Logopolis

"This is the end... but the moment has been prepared for."

Writer: Christopher H. Bidmead

Format: Novel

Released: October 1982

Series: Target 41

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis 

In theory the TARDIS should be able to change its appearance to blend in unobtrusively wherever it happens to materialise. In practice, however, because of a fault in the chameleon circuit, it always looks like a police box - a minor inconvenience the Doctor now hopes to correct. 

Fixing the mechanism involves a visit to Earth and a trip to the planet Logopolis - normally a quiet little place that keeps itself to itself. 

But on this occasion the meddling presence of the Doctor's archenemy, the Master, ensures the disruption of normality. And even the Master is horrified by the threat of total chaos he unintentionally precipitates - until he finds a way to turn the imminent destruction of the universe to his own advantage...

Verdict 

Logopolis was an excellent novel to read on my train journey back to Bath this morning. After watching the television story what I think is at least three times, I knew it was going to be a good read and I was intrigued to see how Christopher H. Bidmead tackled going about novelising a story as crucial and important as this one. After seven years at the helm, this was Tom Baker's swansong and boy was it a good one on TV. I still thought it was magnificent novelised but I do think that if Terrance Dicks got this novel instead it would have seen the rating improve by that one mark it's missing. Nonetheless, the plot is a marvellous one and I like how much of the early pages takes place inside the TARDIS console room. Just there with the Doctor and Adric. I think it's a little bit of an odd couple for me as I would commonly associate Adric as being a companion of the Fifth Doctor but he actually did do five stories with Tom Baker before Peter Davison arrived! Now, I'm not a fan of Adric at all on television but I actually thought he was really good in this story I must admit. The characterisation of him was absolutely spot on which I think helped a lot for my liking of him. In fact while I'm on the topic I thought characterisation was at a premium throughout which was really positive. From start to finish, Tegan was shown in a really great light both before and after she stumbled aboard the TARDIS. I was quite surprised by her lack of grief at discovering that her aunt Vanessa had been killed though. She soon learned how gruesome and evil the Master could be. I don't think it was the best adventure for her to begin travels in the TARDIS! Would it beat being an air hostess though? Surely! Once Nyssa arrived into the fold around halfway through, she too was wonderfully characterised just like the two other companions which was just brilliant. I do like Nyssa I must say in her early travels. I loved her in Doctor Who and the Keeper of Traken, the novel she literally is the face of and it was great to see her return here. The story had many references with Full Circle, Warriors' Gate and The Keeper of Traken all getting a mention. There was even a throwback to An Unearthly Child which was very good. I thought it was an intriguing point in time to read this novel after recently watching Heaven Sent with the revelation that the Doctor didn't leave Gallifrey because he was bored. Things were hinted upon here and it's nice to see that Moffat didn't create any contradiction, at least not for this story anyway! The Master was as brilliant as ever and the capturing of Anthony Ainley's incarnation of the incredible villain was astonishingly good. Another stellar example of characterisation. The traits were there immediately and reading this made me realise just how good Anthony Ainley was in his first portrayal of the Master. He more than brought the character back to life and this story is the first we get to see of that. He really is superb. The Watcher was presented very well in novelised format I must say and it was an aspect of the story I was a little worried about but everything went really well. It really was just watching and getting ready for what was to come. I think the Doctor knew what was meant by the presence of the Watcher and as my opening quote suggests it wasn't all a shock. With the Master intent on ruling the universe or see it destroyed, the Doctor had to do what was necessary. By using the Pharos Project to help return Logopolis to normality and in turn bring about the stabilising of the universe, the Doctor risked his life. And he lost it. But the moment had been prepared for. I thought the regeneration itself was a little rushed in print when there was no need but I was intrigued that the Fifth Doctor got some words in this interpretation of the story! After winning Castrovalva on eBay for a mere 99p, I look forward to hopefully seeing this expanded upon. But for now, this was an excellent novelisation! 

Rating: 9/10

Heaven Sent

"I'm the Doctor. I'm coming to find you. And I will never, ever stop."

Writer: Steven Moffat 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 28th November 2015

Series: 9.11

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis 

Trapped in a world unlike any other he has seen, the Doctor faces the greatest challenge of his many lives. One final test. And he must face it alone. Pursued by the fearsome creature known only as the Veil, he must attempt the impossible. If he makes it through, Gallifrey is waiting...

Verdict 

Heaven Sent was an excellent episode of Doctor Who to start the finale and it's brilliant to see something new! New is something so rare in the programme these days and that's because it's been going for over 52 years now, which is an astonishing feat. But here we are with something brand spanking new - almost a monologue! Peter Capaldi on his own with barely anyone or anything to bounce off. I imagine it was incredibly difficult for him at times and I must say how audacious this episode is! Well, the format at least. You would think that a 55 minute episode featuring pretty much one actor wouldn't be much fun at all but bravo to Steven Moffat for first of all trying it and then even more bravo to him for making it work brilliantly! The idea was great with the Doctor in his own torture chamber. Once all was revealed I kind of think I should have guessed what was going on in the revolving castle, whose location was not revealed. There was something that I worked out very early on though that probably spoiled the cliffhanger but I'll get to that shortly. The Doctor being alone in his own torture chamber was a good place to start for having just Capaldi as the lone performer, and I liked the inclusion of an old nightmare from the Doctor's childhood chasing him everywhere he turned in the castle. A dead old lady draped in veils with flies surrounding her hardly sounds like the worst thing in the world, especially for the Doctor after everything he's faced, but all things are scarier when you're a child and that nightmare has stalked the Doctor since. The clues leading to room 12 being dropped throughout were very good and at first I was a little disappointed by the fact that Ashildr had sent the Doctor to this place only to be given help in escaping. Thankfully that wasn't the case and it worked out wonderfully. The Doctor was helping himself all the time. I should have known from the clothes moment. After the horrific events of Face the Raven, the first episode to make me cry in years, it's interesting to see how the Doctor will cope with Clara's death. For now he's busy but as he pointed out in the episode, once he's done she's still going to be dead and he can't do anything about that. The use of Clara in the episode, considering she's dead, was surprisingly high! The TARDIS scenes while the Doctor worked out how he had survived were perhaps a little bit cheating but I'm happy to let Moffat off the hook. I loved how vital the companion role was highlighted to be here. The Doctor was supposed to make her laugh whilst she asked all the right questions. He needed her and I'm not sure how he's going to cope with the aftermath of this finale when she's gone and really not coming back. The confessions the Doctor made during the episode, along with my memory of The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familar, made me realise early on that the Doctor was the hybrid. I was waiting for the revelation all episode and I had genuinely somehow convinced myself that the Doctor was half Dalek, hence his lack of involvement in the Time War and reason for destroying both races. Thankfully the prophecy was wrong and there was no Dalek-Time Lord hybrid. However, as expected, I was correct about the Doctor being the hybrid. I thought the dialogue was incredible with him saying he would be standing in the ruins of Gallifrey, and now he was back. The long way around. Billions of years of burning to replace himself. Punching through 20 feet of rock harder than diamond. But here he was, looking on at the citadel of his home planet. He didn't know he'd been back home during Listen, but now he really was here. I think that's magnificent and based on the next time trailer I can't wait for the second part of the finale! Gallifrey has been so rare in the revival era, especially when compared to the Classic era, but now it looks like we're going to get a full episode on the planet! And I can't wait. Ashildr is back again. Regeneration is mentioned and I get a feeling we'll see Missy based on the torture chamber being confined in the confession dial. A lot of questions to be answered but for now, a brilliant first episode! Brave, audacious but fantastic. I'm now getting thoughts about Peter Capaldi being my favourite Doctor which just shows how good he's been. Let's hope he gets a few more series yet! If I'm thinking of him being my favourite then I'm inclined to say he is. I'll wait for the finale though, and that's where the rating will come. 

