The Ripple Effect

"What possible excuse can you have for attacking a defenceless Dalek?"

Writer: Malorie Blackman

Format: Novella

Released: November 2014

Series: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories: 07

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis 

The TARDIS lands on Skaro, homeworld of fhe Daleks. The Seventh Doctor and Ace are shocked to discover that the Daleks have become a force for good, and their once battle-torn planet is now a universal centre of learning. But how long can peace last?

Verdict

The Ripple Effect was yet another excellent little novella from this quite brilliant 12 Doctors, 12 Stories collection! With the exception of Tip of the Tongue, this story continues the trend of all stories scoring at least 9/10 as my rating which is obviously a phenomenal standard and I'm so glad that's it continued just as well after the Fifth Doctor was the unfortunate incarnation to get the blip in quality. Seeing as these stories were intended to celebrate the 50th anniversary, which actually seems quite a while ago now, it's only right that the Daleks appeared in at least one of the adventures. The Master has been in two and now I do hope the Cybermen get an appearance before I finish the collection. I highly doubt they'd appear in quite the same way the Daleks did her though. Something had gone desperately wrong with the universe, the Doctor could feel it. Well, it wasn't just that. There was the small matter of the Daleks being considered good, Skaro being a universal centre of learning and that they performed emergency surgery on a Time Lord! Things were obviously incredibly imbalanced. Ace wasn't too great in this story sadly and I just don't think I'll ever get to like her as a companion. She was characterised very well here though I must say. I wasn't too fond of her challenging that the Doctor couldn't change things just because he was a Time Lord. However, I was firmly on his side in thinking that alone gave him more than enough right! If even the Time Lords didn't know things had gone seriously wrong then the universe was in great danger and only the Doctor could do anything about it. Seeing the climax foreshadowed in the early parts of the story with Ace seeing another police box in the Plexus was very good but to me that was the only slight problem with the story and the reason it doesn't score full marks - it was a tad predictable which was a shame. I'd worked out almost immediately that it was the Doctor making the star go supernova that set the chains in motion allowing the Daleks to become a centre of good. The Doctor not allowing his greatest enemies to flourish was absolutely right in my opinion. After all the atrocities he's seen them commit, why should he allow them attention? I thought that after Remembrance of the Daleks, which was neatly referenced, Ace would understand that but she just sympathised with the Daleks! How ridiculous is that? These were capable of anything and she seemed on their side. Similarly to The Evil of the Daleks, we had Daleks with names! Though, they weren't injected with the Human Factor. Tulana was a good character and I really liked how she got along with Ace splendidly. I'd like to believe that it was her and not the Daleks that made her so adamant in not wanting to revert the universe to normality. The Doctor's attempt to convert the TARDIS into a Vortiscope were intriguing though the description of the console room sounded quite typical of what I'd imagine the Seventh Doctor doing! He of course would save the universe and once he prevented the star from going nova, he intentionally went to Skaro to see if the Daleks were their normal hating selves! And they were. So that meant the universe was saved. Ironic, huh? Overall, a superb little story. 

Rating: 9/10

 

Night of the Humans

"They've developed an entire culture based around the scraps of what survived the crash. Old a Westerns... a cartoon clown..." 

Writer: David Llewelyn 

Format: Novel

Released: April 2010

Series: NSA 38

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis 

"This is the Gyre - the most hostile environment in the galaxy."

250,00 years' worth of junk floating in deep space, home to the shipwrecked Sittuun, the carnivorous Sollags, and worsr of all - the Humans. 

The Doctor and Amy arrive on this terrifying world in the middle of an all-out frontier war between Sittuun and Humans, and the countdown has already started. There's a comet in the sky, and it's on a collision course with the Gyre... 

When the Doctor is kidnapped, it's up to Amy and 'galaxy-famous swashbuckler' Dirk Slipstream to save the day.

But who is Slipstream, exactly? And what is he really doing here?

Verdict 

Night of the Humans was a very good read and another solid outing for the Eleventh Doctor and Amy in their early tenure during the novels. This had a much darker feel than Apollo 23 and it was intriguing that for quite a large proportion of the book, it was Humans who were the enemies! The Doctor has faced all sorts during his many lives from Zygons and Sontarans to Macra and Nimon, but I bet he never felt he'd come against Humans in the quite the way they were presented here. The Humans weren't at all like you and I, partly because this story was set some 250,000 years into the future. Amy reminiscing of being so far from home was fantastic and there's absolutely no disputing that this story is set prior to The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone due to the wedding dress references, so she's still getting used to hopping around space and time in a police box with her raggedy man. The references to The Eleventh Hour and The Beast Below were brilliant and I loved how Amy still couldn't quite believe she'd been on a spaceship in her nightie. The characterisation of Amy here was very good and I loved how she questioned the Doctor calling her 'Pond'. The characterisation of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor was an improvement from the last novel in my opinion but that may be down to me getting used to transferring this incarnation into prose. The traits were definitely there from what we seen on screen during the early episodes of Series 5. The Gyre was an interesting setting and the story behind the Sittuun crashing during their mission was quite an eventful one! They'd been here 108 days and on the day the comet was set to blow the flat planetoid into smithereens, causing disaster for the nearby planets, things got very interesting. The Doctor and Amy arrived and they had quite an eventful start to things with them being separated right away. Charlie and Amy got along splendidly and their goodbye was magnificent! The alien wanted to ask Amy on a date. How sweet. The comment about eyebrows being wigs for your eyes was hilarious I must say. Jamal was a great character too and I liked how he just couldn't leave without his son. He was the one that had gotten him the job and he wouldn't be leaving without him. Slipstream was an interesting villain and I liked how he lured the Doctor in. However, I'm not a fan of characters that have had eventful past meetings with the Doctor that we don't know about! Had we read the original meeting and then this story, Slipstream's arrival would've been a great shock factor moment. He was cunning and only concerned with Mymon Key, an object so incredibly powerful that you could literally control the universe. It could even be used to travel through black holes. The power was immense, but it belonged to the Gyre. The moment the Doctor knew Slipstream hadn't departed with the key was wonderful. The story behind the culture of the human descendants of those who survived the original crash centuries ago was most intriguing. A whole culture had been built around Westerns. I couldn't think of anything worse to be honest! I absolutely despise Western films (it's no secret why The Gunfighters is my worst rated TV story ever) so a whole culture based around them would be horrendous. The Chamber of Stories depicting soundless old films was intriguing but to me this showcased just how ridiculous religion is. I firmlly think its fact that religion nowadays, all of it, developed similarly to what was presented here. As silly as Gobo the clown was here, I think it's just as credible as a man dying on the cross and then being resurrected in a cave. It's just rubbish. And you can't just make a walkway in the sea. It's beyond ridiculous, as were some of the policies of Django and co here. But credit to them, even when the Doctor fixed the projector and showed the onlookers that the 'Olden Ones' were actually speaking quite differently to what was being said, they stood by their belief. They couldn't accept what they considered heresy. The Doctor pleaded with them to get off the Gyre but they wouldn't listen. There was nothing he could and the Doctor was devastated. Having the countdown of the Nanobomb definitely helped the pace of things and added believability to the danger. The Sollags were depicted as quite awful creatures and it was pretty obvious Slipstream stood no chance once he chased after the key in the swamps. He was devoured. The Nanobomb was always going to go off and once it did the description of the way it just gorged through the Gyre in an instant was quite chilling. The Doctor couldn't watch but Amy couldn't help herself from looking. The references to Revenge of the Cybermen, The Christmas Invasion and Utopia were very good! The Humans perished but what a unique culture of them. I kind of imagined them as being a cross between the Tribe of Gum and the Futurekind. Not the best of combinations! Despite everything that had happened and the lives he couldn't save, I thought it was a lovely touch that the Doctor said he was okay because Amy was okay. A nice point to end the novel on, which overall was really good! 

Rating: 8/10

Planet of the Dead

"I don't usually do Easter. I can never find it."

