Paradoxicide

"You are female. You are valid."

Writer: Richard Dinnick

Format: Audio

Released: August 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 150b

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

On the legendary lost planet of Sendos, the Doctor and Peri find themselves caught up in the hunt for the cache of galaxy-busting super-weapons stored inside its fabled Armoury.

Verdict

Paradoxicide was a another very good story to continue the one-hundred-and-fiftieth Monthly Adventure! Whilst I maintain my sentiment echoed in my blog entry of Recorded Time that I would have preferred a single adventure comprising the two hours, this was another fine little short adventure. It is essentially a Short Trip with a larger cast and that format can certainly work well when the right story is provided. That was the case here as I thought the style of adventure was perfect for a 32-minute tale and there wasn't much room to mess around. I liked how the Doctor and Peri entered immediately with some danger as they were in spacesuits and needing to take an atmospheric reading in person rather than the usual TARDIS systems, which let's be honest weren't always the most reliable! The relationship between the Doctor and Peri was a lot of fun in this story and they really are an underrated pairing, largely due to the discontent surrounding their time together during their television run. There's so much potential there and the humour that came with the softer side of the Sixth Doctor here was delightful. I was a big fan of those on Sendos seemingly being female dominated and the Doctor's totally unsubtle puns in getting Peri to realise she could also have voice control was terrific. The use of Su-Peri-or to get that message through to her was very amusing, although she didn't seem overly happy with it! The 'Peri' puns that followed as the story concluded were a lovely touch as well and there was that father-daughter kind of feel to the Doctor and Peri's relationship there which was really nice. Peril being used for a Peri pun was just so bad it was funny and you could just hear that the companion wanted to curl up into a ball. The setting of Sendos was very good and I liked the mystery and legend surrounding the Armoury. What I wasn't expecting was the time loop that followed and the Doctor and Peri actually getting involved in that all happening. I suppose I should have seen it coming though when Peri's voice was mysteriously heard emanating from the planet. That was all a plan to thwart the Volsci though and it worked very well actually! They were extremely threatening and demanding in their efforts to gain more super weaponry, and they weren't buying the Sendos position of not having those kind of weapons. The Doctor believing the sincerity was great and I enjoyed the irony of how the Volsci fell into a trap of essentially their own making. The use of the TARDIS to jam with their own ship and attempt to try and retrieve the weaponry before it was put in the Armoury was a sound plan, but the temporal nature of events worked well in thwarting that. Peri having a pivotal role was a nice touch and I loved her commands in ensuring that male voices would also be answered to as well. Overall, another really good and entertaining little story to continue this collection of adventures! 

Rating: 8/10

Recorded Time

"I am the King, and I will not be ignored."

Writer: Catherine Harvey

Format: Audio

Released: August 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 150a

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

The TARDIS travellers find themselves at the court of Henry VIII, where the tragic Anne Boleyn will soon be discarded by her King in favour of the lovely Perpugilliam Brown. Or so it is written...

Verdict

Recorded Time was an excellent little story to kick off the one-hundred-and-fiftieth Monthly Adventure! I must admit that I'd much rather if this landmark release was a more traditional release and just one two-hour story, as I do think there is a potential for some things to be less memorable with the four one-parters, but this kicked things off very nicely! The Tudor period of history is certainly one of the more interesting in my opinion so having a story where Peri gets courted as a potential wife of Henry VIII was tremendous. I think a longer adventure would definitely have been more beneficial, but this allowed for a much calmer and just relaxed feel. There never seemed to be any genuine threat outside of established history, but this was far from a pure historical. The impact of the pen of the Phoenix was really well done and the potential of Henry VIII getting the chance to rule over all of Time was brilliant! That's just such a barmy concept as there just isn't any way a monarch from the sixteenth century could cope with all of Time and the developments that would come. Anne Boleyn featured too which was fantastic and it's a shame to hear her fate here and the fact that she was executed for no just reason. She couldn't provide a male heir, and one day after her death the King's next engagement was already announced. Peri didn't like that at all. I thought the Doctor being dubbed a fool was amusing and not exactly much of a surprise given his attire. Henry taking an immediate liking to Peri was uncomfortable right from the off and given his proximity and attitude towards women, that attention was unwelcome from our companion. Suggesting Peri as the influence for Henry's famed Greensleeves was a lot of fun and a great use of Doctor Who combining with history. Peri signing Henry's own future tune to him was lovely as well. I thought the setting was utilised very well here. The Scrivener as the writer of the phoenix pen was a strong character and the threat posed by Henry's booming presence and promise of death was more than enough to put the King in control. He wanted Anne Boleyn proclaimed as a witch with an added finger and then wanted himself in control of Time! Talk about a man knowing what he wanted and being selfish. I thought the ending was pretty simple but effective with the Doctor ensuring that the pen actually destroyed itself with the Scrivener also going against the King's orders of what to write. He changed the death of Anne Boleyn to give her a more swift conclusion, but with the pen destroyed Henry was far from able to take over Time itself. The scene in the TARDIS at the end was an emotional one as Peri pondered over Anne Boleyn, but I really liked the assurances from the Doctor of what would become of Elizabeth and how she would be one of the greatest Queens. There was something nice there for Anne in the end. Overall, a fine start to the release! 

Rating: 9/10

The Nightmare Game

"There's an intruder on the pitch!"

Writer: Gareth Roberts

Format: Comic Strip

Released: May-June 2003

Printed in: DWM 330-332

Featuring: Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

When Delchester United's penalty is blocked by a materialising TARDIS, the Doctor emerges and ponders who is operating a static Vortex beam. Just what is hidden under the stadium of Delchester United?

Verdict

The Nightmare Game was another strong comic strip adventure to continue my reading through The Flood graphic novel! I'm a huge football fan being a Cardiff City season ticket holder, follower of Wales home and away and just a general interest in everything going on with the game, so having the TARDIS materialise in a penalty box just as a penalty was to be taken was very amusing! It was such a cool image and the tension that comes with a penalty, especially one in the last minute, is palpable so an interruption wouldn't go down too well with an eagerly anticipating crowd! I was in the Netherlands last month watching Wales and we had a penalty awarded by VAR after an agonising wait, so I fully appreciate how fans of Delchester must have been feeling. I really enjoyed that we got a look at the fans departing the stadium as well and it was another disappointing day at the office with murmurs of discontent amongst the crowd making their way home and to public transport. Being a Cardiff fan, that's something I have experienced on multiple occasions! The Doctor just making references to the static Vortex beam in action was amusing as he wasn't really interested in the football as there was something much more at work. I was amused by the end of part two with the image of Delchester's home stadium actually being transported away as part of a ship! Milo and Frank as the Shakespeare brothers and the new owners of Delchester was terrific and I found the whole thing amusing given my proximity to football. They had implemented a new training regime and the players were basically knackered every week which explained their change in form since receiving new ownership. I thought Billy was a fun little character to fill the companion role alongside the Doctor, and I like that we have an absence of companion for a little bit as we get to explore a bit more of this eighth incarnation. I enjoyed his characterisation and appearance here. I thought Ray Stobbs as a player was a good character too and Billy's reaction to seeing his team's captain was delightful in asking for the autograph. Having some football skills to eventually take down the Nukaryote was good and the end goal for this organic creature was intriguing in wanting to actually absorb the universe! The history of the creatures being composed from one organic component that absorbed all of the rest and how they differed from humanity's development was fantastic. I liked that concept a lot. The different creatures in the employ of the Shakespeare brothers being the Morgs and then the Killer-Mass was brilliant and there was just so much going on with different creatures and them being developed. I was so amused by the Shakespeare brothers being concerned with the galactic police too, they didn't shut up about the threat! Overall, this was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the football theme. A fun adventure!

Rating: 8/10

Where Nobody Knows Your Name

"Nobody made you responsible for the state of the universe!"