Deep Time

"The Glamour feeds off the emotions it provokes. It soaks up desire and revels in jealousy. But it's very hard to find - and that's part of its deadly allure."

Writer: Trevor Baxendale

Format: Novel

Released: 10th September 2015

Series: NSA 

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

"I do hope you're all ready to be terrified!"

The Phaeron travelled among the stars using roads made from time and space, but left only relics behind when they disappeared over a million years ago. But what actually happened to the Phaeron?

In the far future, humans discover the last Phaeron road - and the Doctor and Clara join the mission to see where it leads. Each member of the team knows exactly what they're looking for - but only the Doctor knows exactly what they'll find. 

Because only the Doctor knows the true secret of the Phaeron: a secret so terrible and powerful that it must be buried in the deepest grave imaginable...

Verdict 

Deep Time was a simply tremendous novel adventure and after a forced break from reading a full novel due to a mass of work from university, I have finally completed the Glamour Chronicles trilogy! I must say that all three books have been superb but this one really was the standout of the three and my favourite of the set. I'm not quite sure it eclipses Silhouette as my favourite Twelfth Doctor novel but it certainly was very close! I immediately got a good feel from the novel when I opened and read the first page on a brand new train ride from Bath to mid-Wales as I have come to my second home for the weekend. I thought it was about time I read a novel and with university work on a downhill slide with Christmas looming, and the memory of the two previous Glamour Chronicles fresh in my mind, this novel seemed the obvious choice. I thought it was excellent from start to finish and a great tying up of the Glamour arc over the past three novels, something I am

a big fan of I must say. I do hope the next batch of novels we get, presumably around the time of Series 10, are connected in some way as was the case with these. I was quite surprised by how little the Glamour was actually mentioned in this book but the revelation that went with the plot of this was superb. The arrival of the Doctor to Clara was very good and comedic and I like how this seems to be set some time after Series 8. It had a distinctly different feel which was good but at the same time it had a feel not of Series 9, which I liked with the release date before the broadcast of The Magician's Apprentice. The assembled characters to help tell the story in this novel were magnificent and Trevor Baxendale wasn't shy in killing them off! I really liked Jem as the astrogator, a concept I thought very intriguing. She would help guide the Alexandria into the last Phaeron road wormhole. I loved how the Doctor knew how dangerous the voyage would be yet he was more than eager to help the crew. Raymond Balfour was good and I liked how clueless he was at times when it came to the scientific matters as he was just the funder. He and Tibby ending up together was a really nice moment at the finish of the novel, despite how oblivious the Doctor was to what them holding hands meant. The deaths of Mitch, Tanya and Laker were unexpected when they came I must say, with the first two being very gruesome! I loved the concept of a planet that experienced time fluxes as was the case here. At any time, you could be thrown back millennia into the planet's past. It was sublime and worked so well! Bravo to Baxendale for making timey-wimey work so well, as well as tying up two other novels! I really liked the references we got in this book with Royal Blood an expected mention with the return of Clara to the novels after Bernice's unexpected return in Big Bang Generation. I thought the mentions of Time Heist, Kill the Moon and Mummy on the Orient Express were all wonderful and I also liked the name droppings of the Draconians and Ogrons. The slow and subtle reveals of just what was happening on this hidden planet was superb and I loved how the Doctor reacted to those. Mitch was interesting but his whole desire to find his mother still alive on the long lost Carthage didn't help him at all. His death wasn't too dissimilar to Sara's in The Daleks' Master Plan. Jem communicating with the Phaeron was interesting and I loved how they were comprised of dark matter. Their communication was most interesting but then along with them, Jem

made a sacrifice. The Phaeron's disappearance was revealed to be a suicide mission to rid the universe of the Glamour. With it now in the form of Laker, she helped them contain the Glamour. The Phaeron desired it be buried deep in time, and that's what they got. Overall, an outstanding novel! The best characterisation yet of the Twelfth Doctor and Clara together. It's just a long wait until the next new batch now! 

Rating: 10/10

Zagreus

"Welcome to your insanity!"

Writers: Alan Barnes & Gary Russell

Format: Audio

Released: November 2003

Series: Main Range 50

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley, Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis 

Zagreus sits inside your head. 

Zagreus lives among the dead...

Zagreus sees you in your bed

And eats you when you're sleeping.

Verdict 

Zagreus was... well, umm... I'm not really sure. It was probably the most outrageous and just absolutely barmy story I've ever done across any format and that's saying something. There have been some weird ones but this tops it all in my opinion and for a large part of the story it's what let it down. I mean, it's wonderful that it's the 40th anniversary story and everything and it really is quite an incredible assembled cast, but I'm absolutely categorically against them playing other roles than the ones they're famous for, hence my featuring being a lot smaller than the audio cover might suggest. I must say it was lovely to hear Nicholas Courtney back in audio story after his successful last appearance in Minuet in Hell, a story that was nicely referenced. I did enjoy the first moment he spoke and the fact he was portraying a personified manifestation of the TARDIS was something I was not expecting! It wasn't quite what we got in The Doctor's Wife, far from it actually, but I loved the idea of the TARDIS being jealous of the companion, in this case Charley. I absolutely Charley as companion and I thought India Fisher gave another accomplished performance. I love the new companions we get in Big Finish and Charley has to be the best. Alongside the Eighth Doctor, it's wonderful getting an unseen era of Classic Doctor Who unfolding on audio. Despite the pretty poor script, I thought Paul McGann was outstanding in this story and a large reason of why this story gets what is a ridiculously generous rating. I guess it's because today is Doctor Who's 52nd birthday so I couldn't be too harsh! I can't believe it's now been two years that I've been blogging and I've been on one hell of a ride! I started during my AS Levels following the 50th anniversary and now I'm living alone at university still collecting my reviews! It's going to be great to look back on all of my thoughts of the nearly 600 entries I have posted as part of the blog. It's been a blast and here's to many more years of blogging! Speaking of stories, this audio really did have an abundance of past story references which I very much enjoyed but even a continuity fan like myself thought there was perhaps some overkill here. We had a large reminder of what happened in Neverland which I just didn't get. Why build up to a story for over a year and then give us this? It was not worth the wait. I did really love the references to The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Oblivion and Storm Warning though I must say. Three excellent stories right there and I love how comic strips get a mention! We also had some fantastic name-dropping of alien enemies the Doctor has previously encountered with the Drashigs, Yeti, Quarks and Nestenes all getting a mention! But the references didn't stop there. There were comedic references to Logopolis, The Caves of Androzani, Time and the Rani and The Movie too! I also really liked the gaff mention of the end of Revelation of the Daleks. Do you think that's where it stopped? Think again! There was then a mention of Morbius and finally references to The Stones of Venice, The Five Doctors and The War Games. A continuity bubble simply burst! There was loads of it. The arrival of Leela onto audio was something that I did not expect but after The Invasion of Time it would make sense for her to be around on Gallifrey. Joining up with Romana II who is now the Lord President, that's a really nice pairing to go into the Gallifrey spinoff series that I've been meaning to explore. John Leeson returning as K9 was also magnificent! The story was just too long overall, 3 parts consisting of 1 hour 20 minutes each is beyond overkill. A 4 hour story as confusing as this? I do wonder how it got the green light. It was just mad and all over the place. Thankfully the guest cast was incredible and they tried their best and the conitinuity overdrive swung things somewhat. I'm intrigued to see where this leaves the Eighth Doctor and Charley going ahead though. He thinks she's left but apparently the TARDIS has a back door? As long as she remains with him I'm happy. But where? A completely different universe opens up all kinds of scenario and I can't wait to see it explored. For now though, considering the assembled cast this was a big disappointment for the 40th anniversary. At least I'm now only 12 years behind...

