Empire of the Wolf

"We're walking into the werewolf lair."

Writer: Neil Corry
Format: Novel
Released: September 2010
Series: DYD 16

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis

There's a full moon rising and an ancient evil roams the streets. The Empire of the Wolf has begun! Can you help the Doctor and Amy destroy the werewolves before being turned into one yourself?

Verdict

Empire of the Wolf was a good and interesting read! It was my first Decide Your Destiny book for quite some time and that's no coincidence really given the nature of the series. They're quite clearly aimed at a much younger audience than I am a part of but I just couldn't help but take advantage of the resources available on the Libraries West catalogue. If there's a Doctor Who story on there, I'm not going to say no to being able to read it for free! Returning to the era of Series 5 was something I most welcomed and I thought the feel of that period of Doctor Who was pretty well captured. I thought the characterisation of the Eleventh Doctor was actually quite excellent and that made for better reading throughout. I've always found the format of Decide Your Destiny books particularly exciting and they certainly allow for a fast-paced adventure. That was definitely the case here! The story absolutely flew by but I am aware that may be down to my choices which can often result in a very abrupt or quick ending. If I'm being honest, I don't think I'd ever want to pay for one of these stories again but whilst they're in the library, and I do think most of the series are, I probably will delve into them from now on. Why waste good resources? I was a little surprised that the story only made a loose connection to Tooth and Claw given the Scottish setting but that could just have been the route my decisions took me. I was glad that none of my decisions led to the potential for an online decision as the website has been closed down now and I wouldn't want to force a decision. The second person format was intriguing and unusual and I liked how the Doctor and Amy were directly talking at us. We were involved in the story and I can see what that appeals to the younger audience. The Wolves themselves didn't appear too much but the threat of them was always present and referred to which was more than enough. I thought Lazenby was a very good character and his desire to contain the Wolf was brilliant. He really was struggling and that was rather ending. The connection with the wolf stone and the fifty seeds probably could have done with a bit more elaboration, but again that may be down to my chosen route. The ending was a little quick and abrupt but that's not uncommon to this type of story and I liked how quickly Lazenby ended things by sacrificing himself. Overall, an entertaining read!

Rating: 7/10

Molten Heart

"Everyone's denying the evidence of their own eyes."

Writer: Una McCormick
Format: Novel
Released: 8th November 2018
Series: NSA 64

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

"To find treasures, you must dig deep, below the surface... down to the heart."

Deep below the surface of the planet Adamantine lies a crystalline wonder world of lava seas and volcanic islands, home to living rock people.

But when the Doctor and her friends arrive they find Adamantine under threat. The seas are shrinking, the magma is cooling, and mysterious, fatal Seething Pools are spreading fast.

Something has come to Adamantine - but what does it want? Fearing an invasion is underway, the Doctor must lead an expedition to the surface of the world to save its molten heart...

Verdict

Molten Heart was a great novel to continue the stories of the Thirteenth Doctor! It was quite different to anything we've had so far in her run, across any format, and I liked it very much. The Adamantine setting was quite unique and the concept of a society being within the planet's core was really intriguing. I thought the rock people, let's call them Adamantines, were really good and I was particularly struck by Ash. She really was a terrific character and seeing her reaction to the wonder that was the arrival of the TARDIS and its inhabitants was magnificent. This world's refusal to believe their own eyes was quite extraordinary at times and I loved how frustrated that was making Graham. He really wasn't having any of Emerald's stupidity. Basalt was another brilliant character and his enquiring mind meant he got on with the Doctor incredibly well. He refused to believe that this planet was all there was in the cosmos and the lights coming through the cracks in the planet's roof must lead to more worlds. The Doctor and co were evidence of that yet some still needed convincing. I really liked Yaz in this novel and with her and Graham separated from the Doctor and Ryan, she took the initiative to follow the Doctor's lead and stand up for what she believed in. I thought that was a nice touch. Ryan getting to play shooter with the satellites was good and quite similar to his chance to shine in The Ghost Monument but he was far more successful here. I thought the characterisation of Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor was really strong throughout which made for pleasant reading and I thought the feel of Series 11 was well captured. The reference to Arachnids in the UK was very welcomed and I also liked the impact of Grace's death was still being felt. Quartz was a very good character and his desperation to show Emerald that Basalt was actually right was great - once he'd finally picked what side he was on. Onyx was an unexpected character and his connection with Emerald was something I didn't expect to feature so heavily. The journey for the Doctor, Ryan and Ash to find Basalt was fantastic and I liked how the latter was decoding the messages left by her father. The cracks in the fissure were almost at critical and that would mean sea water breaking through and ultimately destroying the interior of the planet. Cool mixing with hot in such rapidity would not be good. The absence of the lava seas was a shame and I was intrigued that Graham was so keen to leave because he believed you can't defeat climate change. But this was too rapid and the Doctor's expedition to the surface to find drilling continuing with nobody present, not for a long time, was very good. She saw that it was switched off with some help from the humorous Ouolulu and just when it seemed that Basalt wasn't going to make it, he did. He and the Doctor worked very well together and I loved the idea of multiple holograms of the Doctor in the city addressing the Great Family to get them to see that Emerald was wrong. The ending with Basalt getting to see the surface of his planet was a really lovely way to conclude. Overall, a terrific read!

Rating: 8/10

Operation Volcano

"Volcanoes have a nasty habit of erupting."

Writer: Andrew Cartmel
Format: Comic Strip
Released: June-August 2018
Printed in: The Seventh Doctor #1-3

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

An unknown intelligence in orbit. A terrifying vessel in the Australian outback. The future of the world at stake. The Intrusion Countermeasures Group activated. And the Doctor and Ace slap bang in the middle of it all! This is OPERATION VOLCANO!