Writer: Scott Gray

Format: Comic Strip

Released: April 2003

Printed in: DWM 329

Featuring: Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

Following the devastating loss of Izzy Sinclair, the Eighth Doctor goes to a bar to drown his sorrows. He questions his role in the universe and seeks comfort in Bish the bartender, who isn't actually all that he seems...

Verdict

Where Nobody Knows Your Name was a really strong opening adventure to The Flood graphic novel! This is the fourth and final volume of comic strip adventures for the Eighth Doctor and after a roundabout way, this will eventually conclude my reading of this comic era. It's been seven years since I read Oblivion and dealt with Izzy's departure from the TARDIS and I still firmly remember how emotional that was. I read my blog entry for that comic strip finale and it all came flooding back as we see the Eighth Doctor dealing with that loss here. I loved that Izzy's departure had a profound impact on the Doctor and he wasn't exactly moving on as he so often did in the Classic era. He had stopped and was taking time to reflect, not just on Izzy but on his purpose in life. His discussions with Bish as the bar owner were delightful and I loved how the Doctor's role in the universe was likened to as a job. Hearing how he was referring to saving the universe as a position was fun but he was experiencing a lot of consequences lately and that was tough to accept and deal with. Just having the Doctor in a bar was a little strange given everything associated with it and the drinking culture, but that just showed how much he was missing Izzy. Was he after some conversation? Whatever his aim in coming there, he was in the right place. Renaldo was an amusing character that would go on to provide the impetus for the Doctor to get back on his feet and reaffirm his purpose and role for the universe, as Zalda emerged hurt and defeated by the fact this robot had cheated on her. She now was ready to blow herself up and take the bar with it to get back at him, but the Doctor was in the prime position to just calmly talk her out of it and calm her down. He'd just experienced a huge loss in his life so he could very much relate to Zelda and what she was going through. It didn't take long at all for her to turn off the explosive device and that was the cause for applause and celebration. This was the Doctor back to his best and it was all so simplistic which was really nice. I thought the ending on the final page once the Doctor was back on his way to the TARDIS with Bish revealing himself to actually be a very familiar shapeshifter in the form of Frobisher was wonderful! Neither party knew of their meeting given both taking on new forms here, but the idea of Frobisher helping the Eighth Doctor get back on track was excellent and really strong comic strip continuity. The Doctor not actually revealing his name was a shame as I suspect a reunion here would have been a lot of fun, but it's good to know what Frobisher is up to and that he's a good guy on hand to provide advice. Overall, a really good comic strip adventure and an important break in events for the Eighth Doctor. 

Rating: 8/10

The Crumbling Magician

"Life can be complicated...  but death is simple."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: September 2019

Series: Companion Chronicles: First Doctor 3.04

Featuring: First Doctor, Polly, Ben

Synopsis

The TARDIS has crashed, its passengers in a bad way. The Doctor – not in the best of health anyway, his old body wearing somewhat thin – is in a coma, Ben unconscious. As for Polly, she's been affected worst of all. Time is running in the wrong order for her and she's seen the future, in which she's mortally wounded. But will Continuity allow her to die?

Verdict

The Crumbling Magician was an excellent story to conclude the third volume of Companion Chronicles for the First Doctor! I think this might just be the best of the boxset as a whole which turned out to be pretty darn good and consistent across the four tales. I do hope there is a fourth volume on the way! I love the First Doctor era and getting an extension here of that last little segment of it alongside Ben and Polly is delightful. It was clear that these events were close in proximity to The Tenth Planet with talk of the Doctor feeling old and his body wearing thin, so presenting a challenge for him here and having his consciousness transported into Polly was terrific. I never considered a story like this being possible but the First Doctor getting to experience being young again and being full of energy was a lot of fun. The format of the adventure worked well with the Doctor being absent for the entire first part following an eventful crash that kicked off the Chronicle in style, but he emerged in a big way for part two after the cliffhanger! Ben was a welcomed presence to go alongside both the Doctor and Polly and able to react to the change in consciousness. His initial moment where he realised that it was the Doctor inside the duchess was terrific. I really enjoyed Continuity as the enemy and it seemed a little harmless without the sinister voice given it was an AI, but it was following its programming with a few little twitches which I appreciated. Allie was a decent character as well that provided some strong stuff for Ben as we learned about the child who had unfortunately become an old man. The implication that the crash of endured by Allie's mum's ship being with the TARDIS was very powerful given the relationship built between Ben and Allie, and the idea of heroism being discussed was brilliant. I thought the use of time jumps in the story was really good and caused some frustration to Polly which we don't often see. She was understandably worried about the conditions of Ben and the Doctor, and the sacrifice she made to save the Doctor from a coma was fantastic as a part of him was also used to save her. The little audible regenerative power being used was terrific and I loved the Doctor's reaction to what had happened once waking. It was also good that Continuity was going to keep his secrets to ensure that the continuity of the era was protected. That was a nice touch. The Doctor and Continuity had marvellous dialogue and debating the programming and what was in line with the law and guides was really good. I thought Ben volunteering to look after Allie was great as well and something that stumped Continuity as it looked to eradicate the child despite being a minor. The suggestion of the Doctor finding him a habitable planet was amusing, but it was nice to know he was in safe hands. The fate of Continuity at the end and the explosion was unexpected but a fitting end and some ironic emotion for the computer intelligence. Overall, a superb audio! 

Rating: 9/10

Robophobia

"The Sandminer where everyone’s worst nightmares came true."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: July 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 149

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

Nothing has ever been officially confirmed, but there is a rumour that on a Sandminer, bound for Kaldor City, the robots somehow turned homicidal and nearly wiped out the entire crew. Can that really be true?

The robot transport ship Lorelei has a cargo of over 157,000 robots on board, all deactivated. So even if there were any truth in the rumour of that massacre, there'd still be no danger. Surely, there wouldn't...

But then, the Doctor witnesses a murder.

Verdict

Robophobia was a great story to continue along the Monthly Adventures! I am a huge fan of the idea of having a sequel to The Robots of Death as there is definitely a lot of untapped potential in the Sandminer robots and the societies within which they inhabit. This was a fine job of revisiting them and having the continuity and recap with the aforementioned Fourth Doctor serial was a nice touch. It was important to establish events for the unlikely listeners who may not have had eyes on that famed classic, and it was a helpful reminder for me as I consume so much Doctor Who content that it's easy to forget exactly what happens and when! I liked the Seventh Doctor travelling solo again and it definitely seems like something more is going to happen here. Obviously, this story was released eleven years ago so I know that Liv Chenka goes on to return and have a more prominent role in Big Finish Doctor Who, and this was a fine introduction for her. I liked how she was a med-tech and that seems like a good occupation for a future companion. I'm sure she and the Doctor will get along splendidly when they reunite in the future, but she filled the companion role very nicely here. I really enjoyed the audio representation of the Sandminer Robots as a big part of their success was the striking visuals, but apart from the CD cover art, that is missing here so the voices play a big role in bringing them back to life and creating those images in the listener's heads which was something I thought Nicholas Briggs did a stellar job with. I thought there were a lot of similarities to The Robots of Death with the theme of the robots turning against the humans, and the idea of what happened on that Sandminer being a nightmare was terrific. How could it be possible that the machines built to serve humanity could then turn against them? It seemed like that was happening one again here on Lorelei and with the threat of 157,000 Robots on board, that was quite a lot of danger! Of course, it didn't quite turn out to be that way as we discovered Farel had dressed up as a Robot and was trying to shift the blame onto the Robots on a huge scale that couldn't be covered up like the situation the Fourth Doctor faced. I thought that was terrific knowledge to have post those events, which didn't seem like they were too far in the past from what was happening here. The truth regarding Elicien and this being Farel's deceased wife was a strong emotional turn but the Doctor seemed to have already worked it out. He was very much experienced with robophobia and the reveal that this was what Farel had used to try and justify his wife dying in a sandstorm was awfully harsh, especially as it was the Robots that tried to save her! I really loved that we had SV10 featuring as a follow on from SV7, and also having the Doctor mistaken for Tal Karus worked well with the Robots not being programmed to believe humans could die. Overall, this was a really strong outing and I'm sure it won't be the last of the Sandminer Robots from Big Finish, but it served as a fine introduction and return. 