Writers: Russell T Davies & Gareth Roberts

Format: TV

Broadcast: 11th April 2009

Series: 2009 Easter Special

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis 

When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Tenth Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets and time is running out as the deadly Swarm gets closer...

Verdict 

Planet of the Dead was a very good episode to have as the first ever Easter Special! It's quite a ludicrous event to have a Doctor Who special for but I'll take any excuse! The Doctor referencing that he could never find Easter seemed a nice subtle way of explaining why this was the first ever Easter Special and I liked him saying that it's always changing. There's a huge reason right there for me being an Atheist and thinking religion is just a load of rubbish. Supposedly Jesus died on the Friday and rose on the Sunday (yep, of course he did). If that's so then how can it change every year? Christmas doesn't so why should Easter? Anyway, back to the episode following the Easter reference shenanigans. We had quite the expertly planned robbery at the International Gallery, police chasing a bus and then the bus just disappearing! Why the police didn't just pull the bus over I'm not sure. I'm also not entirely convinced as to why the Doctor got on the bus but they were the major qualms I had with the episode really. The Doctor and Christina got along marvellously and there was definitely the chemistry of a Doctor and companion there but it just wasn't going to work when he found out she was a criminal. Michelle Ryan played the role wonderfully and she looked incredible whilst doing so. She wanted to see the stars for the thrill of it but after the Doctor's hurt in losing Donna it seemed like he was adamant in having no more companions. I wonder what Gabby did to convince him to change his mind! She does seem the smart choice in all fairness. The damage sustained to the bus in passing through the wormhole looked realistic and I liked how it acted as the shell for protecting people. The bus driver didn't quite have the same luck in returning back to Earth. All that returned was the burnt crisp of his skeleton. The Tritavores were an interesting species although as with the Hath in The Doctor's Daughter, I'm not a fan of not being able to understand what the species is saying. Fair play to David Tennant though in speaking the language! How he kept a straight face in delivering that scene is testament to what a good actor he is! Those on the bus who came through to San Helios were a mixed bunch I thought. Carmen and Lou were a sweet couple and I loved the psychic ability of the former. She would of course foresee the events of The End of Time at the end of the episode and continue what was said in Planet of the Ood. The Doctor's song was ending. Nathan and Barclay didn't really offer too much other than a story of where they were going on the bus, of which become locked in sand and ran out of petrol. Now that's a challenge for the Doctor! He just seemed to embrace it though as the great man would. The Titravore's ship anti-grav crystal and clamps would be the way to get home. The Doctor promised everyone he would get them home and he duly obliged. Malcolm was the star of the episode in my opinion with Lee Evans playing him magically well. The Robot reference was just wonderful and I loved their chemistry. The new best friends. I think it was a real missed opportunity not to have him meet the Eleventh Doctor! I think Matt Smith and Lee Evans would have been astounding together. Tennant was great in his own right though. The Doctor allowing Christina to escape going to jail was a nice compromise for not letting her become companion. But I maintain what she said - they'd have been great together! I think she'd have made a fine companion and offered a lot. She'd always find herself in trouble. Overall though, a very solid episode. The storm actually being a swarm of destructive Stingrays was excellent. 

Rating: 8/10

The Next Doctor

"I'm the Doctor! Simply the Doctor! The one, the only and the best."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 25th December 2008

Series: 2008 Christmas Special

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis 

Christmas 1851. The Cybermen stalk Victorian London and the Tenth Doctor discovers a spate of mysterious deaths, and he's surprised to meet another Doctor! Are two Doctors enough to stop the rise of the CyberKing?

Verdict 

The Next Doctor is a magnificent episode and it certainly makes a superb Christmas special! This is how a Christmas special should be done as opposed to Last Christmas, a story I didn't enjoy all that much because it was too heavily linked to Christmas. I get that with it being broadcast on Christmas Day there's a theme that needs to be included but having Santa Claus actually appear as a character was strange. Here, the Christmas element was perfect. The story just took place on Christmas Eve. Simple and effective. We had the snow and Christmas dinners and that's all you need. It worked well in The Christmas Invasion and The Runaway Bride and it went down very well here too. With the Daleks having returned twice since the epic series two finale Army of Ghosts/Doomsday, it's only right that the Cybermen were now back for revenge! The continuity from Doomsday was good but the only quarrel I really have with this story is that the Cybermen were stealing technology from the Daleks. That made them look a bit weak in my opinion and in Doctor Who there was always that age-old question of who was better - the Daleks or the Cybermen? I think it's clear RTD wanted us to think it was the Daleks! However, I thought the Cybermen were back to their best here and I just loved the ruthlessness of them attending the funeral and causing quite a few more in the process! It was intriguing why the Cybermen were after children but just the fact they wanted them, for whatever purpose, made them scary enough! The Victorian setting of 1851 was fantastic and having Cybermen in that period was superb. We've had Daleks in the past so why not the Cybermen? As the title suggests, the Tenth Doctor appeared to not be the only incarnation making an appearance in this episode. It seemed we were meeting a future incarnation of the Doctor which would have been phenomenal. However that didn't turn out to be the case and a brilliant story was told in its place. The Tenth Doctor really did seem concerned that what he thought was his future self couldn't remember what he used to look like. David Morrisey had the perfect look for the Doctor and had he not appeared in this story he'd have made an incredible incarnation following David Tennant or Matt Smith. The scene where the pair were dragged up a building by the Cybershade and almost plummeted to their death if it wasn't for Rosita was absolutely brilliant. Their reactions were just marvellous. The Doctor working out that who he thought was his future self was actually Jackson Lake was quite emotional but some of the traits he had in thinking he was the Doctor were quite brilliant. A non-sonic sonic screwdriver and a hot air balloon for the TARDIS! The acronym for the TARDIS was quite hilarious I must say. Mercy Hartigan was a wonderful villainess and her association with the Cybermen was very intriguing. There was no sign of conversion but she was sided with them. I really liked the idea of a CyberKing, even if the person on the throne was a woman, and it seemed like the Doctor had encountered one before. He knew all about it and I do hope that a past meeting is depicted in some form! The Time War perhaps? Now that would be something I'd like to see. The references to Doomsday, Blink and Journey's End were excellently included and I also adored the scene with the fob watch. Jackson slowly remembering that the Cybermen killed his wife and captured his son was emotional turmoil. The Doctor saving him though during the evacuation was superb! I loved how the Doctor made the balloon TARDIS fly in order to take on the CyberKing and send it flying into the vortex to disintegrate. But would it really be destroyed? A return is certainly left open which I think is good. It was lovely that, just this once, the Doctor was thanked for saving the world. He almost seemed embarrassed! He even stayed for Christmas dinner after showing Jackson the nonsense of the TARDIS. A magnificent friendship that really shone through in this magical Christmas Special. 

Rating: 9/10

Health & Safety

"Tyrannosaurus Rex - fearsome predator, but a brain the size of an egg."

Writer: Christopher Cooper

Format: Comic Strip

Released: August 2009

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 2010

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis 

A faulty Magnetron Drive on a crashed spaceship causes the TARDIS and another vessel to crash-land on Earth in the time of the dinosaurs. The Tenth Doctor must team up with the alien survivors to get past dinosaurs and an officious security hologram to disable the drive.