Verdict

Operation Volcano was a great comic strip and a very good start to Titan Comics' take on the Seventh Doctor. I'm a huge fan of their continued exploring of other incarnations of the Doctor and I do hope it continues for the foreseeable future. I thought this story captured the era of the Seventh Doctor, at least that of which was televised, excellently and I liked the writing of the Doctor himself. The characterisation was very good with a great likeness to Sylvester McCoy evident on the page. I thought it was good not to complicate things and just have a one-off standalone comic strip adventure. It worked really well. Reuniting the Doctor and Ace with the Countermeasures team was an unexpected delight but I guess I shouldn't be too surprised given their success. The mix in settings between 1967 and 2029 was quite intriguing and whilst I was expecting more of a link than was actually the case, it worked rather well. My interest was always there and I was looking to find out how Gilmore ended up long haired and bearded sixty-two years into the future. In space. Allison and Rachel were fantastic characters throughout and I really liked how they took the initiative once they were the ones captured. They had to deal with the likely possibility that the Doctor, Ace and co were dead but that didn't deter them. I liked that they wanted to deal with things in facts and then act upon what they knew. That seemed a smart strategy and I'd be intrigued to see how similar they were here compared to their audio spinoff series. I was a little surprised by how inactive Ace was considering she's quite an explosive companion and isn't shy to a bit of action. Her volunteering to meet the Markarian was very good and I really enjoyed their conversation. The way it dipped into her brain to use terminology she understood was fantastic and I really liked how that then came into play when we got to hear the truth of how the Markarian ship had come to be placed at the epicentre of a nuclear bomb. The crooks, as they were conveniently dubbed, had actually placed themselves into human society and were doing some meddling that obviously wouldn't go down well with the Doctor. Darana and Delafield were very good characters and I also thought Palmer was decent before his unexpected death.The link with the volcano image of 4,500 years previous was outstanding and I really liked the Doctor's reaction to Allison and Rachel's photographic work. The cliffhangers were decent and I thought it was interesting for part one to be a double length. It was rather obvious where the initial cliffhanger was though. The climax was quite exciting and action-packed and I thought the way Gilmore was trapped in the launch and the story came full circle was pretty good. I loved that the Doctor and Ace went to greet him in 2029. That was a nice touch. Overall, a great comic strip with a quick but exciting conclusion. Maybe it just could have taken a little more to prevent the threat to make this an even better adventure.

Rating: 8/10

The Great Shopping Bill

"Everything you'll ever need. Under one sky."

Writer: Richard Dinnick

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November 2017

Printed in: The Twelfth Doctor #3.9

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill, Nardole

Synopsis

For a different flavour of peril, the Doctor takes Bill and Nardole on a trip to an intergalactic superstore, where they make an unexpected new friend... or is that enemy?!

Verdict

The Great Shopping Bill was a decent little comic strip adventure to conclude The Wolves of Winter graphic novel! I really needed to get this done quickly as I'm starting to exceed my limit of loans at the local library with an ever increasing list of reservations not helping my case! I was delighted to see that Nardole joined the Doctor and Bill in the comic strips and I thought that made the writing of the story as a whole much better. It really did fit into the grander picture of Series 10 and I loved that we saw a little cameo from Missy. I would love a full length comic strip with her as the enemy but given her direction towards becoming good and feeling guilty for all of those she has killed, this stage of the Twelfth Doctor's life probably wouldn't be best for that. The dimension stabiliser being a tad faulty in the Vault was interesting and I did find Bill's line about Missy becoming squishy so bad that it was good. I couldn't help but laugh. The setting of the Ubermarket was quite interesting and seeing this being almost like a guilty pleasure for the Doctor was delightful. Nardole keeping tabs on him throughout was excellent though. Bill getting split up from the pair was good and the Doctor didn't even notice for a while because of how wrapped up he was with shopping! She ended up meeting Olivia who was lost from her parents and they had both been reported as missing. However, Bill was accused of being a fugitive and I really liked the Doctor's reaction to that. She couldn't possibly be one! I thought the earlier discussion regarding Back to the Future was terrific and seeing the Doctor disapprove of its use of time was wonderful. I'm a huge fan of the franchise and the second film is probably my favourite of all time but even I couldn't be mad at the Doctor's negativity. How else would this incarnation really react? His reference to Father's Day was fantastic. The cameo appearances of Brannigan and Heather were welcomed additions and I also liked seeing the Trees of Cheem. Olivia actually being a Pathicol was unexpected but I liked how it fitted into the bigger picture of the story. I do wonder why she was being chased by other Pathicols though if she was one, even disguised. The theme of empathy was really good and I liked this story's simplicity. At large, it was just about shopping and sometimes the simpler things are refreshing. That's what I liked here. Overall, a lovely little story! 

Rating: 7/10

The Wolves of Winter

"We shall take the weapons of our enemy and use them against him."

Writer: Richard Dinnick
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July-September 2017
Printed in: The Twelfth Doctor #3.5-7

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill

Synopsis

The TARDIS crashes into the heart of a Viking camp! But this is no interactive history lesson - a terrifying alien force has taken over the icy kingdom. As the snow melts, the Doctor realises that he is about to face more than one unwelcome face from the past...