Rating: 8/10

The Ghost Trap

"The walls were breathing."

Writer: Nick Wallace

Format: Audio

Released: April 2015

Series: Short Trips 5.04

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

Responding to a salvage team's distress call, the Doctor and Leela arrive on a crippled space ship. Its owners, the Hihmakk, are a secretive race of space mariners whose navigation skills make them the envy of the galaxy. The salvage team are long dead, but their last log entires speak of a spectre stalking the ship's halls, picking them off one by one. When the pair become separated, Leela must fight for survival whilst the Doctor seeks to understand the nature of the ghost...

Verdict

The Ghost Trap was a very decent little Short Trips adventure! I enjoyed the eery feel of this story that was set right from the off with the opening line that I immediately loved and took as my quote for the blog. That really set the pace and I was intrigued to hear that this was still very early on for Leela in her travels with the Doctor following her arrival in The Face of Evil. She was fascinated by the slow rhythm of the moving walls and that was also the case for this very listener. Leela catching the scent of death was good and I liked how the Doctor retorted about not every smell being decomposition. The Hihmakk spaceship worked well and I liked how it was an organic makeup, seemingly sharing similarities with the Axos which is a concept I really enjoy and I’m sure would have been expanded upon had there been the time to allow. I did like that we got some background about the Hihmakk and how they were ghostly space mariners. That was a terrific description. The Doctor’s pointing out of the silence at the monument revealing that something was wrong worked nicely and just added to that eery feel. And then we had some bodies found which just furthered that! I liked the idea of the ship’s control point being contained within stringy flesh and that just felt a bit gross which was well in line with the story’s feel. It worked well though to give the Doctor the aim of finding the still active computer and putting things right. The Doctor explaining how an organic computer could be was a nice touch too. Leela being submerged in water injected some action into things and her description of her lungs burning in the water was pretty horrific. I liked how the Doctor assuming there were no more Hihmakk around was a mistake and that led him to feeling that Leela was in serious trouble and that just didn’t sit well. The emergence of the Hihmakk in the form of screaming in extreme pain really shifted gears and they sounded very much in a bad way. This was the sole Hihmakk left behind as the pilot and the pain enduring was gruesome. Louise Jameson did a stellar job with the narration as always, but I can’t help but be slightly disappointed by the lack of a Tom Baker impression for the Fourth Doctor. I felt that would have helped with establishing a genuine feel. The Hihmakk conglomeration equalling an understanding of hyperspace was fun to explore and it provided a decent explanation as to how the pilot survived through the channeling of the interface linked with the ship. Whilst the rest of the crew were destroyed, that link was vital in saving the pilot. Leela toying with a spirit and having it push through the doors was good and I was intrigued that it didn’t actually seem to be following Leela. The prospect of the ship actually growing the Hihmakk rather than the other way around was terrific and I’d have liked if that was expanded upon a little more, but again it fell foul of the short format. The Doctor having pride in the promise Leela was showing was the highlight of the audio for me. That was a really nice touch. The warp shunt leaving the Hihmakk cut in two but leaving a collective consciousness behind must have been torment and it all linked back to it being the spirit or rather a splinter of it. It was essentially a species caught in death. The Doctor guiding Leela through the innards to free the conscience was nicely done and the idea of it representing the last thoughts of the crew was a powerful conclusion. Overall, a good audio!

Rating: 7/10

Out of Time: Wink

"All that don't blink nonsense."

Writer: Lisa McMullin

Format: Audio

Released: June 2022

Series: Out of Time 03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Sixth Doctor

Synopsis

When the Sixth Doctor goes sight-seeing on Lucidus Silvara, he finds himself in a place where nothing is visible at all... only all-encompassing light! The Tenth Doctor is drawn in by a temporal anomaly, and the two Doctors meet a species with no sense of sight, living in a city surrounded by Weeping Angels.

To save a civilisation, the Doctors must keep their eyes on the Angels. Don't blink. Don't even wink...

Verdict

Wink was an outstanding adventure to continue the tremendous Out of Time miniseries of multi-Doctor stories! I do hope we haven't heard the last from this range but this was a quite brilliant meeting between the Tenth and Sixth Doctors! It's a pairing that not many would have wished for or anticipated but right from the off the dialogue between the Doctors is tantalising. I liked how there was no messing around in getting both incarnations together and the moments where they're speaking to each other through the light were fantastic as they inadvertently introduced themselves to each other, both as the Doctor. The Tenth Doctor's reaction to seeing which incarnation he was faced with this time was a lot of fun and the expected comments about the infamous coat were a delight. I liked how at the end it seems the blue coat of Real Time might have been at the suggestion of the Tenth Doctor. That's a nice touch. Of course, as the tremendous episode title might suggest, the Doctors are once again facing the Weeping Angels and I absolutely adored the pomposity of the Sixth Doctor when it came to ridiculing the whole not blinking thing when it came to the Lonely Assassins. Why not simply wink? Of course, that method wasn't quite as foolproof as the Sixth Doctor liked to think which was marvellous, but the brief moment where the Tenth Doctor was stuck for words was something I really enjoyed. The Sixth Doctor didn't take too kindly to the bubbly nature of the Tenth Doctor's effervescent personality, but that was part of the charm of these two incarnations meeting. They're almost polar opposites! I thought the setting of Lucidus Silvara worked tremendously and was the perfect place for a Weeping Angels adventure. What better place than a world where its inhabitants never had, or even needed, sight? The development of the planet and how they'd managed to trap Weeping Angels there with mirrored surfaces was glorious and it all came around full circle in such a clever way. Dax being killed and having his vocal cords animated for communication with the Angels was sublime and I really liked how creepy he sounded. It was the perfect way to incorporate the Angels into the audio format as well. Padila and Estra as the locals on the planet were really great characters and I liked how they reacted to the Doctors being reliant on their sense of sight. Trying to explain it was difficult, but imagining them in having intuit as a sense rather than sight was a little difficult to comprehend! The reveal of the 51 Angels and how that resulted in the difference in regenerations being squared, plus the current ones, was intriguing and the timey-wimey nature of the story came fully into play as it turned out that Padila and Estra would now go on to build their own society! They may even become their own ancestors which was quite something, but mirroring the Angels was the perfect way to see them defeated before the temporal loop came into effect. The goodbye between the Tenth and Sixth Doctors was tremendous and I was surprised to hear the former still refusing to meet his end as The End of Time loomed. Overall, a magnificent audio!

Rating: 10/10

Back to Earth: Auld Lang Syne

"A house like this, it'll reveal its secrets bit by bit."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: May 2022

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 2.03

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

Every December, Mandy Litherland gathers the family at Foulds House to see in the New Year. Not everyone appreciates her efforts. At least the caretaker seems friendly – if a little weird.

Mandy hopes she'll see him again next year – but perhaps she already has...