Verdict 

Health & Safety was not the best comic strip story in the world by any stretch of imagination. I'm not sure why I put myself through the torment of the revival comic strip stories that appear in Doctor Who Annuals. I criticise them nearly every time I blog about them due to their short length, poor artwork and lettering and childish audience. I don't understand why they can't give us a proper comic strip story that appears in Doctor Who Magazine, like they used to in the Classic era Annuals. I'm lucky enough to own the 1980 Annual and that was just superb! Terror on Xaboi was a fantastic comic strip story and the detailed text stories that accompanied it made the Annual a wonderful read. It obviously holds a huge nostalgic value in my collection given that it was released 16 years before I was born, but it set the blueprint for me on what newer Annuals should be like. With the DWM team pretty much taking over Doctor Who Adventures, I really do hope that they're also given the responsibility of producing the 2016 Annual which will be released in the coming months now. Less of the stupid youth audience, make it like DWM! Fit for all. 2010 did not succeed with that sadly. The Vortex Code filled me with hope that this would actually be a consistently good comic strip Annual but it just wasn't to be. A Cretaceous period setting with a title such as this just doesn't seem to equate. The dinosaurs that featured barely looked threatening despite their actions and seeing as these Annuals are only released once a year (it's in the name!), surely some better artwork could go into the comic strips! This should be a yearly treat but it's not turning out to be like that at all. The characterisation of the Tenth Doctor was decent in the story though and I actually did like how he got along with Flish and Amyt. Their situation was similar to the Doctor's in that a gravitational strain was bringing ships to the ground. I just don't understand why there was no reference to their ship being around in what is considered behind ancient History! These Annuals can be so frustrating on times because there are good ideas there but they just don't have the platform to be done effectively with just six pages and poor artwork and lettering. The text really is just plucked from Microsoft Word which doesn't give it a good feeling at all. It's a bit lazy really and just makes the whole story look quite tacky. The point in continuity in which this story takes place I now like to think of shining with Gabby in the Doctor Who Comic. The Tenth Doctor has had some fantastic adventures with her already after meeting her in Revolutions of Terror. They then had a terrific tale in The Arts in Space and The Weeping Angels of Mons looks set to be absolutely incredible! That's how you fill the gap where there's no televised stories with the loning Doctor. Not the rubbish on display here. Well, that's a bit harsh as the story did have highlights in that the Doctor was on an automated call centre during the time dinosaurs roamed the Earth. It's something quite ironic! The crashed ship looked quite impressive but the dinosaurs just did not. The Emitter Drone was quite humorous with the Doctor in the obvious highlight but the resolution and lack of clearing things up could have been better. Overall, not the best but it had its moments to secure an extremely generous rating. 

Rating: 6/10

Spirits of the Jungle Part 1

"One is never alone in the jungle..."

Writer: Jonathan Morris 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 23rd July 2015

Printed in: DWM 489

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

The Doctor and Clara get caught up in the hunt for the Hadax Ura, an enigmatic superweapon which has an enormous reward for being found. But as Clara gets lost in the jungle, are the dead returning to life?

Verdict 

Spirits of the Jungle was a pretty decent opener to the brand new comic strip adventure in the latest Doctor Who Magazine! Again, I'm a little late reading as I usually like to read the comic strip on release day but due to being away that was put on hold for a couple of days. This seems to be a very good issue of DWM with an interview with one of my favourite Doctor's - Colin Baker! It's going to be interesting to see what he has to say about his Doctor finally getting a regeneration story, though I'm intrigued to see how the writers will tie it in with the beginning of Time and the Rani. But that's for another day and a much later blog entry. I've read Steven Moffat's column which was one of the barmiest ever with him envisaging how a conversation would go down between him and his ten year old self! There's also a wonderful preview of the audios from Big Finish next year with River Song, Churchill, Weeping Angels, Judoon, Sycorax and modern-era Sontarans all making their audio debuts! It's going to be quite a year on the audio front. We've also got the survey results in this issue of DWM which I'm really intrigued to see after voting quite a while back. Thanks to this issue I only noticed that the Series 9 trailer has a 1960s era Dalek sneaking into shot! A return to the Asylum perhaps? A Malcolm Hulke feature should be good and I'm looking forward to the Coming Soon section as there's a lot to look forward to! Relative Dimensions is always a favourite of mine with the whacky Jacqueline Rayner and Galaxy Forum is always a great read. It looks set to be the best DWM in quite a while! But let's talk about the comic strip and although there's still a long way to go, I haven't got a great feel about where this is going. It was a solid opening part but I'm not sure about throwing the Doctor and Clara straight into action and then having 'earlier' and 'even earlier' recaps. The latter seemed a bit comedic to include. The story behind the Hadax Ura seems to be a good one and it certainly sparked quite the action packed opening! Clara though got lost in the jungle as she went below the canopy. I definitely felt that this comic strip had a post Series 8 feel, which is brilliant as this story should conclude during Season 8, with the Doctor and Clara getting along nicely. That's something I expect to see on television starting in September. The characterisation of the Twelfth Doctor was superb, as it has been ever since his comic strip debut in The Eye of Torment, but again I'm not sure they're getting Clara quite right. Jacqueline Rayner was somewhere close in Blood and Ice but I think they've gone further away again now. The artwork wasn't as great as past stories of the Twelfth Doctor comic era in my opinion which was quite surprising. The Doctor appearing at the door of Clara's classroom was typical of this incarnation though which I liked. The Doctor showing how much he cares about Clara in saying that his assistance would be voided if they didn't find her was magnificent. I'm not too sure about the cliffhanger to be honest. I thought I'd ridded myself of bloody Danny Pink. Just die! He surprisingly appeared in Last Christmas, which didn't thrill me, and now he's showing up here. To be honest, it didn't look very much like him though so I remain skeptical. I'm also convinced that the two words that convinced the Doctor to go on this venture were definitely not 'jet pack'. I'll be disappointed if that's the case! But overall, this story always had a hard act to follow and this wasn't too bad so I hope things fasten and improve in the future parts to come. 

Doctor Who and the Leisure Hive

"As a result of the war you waged, you made your own planet inhabitable for your own race. Yet at the same time you transformed your enemies into the only biological heirs to your own world."

Writer: David Fisher

Format: Novel

Released: July 1982

Series: Target 39

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II

Synopsis 

The Leisure Hive on the planet Argolis is an entertainment centre for the galactic travellers. At the heart of the Hive is the Tachyon Recreation Generator, a machine with a most extraordinary performance capability and vital to the continued existence of the Argolin after their devastating war with the reptilian Foamasi...

While visiting the Hive, the Doctor and Romana are sucked into a whirlpool of treachery and deceit, and are eventually arrested on suspicion of murder...

Verdict 

Doctor Who and the Leisure Hive was an excellent little read on my usual train journey home from mid-Wales and it was actually quite a significant story from my perspective! Why was it significant? It was my unique choice to have as my 500th blog entry! I can't believe I've reached the big 500 landmark in less than two years. I never imagined that would occur when I started on the back of the fiftieth anniversary celebrations. Since the very first blog which was An Unearthly Child, the entries have increased and I love reminiscing on my thoughts of stories I've watched, read or listened to. It's something I cherish and will be looking back on for years to come. As I'm set to go off to university in two months, I think it'll be nearly impossible for the next 500 to be blogged as quickly but you never know! I've surged through the First and Second Doctor eras on TV, I'm now up to the fortieth Big Finish Main Range audio as well as blogging countless Companion Chronicles, Lost Stories, Fourth Doctor Adventures and the first series of Dalek Empire. The amount of novels blogged hasn't been up to what I would hope for but lately I'm trying to see my reading increase as I have so much to get through! The Targets haven't been too bad though. 500 entries and I've still got a ridiculous amount of yet to be blogged stories just in my house, let alone on the retail shelves! It's been an incredible ride and here's to the next 500! But back to the novel at hand and this was a really good read. I really enjoyed the style of David Fisher in presenting this story in prose and I think he did a stellar job in the characterisation of the TARDIS team, particularly Romana II who I think is my all time favourite companion. Lalla Ward is just absolutely wonderful and I could read the words as if she was saying them in this story. The relationship she had with the Fourth Doctor was quite extraordinary and it was presented in novelised format here very well. I liked how with the novel we got to learn a lot more about the history of Argolis that may not have come across from the televised story in quite as much detail. The story of the war between the Argolin and Foamasi was very good and I found it quite shocking that despite the historic bloodshed between the two races, they hadn't actually ever come face to face! Something doesn't seem to add up with that fact. How is it even possible? The ageing process of an Argolin was quite rightly kept secret as it seemed a horrendous way to die! For most of your life it would appear that you wouldn't age but then suddenly in barely the space of a day you would age rapidly about fifty or sixty years! I quite liked the humorous reference to the Doctor and Romana being overdue on Gallifrey following her accompanying him on the task to find the Key to Time. I found it intriguing that the Doctor was still on the lookout for the Black Guardian. He needn't worry yet but it wouldn't be too long before their paths would cross again. Mena was a really great chairwoman and I thought her relationship with Hardin was very interesting throughout. The ending where he was carrying her nearly dead body into the generator room was quite emotional. What happened to the Doctor in there though sent Romana into an emotional mess! The Doctor was a withered old man. So much older than what his first incarnation appeared to be. He was on the brink of death. I do question why regeneration wasn't mentioned - surely it would be an easy resolution if the Doctor truly was on his last legs? He fixed the problem though but I still would've preferred it to be acknowledged. Pangol was a good character and I liked how he was immediately skeptical of how the Doctor knew so much about tachyonics. The murder mystery wasn't as pivotal as the synopsis might make out but it certainly prevented the Doctor with problems! The revelation surrounding Brock certainly wasn't expected but I thought it very interesting. It seemed like a slight anti-climax though considering this was the first meeting between the two species. I did enjoy the climax though with it being nicely paced. Overall, a very good read to mark number 500! 