Verdict

The Wolves of Winter was a very good comic strip adventure! There was a great deal going on and it worked well which was terrific. It finally saw the comic strip debut of Bill from Titan and she had a strong showing. I thought it was brilliant to pit the Ice Warriors against the Twelfth Doctor once again following Empress of Mars and I liked that Bill's recognition of them placed this story after that episode and didn't contradict anything that occurred on television. How it fitted in with Nardole, Missy and the latter part of Series 10 was left unmentioned and I think that was the right move. The 9th century setting was excellent and I liked how it was on a remote and volcanic island. That served the plot very well which was hugely pleasing. I absolutely loved that some of the Ice Warriors were infected with the Flood and them returning following The Waters of Mars was fantastic. They were absolutely deserving of a return and the Martian link with the Ice Warriors was finally put into action. I thought that two returnees for a comic strip adventure was good but things didn't stop there! Quite incredibly, the Haemovores and Fenric made an astonishing comeback! The cliffhanger finish to part two was really good and interesting and I loved how quickly the Doctor was to count off his past companions as they were what he had faith in. I thought that was a lovely mention. Sadly, the likes of Katarina and Sara were looked over which was a bit of a shame. I enjoyed the reference to Cold War with the Doctor mentioning Skaldak and seeing Grand Marshall Sskoll's reaction to that was marvellous. Bill referencing Oxygen was also great and I liked that the Doctor mentioned his recent being mistaken for Odin in The Girl Who Died. There really was a lot of throwback to the past and that's something I'm a big fan of reading. The Vikings were very good and seeing their numerous relationship was really interesting. Torkal's relationship with the Doctor was lovely and the way he had to tell her that her husband was no more despite the outward appearance was a touching and emotional moment. The flashbacks to The Curse of Fenric and the mentioning of the similarities between Ace and Bill was excellent. I thought the ending was a little rushed though which was a slight tarnishing on a fantastic adventure. It just seemed a tad quick and I'm not so sure the Ice Warriors would just accept going home and leaving things to the Doctor so soon after they declared it was a Martian problem and they'd take things into their own hands. Bill being worried because the Doctor was worried was very good and I liked how she was consoling him because he'd already dealt with the Haemovores in the planet's future but his past. The way he was able to convince the Haemovores that Fenric was hoping to gain an allegiance with the Flood could have been fleshed out a bit more, but as a whole, I thought this was a great comic strip story!

Rating: 8/10

The Witchfinders

"We must purify the land."

Writer: Joy Wilkinson
Format: TV
Broadcast: 25th November 2018
Series: 11.08

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The Thirteenth Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz arrive in 17th-century Lancashire and become embroiled in a witch trial, run by the local landowner; as fear stalks the land, the arrival of King James I only serves to intensify the witch hunt.

Verdict

The Witchfinders was a very good episode! As Series 11's conclusion draws ever closer, I'm glad to see that it isn't going out with a whimper and is maintaining its high standard. This was a hugely enjoyable episode and I was glad to get a historical that wasn't set in the twentieth century. We went back to the seventeenth century and to the reign of King James I (or VI). That was a lovely setting and the focus being on Pendle Hill in Lancashire really was excellent. Savage really was what her name states and the ruthlessness with which she put 'witches' on trial was quite shocking. It wasn't too different to what my expectation of someone from this period of history in her position would be like and I really liked her change in tone when the Doctor showed her the psychic papers which proclaimed her as the General Witch-finder. King James not seeing that in quite the same way, refusing to believe that a woman could be a general, was terrific and I thought the whole episode dealt with gender fantastically. The Doctor herself was put on trial for being a witch and I loved that the change in sex of our Time Lord hero was directly put to use for something new. I was a big fan of that. Ryan's relationship with James was intriguing and I liked how the latter offered the former a role as his protector at the episode's close but I felt like the companion didn't have a great deal to do here. Yaz was on top form again with her relationship with Willa was wonderful. The way she dealt wit the tendril was very good. Graham taking on his role as the General Witch-finder was humorous too. As for the Doctor, well I thought this was Jodie Whittaker's best performance yet. She was simply sublime as the Thirteenth Doctor! Her speech about knowledge to King James was extraordinary and could later be seen as her defining moment as the Doctor. I loved that the Doctor tried to save Willa's gran just moments after saying that established history needs to be maintained. I am quite fascinated as to why Team TARDIS were intending on visiting the coronation of Queen Elizabeth I though. Especially with the Doctor's history with her. Savage being so adamant that Satan needed to be defeated, something echoed by James, who was played wonderfully, was very good and the revelation that she herself was the witch was very good. I liked how it was played out. The Morax were a decent villain, even if they weren't around long, and I was a fan of the Hill serving as a prison and the tree actually being ancient alien technology that kept them imprisoned. The Doctor saw that was reanimated though and it took all the Morax with them. Overall, a great episode!

Rating: 8/10

Infamy of the Zaross

"The show must go on."

Writer: John Dorney
Format: Audio
Released: November 2017
Series: TDA 2.01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

When Jackie Tyler takes an away day to visit her old friend Marge in Norwich, she finds her holiday immediately interrupted in the worst way possible - an alien invasion! The infamous Zaross have come to take over Earth. Or have they? After Jackie calls in the Doctor and Rose to deal with the menace, it soon becomes clear that this is a very unusual mission indeed.

The Doctor is about to uncover one of the most heinous crimes in the history of the galaxy. And if he can't stop it... an awful lot of people are going to die.