Verdict

Auld Lang Syne was an excellent audio to conclude the Back to Earth fifth boxset of Ninth Doctor Adventures! I thought this started a little slowly with the family conflict between Bette, Sue and Mandy as we learned a little of each cracker and the latter's desire to travel despite currently being stuck working in a shoe shop. There was immediately companion material there for her and the greeting by the Doctor at Foulds House was nicely done, especially when they weren't expected! The idea of the house only being free one night of the year was intriguing and straight away had me thinking there was more to it. Mandy affording the visit thanks to winning the pools was a lot of fun and she took a fancying of the Doctor almost immediately, not hiding the fact she wanted to check him out. Bette being cautious of the house was great but then it seemed the visit was over as the Doctor invited the family back next year as long as they brought the baton that turned out to be the temporal core. The lady in the house being seen within the walls was terrific and the description of it having no eyes painted quite the picture. Bette recalling her gran singing the ghosts was a haunting line and I liked that she was now feeling that same dread this year around. Mandy hearing the Christmas conversation from the previous year really set the audio rolling as we heard windows and walkways into other times. The Doctor not having used the core yet and his personal interaction with Mindy not essentially being in order was very fun. The offer to come back again next year set in motion a fun chain of events and needed the core to be refuelled. Bette arriving for the third year in succession despite initially refusing last year was good and hinted at her emotional fate. Mandy having researched the house was brilliant and I liked that it had a conflicting history. The Doctor not being there for the third year was an unexpected twist but he did invite them back next year as he was at the end of the story. I thought the subtle way in which Bette's death was incorporated into the audio was very well done and the Doctor being shocked that he missed a year injected some urgency to proceedings. The core was overcharged now. I liked the use of fireworks for artron energy as well as finding out that the house was a time ship that merged with the manor and was distressed causing it to be rewriting history. I think it's clear the house was actually a TARDIS and the New Year was when it was vulnerable during the flux of two years which was fun. Mandy travelling through the doorways and seeing her mother as a child was nice and her kissing the Doctor caught me a little off guard! The ordinary description was amusing though. Finding out that Frank was actually an antibody at the house was something I clocked a few minutes before the reveal but it worked very well. The chameleon circuit was in effect and Sue recalled knowing him as a boy, but not much in between. Mandy getting a window into her past and getting the chance to say goodbye to Bette and question her on hiding the illness was an extremely emotional and powerful moment. The Doctor asking Sue to stay with Frank and cause a temporal stabilisation was great and tied things up quite well. The Doctor actually offering Mandy to come with him surprised me given the implications for Rose, but I must say this would have been a stellar opener for a new companion. The kiss goodbye was a bit of a surprise but I loved how the TARDIS temporal feedback explained the singing ghosts. A lovely touch. Overall, a fantastic audio!

Rating: 9/10

Back to Earth: The False Dimitry

"Who will lead us now?"

Writer: Sarah Grochala

Format: Audio

Released: May 2022

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 2.02

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

Moscow, 1605: the old Tsar is dead – but some blame unnatural forces. Perhaps the mysterious Doctor in the palace can help?

A successor advances on the Kremlin with an army, preparing the country for war. But Tsarevich Dimitry is not what he seems... 

Verdict

The False Dimitry was a very good story to continue along the Back to Earth fifth boxset of adventures for the Ninth Doctor! I must admit that with an umbrella title focusing on our home world, I would prefer if things stayed as pure historicals or present day stories as it doesn't seem to make too much sense to focus on Earth that much if the threat is actually going to be from the other side of the galaxy. That's not to say the episode was bad in the slightest, but more of a marketing opinion really. It started in intriguing fashion here with the Tsar Boris seemingly being murdered by the ghost of Dimitry! That set the atmosphere nicely for what was to come and a pretty dark little tale. Oksana was a fun character and I really enjoyed that the Doctor confronted her whilst she seemed to be in a crazed state after what she had witnessed occur to the ruler of what would become Russia. I enjoyed the character of Sasha as Oksana's son and he believed his mum was mad which was a fun concept! The idea of the false Dimitry attacking was excellent and a really good use of contemporary politics. It was nice that the Doctor didn't ridicule Oksana for what she claimed to have seen and he didn't think it was at all implausible with the readings coming from the TARDIS that had brought him there. Oksana knew that the pretender was indeed fake because she'd nursed Dimitry since he was a baby and would know if they swapped. So when she believed the real article was present I was slightly taken aback! Dimitry killing the Tsar with an energy beam showed us that there was more than just history at hand and something supernatural or extraterrestrial on show. Sasha explained how he was actually Grishka, a monk who disappeared and now seemed to be back pretending to have a claim to being the truthful Tsar. They were novices together which was a nice detail. Oksana seeing the orb within Dimitry's chest was good and I liked the revelation from the Doctor that it was a Smirtnik controlling device. Sasha seeing their ship as a Polish war tower was terrific and I liked how this was essentially a remote invasion where they could use psychic ability and perception to show people what they worst feared being invaded from. Dimitry's announcement that he was to marry the Polish woman Marina in a bid to unite empires was excellent and that really didn't go down well in Moscow as the town soon began to turn on the Tsar. The arrival of the 'Polish' Smirtnik army was terrific action. I enjoyed that there was something of the real Dimitry still inside him as he recognised the icon and briefly remembered being possessed. The Lennistans who controlled the Smirtniks wanted a war to end all wars on Earth and then take the rest of the planet in scraps. The idea of the rest of the world having seen the army as Russians was a great detail as well and would have made for quite the global conflict! It was nice that Grishka got to be the one to save the day but he was unable to save himself, which was a strong emotional conclusion. Overall, a really strong episode! 

Rating: 8/10

Back to Earth: Station to Station

"There's no escape."

Writer: Robert Valentine

Format: Audio

Released: May 2022

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 2.01

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

A deserted railway platform can be the loneliest place on Earth. But when Saffron is stranded at Underbridge station, she meets echoes of the past – and a fellow lost traveller. And the Doctor knows that something is hunting them...

Verdict

Station to Station was an outstanding start to the fifth volume and second series of adventures for the Ninth Doctor! I like the idea of going Back to Earth and having this incarnation of the Doctor there for an extended stay prior to Rose will hopefully help as he deals with the consequences of the Time War. The audio started in eery fashion though with Kate at the station and she seemed to indicate that she couldn't be seen. She was in the clutches of the Grimminy-Grew and couldn't escape from it once she was taken. I liked how there was trouble with the TARDIS and the interaction between the time and space machine and its pilot was a fun way to introduce Christopher Eccleston to the story. There was a voice heard within that was rhyming which was fantastic and I liked that the defences were down. That's always good vulnerability. Saffron entered events in equally eery circumstances as she got off her train for no apparent reason and just felt the need to change whilst on the phone to Erin, who later transpired to be her fiancé. She was lost though and that provided a fun meeting with the Doctor near the tracks. The concept of the psychic paper being scared was fun and I liked that the Doctor thought it was misbehaving. Saffron's phone was on the blink too and there was a link there with communication devices ousted. The Doctor briefly flashing away was intriguing and I liked how it helped Saffron accept the situation she was in. They developed a strong relationship as she filled the companion role for the episode, and the ticket humour about the Doctor not having one and the potential of the barrier eating it was magnificent. The TARDIS having vanished was brilliant and the time contusion seemed to be all around as it was they that had moved rather than what they thought. Finding out that Saffron was on the train to see her parents and tell them she was getting married was good and we soon learned a lot about her family as she revealed her parents wouldn't be accepting of her marrying another woman. Saffron wasn't even sure whys was coming and was trapped between choices which was a tremendous concept in explaining how people got captured. The unseen echoes were perfect for the atmosphere and I liked how there were glimpses of physical interaction. The Doctor and Saffron encountering the station master was great and he helped them to the safety of the ticket hall, but he couldn't even remember his own name which showed the toll taken! The Doctor working out that everything was a trap was terrific and I liked that those captured were slowly being absorbed. The idea of a collection of stolen moments was glorious and I loved that timelines were overlapping with the pain brought by making a choice. Saffron explaining how she didn't understand why Erin loved her if her parents didn't was extremely powerful stuff. The Grimminy-Grew admiring savouring the regrets of its victims was just vicious. The story of the Children of the Sillaroom was great stuff and I liked how they gave birth to five monstrous children before being beaten by the Time Lords, and the last had escaped and seemed to end up here. All of the lost joining together to protect a fading Saffron was just terrific and I really enjoyed the conclusion with the Doctor offering a battle of words to name the monster and ensure it lost its power. The three guesses was a nice touch and the Doctor being named as Lungbarrow, the Oncoming Storm and school nickname Theta Sigma was nicely done. With the Grew gone, it seemed like all would be lost like a breath, but a triumphant finale saw all the moments saved as the trains returned for them to catch and they could Mae their choices all over again after a lifetime of pondering. Saffron choosing to go home and that being where she was loved was a lovely finish. Overall, a tremendous audio adventure! 