Rating: 8/10

Something Borrowed

"Can you even imagine a lifetime shackled to that woman?"

Writer: Richelle Mead

Format: Novella

Released: November 2014

Series: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories: 06

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis 

The Doctor and Peri attend a wedding on the planet Koturia and discover the return of a formidable old foe, whose genius matches the Doctor's. Can he outwit this villain, save Peri and stop the wedding in time?

Verdict 

Something Borrowed was an absolutely superb novella from the 12 Doctors, 12 Stories collection and it might just be the best from the set so far! However, The Nameless City and The Spear of Destiny might have something to say about that. In saying that, The Roots of Evil can also be thrown into the hat when discussing which is best from the collection. We've had the Master featured in two novellas,  the Fourth Doctor facing the consequences of the Eleventh Doctor's actions and we've had the First Doctor lose his hand! To add to the collection, of which I've now reached the halfway point, we now get an encounter with the Rani! Before even reading I just felt by looking at Richelle Mead that I would enjoy her story. I seem to really like female writers when it comes to prose and she didn't disappoint at all. I'd love to see what she is capable of in a full length novel! I think she'd be sublime. The pace of the story was magnificent and I just loved some of the ideas. I mean, we had an alien civilisation based on Las Vegas! How incredible is that? A wonderful idea. But where weddings in the gambling capital are considered tacky and associated with a bit too much to drink, weddings on Koturia were considered quite the showcase. Peri's reaction to seeing the civilisation based upon a city she's visited in her homeland was wonderful. Speaking of Peri, I loved the style from Mead in having this story narrated by the companion. It was an interesting concept and not one I've seen done before from a main character. I despised the narration in The Blood Cell but that wasn't a main character. During this little read it was lovely to see things from Peri's point of view and if there's going to be narration from a main character, I think it's right that it's the companion and definitely right for it to appear in a story format like this. I'm not convinced Richelle would have gotten away with it in a feature length novel, though I wouldn't be against seeing her give it a go! The references to The Twin Dilemma and The Mark of the Rani were very good, with the latter story definitely expected to be mentioned. The Rani instantly recognised Peri and she knew that also meant the Doctor was with her. Her thoughts on the appearance of the Sixth Doctor's current incarnation was brilliant and I just loved the audacity of the Doctor says he keeps on improving with regeneration! I thought that was terrifically typical of this incarnation of the Doctor. This story had a strong feel of being in Season 22, a favourite of mine despite its criticism, so I really liked the relationship between the Doctor and Peri. They're just magnificent together. Wira was a good character and I liked the story of her unrequited love with Jonos. Once it was discovered that the Ranj was actually his bride to be, the ending was nicely predictable. The Doctor visiting to catch up with his old friend Evris was nice and I liked the regeneration reference. It seemed the Doctor had changed his appearance since their last meeting. The plan of the Rani was extremely intriguing in that she was hoping to control regeneration and hope that it wouldn't be random. I'm sure the Master would have joined if he found out that one of his future selves would be female, though I think Missy is rather pleased with herself once the regeneration has commenced. The wedding ceremony was quite unique with the intriguing Process to occur to Jonos. Due to the love and with the help of the exclusive stones, Jonos would completely change his appearance and would even have some level of control in choosing his appearance. However, as the Rani didn't love Jonos back, the transformation circuit allowing the process to take place was not complete and Jonos stayed in the form he was. The Rani admitted her defeat and the Doctor cleverly threatened her with the crystal containing all of her research, which had actually been erased, to get what he wanted. However, the Rani escaped in her TARDIS which was disguised in the cathedral and the Doctor seemed to have a very Attack of the Cybermen feel in longing for a chameleon circuit. Overall though, a marvellous little read! This collection has been fantastic in the first half and long may it continue! 

Rating: 9/10

The Name of the Doctor

"Here I am, late to my own funeral. Glad you could make it."

Writer: Steven Moffat 

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 18th May 2013

Series: 7.13

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara, River

Synopsis 

A prophecy is coming true. The Doctor is summoned to Trenzalore where it was said he would fall. But what does the alleged site of his final battle have to do with the mystery of Clara? Can the Paternoster Gang help him avoid his apparent destiny? 

Verdict 

The Name of the Doctor is just outstanding. It's as simple as that. It holds my favourite ever scene in Doctor Who history prior to the opening credits hitting with the truth about Clara being revealed. She really is the impossible girl. We see her close by nearly every past incarnation of the Doctor at different points in his timeline and we even see her standing there and talking to the First Doctor the day he left Gallifrey with Susan. It's quite incredible to think that. Throw this in with Listen and Clara being under the Doctor's bed when he was child and she's rather been an important character in his life! So, why the random rewatch? After watching Silver Nemesis a few weeks ago with my seven year old cousin, who I have definitely now converted into a fully fledged whovian, he requested me to bring a Seventh Doctor story with the Daleks, which of course would be Remembrance of the Daleks which we did watch (check Wednesday's blog entry), and the Whispermen. I tend to try to lean towards him watching stories I haven't yet blogged (I've seen every story ever so it won't be new for me) but how could I deny him his first a Eleventh Doctor story being arguably his greatest when he alone is the Doctor. He wanted to see the Whispermen on screen due to getting a look at them in Doctor Who Adventures and thanks to that the next requests have been stories to feature the Zygons, and after getting a glance of the Kandyman in my copy of DWM, he now wants to see The Happiness Patrol because he seems to just be loving the Seventh Doctor. His wish is my command but I'll have to purchase the DVD first! He seemed quite surprised that River Song was the Doctor's wife and although this is probably a hard story to gain a first impression on an incarnation of the Doctor, he seemed to quite enjoy Matt Smith. I think with the post-revival Doctors it'll take more than one episode for him to take a shining to that incarnation. But I'm just glad we're getting through them! Just the first five and the eighth incarnations to go now for him. Well, and the War Doctor after getting a sneak preview of him in this story. I just remember watching this story on broadcast, after a heartbreaking Playoff Final defeat for my beloved football club, and I was just left gobsmacked by just about everything this story offered! The opening which I adore. The Doctor leaving Gallifrey (in a faulty TARDIS of course). The Great Intelligence was back for the third time in less than two years and this time he entered the Doctor's timestream and reversed every victory and befriended every friend the Doctor ever made. Now that would be quite the catastrophe! It'd be like Turn Left but on a ridiculously larger scale. The Paternoster Gang were back and my cousin, as I expected, found Strax hilarious. He has of course seen them before in his first ever story, Deep Breath, but the humour here increased his liking of the character. The episode was filled with an abundance of past story references with The Wedding of River Song, The Snowmen, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead and Asylum of the Daleks all getting credible mentions. The Doctor being cold blood soaked was something you wouldn't expect but after references to Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and The Christmas Invasion, could you really argue? The scene where Clara recalls the events of Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS was quite emotional and set things up ready for the sacrifice Clara would make later in the episode. The Bells of Saint John and The Caves of Androzani also getting mentions was brilliant. The Doctor was dying throughout history. Oh, did I mention that in this episode the Doctor visited his grave? The one place he should never ever go. But with the life of his friends at risk, of course he'd go. The moment with River where they kiss is incredibly emotional and I do hope that the spoilers moment is one day referred back to with the Twelfth Doctor and Clara, even if it's not televised. Clara seeing all the faces of the Doctor makes her quite unprecedented when it comes to companions! There was one face she didn't recognise though. The War Doctor. His arrival had me jaw dropped for six bloody months before The Day of the Doctor was broadcast! My cousin recognised him which I was a little surprised by. Clara defeating the Great Intelligence across time was great and after watching this I think I appreciate Blood and Ice a whole lot more! Overall, it's one of the best ever. But this was purely so my cousin could get his taste of the Whispermen, and I have no complaints. He enjoyed. I enjoyed. 