Verdict

Infamy of the Zaross was a very good audio adventure and a great way to spend my birthday! I have been dying to get the second series of the Tenth Doctor Adventures now but I just couldn't justify the £35 price tag for three stories and I could never seem to find a good offer on eBay. Thankfully though, with enough hints directed towards my girlfriend, I unwrapped the set today and just had to start it straight away! Hearing David Tennant and Billie Piper reunited was an absolute treat and I thought the era of Series 2 was pretty well captured. I liked having Jackie in the story as well and I thought the shift in setting from London to Norwich was really refreshing. I particularly enjoyed that Norwich's proximity to alien invasion was referenced. The Doctor not having heard of the Zaross was intriguing given his knowledge but as Rose mentioned, he couldn't possibly know of every single alien species. Even the ones that were prone to a planetary invasion. What made this all the more interesting was when the TARDIS didn't recognise them either. Now things began to fall into place and after hearing the retake scene much earlier in the story, the truth was soon revealed. The Zaross weren't actually invading Earth, they were just filming for a television show and had made it look like the planet was at their mercy! It was quite extraordinary but they were actually killing people and the Doctor was appalled in the greatest possible regard. He was vexed. Rose was disgusted too and I liked that Jackie didn't know the truth until quite a bit later than the pair. I did love how she just called the Doctor and Rose to Norwich when an alien invasion had occurred. The calmness was terrific and I really enjoyed that they had arrived their early and were hiding. That was quite humorous. Ikron was a decent villain and his role as the director of the show was very good. The reveal that the Zaross were actually the Forzell, the very species the TARDIS identified them as having the closest resemblance to, was unexpected and the way the Doctor ridiculed that was great. I thought the Tenth Doctor was on top form for this story and I particularly enjoyed how he convinced the Zaross to turn on the producers of the TV show after it turned out they were just a wheel in the cog and would soon be killed once their ability to pull in viewers faded. The fact they were oblivious to that was quite startling. I really liked how they wanted to make sure that the Doctor and Rose got away before enacting their revenge. Jackie's relationship with Marge was quite good and I thought Jess was decent too with her obsession with fame. She was taken with the offer of intergalactic celebrity status but Rose wasn't too pleased with her actions. Overall, a very good audio adventure!

Rating: 8/10

World Without End

"Something is attacking our heliosphere."

Writers: John & Carole E. Barrowman
Format: Comic Strip
Released:
Printed in: Torchwood #1.1-4

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen

Synopsis

Torchwood: outside the government, beyond the police. Tracking down alien life on Earth, arming the human race against the future.

Gwen Cooper, acting head of Torchwood Cardiff, is hoping for a quieter life, but her plans are disrupted by the reappearance of Captain Jack Harkness.

Along with the immortal former Time Agent and the crew of the alien tech-filled ship the Ice Maiden, Gwen is plunged into danger once again. But can this new-look Torchwood cope with a series of alien attacks, a mysterious stowaway, the return of an old enemy and the arrival of a new one who could well be Jack's equal...?

Verdict

World Without End was a decent and very interesting beginning to Titan's take on Torchwood in these brand new comic strips. Continuing Torchwood in any format is something I'm a huge fan of but I have to say I was quite surprised with the direction here. I'm really glad that I recently read Exodus Code otherwise I don't think I'd have been overly pleased with this story's presentation. There was an awful lot going on without any real threat so I thought, for the casual reader, the least they could have done was explain the background to Jack and Gwen knowing the crew of the Ice Maiden and how Jack came to have this alien ship under his command. It was great to put visuals to the characters that were very good in the aforementioned novel and I liked how humorous Shelley continued to be. Her comments towards Jack and Hollis were excellent and one thing I was very surprised about was the intimacy of Jack and Gwen's relationship. That didn't seem quite right for me. But it's an interesting perspective that's for sure! The return of Captain John Hart is something I have been longing for and to see him back in action here was fantastic. I liked how Torchwood House was incorporated into the story in a rather crucial way and I was very surprised to find Sir James still alive. That was a very unexpected revelation. I loved the cameo of a Sontaran in white armour and I thought the continuous change in setting was an intriguing approach. There was a lot to follow but it allowed us to see a lot which was good. The artwork was very impressive throughout with my only qualm being on the drawing of Gwen in some panels. Seeing Rhys have to put up with her leaving again was heartbreaking and he really does deserve a medal for all she puts him through. The 'foreplay' of building up to what was actually going on was probably longer than it needed to be but that seems to be a theme of this pair of writers. They like setting the stage a lot and don't leave much for the actual story and resolution. Thankfully, there will be a whole other collection of stories to reveal all about the Navigators and Jack and John's encounter with them in the past. But the library doesn't have that one so I'll have to purchase it! Overall, I thought this was a solid but unexpected start to Torchwood's life in the Titan comics. One thing I forgot to mention, I really wasn't a fan of the Ice Maiden having a chameleon circuit - be original! I've focused a little too much on the negatives in this Verdict but that's just because it's new! I did actually really enjoy it.

Rating: 7/10

Bringer of Darkness

"You're a living plague of fear and hatred."

Writer: Warwick Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: June 1993
Printed in: DWM Summer Special 1993

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Victoria

Synopsis

A special Dalek story! Victoria sees a new side to the Second Doctor as he challenges his oldest enemies! Her journal reveals an untold encounter between the Doctor and the Daleks and it reveals a dark side to our Time Lord hero...