Rating: 10/10

Dr Who & the Mechanoids

"We thought this planet was perfect."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Comic Strip

Released: May 2022

Printed in: DWM 578

Featuring: Dr Who, Susan

Synopsis

Trying to conduct an important experiment in TARDIS, Dr Who and Susan are soon accompanied by an unwilling companion as they embark on an encounter with the Mechanoids...

Verdict

Dr Who & the Mechanoids was a glorious comic strip adventure! The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine was very much focused on the two 1960s Doctor Who movies of Dr Who & the Daleks and Daleks' Invasion Earth - 2150 AD and with them having been restored to 4K quality recently ahead of their BluRay release, the magazine focused on them with numerous articles and this quite delightful special one-off comic strip adventure! I have to say that I think the comic strip era of the Thirteenth Doctor has been severely lacking and a large part of that is enforced given the hiatus during the peak of Covid-19 and now what appears to be a permanent reduction down to six pages. Unfortunately, that really isn't a lot of room to tell an extensive story but they managed to do so quite brilliantly with this comic strip! The idea of a special glimpse at what could have been with the Peter Cushing movie version of the Doctor and his young granddaughter Susie takin on the Mechanoids was just magnificent and it's such a fun idea. Having the Mechanoids on the big screen really would have been spectacular so to have them face to face with this iconic version of the Doctor was so much fun. I was really impressed with the artwork and I think the fact the movies were originally in colour really helps as this feels nostalgic and modern at the same time. I don't think it would work as well if we had the Hartnell version of the First Doctor in a shiny comic strip story. But this excels. I thought the dialogue was also marvellous and just the simplicity of the time travelling ship being referred to as TARDIS without a 'the' preceding it has such a profound effect and really makes it feel authentic as part of that 1960s era. It was nice for the Mechaniod sequences to feel like how they were presented in The Chase and this definitely was partly how I would imagine them being adapted for that unmade third Dalek movie. It's a shame that never got made as it would have been so much fun to see if the Mechanoid appearance was altered at all from how they were tackled on screen. I thought the artwork for their design in the comic here was tremendous. I liked the addition of Vince and how he became an unwilling traveller in the TARDIS and almost as a new companion I imagine should there be any continuation from this. The plot was always going to be a pretty simple one given that there were only six pages to play with, but having logic play a big part in a Mechanoid adventure was a nice touch. The colonists were clearly troubled by the hostilities that they had been deemed to have displayed towards the Mechanoids, but Dr Who was on hand to help! Just hearing him referred, and responding to, Dr Who feels so wrong and out of place but just added to the brilliance of the comic strip. It was so good in capturing those movies that are such a quirky piece of Doctor Who history. Susan being on hand to feed the Mechanoids the correct codes to show that they were friends was great, and I enjoyed the humour at the end with Vince. Overall, a delightful comic strip! 

Rating: 9/19

Ascension

"The Lady President is a prisoner of the Daleks!"

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: October 2013

Series: Gallifrey 6.03

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, , K9, Narvin

Synopsis

Gallifrey rises...

Romana's sacrifice sees Gallifrey restored to its former glory, but at a terrible cost.

As the Time Lords begin to reclaim their stronghold, Leela and Narvin find themselves trapped in a decaying reality... and only K9 can help them.

As old friends fight to reunite, new threats lie in wait...

Because Braxiatel was right: war is coming.

Verdict

Ascension was a brilliant adventure to conclude the sixth series of Gallifrey! This episode really did feel like it had something of a conclusion to the entire range about it and whilst I know that this is not the end, it really did tie up a lot of what has happened over these six series. It has been a humongous adventure and story arc but at long last we have Romana, Leela and Narvin firmly back home on Gallifrey and now the threat of the dogma virus has also been destroyed. There really was a lot that happened here and I thought it was amusing that we initially saw Romana once again being ushered in as Lord President of Gallifrey against her will. I'm glad she wasn't bothered about taking that position again and the series was in danger of repeating itself, but thankfully that direction wasn't fully taken. The return of Matthias was intriguing and it was a stark reminder of just how much has happened on the true Gallifrey since Romana's departure. The way to deal with the dogma virus being forced quarantine obviously wouldn't go down too well but that was what Matthias had enacted, but now Romana was back and everyone was quick to try and usher her in! They saw it as a sign and that was just good. The return of K9 to the series was most welcomed and he ended up being really useful for the overall resolution. Leela's reaction to being reunited with her old robot dog was lovely and I thought she had a strong showing in this finale. I really liked the political nature of Gallifrey and how it was presented here, especially with the vulnerability of no President being sworn in. Vulnerability was taken to a new level though when the method of treating the dogma virus once and for all was initiated in the form of restoring Gallifrey from a data backup. That idea felt a bit like it was cheating, but when it turned out to be a Dalek plot right from the very start and it was they who released the dogma virus I thought it was excellent. I really loved that idea and it did well in selling the conflict between the Daleks and the Time Lords as we head towards the Time War. It all added up well. Having the Time Lords all in comas as they awaited the data reset was the perfect time for the Daleks to emerge and try and takeover a helpless and defenceless Gallifrey. At long last, they would have the planet as part of their empire. They were ruthless towards Slyne who was their agent and didn't do too well at hiding it, and that was the Daleks at their best, offering promises and worlds they never intended on giving. Trey was much different in this episode as she realised that she was just a construct, but the message to the real Romana came in handy thanks to some K9 interpretation when he knew all about the future Romana and how she was a Matrix construct. The use of a Romana avatar to trap all of the Daleks was excellent and I loved the moments where Narvin seemed to initiate the instructions given to the Doctor in Genesis of the Daleks. That brought a lot of things full circle and really highlighted the issues between Daleks and Time Lords. I also thought it was intriguing that Narvin wanted Romana on Gallifrey and didn't think things would advance well without her. Unlike previous series, I'm not sure where the series direction will move from here and that's absolutely fine as we got a lot of answers and loose ends tied up after a very long but brilliant story arc. Overall, a fitting finale!

Rating: 9/10

Renaissance

"I've come to save the future."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: October 2013

Series: Gallifrey 6.02

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, Narvin

Synopsis

Gallifrey lies...

Returning to her original homeworld, Romana finds Gallifrey to be cold and empty... the corridors of the Capitol lie silent and the wastelands are populated only by a handful of primitive monsters.

Her only hope lies with the appearance of a strange young woman: a woman with a masterplan so devious it makes Romana's own masterplans look decidedly not-devious-at-all...

How far would Romana go to save her world? Would she risk the Web of Time? And who is the mysterious stranger watching from the shadows...?

Verdict

Renaissance was another strong episode to continue the sixth series of Gallifrey! I thought this followed on from Extermination nicely and finally saw our Gallifreyan lead trio of Romana, Leela and Narvin return home to the correct Gallifrey after quite a lengthy absence. It does seem quite some time since they all stepped foot on the true version of the planet of the Time Lords and it was great to have them back. A lot seemed to have changed as there weren't very many other Time Lords present, but one that did intercept Romana's transmat beam was of particular interest. Lady Trey served as a fascinating future incarnation of Romana which was brilliant and a fine idea as it does indeed seem that the Time War is looming. If that is the war that she referred to in coming back from the future to try and avert, then I do question how she managed to escape the time lock, but there still remain unanswered questions so I won't fully comment on that just yet. It was clear that this version of Romana was going to be a little more than she seemed as she did have that aura in her personality of not given the whole truth, but I thought there was enough of the Romana that we knew there to also keep listeners confident that she was acting for good. Narvin having issues with Romana doing a deal with her future self was fantastic and provided some good tension between the pair, and the very idea of Romana borrowing a Gallifrey from the future was terrific. I liked how the intentions were to smash down the Web of Time and essentially restart to ensure that Trey wasn't the last of her kind, even if that was a position Leela understood. The conversation between Leela and Trey regarding friendship was poignant and it was also nice that the noble savage now considered Gallifrey her home. The mystery of the stranger lurking in the shadows was very good and I liked how it was both Leela and Narvin that witnessed the figure on different occasions. Leela actually conversing with the figure without getting an audible reply back was intriguing and I do hope we get some more answers regarding that in the finale. The subtle and slow way in which the manipulation of Trey developed was magnificent as we heard Narvin inaugurating her as President before his own version of Romana was forced into exile. The fact she was going along with it all despite not really understanding why was good, and the instincts of Leela being what swayed her into accepting something was off was marvellous. For a moment, I thought we were on track for an entire new spinoff with Romana and Leela as they looked to embark on adventures in a Type-40 TARDIS which would have been fine with me! Romana recounting her own version of the famous farewell speech from the Doctor in The Dalek Invasion of Earth was sublime and another shining moment for Lalla Ward. The ending was fast paced and full of action that led us to quite the cliffhanger with our version of Romana seemingly regenerating next to the Eye of Harmony, something that would cause the destruction of Gallifrey as we knew it! Leela earlier prompting Romana into admitting that in Trey she only saw future death was excellent, and maybe now is when she will regenerate into that incarnation! Overall, a fine audio adventure. 