Rating: 7/10

Master

"All who hear my voice shall die."

Writer: Joseph Lidster

Format: Audio

Released: October 2003

Series: Main Range 49

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis 

Many years ago, on a dark and stormy night, the disfigured and enigmatic Doctor John Smith invited his closest friends, Inspector Victor Schaeffer and his wife, to a dinner to celebrate his birthday. A mere few hours later all the occupants in that house had been changed - some were dead, others mentally scarred forever by the events of that night. 

So, what happened to the distinguished dinner guests on that evening? Perhaps we'll never know. But two clues have led to much speculation - found outside the study window, a charred umbrella with a curved red handle and found inside the house, a blood-stained copy of Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. 

For one person, this night represented an ending: an ending to one thousand years of darkness and an ending to ten years of light. 

But for everyone else, is there no ending of this one night in Hell?

Verdict 

Master was a really interesting and very good audio adventure! I found it to be a lot different to what I was expecting judging by the previous two audios of Omega and Davros which also follow a similar theme to what we had here. Instead of having yet another conniving plan from the Master, it almost turned into the character's own version of Human Nature/The Family of Blood. It was quite a concept and I enjoyed it but I was half expecting the Master to have been playing a trick all along but it wasn't the case. In the audios featuring the Master, granted that this is only the second in the first 50, it seems the nemesis Time Lord has changed dramatically since Survival and The Movie, the last two times we saw the character. In another incarnation played by Geoffrey Beavers, I'm just sadly not sure I can get on board with this actor portraying the Master. For me it doesn't quite work as effectively as I would hope and he just seems too old, even in audios, which is something the Master has avoided throughout the entire Classic era, even in The Deadly Assassin. I wasn't overly struck on part one with it being all about the guest cast and the Doctor telling the story though not in the form of a Companion Chronicle. We actually heard it in real time. The guest cast though were actually pretty good but I still don't think that they should have taken up pretty much all of part one. Victor was a very good character and I liked how aggressive he was at times. Jacqueline was probably my favourite of the guest cast and I liked the dilemma she had in her love turmoil. She cared for Victor very much but to his absolute heartbreak and annoyance, the feeling was not mutual. For him it was unrequited love and he just could not understand why she loved the normalised form of the Master in the familiar guise of John Smith. That was a really interesting choice of name. I really liked the references to Dust Breeding and The Keeper of Traken, particularly the former as I like that we have continuity amongst the audios with the Seventh Doctor set after the conclusion of Season 26. There's no stopping what they can do really and I think that's magnificent. Let them go and expand the Seventh Doctor era! I have absolutely no issues with that. In saying that though, I'm not altogether chuffed with the current appearance of the Master. I'm not sure they should be going with a similar way to The Deadly Assassin on a full time basis. The concept of Death appearing in a Doctor Who story was most interesting and I loved how Jade was concealed under that excellent name, with death's association to the colour green on Perfugium. Exploring the childhood of the Doctor and the Master was the highlight of the story for me and I think it really is perfect to portray them as being bullied as children. The fate of Torvic was unexpected but I must say I do like how these three similar audios have explored the past of the villain the story is named after. I think this story is as close to The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords in portraying the friendship that the Doctor and the Master have. It really should be explored more and I loved how in The Magician's Apprentice the Doctor chose Missy to receive his confession dial. We're not sure just how significant that is yet but I'm sure it'll be important. Overall though, another very solid audio adventure from Big Finish but I do hope they use the Master in a better way in the future! It's working for now but I'm not sure it can last. 

Rating: 8/10

Face the Raven

"Forget the way you usually look at the world, this street is going to be hiding in plain sight."

Writer: Sarah Dollard

Format: TV

Broadcast: 21st November 2015

Series: 9.10

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara 

Synopsis 

Clara probably never expected her friend Rigsy to need the emergency TARDIS phone number she gave him after they defeated the Boneless in Bristol. Yet today he's in big trouble, sentenced to die for a murder he can't remember commuting. The Doctor and Clara's campaign to exonerate Rigsy leads them to a secret London street where alien refugees hide in plain sight. Once they gain access, they'll learn the terrible answers to various questions. Such as: what is a chronolock? And what exactly does it mean to face the raven?

Verdict 

Face the Raven was a simply incredible episode of Doctor Who! What a sunning debut for Sarah Dollard as writer and it really is no coincidence that now my two favourites episodes of the series so far have been written by women and also feature the magnificent Maisie Williams! Prior to reading the DWM preview, I had no idea she was returning so soon in the series so I was absolutely thrilled with that! She's just such a good actress but here Ashildr has taken on something extraordinary. Although she's now going by the name of Mayor Me, Ashildr is dealing with the aftermath of the Doctor's visits to Earth. All those left behind once he quickly departs again in his TARDIS so he doesn't have to remember the consequences. The return of Rigsy was an interesting move I must say. I did like him in Flatline but I never thought we'd see him returning, let alone ringing the TARDIS! The Doctor's reaction to that was very good. I must say, Peter Capaldi was outstanding throughout this and arguably gave his best performance yet. I loved how when he knew Rigsy was going to die, he started calling him by his actual name and not the usual "local knowledge" or "pudding brain" as we might be used to. Things got very serious very quickly in this episode and it was incredibly powerful. The concept of a trap street is one I like very much and the way the trio went about discovering it was very good and comedic with Clara enjoying hanging out of the TARDIS. They eventually found their way in and the steps towards clearing Rigsy's name would ensue. The chronolock concept with the tattoo counting down was excellent but Clara seemed to have found the line where she was acting too much like the Doctor. It seems she'd taken safety for granted and she just wasn't quite up to being the Doctor. Rump had told her how to escape a chronolock - Ashildr could remove it or someone could willingly take it. However, you could not cheat death and that's exactly what Clara was trying to do. She just found herself out of depth. The whole thing being a trap constructed by Ashildr was something that I didn't expect! She was absolutely right in saying that the Doctor couldn't resist a mystery. She planned it to perfection and acquired the TARDIS key and trapped the Doctor in a teleport bracelet. Where she was sending him we'll find out next week and why she's doing it is another question that should get answered. This episode had it all! I loved all the different species that we saw disguised as humans in the safety of the trap street. We saw Judoon (wonderfully in police uniform), Sontaran, Ood, Cyberman, Ice Warrior and Silurian! I loved the references to Dark Water/Death in Heaven, The Girl Who Died, The Woman Who Lived and The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion. But the episode was all about Clara. I must say the closing moments had me in tears! I'm not ashamed to say that it was the first (and I believe only) time since Doomsday that television has brought tears to my eyes. Clara's speech was simply stunning and I loved how she was trying to comfort the Doctor. She realised he would be on his own, something he's not very good at, but she ordered him not to seek revenge. I'm not sure that will be fully carried out but I can't bloody wait for the finale! I'm intrigued to see the return of the confession dial and I'd love to see Missy back but I'm expecting something extraordinary. For now though, it was time to say goodbye to Jenna Coleman who has simply been an incredible companion. She's easily my favourite companion since the revival and she mud surely have topped the list for most stories now. I don't actually know the record but she's got to be somewhere very close. The way she exited really struck a chord with me, screaming in silence with the Doctor looking on distraught. I was in shock but I thought it was such a powerful way for a companion to leave. Companions don't die often, none since Adric in Earthshock over thirty years ago, but I really hope this is not overturned. As much as I love Clara the way she died was incredible. I will never forget sitting at my desk in my room watching and crying as she realised death was soon upon her. Capaldi and Coleman have been outstanding together and the next companion has huge boots to fill! But there's a lot to do before we get there. Where is the Doctor going? Why has he been sent there? What's in his confession dial? Who wants it? So many questions and we've also been promised one of the greatest cliffhangers yet. I can't wait. That though, is next week. Tonight it was all about Clara. Goodbye Jenna, and thank you. You were amazing. 