Verdict

Bringer of Darkness was a terrific comic strip story and a great bonus to conclude the Land of the Blind graphic novel! This collection of comic strip adventures has certainly finished on a high and I've just been grateful to be able to read it free of charge thanks to the wonderful Libraries West catalogue. They really are doing me wonders with all of their inter-library transfers and they must be sick of putting my name on the reservations in the holds! Anyway, doing a story from the journal of Victoria was a brilliant idea and it was almost like the comic strip version of a Companion Chronicle audio. It worked really well and at just one part, I was very impressed with how much this story managed to achieve. It saw the Second Doctor encounter the Daleks following the events of The Evil of the Daleks and I loved how that story was referenced. The Daleks explained that the humanised Daleks were traitors and had been wiped out and that the Emperor had resumed control. So much for it being their fatal end then. I liked how the effects of Victoria's first meeting with the Daleks were extremely prominent in this story after they had killed her father and the Doctor initially not thinking about her well-being with them present was intriguing. He was very apologetic though as you'd expect of his second incarnation. Jamie was keen to get into action and showed no fear which I liked very much. The fact that there were just three Daleks was good and their threat was clear. Jamie wanting to just leave because they were hoping to send a signal to the greater Dalek fleet was quite surprising and I liked how quick the Doctor was to dismiss that. These were Daleks and they had to be stopped. The way he went about it was excellent and I loved how he fed them the information of his identity. Their refusal to shoot him and Jamie because of their proximity to the signal beacon was good and the ruthlessness with which the Doctor redirected the flow into blowing the Daleks up was quite uncanny. But it was efficient and showed just how dangerous the Daleks were. They needed to be stopped at all costs. Victoria wasn't so pleased though and her echoing of her departure in Fury From the Deep was quite interesting. This wasn't quite the Doctor she knew. She was stunned and horrified by his actions and that was incredibly fascinating because it was the Daleks he killed. The very beings who killed her father and she felt sympathy. Overall, an excellent comic strip!

Rating: 9/10

Land of the Blind

"All actions made by sentient life must be accountable."

Writer: W. Scott Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: March-May 1994
Printed in: DWM 224-226

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

The Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive in Denossus: an alien city in the thrall of the all-powerful Vortexians! Why are they so concerned with protecting the population from themselves? The Shroud's power will soon be recognised...

Verdict

Land of the Blind was an excellent comic strip adventure and definitely the best of the graphic novel for which it is the titular story! In terms of the run of past Doctor adventures, they certainly saved the best until last. I really liked this one and I thought it started strong and never seemed to fade in quality. The trio of the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe is a wonderful one and I thought the writing for them was very good here. The characterisation of the Second Doctor was particularly good and I loved how well the likeness of Patrick Troughton was captured on the page. The artwork was very good too which isn't always the case in the stories void of colour and I was quite intrigued to later find that the design for the Vortexians actually came from a DWM competition! That was really fascinating and I actually thought they were brilliant. Their whole structure and being based upon strict rules was very good and I liked how quick they were to respond to crime. In an instant they would just appear from out of nowhere. The Doctor was quick to get on their wrong side and was soon at the mercy of the Speculum, a deadly mind probe that showed the rest of the universe to its victim all at once. Luther hadn't managed to escape its effects and was basically a living vegetable because of it, but the Doctor's mind was stronger than your average so he wouldn't have such an adverse reaction. The cliffhangers were good and I really liked the horror in Jamie and Zoe's reactions to knowing that they were too late to save the Doctor from going under the Speculum's torment. The importance of the Shroud was intriguing and I loved how much pleasure the Doctor took in exposing its truth. He quite easily disrupted the Vortexians' teleport signal to engage them in conversation but the way Ronayne was able to bring about their defeat was incredibly clever. He'd earlier heard Jamie offer a potentially racist remark and that was just a scale-one chastisement which meant a quick stun of the central nervous system. But Ronayne was old and that invoked a heart attack. He knew what he was doing and was quick to tell the Doctor that this was against their prime code. The Doctor drove home that point and the only answer was for the Vortexians to be sentenced to the speculum and for the planet to be returned from the Vortex. I loved that. Overall, a very strong comic strip story!

Rating: 9/10

Change of Mind

"She saved everyone, but it killer her!"

Writer: Kate Orman
Format: Comic Strip
Released: December 1994 - February 1995
Printed in: DWM 221-223

Featuring: Third Doctor, Liz

Synopsis

The Third Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier investigate a series of impossible murders, and face a psychotic psychic! What connects a miraculous plane crash survival and the paranormal department of Cambridge University? The Doctor will soon find out...

Verdict

Change of Mind was a very good comic strip adventure and a great continuation of the Land of the Blind graphic novel! After a somewhat inconsistent and slightly slacking (probably harsh) start to things, I really was delighted with this one. I thought reuniting the Third Doctor with Liz in a story set after Inferno was a really fantastic idea. I loved that the Doctor echoed his comments in Terror of the Autons that he was sad to see Liz return to her research but I liked how this provided her with the opportunity to explain why she left UNIT. This isn't the first time the pair have been reunited following her departure but it was great to see just how personal Liz's feelings were towards the Doctor and what went on at UNIT. I was quite surprised that she claimed the Doctor wasn't teaching her anything but seeing the pair rediscover their friendship was a real delight. The story starting with a plane crash was quite explosive and thrust things right into action but the Doctor's help with Hardin's student in keeping the plane from a deadly descent through telepathy and psychokinesis was quite extraordinary. The calmness with which he accepted her death was startling and Liz was very quick to pick up on that. It was clear that she wasn't so comfortable with UNIT nowadays. The plan of Hardin to tap into mankind's potential for psychokinesis was intriguing and seeing it in action was quite something. I liked the arrival of the Brigadier in part three and his reaction the scientists' sit in was very humorous. I thought the writing of his character was brilliant though. The characterisation of the Third Doctor was also excellent and I think this adventure really did a great job of fitting into the era in which it was set. That was a really impressive aspect of the comic strip. The ending was quite abrupt but I think that sold just how powerful it was. It was unexpected and with Hardin using his psychokinetic powers to destroy the Doctor's lungs, the Brigadier and Liz emerged and the former's gun was fired. Hardin used his powers to prevent the bullet from hitting him straight away but he wasn't powerful enough to carry out two tasks so the bullet killed him instantly once his grip was let go. Liz's reaction was one of horror and that was why she left UNIT. It was a very emotional and powerful end to what was a very good comic strip story. Overall, this was great!