Rating: 10/10

Remembrance of the Daleks

"You can always judge a man by the quality of his enemies."

Writer: Ben Aaronovitch 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 5th-26th October 1988

Season: 25.01

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis 

London 1963. The First Doctor is forced to leave Earth, after two teachers from his granddaughter's school discover the TARDIS, disguised as a police box, sitting in a junkyard...

London 1963. The Seventh Doctor returns - with new companion Ace in tow and with unfinished business.

Not for the first time, unusual events are unfolding at Coal Hill School and at Totters Lane junkyard. The Doctor discovers his oldest foes - the Daleks - are on the trail of hidden Time Lord technology. Technology that he himself left behind on Earth all those years ago. The Daleks are planning to perfect their own time-travel capability, in order to unleash themselves across all of time and space. Can the Doctor - with the help of the local military - stop the Daleks stealing the Gallifreyan secrets? Or are things much more complicated?

Two opposing Dalek factions meet in an explosive confrontation, with the fate of the entire universe at stake...

Verdict 

Remembrance of the Daleks is a truly remarkable story and it's definitely right that this kicks off the landmark 25th anniversary season! It's quite fitting that 25 years on from when it all began, we have a story that features the Daleks, the greatest enemies in Doctor Who history, and a return to 1963! This was my third time watching the story (and I'm looking very forward to reading the novelisation) but this was probably my best experience as I watched with my now seven year old cousin (he's growing so fast!) who requested that I bring this story to watch because of his love of the Seventh Doctor from our last watch of Silver Nemesis. He really loved this story and why wouldn't he? It's brilliant. We've got two Dalek factions, continuing on excellently from Revelation of the Daleks, in the Imperial and Renegade factions. The Davros loyalists and the Emperor follows. It's a great concept! The story of the Hand of Omega was astounding and I like how we have a small idea of what the First Doctor was doing prior to An Unearthly Child. The blind vicar who helped bury the casket housing the Hand of Omega was magnificent with him referencing the Doctor's voice seemed to be quite different. The collection of the casket was also terrific with the reference to the thought description of the Doctor being an older bloke with white hair. I didn't bother trying to explain this to my cousin, who is yet to watch a First Doctor story (I think I'll keep things colourised for now as he seemed to question some of the effects in this story). This being Ace's first adventure is the only thing I dislike about this story (well, it's a criticism at the character rather than the story so the rating is absolutely unaffected). I just can't get to liking her no matter how many times I do a story with her in. I thought that might change in the audios after The Fearmonger but that sadly didn't materialise. It's no secret why this story prompted the creation of a brand new audio spinoff in Counter Measures. I've been put off doing that series as it's been nearly three years since I last watched this story and I must say I couldn't remember much about the characters at all. I must say though I thought the team was fantastic. Rachel was wonderful and I really liked her confidence and immediate hitting off with the Doctor after he just stepped into the van. Allison was also magnificent and I really think she could step up in the audios and take the lead. Mike was an interesting character and his relationship with Ace seemed good at first until his true intentions were revealed as being in connection with Ratcliffe. Group Captain Gilmore was also very good but he was nowhere near up to scratch as the Brigadier in leading an army based group of people. Thankfully combined with the other team members they made the quite the team. There was an abundance of past Dalek story references with The Daleks, The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Death to the Daleks and Genesis of the Daleks all getting a mention. But it was the references to The Web of Fear and Terror of the Zygons that I loved the most with the Doctor admiring how human beings cover up the incredible happenings that occur in history. Of course Ace wouldn't know about them. I enjoyed the Coal Hill setting and I really liked that my cousin picked up on it being the place where Clara works as an English teacher. The action packed scenes were fantastic and it really made this a memorable story! Daleks were blowing up everywhere! The spaceship landing was eventful and I just loved the look on my cousin's face when Davros revealed himself to be present. I purposely told him that he wasn't featuring in this story after he asked just to get that reaction and it was magical. He found the voices quite humorous which was nice to see. The plot throughout was excellent and this story really is superb. The climax was great with the Doctor sending the Hand of Omega straight into Skaro's sun vaporising the planet. Both Dalek factions were obliterated and the Doctor was quite smug about it which I thought was fantastic. He should be. He was ridded of his deadliest enemies, for now at least. Davros appeared to escape but he'd be gone for a while. Twenty years to be precise on television. This wasn't a bad one to finish on in the Classic era! Overall, a sublime story. My cousin gave the same rating as me and it appears that the Seventh Doctor is his favourite. Hmm, I'll have to try and change that. 

Rating: 10/10

Forever Autumn

"Theirs was a lullaby that promised terrible nightmares rather than sweet dreams."

Writer: Mark Morris 

Format: Novel

Released: September 2007

Series: NSA 16

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis 

It is almost Halloween in the sleepy New England town of Blackwood Falls. Leaves litter lawns and sidewalks, paper skeletons hang in windows, and carved pumpkins leer from front porches. 

The Doctor and Martha soon discover that something long-dormant has awoken, and this will be no ordinary Halloween. What is the secret of the ancient tree and the book discovered tangled in its roots? What rises from the churchyard at night, sealing the lips of the only witness? Why are the harmless trappings of Halloween suddenly taking on a creepy new life of their own?

As nightmarish creatures prowl the streets, the Doctor and Martha must battle to prevent both the townspeople and themselves from suffering a grisly fate...