Rating: 10/10

Davros

"If Davros is to die, it must be by his own hand..."

Writer: Lance Parkin

Format: Audio

Released: September 2003

Series: Main Range 48

Featuring: Sixth Doctor

Synopsis 

TAI stock has shot up by over fifteen percent on news that galaxy-famous scientist Davros, controversial creator of the Daleks, has been hired to work on unspecified technological projects. 

Davros has been given the chance to redeem himself. 

Humanity stands on the verge of a new era, but it needs the help of the galaxy's greatest ever scientist. But Davros is dead... isn't he?

From the bunkers and shelters of ancient Skaro to the gleaming domes of the future Earth Empire, Davros has always been a man of destiny. Now he's working for mankind's benefit. But how much do we really know about Davros?

Has Davros really turned over a new leaf? The Doctor certainly doesn't think so. But is the Doctor always right?

Verdict 

Davros was an excellent audio story! The second in what I like to call a villain trilogy which presents us with an interesting dynamic in having the Doctor travelling alone and coming up against a familiar villain. Only a couple of days ago I listened to Omega which saw the Fifth Doctor battle the megalomaniac Time Lord. It was good but perhaps not quite to the superb standard I was sneakily hoping for. I try not to get assumptions of the story beforehand but with audio adventures named after villains, it's a little difficult. That was also the case here with the audio debut of Davros. The creator of the Daleks is one of my all time favourite villains and after recently watching The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar, in which Davros returned, I liked how this actually bore a few similarities. Surprise surprise, Davros was dying! Is there ever a story set after Genesis of the Daleks where he's not? I think his ability to survive (which isn't always explained) makes him such a good character. Davros has always been thought of as close to an equal to the Doctor, but in a completely different way to the Master, and this story was just the same. It was really intriguing though to have a Davros story without the Daleks. It almost seems pointless but that was far from the case! There was so much explored about Davros's past and it was magnificent. We had the revelation of what caused Davros to be confined to his infamous chair and why he had what was referred to as an eye camera. I liked how we got some flashbacks to Davros as a man prior to his accident and it's an interesting dynamic to think of Skaro prior to the Daleks. But I think perhaps the most significant thing to come out of this at sip story was that it was not Davros who came up with the idea for the Daleks. It was the woman, although he said he was incapable of loving, he clearly did. To ensure that he would be remembered as the single most successful scientist in Skaro's history, he used his authority to have her hanged. That's quite a horrific way to go about ensuring he got the credit for creating the Daleks! I loved what should have been obvious when it was pointed out that Davros worked in rocketry. Of course that wasn't to explore the stars - it was to fire at the Thals. I thought that was fantastic and just added to how evil Davros is. But it's not all he is as he recalled how painful it was to be in cryogenic suspension between the events of Destiny of the Daleks and Resurrection of the Daleks - I found that really interesting. I think that would just drive him to commit more atrocities though. It was lovely to hear Wendy Padbury back in a Doctor Who story! She wasn't playing Zoe as she is famous for amongst us Whovians but instead she played the fantastic Lorraine Baynes. I really loved her character and I thought she had an interesting dynamic with Davros. Colin Baker was excellent once again as the Sixth Doctor and I definitely maintain that he is the best Doctor in this format. I did find the absence of a companion to be part of the reason why this audio didn't achieve full marks, there wasn't quite anyone for the Doctor to bounce off. Willis was another good character and when I come to think about it, this story really did have a great guest cast! Arnold and Kim were just as equally good. Shan was a favourite of mine as well though as she was the one who had the idea of the Daleks. Davros admired her intellect and even thought it superior to his own but he killed her to ensure he got credit for the creation of the Daleks! I enjoyed the action in the climax but I also loved how the Doctor knew that Davros had survived. They'd be seeing each other soon I'm sure. Overall though, another very good story to go in this loose trilogy of villain stories! I'm looking forward to the next. 

Rating: 9/10

Echo

"Sometimes, the noise of the world deafening."

Writer: Robbie Morrison

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 5th November 2015

Printed in: DWC 2.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby

Synopsis 

Overwhelmed by her experienced with the Tenth Doctor, Gabby is happy to return home to Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and see her friends and family again. Having witnessed the true value of life in the terror of the trenches, Gabby's travels have already left a deep impact. But evading the stares of the Weeping Angels may prove easier than coming home, even if just for a short visit - especially when the Doctor is around. Will life for Gabriella Gonzalez ever be normal again? And if not, does she care?!

Verdict 

Echo was a lovely little comic strip and a great continuation of the wonderful ongoing adventures with the Tenth Doctor and Gabby! This pairing really are magnificent together and I think it's the third of Doctor Who Comic I am enjoying the most. I think that's down to the fact that it's been nearly six years now (has it really?!) since we saw David Tennant depart as the Tenth Doctor in The End of Time and it's just superb to still be getting new adventures with the much loved incarnation of the Time Lord. My void of Tenth Doctor stories has been filled somewhat with his novels with Martha, that's the pairing I've read the most of this year, but getting to know a new companion alongside an old incarnation of the Doctor is just brilliant. I don't get that same feel with Alice in the Eleventh Doctor section which is a shame but maybe the inclusion of Jones and ARC or preventing me getting to like her. Or it's probably her excessive meaning. Gabby on the other hand is a breath of fresh air and even after the traumatic events the Doctor experienced with Donna in Journey's End, I can easily see why Gabby persuaded him to take her on his travels with him. I really liked how Gabby wanted to come home just to remind her family that she hadn't gone anywhere. I think the way I'm reading these comic stories, month by month, is helping me get to know the companions a lot better. Had I waited for the story to complete, as I did up until DWM's The Eye of Torment, then I don't think I'd get the same effect. The fact that this story took place roughly an hour and a half after Revolutions of Terror really was quite something! I liked how that story got mentioned on more than one occasion and it really was a good start to the Titan Comics range. From the first part I had a feeling that the story was going to mirror Onomatopoeia with a near complete wordless comic story! I'm glad we didn't get that as it would take away from the uniqueness factor. The story itself was very good and I liked how we got to see all of Gabby's family once again. Cindy is a really nice character and I do hope that in future stories with Gabby we get to see her once again. Gabby's father is quite a comedic character and I liked his reaction to his daughter putting on her apron again. I really liked the reference to The Arts in Space and the Doctor's realisation that Gabby could have easily died. I loved how she countered that by saying that it was her choice, and hers alone, to join him in the TARDIS. He wasn't having her assume the responsibility though should anything happen to her. When the time comes, and I hope it's not for a long time yet, for Gabby to leave I am going to be mightily intrigued to see how she leaves and what effect that will have on the Doctor. The mention of The Weeping Angels of Mons was magnificent and I imagine that story will get referenced for many stories to come because of its length, but also because it was simply sublime. It's the best story from DWC yet. The similarities to Evolution of the Daleks with the use of the spire on the Empire State Building was really good. The Shreekers were decent enemies, even if they looked a bit silly. The concept of the Echoes, composed of pure noise, was really intriguing and I liked their appreciation once their being chased was stopped by the Doctor. Overall, a very good story for a one parter and another wonderful addition to the Tenth Doctor and Gabby run! 