Rating: 8/10

Extermination

"Gallifrey shall fall to the might of the Daleks!"

Writer: Scott Handcock

Format: Audio

Released: October 2013

Series: Gallifrey 6.01

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, Narvin

Synopsis

Gallifrey fights...

Having infiltrated the Axis, the Daleks have secured access to a myriad alternative realities and, with them, countless Gallifreys... every one with secrets to be plundered. 

As her new world falls to the might of the Dalek invasion force, Romana finds herself struggling to keep her friends alive as the Capitol collapses around her.

Against all odds, there may be a way out – back to the Axis and, potentially, back home. But desperate times call for desperate measures and, ultimately, sacrifices...

Verdict

Extermination was a very strong start to the sixth series of Gallifrey! I was really excited by this one given the cliffhanger at the end of Arbitration and the arrival of the Daleks to the Gallifrey spinoff, and having them in the design familiar to the modern era of Doctor Who is brilliant. The implication that these events are shortly prior to the Time War is fantastic and I really like to think that this could be something along the lines of a precursor to those terrible events. Now, the end of this episode had the feeling that the Daleks would only be featuring in this opener which I hope isn't the case but if it is the case then their intentions here were very powerful. The idea of the Daleks not being content with just conquering one universe was fascinating and the potential of them conquering the multiverse was magnificent and I do hope that mission isn't finished here. There's so much potential there. I enjoyed the way the episode opened with the little monologues from each of Romana, Leela and Narvin about their experience and thoughts with the Daleks, which might suggest that there is an end in sight for them from the Axis after they seem to have finally got back home to their Gallifrey. Romana had an emotional episode here as she was clearly homesick no and just wanted to get back and see her own sky. Her speech regarding the Daleks was outstanding as well and really was a shining moment for Lalla Ward. I thought it was so impressive and really sold the threat of the Daleks and how sickened she was by their presence. The references to The Apocalypse Element were wonderful and I really liked playing on the idea of Romana being Dalek property. That was far from the case now. Leela recounting her own Dalek experience from Energy of the Daleks was lovely continuation, whereas this was Narvin's first experience and hearing him compare the records to the real article was great stuff. The continuity from the more recent Gallifrey series was good and I love the idea of being on an alternate Gallifrey where technology is not advanced much at all. There's a vulnerability there, but Romana still cared about this version as was clear by the fact she faked her death in the Dalek battle and closed the portal behind her in the hope that her ministers would get that version on the right track and perform in her image of politics. That was a nice touch and the recorded message was an excellent way to go about it. I thought it was fun to use the weakness of the Dalek eyestalk against them and Leela goading the Supreme Controller was a fitting end. Slyne was another good character here and it was nice to have a Welsh accent on this version of Gallifrey! Leela showing that she was really missing K9 was nice as well and I do hope we get to hear him return in the series at some point. Reinforcing the vulnerability of Narvin and his lack of regenerations was good and makes me think that he may not make it past the end of this series. There's an added threat there which isn't always present with Time Lords. However, following the return through the Axis that sets things up nicely for the return to Gallifrey and tackling the dogma virus once and for all. Overall, a terrific audio to kick off the series! 

Rating: 9/10

Goodbye Piccadilly

"All good art should speak to people."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: June 2018

Series: Torchwood Monthly 22

Featuring: Andy, Norton

Synopsis

Sgt Andy Davidson wakes up in the 1950s. He's changed to a bed, his clothes are missing and the building's on fire. Norton Folgate needs his help.

The streets of Soho are swarming with gangsters, rumours and betrayals. Somewhere out there is a mysterious alien artefact, and Andy and Norton have to get to it first. Because tonight they're going to save Torchwood.

Verdict

Goodbye Piccadilly was another fun adventure to continue along the monthly releases of Torchwood from Big Finish! This was a refreshing visit to the 1950s and Torchwood Soho as Andy and Norton Folgate were reunited for another intriguing romp. I thought the pace of this one was frantic and that really helped with the story being told, there was no messing around in the slightest. The immediate arrival of Andy saw him possessed with an alien key inside his mind just from looking at a piece of alien artwork. It was so obviously a ploy of Norton and his charismatic personality really does do well in shielding where his true interests and allegiances lie. He's a difficult character to read and that makes him exciting. His relationship with Andy here was marvellous and built well upon what was established in Ghost Machine with Folgate coming to the 2010s in a ghostly form, whereas here Andy had physically manifested himself in the 1950s. Getting a glimpse of this branch of Torchwood was brilliant and I also thought it was important to raise the difficulties of being gay at this point in time in history. It was a totally different world to what Andy was used to with the societal progress and for men to have sexual relations together, they could only really do so in dirty toilets and secret brothels with some of the police even on the pay roll. I enjoyed the meeting with Alejandro and the fact that both Andy and Norton were naked was quite the image! Norton clearly had some feelings towards the man and whilst his attempts to retrieve the alien message from Andy's head went in vain, there was definitely something more going on. Fat Kim, a quite deplorable name for a character by the way, served as a fun enemy for Norton to run away from and the moment at the end where she revealed she had been following them and wanted Andy because of what was in his head was very good. I would have perhaps liked more of the Vicar in this story given his role as Norton's boss and I'd be intrigued to learn more about the makeup of Torchwood here. Andy feigning as Norton's assessor was great stuff though and I imagine I'd get more of what I wanted in the Soho spinoff boxset. I thought the mysterious nature of the brothel and the alien dancer was good and the idea of it performing an alien sex show whilst others pleasured themselves really was quite something. This is where the adult nature of Torchwood really does shine and allows a little more realism, as that is definitely something that would happen in reality. I thought the pace of the conclusion in getting the key and message out of Andy's head was terrific and matched the feel and atmosphere of the audio as a whole which was important. Andy not getting the chance to question Norton about the true details of the circumstances he endured and whether it was his plan all along was fun, and leaves things open for more meetings in the future between the pair. That's definitely something I'd be on board with! Overall, a really strong audio! 

Rating: 8/10

The Death of the Daleks

"You wiped out their entire race."

Writer: George Mann

Format: Audio

Released: April 2022

Series: Companion Chronicles: Second Doctor 3.01

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie

Synopsis

There is a creature loose on the war-torn planet of Tersimmon. It has just destroyed an entire race, and following its arrival, others are dying too. Only one person will defend this killer, this murderer, this destroyer: because Jamie McCrimmon knows the Doctor isn't himself...