Rating: 8/10

Food for Thought

"Find ways to feed us."

Writer: Nick Briggs
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September-November 1994
Printed in: DWM 218-220

Featuring: First Doctor, Polly, Ben

Synopsis

The First Doctor, Polly and Ben enter a deserted city with a gigantic intruder - one that wants to consume their minds! Having already digested the TARDIS, the Doctor is helpless and it seems that the Mollusi is still hungry...

Verdict

Food for Thought was a good comic strip adventure but despite a high rating, I can't help but be a little frustrated by it! It was so close to being so much better which was a shame but things cannot be helped. I was intrigued to find Nicholas Briggs (I'm going to safely assume it's the same famed audio writer) penning a comic strip story but I thought he did a superb job in capturing the likeness of William Hartnell. I was hugely impressed with the characterisation of the First Doctor and I really do think it was a big factor in why this adventure maintained a high rating. I also thought the writing of both Polly and Ben was good and I loved that we got an extra adventure with this underrated and short-stayed TARDIS trio. They work brilliantly together and that remained the case on the page here. I was a little bit shocked by Polly being described as the Doctor's 'swinging sixties fashion accessory.' That didn't set well with me at all I have to say. Maybe this was what Steven Moffat read prior to his writing of Twice Upon a Time? The TARDIS being literally eaten by the Mollusi was really unexpected and it obviously left the Doctor in a bit of a predicament but he didn't seem worried in the slightest. His plan seemed to just be to wait for it to come out of the other side. He knew the TARDIS wouldn't be broken down by digestive enzymes or anything so his plan was patience. But there was something else going on here though and it all centred around Melthorpe. He had been subjected to the mental powers of the Mollusi long ago and he was being used to feed them. He was actually in charge of a rather horrifying food production service and that entailed the peoples of Apresar IV becoming food for the Mollusi. The Doctor was himself consumed and I found the panels with him inside the Mollusi rather humorous. He was delightful as you'd expect but his mental powers were strong and he would not subject himself to its will to feed them. The cliffhangers were both good but the one thing that let down this comic strip for me was the abrupt ending. The penultimate page would have actually served as a fantastic cliffhanger with Ben revealing that the Mollusi young had actually grown up but one of them just being filled with Melthorpe's discontent and hatred and leaving things there seemed a bit incomplete. I needed more clarity which was a shame because I really thought this was going to be the best of the Land of the Blind graphic novel by a clear margin. Overall though, it was still decent but it could have been great!

Rating: 7/10

Kerblam!

"Pick it, click it... Kerblam it!"

Writer: Pete McTighe
Format: TV
Broadcast: 18th November 2018
Series: 11.07

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

After receiving a mysterious package, the Doctor, Graham, Yaz and Ryan investigate the moon orbiting Kandoka and find that there's something amiss going on at the galaxy's biggest retailer. What role do the Teammates play? And why is the System asking for help?

Verdict

Kerblam! was a fantastic episode to continue the eleventh series of Doctor Who very nicely! It was quite unique in terms of previous Doctor Who episodes and I liked how there was finally an episode with an exclamation mark in its title. It didn't really seem like it needed one but that was beside the point. The Doctor's reaction to the Kablam Man entering the TARDIS was truly wonderful and I really am loving Jodie Whittaker's performances as the Thirteenth Doctor. She continues to shine but I also thought the companions all had great moments in the story too which was a big positive. The Doctor having ordered a fez a long time ago was great paying homage to the Eleventh Doctor and I also really liked the reference to The Unicorn and the Wasp. Judy was a delightful character and I liked how the presence of the Doctor and co was making her blab away. She was quite embarrassed by it all. Ryan and the Doctor meeting Kira was good and I loved just how nice she was. The Doctor commended her on that in a lovely moment. The referencing of Ryan's dyspraxia was better than most episodes since the first and I thought he had a relatively strong episode has he knew the environment quite well due to his past employment history. Graham getting to know Charlie as a cleaner was very good and I liked how devious he was in getting the plans of the Kerblam buildings. Yaz getting on with Dan was touching and when he became a victim of the Teammates I liked how she wanted to honour him for his daughter and return the key chain. Slade was an intriguing character and his demeanour definitely made me think he was the one behind the mysterious happenings at Kerblam. Judy wanting to help Team TARDIS was nice and I was quite surprised that Slade joined in to help too. The Doctor's warning to them both when she thought they might be behind it all was excellent. I really can't compliment Jodie Whittaker enough. I was very surprised that Charlie turned out to be the one behind the help needed at Kerblam and that was brilliant. I didn't see it coming at all but seeing his devastated reaction to Kira's death was very good. He would get what he was dishing out. The concept of killer bubblewrap was certainly unique and the prospect of Kerblam inadvertently killing their customers to ensure a distrust towards automation and a return to favouring organic control was really very good. I liked it a lot and I was quite stunned by the Doctor almost ensuring that Charlie perished with the rest of the Teammates. Overall, a fantastic episode!

Rating: 9/10

The Warmonger Part 2

"This city... it was beautiful. Now it's in pieces."

Writer: Scott Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 15th November 2018
Printed in: DWM 532

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The destruction of Gatan continues as Kraytus and Tumat obliterate each other in any way they can. Yaz is struggling to keep Tondi safe while Ryan and Graham have been taken to the mysterious Eye Above. There they find out the truth of what's going on on Gatan, and the Doctor will meet someone who knows all about her history...