Verdict 

Forever Autumn was another excellent novel to feature the Tenth Doctor and Martha! I'm really loving this TARDIS pairing in prose lately after starting off their novel tenure together with the brilliant Sting of the Zygons. The high quality continued in The Last Dodo and Wooden Heart and it just increased here with this fantasy adventure. Present day America was an interesting setting and I liked how for once the Doctor didn't decide the location of the story - it was the TARDIS that picked up an ancient power splurge. The Doctor's curiosity must have been off the charts almost immediately! As this novel showed us, he definitely has itchy teeth. The time of year being Halloween was just perfect for this story. A story full of spooks and ancient dark magic (or as the Doctor kept reminding us just a different form of science) had to be set during Halloween. The costumes and decorations provided some scary moments that's for sure! We had a clown costume trying to kill its wearer, deadly rubber bats and a live cardboard skeleton! The abilities of the Hervoken were intriguing to say the least! They could seemingly animate just about everything. I found it very interesting that after a reference to The Shakespeare Code we found out they had quite the eventful history with the Carrionites! I loved how the Doctor loved Martha's dubbing of it being the 'Witchy Wars'. Speaking of past story references, this novel was full of them! We had a nice reference to Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel with the Doctor excitedly talking about Mickey and his parallel universe counterpart Ricky! We also had Martha recall Smith and Jones, Gridlock and Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks when she thought this was the adventure that the Doctor finally lost. The Doctor also mentioned The Idiot's Lantern when reacting to Mr Clayton losing his mouth, comparing it to the Wire stealing whole faces! There were also nice little references to The Lazarus Experiment, The Infinite Quest and Wooden Heart which just added to the continuity, which I love. The plot itself was great and I liked the young trio of Rick, Thad and Scott. Their digging up of the Necris was good and I loved the concept surrounding the ancient relic. It was a kind of fleshy book. It seemed to be able to engage trances and it was as good as indestructible. The description of Herkoven was quite disturbing as they shouldn't have been sturdy going by what was said. A large head with a horrifyingly thin body. The fact the tree was actually the peak of their spaceship wasn't expected but I really enjoyed how it was spilling psychic energy into the area. That's why the town was created in the first place with the tree as the centre point. Blackwood Falls. A lovely name. The characterisation of the Doctor and Martha was excellent and having read the first four novels to feature them together in relatively quick succession, it's intriguing to see how different authors write the characters. Take Jacqueline Rayner for example, a favourite writer of mine having penned greats such as The Transit of Venus and Blood and Ice, she presents Martha as a fun, joyous character in her novel but here Martha has confidence and although it's mentioned that she hasn't been travelling with the Doctor for long, having children accompany them as allies allows Martha to use her experience in alien combat. I can't imagine the look on my mother's face though if I brought a girl as beautiful as her home as a 12 year old, considering she'd be 10-15 years older than me! The Pirelli family had some quite humorous moments I must admit. Chris was a good character too and I loved how he frightened his younger brother and his friends just when they didn't need it after digging up the Necris. The green mist that descended upon the town added to the mystery and eery feel of the story beautifully. It was Halloween after all. The pace of the book flowed very well and reading the first two thirds on the train was a breeze. Once arriving at my grandparents the final third seemed to whizz by too and I couldn't put the book down which is obviously a very good sign. The climax was good and I loved the cleverness of the Doctor, even though I'd pretty much worked out what he'd done. He used the Necris to blow up the spaceship and ensure Blackwood Falls was safe. But he surprisingly didn't seem too happy about it. Martha noted that the Doctor seemed only to see the bad that follows him. He should realise though the incredible good he does. He eliminated the threat here with brilliance and saved the lives of many, including Etta who he had a wonderful relationship with. Overall, another magnificent novel with this excellent prose pairing!

Rating: 9/10

Tip of the Tongue

"How can you punish anyone for the truth?"

Writer: Patrick Ness

Format: Novella 

Released: November 2014

Series: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories: 05

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis 

There's a strange new craze for Truth Tellers, which is sweeping through the kids of small-town America. While the Doctor and Nyssa investigate the phenomenon, they discover the truth about the Truth Tellers is far more sinister than anyone could ever have imagined...

Verdict 

Tip of the Tongue was a pretty decent little read but I think the reason it is comfortably the worst novella from 12 Doctor, 12 Stories thus far is due to the lack of appearance from the Doctor and Nyssa. It almost seemed to me like the fact the writer was having to write for Doctor Who was an inconvenience. Don't get me wrong, the story was good but at times it just didn't feel like a Doctor Who story. For the first two thirds the Doctor and Nyssa barely featured and they were only actually named nearer to the end of the story. Although, once they were prominent I thought their characterisation was very good, particularly Nyssa. The description of her was wonderful. This seems to be set very shortly after the finish of Season 19 with the Doctor referencing two recent companion losses of Adric, who died in Earthshock, and Tegan, who went home in Time-Flight though not through a choice of her own! She would of course rejoin the TARDIS team in Arc of Infinity. This story is slotted in what has become a huge gap between those two stories thanks to the Big Finish audios and I was quite surprised that the Doctor asked Johnny and Nettie to become his companions. It was quite the shock I must say as I'm not convinced the Doctor liked having quite the crowd travelling with him! Maybe he thought two school kids would be easier to control and handle than Adric and Tegan. I can actually see that working but I still didn't expect to get a companion offer in this little novella. The format of the book was very intriguing with no chapters and it just flowing constantly for 60 pages. I'm not sure that was a good thing. Chapters, even in stories as short as this, help things flow and advance the story so I think they should have featured here. The 1945 setting in USA was very good and I liked the numerous references to the Second World War. Johnny having a German surname and being a Jew wouldn't hold him in high regard that's for sure! I found it quite funny that his surname translated as staples though I must admit. The story behind that was quite humorous. The 'Truth Tellers', or Veritans as they were actually known, we're certainly an interesting species though not one I don't think I'd intend on buying. Everywhere you go they just blurted out the truth about anyone you encountered. I don't think I'd like that very much at all. Annabelle using one in school resulting in her suspension was interesting and I loved her comment which I immediately chose as my opening quote. Johnny having an obvious crush on Marisa was nice but I liked the way the story headed in a typical love story direction with Johnny eventually falling for Nettie, though the ending regarding that was left a little ambiguous which I liked. The Acklin house blowing up in unfamiliar circumstances was good. Nyssa's explanation was a brilliant analogy as well. I really liked her in this story but I just wished she featured more! That was the problem I felt. The Dipthodat being xenophobic was good but I don't think they were quite on the scale of the Daleks! The climax was good with Veritans being freed from slavery but overall, I just wish the Doctor and Nyssa featured more prominently. 

Rating: 7/10

Bang-Bang-a-Boom!

"If we don't stop him it's Bang-Bang-a-Boom!"

Writers: Gareth Roberts & Clayton Hickman

Format: Audio

Released: December 2002

Series: Main Range 39

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Mel

Synopsis 

Dark Space 8 - an advanced monitoring station floating serenely among the stars. Its crew - a dedicated and highly-skilled group of professionals, calmly going about their vital work. Its mission -  to boldly host the Intergalactic Song Contest.

With representatives from myriad worlds competing, the eyes of the universe are on the station. But dark deeds are afoot aboard Dark Space 8... and people are starting to die.

The haughty Queen Angvia; the gaseous gestalt Gholos; disposable pop idol Nicky Newman; erratic Professor Fasabinder; and the icily-efficient Dr Eleanor Harcourt - all are suspects. Could old political rivalries be manifesting themselves among the contestants? Is this the work of a breakaway terrorist faction? Or has someone just got it in for singer-songwriters?

With peace in the galaxy hanging by a thread, it's vital that the mystery is solved - and fast! Can Dark Space 8's unconventional new commander, with the help of his personal pilot, Mel, find the murderer in time to prevent a major intergalactic war?

Or will it be nul points for the entire universe...?