Verdict

The Death of the Daleks was an outstanding start to the third volume of Companion Chronicles for the Second Doctor! This release was obviously delayed considerably throughout the Covid-19 pandemic restriction but this is certainly better late than never! This started incredibly strongly and served as a wonderful sequel to The Evil of the Daleks. I enjoyed how it seemed to take place directly after the events of that serial and the Doctor was seriously contemplating his actions which was admirable. Jamie didn't seem to understand given what the Daleks were and all they stood for, but the Doctor was not one to being referred to as a destroyer. That didn't sit well with him, and Jamie was able to assess that the Doctor just hadn't been himself since events on Skaro. It was certainly an intriguing representation of the Second Doctor here and Frazer Hines performed the role admirably, as is usually the case. I thought the setting of Tersimmon worked well and the initial reaction to seeing the scorched remains of somebody and all indications pointing towards Dalek presence was great from the Doctor and Jamie. The companion didn't seem too impressed to be encountering them again after supposedly seeing their final destruction which was very good. I was intrigued that Victoria was simply made to stay behind in the TARDIS after everything she had witnessed, but I do think she would have been a little out of place in this particular adventure. Jamie standing on a land mine was a brilliant moment that was immediately full of tension, and I liked the emergence of the other characters in coming to save him. I enjoyed the format of the Chronicle with Jamie answering questions and being tested on if it was the truth. Anya was a really strong character and I must admit that I didn't see it coming when she was revealed as the culprit responsible for the deaths on the planet. The idea and image of a Dalek grim reaper was superb and I love the concept of it going around time and space after Dalek conflicts and wiping up the mess. That's terrific, and its retort when weakness was mentioned about being the supreme beings was glorious. I liked how it initially seemed that the Doctor might be going slightly crazy with his interactions with the Dalek phantom, but it was just out of phase and you could hear he was getting through to people when it came to hearing that Dalek voice in the wind. It was there, just out of sync. It sounded creepy as well. This story was all about reflection and the timing was fantastic in allowing the Doctor to almost try and reason with Anya for her actions and try to explain that what she had done wasn't right. That was despite the actions of the Daleks. I thought everything tied up neatly in the end and we ended up with a really poignant Dalek tale and exploration of the Doctor's actions, perhaps explaining that famous moment of contemplation and hesitation in Genesis of the Daleks. Overall, a sublime audio adventure!

Rating: 10/10

Free Comic Book Day 2022

"We're not just gonna let you kidnap our toys."

Writer: Jody Houser

Format: Comic Strip

Released: April 2022

Series: Origins #0

Featuring: Fugitive Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. A long time ago, they stole a TARDIS in a bid to explore the universe in complete freedom When near death, Time Lords have the ability to regenerate, forming a new body and personality quirks. Recently, the Doctor discovered they had lived through an unknown number of regenerations which had been wiped from their memory. This is the story of one of those forgotten lives, known as the Fugitive Doctor...

Verdict

The untitled adventure comprising the Free Comic Book Day 2022 instalment from Doctor Who Comic was a really nice teaser of what is to come from Titan this year in their comic strip adventures. I think it's really good and just exciting to be exploring more from the Fugitive Doctor now and that seems to indicate to me that her last appearance on screen would have come during the Flux Series 13 of Doctor Who. I don't envisage that Chris Chibnall and company would have given permission to allow this incarnation to be explored further if they weren't done with her, and that's also the case with the Fugitive Doctor Adventures to come at some point in the future from Big Finish. I have already pre-ordered all four issues of the upcoming Origins adventures from Titan for the Fugitive Doctor, and this was a fine little start for this incarnation in the comic strip format. She made quite the entrance here to the private club house and that wasn't initially welcomed because she was clearly over the age of thirteen. That amused me and I must say I wasn't expecting the first interaction for the Fugitive Doctor acting as part of the Division to be with some children. The 1962 setting was good and the interaction from some teenagers with the Doctor was amusingly intriguing. The fact that we had monsters and aliens threatening to strip the Earth bare and just hiding out as teddies was a little strange, but the name of the lead being Monstario the Devourer was fantastic. I thought that was such a good name so I found it a little silly to be the name of essentially an animated teddy, but it did go down the line of being so silly it was good. The children enjoying the Doctor quickly was a nice turn of face and it was a lovely touch that they actually offered her to be part of their club in the end, after serious group discussions of course and a bypass of the age limit. She wasn't able to accept, but she did appreciate the help in literally bagging Monstario and his gang. That all happened very suddenly and really eliminated any seriousness of the threat of the gang despite what they claimed they'd do, but I liked how Monstario acknowledged the Doctor as a Division agent and that seemed to carry a lot of weight. I liked the ending with the children sadly just missing the departure of the TARDIS and missing out on the spaceship, but the one year later sequence was really nice. I think it's fantastic that we got to see the moment the First Doctor and Susan arrived on Earth prior to the events of An Unearthly Child, and the Doctor having a good feeling about Earth was wonderful. He was here for a little hiding from prying eyes and it was a place where Susan could continue her studies. I'm interested to see if this means the First Doctor and Susan will play any part in the upcoming Origins series, as if they're not then I'm quite stumped as to the reason for their appearance here! Regardless, it was a nice touch and when this whole story was presented for free I can't have too many complaints. Overall, a really nice little adventure to tease an upcoming series I am very excited for.

Rating: 7/10

The Vardan Invasion of Mirth

"What use is one half of a double act?"

Writers: Paul Morris & Ian Atkins

Format: Audio

Released: September 2019

Series: Companion Chronicles: First Doctor 3.03

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven

Synopsis

The Doctor and Steven think they've arrived in London 1956, but the TARDIS disagrees. When both the Doctor and his craft are lost, it's down to Steven to solve a mystery that holds his fate in its grasp. With the help of comic Teddy Baxter, Steven's going to have to find a way into Television...

Verdict

The Vardan Invasion of Mirth was a great and unique adventure to continue my way through the third volume of Companion Chronicles for the First Doctor! This time around we had the Doctor travelling with Steven and I believe there's a lot of potential for these two as a travelling duo. The mentions of them being a comedy double act was terrific and that often does end up being the case, albeit inadvertently. I thought the arrival of the TARDIS was very interesting as all visual displays indicated an arrival on Earth, but the console readings disagreed with there being no gravity or even atmosphere outside, something that had never occurred in Earth's history. Steven departing the TARDIS and arriving in front of an audience was terrific and he was really put off by the fact that the police box behind him was nothing more than a wooden box. That really was terrific and I loved his frustration of being in 1956 and seeing a number of the police boxes in trying to find the Doctor. However, the Doctor was not around and was only able to communicate through a television which was a brilliant visual. The comment to Steven about finally working out how to turn the volume up was glorious. The mystery of Teddy Baxter was decent and him literally being a key to police boxes was amusing, and the whole when is a door not a door thing pointing towards the TARDIS was very good. The continuity here with The Idiot's Lantern was marvellous as Steven tried selling a Magpie tele-wave given then 1950s setting. Steven being from the future was utilised well here with him not quite understanding the contemporary comedy and he was quick to learn from Teddy which was good to hear. He ended up as quite the accompaniment of the double act, but we soon injected some emotion as Teddy described how his old partner Stan disappeared in front of him when he thought he'd discovered a moon of Saturn. Stan having said that he thought he was being watched by it was eery and that led Teddy to have to convince himself that his partner had run away. The reveal of the titular Vardans came a little late given they're in the title, but Steven acknowledging them was a nice throwback to The First Wave and he was fearful of their ability to travel on any wavelength. Seeing into the future on a probability wavelength and that now becoming established history was nicely done as I'm a sucker for a paradox. I didn't think much of the cliffhanger and concerns on Manchester, but Steven then encountering everybody as a comedian was a fun moment. It was all a bit alien to him given the era being presented! The Vardans having a Mediasphere and the Doctor being trapped there was brilliant and that was just the perfect name for this enemy. The Doctor arriving to get the upper hand was perhaps a little disservice to Steven given he was the focus of the entire story, as he should have been given the range, but I was kind of hoping he would be the one to free the Doctor. Regardless, the cheekiness in which the First Doctor emerged made for a fun ending! Overall, a great listen!