Verdict

The Warmonger continued in very good style with a more than decent second part of the story! More of it in a minute but as for the issue of DWM itself, it looks set to be a very good read once again. I haven't actually managed to finish the previous issue yet as I'm a little bit behind but that can't be helped when you're studying for a Masters, play for the university darts team and have a girlfriend! But I try. Anyway, the previews of the episodes are always something I enjoy reading at this time of year in DWM and I am hugely intrigued by the titles, especially the season finale's. It's just not what you would expect but I guess that has been the remit of Series 11. Reading the thoughts on the latest episodes to air will also be of keen interest to me in both Galaxy Forum and the DWM Review and I'm very interested to see how my opinions conflict with those of other fans. I'm quite surprised that the Time Team will be covering the Thirteenth Doctor so soon and honestly, I'm not sure the new format has worked overly effectively with the use of pop songs last month. Bernard Cribbins is a wonderful guest to have for the Out of the TARDIS feature which is always a great read and I'm also looking forward to reading about more of the staff that have helped make the latest batch of episodes that will soon air. The TARDIS Revolution feature also looks to be a terrific read and that is something I will be eagerly anticipating! I'll have to finish last month's issue pronto. Now, back to the comic strip itself and I thought it continued very well. I liked how the first page gave us a snippet into the thinking of the Doctor with her rapid calculations being rather impressive. I liked how evenly this part was split between Team TARDIS (yes, I am continuing to dub them that now after they themselves called them it on TV) and Ryan and Graham being taken to The Eye Above was really intriguing. Kraytus and Tumat had ravaged the city to pieces and it was all part of an intergalactic broadcast. Yaz protecting Tondi was lovely to see and I liked how the Doctor was trying to keep Gorny calm but didn't get very far in succeeding. The cliffhanger ending was very good and unexpected but I like how it keeps continuity across the comic strip format despite the change of Doctor. I think that's a positive move to make. The emergence of Berakka Dogbolter thanks to Sandola was very good and I look forward to things proceeding from here! Overall, a very good continuation of the story.

The Condemned

"He's not even the right Doctor."

Writer: Eddie Robson
Format: Audio
Released: February 2008
Series: Main Range 105

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

"Dr John Smith - you're under arrest. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mentioned when questioned something which you later rely on in court..."

Manchester, 2008. The TARDIS lands inside a run-down tower block, beside a dead body - which leads to some awkward questions when the Doctor is found there by the police. Made the prime suspect, how can the Doctor prove to the no-nonsense DI Patricia Menzies that this is not the open-and-shut case it seems, and that she's actually investigating the death of an alien?

Higher up in Ackley House, a girl named Maxine watches the Doctor being taken away in a squad car. Someone wants her to find out what happened in that room, and isn't going to be happy if she doesn't come up with the goods. But she's got hold of someone who knows - someone very important to the Doctor.

A deadly conspiracy is at work - one whose effects will be felt far beyond the walls of Ackley House...

Verdict

The Condemned was a fantastic audio adventure! I have been looking forward to the cliffhanger at the end of The Girl Who Never Was getting resolved and it was done so in a marvellous way. Pairing Charley up with the Sixth Doctor is a magnificent idea and the pair worked really well together in this audio. I loved their relationship and the questions the Doctor had about her were really intriguing. She obviously knew all about him but she couldn’t let too much on. I liked how she deduced that he wasn’t her Doctor yet and ‘her’ Doctor’s TARDIS interior was considerably bigger which was a really good comment. It’s incredibly sad to know that Charley thinks the Eighth Doctor is dead because he didn’t come back for her and it seems an incredibly emotional end to their rollercoaster of a journey. But we move on now and I can’t wait to discover why the Eighth Doctor has no memory of having already met Charley. It seems the pairing are here to say. Charley’s fail in saying ‘hello operator’ when using a phone was fantastic as that allowed the Doctor to deduce exactly where she was. The fact she was abandoned in 500,002 was intriguing and I do hope Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways were in Eddie Robson’s mind when writing that. DI Menzies was a superb character and her relationship with the Doctor was certainly a highlight of the audio. They were brilliant together and hearing how quickly she accepted the alien life and the Doctor was terrific. Her investigative instincts were being severely challenged here but she dealt with the task well which was great to hear. Charley being handcuffed to the bed by Maxine was interesting and I loved her reaction to the ease of getting an Indian takeaway. After everything she’s seen it’s lovely to think that it’s the little things like that which surprise her. The murder of Gregory Bailey was an excellent focal point for the story and it worked incredibly well, especially considering he was an alien. The Doctor instructing Menzies to find the microchip was really good. I thought Alderitch was another good character and his business of being a doctor to aliens was quite something! Imagine having that as a reputation. Sam’s story was really sad as he thought he was in the basement but it turns out he’d become Ackley House! I didn’t see that coming but it actually worked brilliantly. He couldn’t bring himself to believe that he’d become the house but the plan of Slater to invade Earth by becoming its architecture was incredibly unique! The radiation had worked on Sam and even though he’d murdered Gregory, at the wishes of Antonia so they could be together, he now wanted her to feel the guilt of killing somebody so she did. It really was an emotional ending to the audio and I can’t wait for the continued relationship between the Sixth Doctor and Charley. Overall, a magnificent listen!

Rating: 9/10

The Lunar Strangers

"Talking cows from space!"

Writer: Gareth Roberts
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July-September 1994
Printed in: DWM 215-217

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

The Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough land on a moonbase, and encounter some alien bovines hiding a deadly secret! Why are they so concerned at finding the treasure they themselves left some time ago? Whatever the answer, they will go to some deadly lengths to retrieve it...