Verdict 

Bang-Bang-a-Boom! was a great audio adventure! The second annual Christmas comedy story and it was so much better than The One Doctor. Although this obviously had a humour feel this was more of a parody, which included actually a very decent story, but the previous year's audio spoof was far too silly for my liking. Before listening, I actually forgot that this was the comedy audio until around twenty minutes into listening. At 2 hours and 23 minutes, this was quite a lengthy listen but it didn't seem as long as that which is always a good sign. It started well, it was well paced and there was a very good story in amongst the parody. I've been told the cover is a resemblance to Star Trek (I've never watched an episode) and that there were many references to that and Space 1999 included in the dialogue of some of the characters. I've never taken a remote interest in either programme so I can't say I picked up on them. Of course, I completely got the parody surrounding the Intergalactic Song Contest and I actually thought it was brilliant! I must admit that Eurovision is a guilty pleasure of mine so I must admit I did enjoy some of the spoofs. The title is of course a play on a UK winning entry itself! But we had the voting system and Logan (ha!) as the commentator. Maybe we can get a sequel to this adventure with Lorton taking over commentator proceedings? Despite the comedy intention, I thought this was an excellent performance from Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor and once again brings into question my thoughts on this incarnation. I still think he's great but I'd still rank him as the worst incarnation (discrediting John Hurt's War Doctor who I don't count when it comes to ranking). Alongside Mel I seem to love the Seventh Doctor. McCoy was so much better here than he was alongside Ace in The Rapture. It's a shame that only four televised adventures exist with the Seventh Doctor and Mel because I think they're terrific together. I noticed it in The Fires of Vulcan and I definitely thought they were wonderful together here. This was a good ol' intergalactic murder mystery and I'd like to think that the scene where the Doctor is exposing the murderer inspired the similar scene between the Tenth Doctor and Donna in The Unicorn and the Wasp. Mel was brilliant here and she's definitely my favourite Seventh Doctor companion! I hope we get some more serious adventures between the pair soon because I feel she's much better suited to McCoy than with Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor (not that I don't enjoy that partnership!). Some of the characters in this audio were great with Eleanor and Nicky Newham standing out. Their respective relationships with the Doctor and Mel were great to hear. I liked the moments where it appeared the Doctor had fallen in love and was actually going to engage in sexual activity. That definitely would have been a first! It was nice that the Time Lords were thought of as myths but I loved the Doctor's response to that. I thought it was fantastic that it seemed the audio was going to finish roughly 17 minutes early as the theme music hit but then Mel interrupted it saying exactly what I was thinking - the resolution was too easy. I completely agreed. Overall though, despite the spoofs and comedy theme, this actually had an excellent story behind it. We even had a cameo from the Ice Warriors giving their results for the contest! A song contest and the Doctor wins by playing the spoons. Ahh, of course. 

Rating: 8/10

Space in Dimension Relative and Time

"I do like a younger regeneration. Speedier! Svelter! The first and third never would've..."

Writer: Rob Williams 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 16th July 2015

Printed in: DWC #6

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Alice, Jones, ARC

Synopsis 

The Doctor, Alice and Jones left the SERVEYOUinc United System Research Base behind, travelling on to new adventures. The TARDIS gang has grown yet further because of their last encounter, with the addition of the hulking shapeshifter known as ARC - who is a lot more polite and inquisitive than its threatening appearance would suggest. But is even the TARDIS big enough to support this many large personalities?

Verdict 

Space in Dimension Relative and Time, a story title I can't quite wrap my head around, was a phenomenal comic strip adventure! It was definitely my favourite story from Doctor Who Comic so far and we finally have a story that gained this wonderful rating! It's taken six issues but we've finally got there. I was intrigued by the title and when the story starts by saying 'The End' at the bottom of the page, things are definitely a mystery. And instantly they were as it appeared that Jones was dead! To be honest, I wouldn't have been overly disappointed had this companion deceased as I think he's been very poor thus far. I don't see what he adds really and so far in the previous five issues of Doctor Who Comic, I would definitely say that the Eleventh Doctor segment has by far been the weakest and I think that's down to the weakness of the companions. Jones as I've mentioned doesn't offer much at all and I'm not too fussed on Alice either. She's moans far too much for my liking! After Whodunnit?/The Sound of Our Voices, we've now got a third companion in the form of the shapeshifting ARC. I doubt he's going to come close to being the USA's version of Frobisher, but I think he could add a lot of fun to the quite crowded TARDIS room. But irony strikes at its best with this story, as although I think this is the weaker third of DWC, I think this is the best story of all six issues! The reverse format was very intriguing and caused a lot of timey wimey elements to occur. I think at times we take the time travel element of Doctor Who for granted so it's nice to have a story focus on that. Everything the Doctor was seeing was what went down prior to the last thing he saw. He was being leaped from event to event. Shockingly, he kicked the ashes of one of his companions who had just died but that's because he'd worked everything out and knew that Jones would be coming back soon enough. The vortex was playing up but the Doctor was going to be quite naughty too. He was using a vortex manipulator to jump about the timestream that was running backwards to ensure he stayed one step ahead of the game. The return of the Nimon was quite a surprise I must say! Of all the Classic enemies to make a return in these comics I wouldn't have thought it would be the Nimon! The subtle references to The Horns of Nimon and Seasons of Fear were great with the Doctor saying how all they do is assert themselves as gods in whatever civilisation they next target. It was quite fresh to see a Nimon actually in the TARDIS causing chaos! He even killed a companion! The Doctor referencing the vortex manipulator to be like drug addiction was a fantastic inclusion and speaking of the Eleventh Doctor, I felt this was the best Matt Smith's incarnation was characterised thus far in DWC. Hell, technically this was a multi-Doctor comic story with two Eleventh Doctors featuring! That conversation was brilliant and just so typical of this incarnation. The praise, even the romance! Naughty Doctor. Captain Jack wouldn't be too pleased to see that the Doctor was using a manipulator after all he's said. The climax was very good with the Doctor using time to his advantage to gain an upper hand on the Nimon. Database 8 was protected and the Nimon would not be succeeding in its plans for destruction. Overall, this was an incredible comic strip and testament to what you can do with just one part. A wonderful title, brilliant returning Classic enemy and a sublime plot! Ending with the words 'The Beginning' was certainly different. The reverse events was just a magnificent concept. 

Rating: 10/10

The Weeping Angels of Mons Part 1

"This must have been a beautiful country before the war, but all it is now - to me at least - is a wasteland of mud and blood, haunted by the ghosts of the fallen."

Writer: Robbie Morrison

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 16th July 2015

Printed in: DWC #6

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby

Synopsis 

The Doctor offered Gabby a one-off time-travelling trip aboard the TARDIS. They arrived in an alien art gallery where Gabby was thrown straight into the heart of adventure, with no shortage of the life-threatening danger that seems to follow the Doctor no matter where (or when) he is. Proving herself to be a bright and brave companion, the Doctor has invited her to join him in exploring the universe. Now they're off to the past for a haunting hands-on history lesson...

Verdict 

The Weeping Angels of Mons looks set to be an incredibly epic adventure if this astounding first part is anything to go by! This was sublime from start to finish I must say. It has all the ingredients to be an all time favourite story of mine - there's no doubting that! A fantastic TARDIS pairing in the Tenth Doctor and Gabby who together can have just about anything happen as they never appeared on television together so there's a huge gap for adventure there. There's also the wonderful historical element of Gabby's first venture to the past having her land smack bang in the middle of the western front during World War One. And then if all that wasn't enough, we've got the comic strip debut of the Weeping Angels! They're back to battle the Tenth Doctor once again after first taking him on in the acclaimed Blink. It's testament to the villains themselves that despite an inability to speak, and a Doctor-lite episode, that ranks as one of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time. I knew beforehand, and obviously from the title, that the Weeping Angels would be featuring in this story and it filled me with anticipation to say how they'd cope in a brand new format. Of course, they'll also be making their debut in audio next year battling the Fifth Doctor but for now, I thought they worked excellently in comic strip. I think if they're appearances are kept limited, they'll be more effective. The threat of them looming will be more than enough. What they did do in this story was frightening though I must say! You've got to feel for the British, well in this case particularly the Scottish, who not only had Germans to take on but also the Weeping Angels! It hardly seems fair. I absolutely loved Gabby in this story and I can already tell that I'm just going to love her as companion. The Tenth Doctor seems absolutely perfect for her and the pair are going to get along majestically. She's loving seeing the past but now with this her third alien encounter, I can already see a much more mature companion than what we saw in Revolutions of Terror. I love how the TARDIS has been apparently blown up! That'll leave the Doctor with some thinking to do. Gabby referencing The Arts in Space was a simple but effective reference and no matter how soon after, I do love a past story reference. The reference to the Battle of the Somme more than filled my historical appetite and I also liked the flashback to the Christmas Day truce. The Doctor trying to cover up that he had two hearts was definitely a clever thing to do I would think given that they were accused of being spies and this was World War One. Gabby definitely seemed a lot more confident here as she dragged the Doctor to safety. Jamie and Harry's encounter with a Weeping Angel was terrific but I must say the cliffhanger was quite a shock! We had a soldier who had attempted to stitch his eyes open to ensure the Angels could not move. The words of the Doctor to Sally Sparrow almost seemed echoed through the soldier. And it also seems we'll get some continuation from The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone in that the image of an Angel becomes an Angel. There's going to be danger. There's almost certainly going to be death. Gabby is about to meet possibly the most dangerous monster she'll ever face whilst travelling in the TARDIS! This first part was excellent, and it looks like this story is going to be absolutely superb. 