Rating: 8/10

Rat Trap

"Everywhere I go I seem to be looking at plague."

Writer: Tony Lee

Format: Audio

Released: May 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 148

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

1983: as the country goes to the polls, two 'Urban Explorers', together with a freelance journalist, break into the long-defunct Cadogan Tunnels, once a secret wartime facility... and later, so rumour has it, the site of an experimental laboratory with a nasty sideline in vivisection.

What they find, in its twisting underground corridors, is something the most cynical conspiracy theorist could never have imagined: a highly-evolved society of questing, intelligent creatures, living right under humanity's nose for decades.

But there's no way out of the tunnels – as the Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough are about to discover when the TARDIS brings them, too, into the complex. It's a rat trap – and they've all been caught! 

Verdict

Rat Trap was another brilliant story to conclude this trilogy of Monthly Adventures for the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough! I was a little sceptical going into this one because I am really not a fan of rats in the slightest, a shiver is sent through me whenever I see one on the walking trail I embark on every morning, so the cover of this one didn't appeal if I'm honest! But thankfully, we got a quite excellent story. I was intrigued at the start with Nyssa wanting to get back home with the virus cure and Turlough was still a little despondent after events of Kiss of Death which was understandable. That presented an intriguing dynamic in the TARDIS, but the Doctor couldn't deliver them to the age of chivalry and ended up in the tunnels where Operation Daylight was concocted which was fun. The dead body with wounds seemingly by a dog was an early illustration of what the titular rats would be like, and going underneath Cadogan Castle was fantastic. It was a tremendous setting. Nyssa wanting to experiment on the big rat found was good and it seemed that it had already been physically experimented with and had a bigger brain than your average rat. The tunnels being sold to English Heritage was amusing and that had led Harris and his men to investigate to ensure all was in order, but three of his men were missing within twenty-four hours which suggested not. The ability of the rats to read thoughts was scary but I enjoyed that the Doctor had a block on his mind keeping them out. The tunnel going into lockdown was really well done and I liked that it was supposed to be a bunker for the Prime Minister and other top ranking politicians. That was good and coupled well with it being Election Day. Harris getting attacked by a man that was also part-rat was a disturbing image and his letting off the grenade in a tunnel made for a strong cliffhanger. I thought the guest cast in this one were very strong with the likes of Andrews, Sally and Matthew really strong characters. Caitlin believing the TARDIS to be an unmapped part of the tunnels was very amusing. The presence of a rat king was good and I was horrified by the image of rat tails joining to link consciousness and communicate. The tunnel lockdown providing the threat of air running out was excellent and I was a big fan of Nyssa communicating with scientist 27 in rat form. He wanted to save the humans despite a history of experimentation on his species which was admirable, but he was arguing that it was okay for them to have also returned the favour and augmented the scientists. His questioning to Nyssa about wondering if the Master deserved the same treatment for all he put on her family was tremendous. The rats using the Mara in Tegan's mind against her was great but I loved that she used it against them later on to scare them in a strong way. Having rat visitors in the TARDIS was decent and I liked how the tunnel was the basis of the a plague pit from the sixteenth century. That plague was now mutated and it seemed that it could be used in germ warfare which was a frightening thought. The emergence of Wallace as the creator of these intelligent rats was interesting and he made for a strong and emotional character. Caitlin turning out to be his daughter was a lovely moment and it was sad that she had to contemplate losing him so soon after getting him back. The rat attack cliffhanger was amusing given the resolution of the Doctor's dog whistle bluff. I thought the reveal of the experiment purpose being to create rats as spies in the Cold War was superb and something I could definitely see happening. Andrews and Sally being on the side of the rats was a brilliant revelation and it was fun that her ankle was never sprained, she just wanted to slow Turlough down and keep the rats close. She was the one who let them in the TARDIS, and the small charge cliffhanger was great along with Turlough not revealing that it wouldn't work amidst the TARDIS temporal grace. The Doctor calling all the rats to their location was good stuff and the regression of the hive mind with the P punishment from Nyssa worked very well indeed. Wallace set off to take out the king and the tunnel was gone as the TARDIS escaped for a very neat ending! Overall, a brilliant audio! 

Rating: 9/10

Kiss of Death

"Let's bring these riches into the light."

Writer: Stephen Cole

Format: Audio

Released: May 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 147

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

The TARDIS travellers take a break on the beach world of Vektris. Hot sun, cold drinks and all the time in the worlds. What could possibly go wrong?

A kidnapping, a spaceship heist and a desperate chase to a distant galaxy later, Turlough finds himself in a strange winter palace... along with a face from his past. The Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa, meanwhile, fight to escape its frozen catacombs, guarded over by a vast and deadly alien, The Morass. 

But what connects Turlough to the ancient treasure hidden somewhere in the palace? And how far will he go to acquire it?

Verdict

Kiss of Death was another excellent story to continue this Monthly Adventures trilogy for the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough! I liked that after events of Heroes of Sontar, the quartet were holidaying on Vektris and the TARDIS was also having issues that required dimensional reformatting. Turlough not wanting to leave the TARDIS was intriguing and getting to learn about the Trion ploy at hand in using Turlough's childhood sweetheart Deela against him was excellent. That really set the basis and it wasn't long before he was captured by Kanch and Hoss who were working at the command of Rennol and the trio made quite the batch of enemies. Turlough was sedated whilst the public onlooking considered him drunk which was amusing, and it was nice that Deela tried to warn him off despite being hostage. The ship take off and reaching warp speed was great and I liked the threat of the back blast to the Doctor and company but they escaped in another ship and were quickly on the trail. Rennol knowing of the Turlough/Deela bubble was good and I thought it was slightly strange that he needed their kiss, but that was the key to a treasure vault after some adaptation from Turlough in the past to key their DNA to opening it. Hearing of Turlough's history was brilliant and I liked how he had a shaky relationship with Leela's father and with the pair being of the same clan, it seemed his relationship with Deela led to exile. The moment where Nyssa fell beneath the ice should have been the first cliffhanger and I liked how low gravity saved her. The history of Turlough's great-grandfather as a smuggler was terrific, as was the emergence of the Morass and essentially showing their absorption in the catacombs with cryogenics. I really enjoyed the catacomb setting and the cryogenic element added to the eery feel. The ice being used to communicate was terrific as well. Turlough trying to take the treasure for himself and Deela was admirable and he seemed to be hiding the truth of the way in. There was another circuit siphoning power from the lock because the kiss didn't initially work. Ice boiling out of the Morass was quite the description and Tegan's threat of the gravity beam was a comical moment, before the absorption cliffhanger changing directions quickly. The Morass being described as mortal clay was outstanding and I liked that the Doctor's blood was boiling around his wound which really put him out of action! The Morass speaking in the Doctor's head was great too and I enjoyed the security system getting active and having replicas attacking Hoss and co before Rennol cut ties after feigning not hearing them on the communicator. He always intended on cutting them out of the treasure anyway, but the cliffhanger to part three revealing that Deela and Rennol were together was sublime! I didn't see that coming. Turlough finding out the truth was an emotional moment with Nyssa alongside him, and they were to be married but she just seemed to be apologising after not wanting to wait too long for her dowry. The Morass being there to protect the treasure was a good basis and I loved the Junction of Worlds as a descriptor. The kiss finally working after the circuits were put in order was good and I liked that the Doctor and Tegan were below with Hoss to disrupt the feed with Leela's comms unit. The treasure being revealed and in a pulverised state really hurt Rennol but it was nice that Turlough and Leela's bubble was untouched. The bones being that of Turlough's great-grandfather was very good and it seemed that the Morass had destroyed them. The fact that Turlough and Deela were the treasure was magnificent and the aim to get off world and cause the Morass to become defunct was logical, but Rennol went another way and shot Deela dead after a taunt which was full of emotion! Turlough was devastated, and it was nice to keep continuity with Planet of Fire and not have the Doctor attain the Trion knowledge presented here. Overall, a brilliant adventure!

Rating: 9/10