Rating: 8/10

Omega

"Grains of truth are like grains of sand. Make anything out of them and the tide comes and washes them away."

Writer: Nev Fountain

Format: Audio

Released: August 2003

Series: Main Range 47

Featuring: Fifth Doctor

Synopsis 

A strange telepathic message prompts the Doctor to travel to the a Sector of Forgotten Souls, a place where, thousands of years ago, Omega's ship vanished whilst detonating a star. 

He's not the only one journeying towards it. Jolly Chronolidays prides itself on giving its tourists an experience of galactic history that is far better than mere time travel. 

Its motto is, "We don't go into history, we prefer to bring history to you". 

When Omega's ship suddenly materialises in front of their shuttle, and one of their employees goes insane and tries to destroy his hands...

...suddenly it's not just a motto anymore. 

And Omega - and his madness - is closer than they think. 

Verdict 

Omega was a very interesting and very good audio adventure! It seems to be the first of a trilogy of audio stories featuring a returning villain, each with a different Doctor I believe travelling alone. I'm not sure why we don't get a companion in this story (and I'm not sure how it can fit into story replacement for the Fifth Doctor) but my theory is that the writers wanted to fully capture the relationship between the Doctor and, in this case, Omega and present the villain as almost or above an equal to the Doctor. The fact that Omega was idolised by the Doctor should be enough of a convincing factor for that. It was great to hear Ian Collier reprise his role as the megalomaniac Time Lord. Omega is a very intriguing character and I'm very surprised we haven't had more stories exploring the depth of the character, but this story went some way to filling some of those gaps. The revelation about why the Hand of Omega, seen in Remembrance of the Daleks, was magnificent I must say. The mentions of Rassilon were in a much different mark to what was flashbacked of him in my recent reading of the first part to Gangland but it offered some insight into Gallifrey's history that's for sure. I loved the references to The Three Doctors and Arc of Infinity very much and I really liked how we got a fully explained answer to how Omega survived his apparent demise in the latter TV story mentioned. It's going to be mightily intriguing to see how Omega is presented in modern Doctor Who when he does battle against K9 on the big screen in a few years time in K9: Timequake. I will be going to the cinema for that that's for sure! The recollection on Omega's childhood was something I found very interesting - especially the fact that he was actually called Peylix! Omega was just a gag nickname that stuck. I certainly wasn't expecting that! Some of the guest cast were very good in this story with Ertikus a real standout. I loved the fact that he was also a Time Lord and his TARDIS being hidden was pretty cool. I really enjoyed the fact that he was in his last incarnation and it just showed how precarious a position the Eleventh Doctor was in for his entire tenure! Ertikus was murdered and that was that. Copout. No regeneration. Just dead. I found the Fifth Doctor travelling alone an interesting dynamic and although Peter Davison has been criticised quite a lot in the past regarding his audio performances, and rightly so, but here I thought he was very good. I'm still not sure why he's so much better on television but I really prefer him on screen. The story itself was excellent for the first three parts but I felt that after the part four cliffhanger things got very confusing. I found it difficult to believe that, in a loose sequel moment to Arc of Infinity, Omega was two beings - himself and the embodiment of the Doctor. The explanation tried a lot but it was still pretty confusing I felt. Daland was a good character and I liked the murder mystery surrounding Tarpov. The mention of Zagreus did not go unnoticed and we are still waiting to see what happened regarding that name and the Eighth Doctor following the conclusion of Neverland. It seems such a long time since that story and I don't even have to wait a month for each story! The climax was good and once again seemed to leave Omega stuck outside of the universe. He wanted his marriage with Sentia which seemed pretty sickening but what he got was much more. A bit confusing towards part four, but overall a really good and solid story! I must admit though I was hoping for a little more regarding such a significant return. 

Rating: 8/10

Gangland Part 1

"A place of shattered dreams, lost innocence, dashed hopes and frittered-away fortunes. Why would anyone want to come here?"

Writer: Robbie Morrison 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 5th November 2015

Printed in: DWC 2.02

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

When UNIT scientist Paul Foster crossed dimensions to reunite with his family, a crack was created in our universe. A horrifying group of of body-hopping entities known as the Fractures spilled out of the void. The Doctor and Foster worked together to trap the creatures and return them to the void - but not without making a potent enemy of the Fractures... 

Now, Clara and the Doctor are off to 1960s Las Vegas for some relaxation! But unearthly danger lurks beneath the city's neon lights...

Verdict 

Gangland started off in super fashion with this opening part to the newest Twelfth Doctor and Clara story from the pages of the wonderful magazine that is Doctor Who Comic. Now, I would usually read the stories in the order they are printed but instead of continuing on with part four of Four Doctors, I thought I would continue my current run of Twelfth Doctor and Clara stories with my last two blog entries being Sleep No More and the conclusion of The Highgate Horror. So as one comic strip adventure another immediately begins! I'm a bit late getting to the pages of DWC but that is no fault of my own! On release day I strolled down to WH Smith to find the previous issue sitting there. Upon going home the following day, I thought I'd try my old local Smiths but the same scenario was in place there! Thankfully, when I went to pick up DWM the new issue of DWC was out so I quickly purchased! I guess it'll just mean less of a wait for issue three now, something I can live with. I noticed in the next time preview of the issue, The Other Doctor will be printed. And upon checking the running order I am delighted that the stories with each Doctor are continuing on from where they left off. DWC haven't just skipped ahead altogether thankfully! I loved the prelude of this story with an excellent reference to Terrorformer and an intriguing insight to Rassilon, something that we haven't really seen much of at all in the past other than in The End of Time. I must say though, I've got to question the Alliance of the Races. I mean, what exactly are the Hath going to offer? And the Vigil certainly don't seem to fit in with the likes of Zygons, Ice Warriors and Sontarans! But the picture is something to behold I must admit. Enemies of the Doctor united, Rassilon included. The Cybok Imperium was an intriguing enemy and I liked the humour in that it was from the planet Octus. The game of chance played between Rassilon and Count D'If was quite something though! Imagine the consequences for Gallifrey had Rassilon been wiped from the timeline. But that didn't occur. The characterisation of both the Twelfth Doctor and Clara was magnificent and with them being so cheery together on screen it really is making their comic strip adventures all the more enjoyable. 1960s Las Vegas is such a great setting and I loved the modesty of the Doctor in making Clara's $50 into nearly a million in less than an hour! It wasn't quite the methods as in the latest episode of the incredible series that is The Blacklist, but I was as equally impressed. Dragotta was a decent character and I liked how immediately concerned he was when the Doctor nearly broke the bank! He easily broke the house record that was for sure. Mikey was also an interesting character and I liked the story behind him very much, especially with the Cybok Imperium using his body as a disguise! Clara being hitted on by nearly every man in the casino was interesting but if I was there I'd be doing the same! Especially if things were reversed and she had the accent from across the pond. The climax to this first part was pretty good though I did think the cliffhanger could have been stronger. It wasn't bad though! Overall, a very strong start to what seems to be an excellent story! I look very much forward to part two in the next issue of DWC, and that is where the rating will appear. 

The Highgate Horror Part 2

"The Vampires' power shall be mine!"

Writer: Mark Wright 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 12th November 2015

Printed in: DWM 493

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara 

Synopsis 

It's the 1970s and strange happenings are going on at Highgate Cemetary. The TARDIS is just another tombstone, the Doctor is a shallow husk of the man he normally is and the Corvids are closing in. Will anyone survive this nightmare?

