Kate and Osgood and it was brilliant how she shared a brilliantly different relationship with each. She obviously had a connection to Kate through the Brigadier and she was so apologetic when she failed to realise that Kate was his daughter. The way she initially acted towards Osgood was actually a little surprising as she wasn't too excited by Osgood's excitement at recalling the events of Day of the Daleks, The Three Doctors and The Green Death. But she soon realised that she was once the excitable and ebullient person that Osgood was now and she no longer dismissed her. They got on very nicely once they were locked in a room on the Charybdis by the passed Burmaster. I was really impressed with the continuation of this adventure from Call to Arms whilst also being distinctly different. It didn't quite feel like an immediate follow on and that was very refreshing. Burmaster made a very good villain as the puppet master for Jastrok who continued to be an excellent enemy from afar. The way he ensured that his plan was carried out was marvellous and the ruthlessness with which he saw that Laura died was just evil. His plan to attack the Sea Devils was very intriguing and I initially thought he was hoping to provoke a war and put the attack's blame on humanity. However, the Sea Devil base that he attacked was a weapon storage centre and he wanted what was within. Krellix, the Sea Devil doctor, knew him which showed just how far his reputation stretched. The doctor though shared a lovely relationship with Jo after she was able to go down and negotiate and her attempts to follow through on the Doctor's wish for peace from The Sea Devils was fantastic. I really enjoyed Jo's comments about the Doctor and she distinctly missed the Third Doctor. The reference to Death of the Doctor was wonderful and I liked hearing her difficulty with accepting differing incarnations as being the same man. The story's conclusion was very good and I loved how quickly Jo gained the trust of Krellix as she persuaded him to get the Sea Devils to go back into hibernation. She would tell UNIT that they were destroyed though to leave them in safety which was a lovely touch. Her role as an environmental activist was realised wonderfully well and I love the prospect of her joining up with Benton and Yates after so long apart. I look forward to Jastrok's plan continuing and things are far from finished here. Overall, another very good audio adventure!

The Three Doctors, The Green Death, Day of the Daleks, Death of the Doctor, The Sea Devils

Rating: 8/10

Call to Arms

"A Silurian never gives up the hunt."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: May 2017

Series: UNIT: Assembled 01

Featuring: Kate, Osgood, Benton, Yates 

Synopsis

Mike Yates braves a stormy night in the Lakes to help celebrate a milestone for John Benton. An evening of fond reminiscences of old glories and friends awaits. But a long-buried past is about to catch up with them.

Meanwhile, on the rain-lashed moors, what begins as a routine mission for modern-day UNIT quickly becomes a fight for survival.

Verdict

Call to Arms was a lovely start to the Assembled anthology and fourth series of the modern-day UNIT adventures! It's a delightful idea to unite the teams of both the Classic and modern era and I think this was a sensible start as we just got a few of the main characters together, rather than an immediate cluster of everyone. The focus of Benton retiring and going off around the world with his wife was nice and I loved how he still maintained his obedience when Mike Yates showed up to share in the celebrations at Benton's pub. That setting was really great and I enjoyed the recollections of the days of old at UNIT during the 1970s and '80s. Anne and Terry added some nice depth to the history of UNIT and seeing how passionate the latter was regarding his feelings for the former was an unexpected turn of events. The arrival of the Silurians and the modern UNIT team was excellent and the prospect of a chase was very exciting. That's essentially what the whole adventure was about and I think it worked really well. I really liked Jastrok as a central villain figure for the Silurians and I'm sure I am going to enjoy him more as the series goes on. He filled the role of Grand Marshall brilliantly and his distain towards other parties of Silurians and their triad politics was really intriguing. The way he was so obviously in charge was impressive and it was clear that he garnered respect from the warriors who served him. I was a little surprised by his actions at the end in sacrificing a sleeping clan of Silurians to make UNIT think that their enemy had been wiped out but they would be regrouping and would strike in the near future. Jastrok's plan was in full fruition with his control over Burmaster. Osgood was terrific throughout and I loved how she was likened to the Doctor. I'm sure if there were visuals she would have been blushing. Her reminiscing of Classic adventures was fantastic and when Josh arrived, the idea of comparing Auton stories was fantastic. The reference to Doctor Who and the Silurians was excellent and I liked how that sparked some lovely memories of the Brigadier. How wonderful it would have been for him to appear here. The way Osgood utilised her information to use fire against the Silurians was very good for the explosion, but of course the Silurians were one step ahead. The prospect of Benton and Yates going to the Tower of London and seeing modern UNIT was wonderful and I look forward to the next audio! Overall, a great start!

The Silurians

Rating: 8/10