The Fractures Part 1

"This household has broken the laws of reality. This means you've forfeited your right to exist."

Writer: Robbie Morrison

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 16th July 2015

Printed in: DWC #6

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

In Mumbai, India, 2315, the Doctor and Clara - with the help of their new allies Rani and Priyanka - defeated the Family Scindia and put paid to the resurrection of the 'goddess' Kali - though not before Kali attempted to resurrect in Clara's body! Having ensured the safety of the future, and brought Clara back to herself, the Doctor and Clara returned to the present...

But Coal Hill School and its environs can be just as deadly as any alien planet or far future, as the pair will soon find out! 

Verdict 

The Fractures started off tremendously well here with this first part, the first story to kick off the brand new issue of the wonderful Doctor Who Comic! I can't believe that we're on issue six already! Time really is flying by but in this issue there's a whole lot to get through by the sounds. But I've started with the Twelfth Doctor as it seems a little while since my last adventure with the current incarnation of the Doctor, which was the finale of Blood and Ice. I can't wait now for series nine to get more televised adventures with Capaldi and Coleman because in this comic strip both TARDIS pairing characters were characterised astoundingly! Yesterday, Apollo 23 captured Amy with ease where I felt DWM comic strips didn't quite succeed and now it seems that DWC will prevail over DWM in regards to Clara! Returning back to Coal Hill School certainly helped but this was by far the best comic strip in terms of Clara's representation. The dialogue was spot on and the relationship she had with the Doctor was perfect. I really liked that Kate Lethbridge-Stewart marked an appearance which must mean that this is set after Death in Heaven given in that story Kate referenced the change of appearance of the Doctor. No such bother here but it's great that UNIT featured. The story of Molly losing her Dad is a sad one but unthinkably, he literally returned from the dead! Not quite in the way of a zombie, but jumping out of a portal of some sort. Everything can't be as it seems though as Paul wasn't too keen on seeing his wife. Hardly the reaction you'd expect. Lisa acknowledging the Doctor as being the school caretaker was a nice little reference to The Caretaker and I liked how he'd been dubbed as not being cool in school. I'm sure he'd disagree had he overheard. I love how this Doctor seems to love that he's Scottish! He's certainly picking up a lot of Earthly characteristics considering he's Gallifreyan. After defeating Captain Van Volk and his Steek Reivers, the Doctor headed Clara back to present time for her English class. The Doctor bantering about her being the teacher was lovely. The grey hair humour was also excellent. I must mention that I thought the artwork in this comic strip was incredible! It's not often I mention that but the quality on display meant I just needed to say something about it! The Army of Ghosts/Doomsday reference was brilliant and I loved how the 3D (or should I say E-D) glasses were back! Another dimension hopping story then, a long time after that horrendous battle. I wonder if the Twelfth Doctor misses Rose. The arrival of the Fractures was intriguing and I'm not sure if one is intended to be Boris Johnson but the resemblance is very close! The way they just knocked at the door and said that the laws on reality had been broken and the right to exist forfeited was pretty literal but they certainly didn't look like the kind of people to mess with! The Fractures have arrived, UNIT and Kate are here and it seems like dimensions are being tampered with. The Doctor and Clara have certainly got their hands full in the remaining parts! An excellent start to the comic strip adventure.  

Apollo 23

"People are dead and you turn up out of nowhere and seem to be an expert on a top secret system."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Novel

Released: April 2010

Series: NSA 37

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis 

"For a few moments this afternoon, it rained on the moon."

An astronaut in full spacesuit appears out of thin air in a busy shopping centre. Maybe it's a publicity stunt.

A photo shows a well-drssssd woman in a red coat lying dead at the edge of a crater on the dark side of the moon - beside her beloved dog 'Poochie'. Maybe it's a hoax. 

Bust as the Doctor and Amy find out, these are just minor events in a sinister plan to take over every human being on Earth. The plot centres on a secret military base on the moon - that's where Amy and the TARDIS are.

The Doctor is back on Earth, and without the TARDIS there's no way he can get to the moon to save Amy and defeat the aliens. 

Or is there? The Doctor discovers one last great secret that could save humanity: Apollo 23.

Verdict 

Apollo 23 was a very good, strong and solid start to the Eleventh Doctor era of novels. This was a great start I must say! I thought the plot was very good, for the first story to feature this TARDIS pairing the characterisation was very good. The little traits and quirks of Matt Smith's Doctor were captured pretty well in print but I thought the characterisation of Amy was absolutely spot on. A very strong showing for the feisty redhead companion. This story has a very strong feeling of being early series five, which of course it is, but I think it's vital that a novel feels part of its era. There are no such problems here as Justin Richards definitely makes this feel a part of the continuity alongside the televised series. Reading this for the first time now, some five years since its release, it seems a tad strange to be doing an Eleventh Doctor story that features Amy but doesn't have Rory! It seemed a nice change though and I think it allowed Amy to shine being the sole and prominent companion. Whereas with say Ian and Barbara, it would feel strange if the First Doctor had a story with just one of those pair but with Amy and Rory, companions who we would associate as a pair, it doesn't seem too strange to have just Amy on her own. Of course, we've the benefit of around half of the televised series five stories to just be with Amy, but hindsight is an interesting thing. If I was reading this at the time of release then I wouldn't have given it a second thought. The plot was very good though I'm absolutely convinced that Steven Moffat must have taken some elements from this novel when conjuring up The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon. I mean, surely! There's the spacesuit wearing astronaut appearing out of nowhere in England with a trail of moon dust. The story is heavily set in the United States and there's the whole moon theme and heavy setting as well. It'll be a huge coincidence if Moffat hadn't at least read the synopsis of this novel. I found there were just too many similarities. Not that it wasn't good, because it definitely had its differences to give it a feel of separation from the epic series six opener. The Talerians were an intriguing enemy though they're probably the reason that this story didn't sneak a higher rating. It was mighty close! I just found that the threat of them was actually stronger before they arrived. The fact their bodies could burst at the slightest tear or press she was hardly scary, was it? I mean, I play Darts and I'm actually very good (I play for the back to back division one champions in my hometown and am currently unbeaten this season) but if the arrows can be used to defeat the alien invaders then what kind of bloody monsters are they? I think they'd work well in the Sarah Jane Adventures but not in a Doctor Who novel like this, that was particularly dark in places. I loved the quantum mechanics usage and the way people could just step from Houston to the Moon was pretty impressive. I loved the end of chapter one with the infamous "Houston - we have a problem" line being dubbed. Jackson was a very good leader for the Talerians and I also liked Nurse Phillips. I liked that data storage in water once again appeared in a story after it made its debut in The Genocide Machine. It's an extremely clever technology and I adored the Doctor's ocean mixing analogy when coming up with the resolution. Him getting trapped on Earth whilst Amy and the TARDIS were trapped on the Moon was just typical of the Time Lord and set up some nice elements to the story, namely the title of the novel itself! After years on display, Apollo 23 would be fueled and readied for takeoff! The Doctor would of course be on board and I loved how he knew just about everything and was surprising nearly everyone. Carlisle was a great character and I liked how she ended up on the side of the Doctor and Amy. Having read the UNIT and Torchwood files, she knew of the Doctor but not this youthful. There were some good twists and turns along the way even if Amy being blanked was pretty obvious. I loved how she just drank the phial though. The climax was well-paced but an open window basically defeated the Talerians. They were good until they actually arrived. Thankfully, the rest of the story was superb with the relationship between the Doctor and Amy absolutely magnificent. The Seeds of Death reference was stunning! Overall, a very good book! 

Rating: 8/10