Verdict 

The Highgate Horror concluded in pretty good fashion here with this second part to the story that started last month! With both parts being released either side of Halloween, I'm sure that festivity had something to do with the theme of the comic strip adventure. Before I continue with the comic story itself, I'll talk about the magazine itself and it's quite a significant one as this will be the last issue released whilst Clara remains the current companion. The next time I buy Doctor Who Magazine she will have left but at least until a new companion fills that gap she'll remain the current comic strip companion! Her characterisation lately has been wonderful and that's no change here. Anyway, I was quite surprised by the length of the Sleep No More preview (yes, I have read a large chunk of the magazine already) but it was excellent! Reece Shearsmith and Mark Gatiss should do more interviews together that's for sure. Sadly, the episode itself didn't quite live up to my hopes and expectations which were partly inspired by this very preview. I will read the remaining previews of Face the Raven and Heaven Sent/Hell Bent probably a couple of hours prior to their broadcast as that way things will remain fresh in my mind. But this month's issue offers a lot more than just episode previews! I'm really looking forward to the interviews with Jamie Mathieson and Catherine Tregenna after their superb stories of The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who Lived, the latter of which remains my favourite episode of the series so far. Galaxy Forum is always a joy to read but not more so than when a letter of your own gets printed! I didn't quite win the Star Letter of the Month as with my first letter but considering I've only ever written in twice and both times I've been printed - I must say I am delighted! Steven Moffat's column was as bonkers as ever and I quite like how he goes off on tangents and nearly uses up all of his allotted space on one question! Gallifrey Guardian reported the delightful news that the Tenth Doctor and Donna are set for new adventures in the shape of Big Finish audios which is just magnificent. In saying that though, I really am quite put off by the price of £30 for just three one hour stories. That seems a bit excessive but I guess they know the demand will be there and they want to take advantage of that. I'm always looking forward to reading Relative Dimensions as I so very much love Jacqueline Rayner. Give her a bloody TV story for Series 10! She wouldn't fail that's a guarantee. It all looks set to be another exciting issue and I'm intrigued by the Fast Return Switch feature going on a revival era story. Now back to the comic strip and after the sensational part one cliffhanger I didn't feel things were advanced upon quite enough here for a stronger rating. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I really felt it had the makings of topping Blood and Ice as my favourite Twelfth Doctot comic strip adventure yet. That wasn't the case sadly. The large inactivity of the Doctor was a little stumbling block which I find ironic for myself as I so love the First Doctor! But that allowed Clara to take centre stage and she shone, especially with her characterisation nailed. This definitely had a Series 9 feel about it which I'm always looking for during broadcast and the guitar solo mention was right in line with that. Jess was a tad annoying I found but I loved how Clara splintering herself across the Doctor's timeline, a nice mention to The Name of the Doctor, meant that the Corvids didn't like her at all! Once the Doctor was restored to his normal self, the threat was dealt with an exciting end. Gabriel was a fantastic character and I now do wonder that with another mention of a splinter Clara after Winny's appearance a few months back, is this a recurring theme? I'm not quite sure. But overall, a good story. 

Rating: 8/10

Sleep No More

"Now you can go a whole month without sleep..."

Writer: Mark Gatiss 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 14th November 2015

Series: 9.09

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

The 38th century: a time of unparalleled prosperity. A golden age of peace, harmony, and industry. But every shift must come to an end. Every working day must stop. Sleep claims us in the end...

Until now! "Welcome Morpheus!"

Verdict 

Sleep No More was a brave and audacious episode of Doctor Who, but one that I felt sadly didn't quite work in all aspects. There was good, lots of it actually, but it was slightly weighed down by a number of issues which I thought was a real shame. Excluding Night Terrors, I'm usually a big fan of Mark Gatiss and his work and after seeing the trailer and reading the DWM preview, I did have high hopes for this episode. Maybe that's why it easily gets my lowest rating of the series so far. It just didn't quite match up which was a real shame. I wasn't struck on the idea of the whole story being told through the found footage format, it lost its effect as the episode went on I felt. I also have no idea why there were no opening titles! How ridiculous was that? It made no sense and I'm not sure at all what it offered the episode other than setting an unwanted precedent. I just didn't understand it and I really disapproved of that break from tradition. Thankfully there were a lot of shining lights in this story that saved it from disaster - it was far from it actually! Reece Shearsmith is a wonderful actor and I really loved the character of Rassmussen I must say. He really was brilliant. Nagata added some exquisite beauty alongside the always beautiful Jenna Coleman. I'm not sure why we needed a Geordie Chinese girl but I'm not complaining! It just seems an odd mix. Chopra and 474 weren't as good though I didn't think. I'm not sure why there was a lot of fuss regarding Bethany Black's casting - why should it even be recognised as different when someone openly transgender is cast? Her character didn't offer too much though sadly. The Sandmen were superb and I adored the concept but I felt they looked like a bit of a cheap knock off of the Time Zombies from Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS. With Rassmussen having invented a way of gaining the benefits of a month's sleep in just five minutes, there was obviously going to be some kind of byproduct, and that turned out to be the Sandmen. The brief comedic dispute between the Doctor and Clara over who had the naming rights on alien species was superb. But perhaps the most beautiful moment of the series occurred in this episode when the Doctor asked Clara to take his hand, not because she was scared but because he was. That was so incredibly stunning and it just shows how much Clara means to him. It's going to break him when she leaves, especially if the fashion is as is currently being rumoured. I did like that we got quite a few Classic story references thrown in. They were some of the highlight moments of dialogue that's for sure. We had subtle references to The Space Pirates and Frontios but I think my favourite throwback was that of Doctor Who and the Silurians! That was marvellous. Throughout, the Doctor and Clara were wonderful together and during this series, especially after last year, their closeness really has been a breath of fresh air. It's going to be mightily intriguing come Series 10 when this Twelfth Doctor has a brand new companion. How will he react? I'm sure a certain River Song will help ease the pain over Christmas. The climax to this episode was a bit confusing I felt. Rassmussen seemed to die for the second time, much to Clara's disgust, and I did like how the Doctor deactivated the anti-grav system to allow escape from the Sandmen and TARDIS access, but what the hell was going on with Rassmussen at the end? It didn't quite seemed to be all tied up. I'm not quite sure if Gatiss was joking in the DWM preview when he said about Moffat asking him to do a sequel. I'd be open to it for some explanation but I don't want to see a found footage format again in Doctor Who. It's been used once and that's enough. Overall, a lot of good but sadly this was comfortably the worst of the series so far which was a real shame. 

Rating: 7/10

Nothing O'Clock

"My whole world has been taken over by a mysterious voice. All the people are extinct. Rory's gone. And you're enjoying this."

Writer: Neil Gaiman

Format: Novella

Released: November 2014

Series: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories: 11

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis 

Thousands of years ago, the Kin were imprisoned for their crimes by the Time Lords. But the Kin were patient and deathless, and, when Gallifrey fell, they escaped. Now the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond are all that stands between the Kin and the fate of the universe. 

Verdict 

Nothing O'Clock was an absolutely brilliant novella as part of what has been a wonderful 12 Doctors, 12 Stories collection! In saying that though, we've finally got an adventure from the gem of a set that received full marks! So, you don't need to scroll down to see my rating as you can probably guess what it is! It was just superb and there's no secret that it's taken until the novella featuring my favourite incarnation of the Doctor, which was written by one of my favourite writers, to get a full marks story. Neil Gaiman really is magnificent! He penned one of my all time favourite stories in The Doctor's Wife and a series later he pretty much reinvented the Cybermen in Nightmare in Silver! I also loved his little minisode Rain Gods which saw a rarity of the Eleventh Doctor and River Song travelling alone. I'm delighted that he agreed to write one of what was originally a collection of Puffin eshorts for the fiftieth anniversary celebrations released monthly with each month number being represented by that incarnation of the Doctor. I would love for him in the future to take on a different incarnation of the Doctor than Matt Smith's but I'll have absolutely no complaints if he wants to stick with him. I just hope we get more from him because he's marvellous. I thought the story placement for this adventure was very intriguing with it being very early during the run of the Eleventh Doctor and Amy. We had a nice reference to The Eleventh Hour but that story, in terms of where this story is placed, was the only time the Doctor had met Rory. The pair would soon become quite acquainted with each other after The Vampires of Venice. This story though was excellent from start to finish! I was reading on the train back to Bath after watching my beloved Wales lose to Holland in Cardiff but despite football woes and a late read (starting at approximately 10.15pm), I couldn't put the book down. The pace was wonderful and I just loved the ridiculousness of the Kin going around in lousy masks buying pretty much every house around for ten times more than it was worth! That included hotels. The idea of the Kin is actually incredible and the way they abuse time travel, actually being one single entity all from different points in time is a frightening and dangerous concept! It's no wonder the Time Lords defeated them into a prison. But with Gallifrey fallen and just one Time Lord left who couldn't quite remember his childhood stories, the Kin returned to the Universe and were hell bent on buying Earth. The Doctor would have none of that though because it would mean the end of humanity. This story had a similar feel to the recently aired The Woman Who Lived in that it was so strange and weird that I just couldn't give anything other than full marks. I clearly love this style of writing! The brief thought of the War Doctor, prior to the airing of The Day of the Doctor, was an outstanding subtle inclusion. I really did like that. Amy was very good throughout and she did seem characterised as if it was early Series 5 which fitted in lovely with the story placement. The Browning family were very good but once the Doctor found out about what the Kin did Polly, they were doomed. The resolution was wonderful with the Doctor taking the Kin Amy to before the Big Bang, stranded on the wrong side of the microsecond that kickstarted the Universe. The Kin were gone and trapped forever. The Doctor had enjoyed this battle very much, and he could now relax knowing that he'd carried out the wish of his long dead (or are they?) Time Lords. 

Rating: 10/10

Junk-Yard Demon

"The Cyberman has stolen the TARDIS!"

Writer: Steve Parkhouse 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: June 1983

Printed in: DWM Summer Special 1983

Featuring: Fourth Doctor

Synopsis 

Interstellar scrap dealers have a lucrative business reprogramming dormant Cybermen into domestic servants, until one prematurely awakens and steals the Doctor's TARDIS. 

Verdict 

Junk-Yard Demon was an excellent comic strip and it was a whole lot better than I expected it to be! I took a chance on eBay by purchasing the 1983 Summer Special edition of Doctor Who Magazine and although there was some damage to the back page (which I fully knew about from the product description), I just couldn't resist some Classic Doctor Who comic content for the price of £1! How could anyone resist? I wasn't aware that there also a few text stories within the pages to go along with the lengthy comic strips so I am most pleased with my purchase. I thought the story, for a two-parter, seemed very detailed and long which is definitely a good thing and credit must go to Steve Parkhouse for that. He is a very good comic strip story writer and this is another addition to his great works. With the exception of The Deadly Assassin, both on TV and novelised, the lack of a companion usually bothers me but here the absence of a Leela or Romana didn't pose any problems for me and when I think about it's probably better that the Doctor was travelling alone. I seem to find that Tom Baker's incarnation of the Time Lord is the most difficult to characterise but I think Parkhouse did an excellent job here - I really was impressed. There were all the wonderful and quirky traits that made this Doctor still the most popular today. He's not my favourite by any means, but I really do love this incarnation. Flotsam and Jetsam were interesting characters to say the least! I liked the idea of them being intergalactic scrap merchants a lot, as there would definitely be no shortage of supply in the Whoniverse! That is something that we would soon find out. The Doctor's reaction to seeing the Cyberman was outstanding! If any readers at the time, some seventeen years after The Tenth Planet was broadcast, had any doubts about this design of Cyberman being evil or menacing they were soon quashed. It's probably against popular opinion, but the very first design of the Cybermen from William Hartnell's swansong is my favourite. I love the looks that we would later see in The Invasion, Attack of the Cybermen and The Next Doctor, but there's something incredibly and wonderfully retro that makes the 1966 version my favourite. I read the Cyberman's words in the marvellously monotonous tone that was hear some 49 years ago on our screens and the threat of just one Cyberman was all you needed. It was more than credible! The cliffhanger was very good with the Doctor having accidentally re-activated the dormant creature but my favourite moment probably came when the Cyberman sneakily stole the TARDIS! That was just incredible. Luckily for the Doctor it didn't venture too far and stayed in the same time period. It wanted to resurrect its leader Zogron for orders. It reminded me a little bit of Dalek with the last survivor wanting orders. That was similar here but the Cyberman didn't get what it wanted as Jetsam fiddled with its systems and made it into another Cyber-butler! That was quite humorous. The demise of the Cyberman was good and I loved how Jetsam and Flotsam were thrilled with their new Cyber scrapyard. Overall, this was a superb comic strip! If in parts it just went into a tad more detail, this could have scored the perfect ten. However, it wasn't quite to be but I absolutely loved it! 

Rating: 9/10

The Zygon Inversion

"We will die in the fire, instead of living in chains."

Writers: Peter Harness & Steven Moffat 

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 7th November 2015

Series: 9.08

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

Shapeshifting Zygons are everywhere in the UK, and there is no way of knowing who to trust. With UNIT neutralised, only the Doctor stands in their way. But how do you stop a war? And what can the Doctor so to save his friends?

Verdict 

The Zygon Inversion was a fantastic conclusion to the story already started in The Zygon Invasion! I'm not too keen on both episodes of a two-part story having such similar names, but that's not going to take anything away from the quality of the story. It really was superb and certainly had a defining moment for Peter Capaldi's Doctor but I'll get to that in a little bit. Following on from the shocking cliffhanger last week, the resolution that we got wasn't really a resolution but I loved it! The idea of Clara fighting back from inside her Zygon pod was incredibly audacious but it absolutely paid off. I'd never have even thought of it happening but when you have two great writers like Steven Moffat and Peter Harness co-writing the episode, the best is bound to occur. I thought Jenna Coleman gave an incredible performance and oh my word, she looked ridiculously stunning! She's the most beautiful companion ever by a long way in my opinion. She played the villainous Zygon commander Bonnie so well. From not appearing in The Woman Who Lived to playing the villain here, she really has been wonderful this season in what has been quite a topsy turvy one for her. I'm just glad she's been sole companion with no real going home which we had in abundance last year. This second episode had more of a feel of being a sequel to The Day of the Doctor than the first episode and the references were fantastic. I loved how the Doctor referred to the day the ceasefire started as being on an important day for him - a lovely subtle inclusion to the anniversary. The Doctor and Osgood getting extended time together was absolutely wonderful! I do love Osgood and she represents fandom personified as a character within the show wonderfully well. Although I love Missy and I probably mentioned in my on broadcast Death in Heaven blog that I thought it made her magnificently ruthless, I was genuinely disappointed that Osgood was dead after such a short time with her. Thankfully she's back and now there are two of her! I loved how Osgood seems to be quite prepared to take over the world! Don't let the Doctor talk, instead she'd plan on killing him twelve times if necessary! Kate stepped into her own here and I liked how she was standing up to Bonnie when the pair were back to a familiar standoff on what species should be the decider. The Osgood box was a superb concept and I loved the revelation that there were two of them. Truth or Consequences playing just as important a role as it did in the previous episode but in a more subtle manner was excellent. But the shining moment of the episode was absolutely Peter Capaldi's speech once both Bonnie and Kate had opened the Osgood box and were seemingly prepared to take a 50/50 chance on survival. The speech was just incredible and rivalled that of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor in The Rings of Akhaten, something I wasn't sure was possible. The references back to Terror of the Zygons and Harry Sullivan were fantastic. The resolution was very good and it seemed that the Doctor finally got what he wanted just by talking. I'm still not convinced that the ceasefire can be maintained but I do like how that leaves things open for a Zygon return, something I definitely would like to see. The Doctor clearly cares so much for Clara now and his reaction to thinking she was good may just be a foreshadowing of what's to come later in the series with her departure. Overall though, the two parter as a whole was brilliant and absolutely worthy of a return of probably the most famously underused enemies. More of the same please as we head into the final stretch of the series! 

Rating: 9/10

The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage

"Children can be so cruel... children's writers can be even worse."

Writer: Derek Landy

Format: Novella

Released: November 2014

Series: 12 Doctors, 12 Stories: 10

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha 

Synopsis 

The Tenth Doctor and Martha land on a planet that looks exactly like Earth but is full of fictional characters from Martha's childhood. Together they must solve the mystery of who has created a world of books and why, before their story concludes. 

Verdict 

The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage was an excellent little story! Yet another superb adventure in what is turning out to be quite the hidden gem of a 12 Doctors, 12 Stories set. Apart from the anomaly that was Tip of the Tongue, I haven't been disappointed with any of these stories and I really have been thoroughly enjoying them. At university, the amount of Doctor Who I've been able to do has obviously been on a decrease but today I was back up to the old tricks of a train journey. However, this was not the familiar South Wales to Mid Wales venture via England. My journey actually started in England and I arrived in South Wales for an extended weekend. With the journey only lasting around two hours, a Target novelisation was sadly out of the question so what better than one of these novellas? I thought the timing would be perfect but in reality, they weren't quite long enough! That being said, with all the historical reading I've been doing for class preparation or research for assignments, I could do with a little less to be honest! I think next time I'm going to have to try out an audio for this particular train journey. When going from Bath to Mid Wales, the Target readings should continue though. Anyway, to the story at hand and it featured what is probably my favourite novelised TARDIS pairing in the Tenth Doctor and Martha. They're the pair I've read the most original novels of together and I'm not sure what it is but they just work so well together in prose. That was no different here which was really nice. The dialogue between the pair is characterised so well from their on screen adventures which is hugely positive and I think the two characters themselves were characterised very well here. I loved the similarities this story shared with The Mind Robber, a story that got nicely referenced on more than one occasion. It's such a significant story and how can anybody resist the urge to return to its fundamentals of delving into fiction. The Doctor acting as if he knew Rapunzel from their previous meeting in the aforementioned Second Doctor TV story was wonderful. Rapunzel herself didn't seem too pleased to see Martha though! Not quite the prince she was expecting. The timing of writing was beneficial here with a nice foresight reference thrown in when the Doctor mentions his next screwdriver having a torch. As we know, the Eleventh Doctor's had just that. I really liked The Chase reference in regards to Dracula - Classic references I really do enjoy. Speaking of which, there was another wonderful one to The Sun Makers! The Doctor would only lose at chess if it was to a familiar robotic dog. I do love K9! And now he's got a film coming out in the future! Bonkers. Martha realising that the setting was that of a book she read as a child, the same name as the Who story itself is titled, was really good and immediately I was intrigued. Her picking up on all the clues was great and I also loved the idea and concept of the Un-men! It's incomprehensible to think of nothing. There can't be nothing but there not can't not be nothing. It can certainly mess with your head! But the story as a whole did not which was brilliant. It was fun, well-paced and had a superb plot! It was definitely an entertaining read and I really liked how well the Doctor and Martha got along. The resolution definitely worked well within the story. Overall, a more than good read and one I thoroughly enjoyed on what will soon become a familiar train ride. I've had this collection nearly a year now, and I'm almost coming to its end. It's a good job I've got a new graphic novel on the way then. 

Rating: 9/10

The Time Museum

"We're going to bury them under my past."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: July 2012

Series: Companion Chronicles 7.01

Featuring: Ian 

Synopsis 

"This is the Chesterton Exhibition. A series of breathtakingly faithful tableaux, painstakingly detailed to the nth degree. Dedicated to the life of that most extraordinary time traveller, Ian Chesterton!"

Ian finds himself in a shrine to his own past, and on the run with a man named Pendolin. 

From Coal Hill a School to Jobis Station, from Totter's Yard to the Crusades, Ian's history is unfolding. 

And a confrontation with a deadly enemy with a voracious appetite awaits...

Verdict 

The Time Museum was an excellent Companion Chronicle audio adventure! I really did enjoy this one from start to finish. I was very pleased that this followed the way of The Jigsaw War and was a story that wasn't told through narration but rather in real time. I was also very surprised, judging from the cover, that Ian was the only familiar character to feature in the story. There was no First Doctor (only a little comedic recollection from Ian), no Susan or no Barbara. It was a unique dynamic, especially given the fact that Ian was now portrayed as being older as well. I really liked that aspect as it gave us a new perspective on Ian Chesterton and also allowed William Russell to be more like himself which I'm sure he relished. The whole story being based around Ian's memories of his travels in the TARDIS with the First Doctor and the mentions of nearly every story he featured in were wonderful! He got things horribly muddled up at times due to the fact his  memories were being fed on. But that allowed some humour which definitely put a smile on my face. We had wonderful mentions of The Aztecs on more than one occasion with Tegana, the Doctor's proposed marriage and Yetaxa all getting a lovely mention. The Keys of Marinus and The Reign of Terror getting more subtle mentions was still nice as those are two of my favourite First Doctor stories, particularly the former, that's one of my all time favourites. I really liked how James Goss, a writer who is slowly becoming a favourite of mine, didn't just stick to referencing TV stories. I loved the Farewell, Great Macedon inclusion I must say! A really nice reference. An Unearthly Child was probably the story that got mentioned the most and why wouldn't it? It's so unbelievably significant! There was nice talk of before and after Ian and Barbara wondered to Totter's Lane and stumbled aboard the TARDIS and their lives changed and would never be the same again. Ian fondly remembered Susan which was nice but it was sad to hear him not being able to remember Barbara at first. Ian's reaction when he remembered where he was in the reconstruction of the corridors from Skaro was superb. A lovely The Daleks reference right there! There were also fantastic recollections of The Romans and The Crusade with the Robomen ensuring a nice mention for The Dalek Invasion of Earth - my second favourite ever of the William Hartnell era. As well as an abundance of story references and taking a terrific trip through Ian's time travelling with the Doctor, this story did have a decent plot to it. Pendolin was an intriguing character and I did suspect there was more to him than simply hiding when the memory-eaters came. He was the one feeding on Ian's memory the whole time! He didn't seem too evil at first but that was soon quashed. The way he was defeated was very good and certainly added a momentary glimpse of action in the second part which wasn't quite as good as the first. That being said, we even got mention of the ancient war between the Sontarans and the Rutan Host which I was most certainly not expecting! Ian now knows of the Sontarans, I do love the timey-wimey nature of Doctor Who on times. It never ceases to amaze me and make me smile. Overall, an excellent story with a superb performance from William Russell. Past story references galore with a good plot - what more can I ask for?

Rating: 9/10