Verdict

The Lunar Strangers was a bit of an average comic strip it has to be said. It was quite the mixed bag which was a shame as I was kind of hoping for a better start to the Land of the Blind graphic novel when this is considered with Victims (that's not saying that was a bad story in any stretch of the imagination though). I really liked the trio of the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough and it's not a team I seem to have done an awful lot of together at all so I really welcomed that. I thought the characterisation of Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor was really good throughout with his likeness captured very well and that made for a positive effect on the comic strip as a whole. However, I think Tegan and Turlough went missing towards the second half of the adventure and that was definitely noticeable which isn't a great thing to have happen. The first page was actually terrific and seeing cows on the moon was quite extraordinary. I think I'd actually have much preferred it if a story could have been centred on actual cows on the moon because that's just incredibly barmy. The Dryrth, who they actually were, were quite weird enemies and once their association with cows had been made, it was difficult to take my mind off that aspect of their appearance and it just became more and more ridiculous as the story progressed. I couldn't take them seriously which was a shame. Jackson was a good character but her sudden u-turn on trusting Vartex and Ravnok didn't make much sense and seemed to come out of nowhere which was a shame. I did like how she didn't want them to remain alive once she was against them, despite the Doctor's best wishes. The way she killed Vortex was unexpected but the deviousness with which she ridded Ravnok of his oxygen tank was really good. I didn't see that coming at all and the Doctor's reaction spoke volumes. I was particularly intrigued, now reading in 2018, by the 2015 setting. I do wonder what the thoughts of those in 1994 were for the future and space exploration. It wasn't made into a huge deal which was good but the story ending on the revelation that the treasure was just cheese was far too silly for my liking. An economy based on cheese? Maybe. But it just wasn't for me and took away from some of the seriousness of the story. Overall, some decent aspects but a few too many negatives to make it really good.

Rating: 6/10

Human Resources Part 2

"Your suggestion is we invade your world?"

Writer: Eddie Robson
Format: Audio
Released: August 2007
Series: EDA 1.08

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Lucie

Synopsis

Business as usual? Not at Hulbert Logistics, where staff are facing a menace far worse than the prospect of the office Christmas party. Lucie's made some new friends and the Doctor's met some old enemies. But just who will become the Headhunter's new apprentice? Welcome to the job interview from hell.


Verdict

Human Resources concluded in excellent style with this fantastic second part that was much improved from the first instalment of the story! It really did finish what has been a somewhat inconsistent series in explosive form which I was really happy about. The Headhunter story arc came to a neat end and I loved that the Eighth Doctor and Lucie are sticking around for further adventures. Their relationship has been a real joy to listen to and I like how much they've grown as a pairing since Blood of the Daleks. It was explained to us how she came to be in the Doctor's company and the way everything tied in was really good. Paul McGann and Sheridan Smith had superb chemistry together once again and I can't wait to hear that continue in future stories with the pair. They really are brilliant together. The Doctor's shock at the Cybermen being the ones that were the oppressed, and thus the ones he had aided, was terrific but his disdain for the species was clear. He would go so far as saying they deserved to be oppressed which was extremely powerful to hear. The role of the Time Lords in this story was also clearly large which was intriguing and Lucie Miller being the subject of an internal Gallifreyan conflict between the High Council and the CIA was most unexpected! I really liked it though and Straxus played a very good part in its explanation. The Doctor wasn't too pleased at Gallifreyan politics interfering with things. The Cybermen were really strong here and I liked how they were intent on converting humanity into their own. Hulbert trying to form an alliance with them to gain his safety was good and I liked their reaction to his proposal of invading Earth. He wasn't too pleased with the ultimatum of being converted or killed though. The references to The Tenth Planet and The Invasion with the Cybermen knowing of the Doctor were wonderful but the highlight of this part of the adventure for me was Lucie's reaction to discovering just what had been happened to her. It was a powerful defence and she didn't like the Time Lords very much at all. The revelation that things had been a case of mistaken identity was another unexpected inclusion and the fact that Karen was the one the Time Lords discovered would become an aggressive dictator was really intriguing! The Headhunter getting her at the conclusion was good and I liked how she got her way in the end. The use of the Crystalliser was great and I thought it was a rather impressive weapon! The Cybermen were simply doomed to fail and the Doctor demonstrating that with the Cyber Leader was fantastic. Overall, a really strong conclusion to what was, as a whole, a great finale.

Rating: 8/10

Human Resources Part 1

"Who's doing the brainwashing?"

Writer: Eddie Robson
Format: Audio
Released: July 2007
Series: EDA 1.07

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Lucie

Synopsis

Lucie Miller's been headhunted to join the staff of Hulbert Logistics, a respectable blue-chip firm in Telford. Great prospects, competitive salary - you don't have to be mad to work here! But wasn't she made for better things, like travelling by TARDIS through time and space? The Doctor, meanwhile, has been fired - into a confrontation with the most terrifying of enemies...

Verdict

Human Resources started in intriguing style with this first part of the audio adventure. I'm still a little baffled as to why these Eighth Doctor Adventures adopted a new style of format in one-hour releases if half of the first series was actually stories containing two parts, but it is what it is. It's not really a big deal but I just don't quite understand it. It was quite different from what I expected and very unique for a Doctor Who story as it literally was all about human resources in the office sense of the term. That seems to be, without considering the hour that I have just listened to, like an impossible setting for a story and whilst it wasn't amazing, it did actually work. It was a little slow in places but things were brewing nicely and the normality of what appeared, at least to me, like quite weird and uncommon office tasks was what struck me most. Data kept changing and it hardly felt like a job that fitted in with Lucie's time period of 2006. Something wasn't quite right but even the Doctor was barely noticing. I thought Paul McGann gave an assured performance as the Eighth Doctor but it was Sheridan Smith as Lucie that took the limelight here. She was fantastic and I loved her reaction when she saw the Doctor, whom she was to become his PA, and knew that all of her travels in the TARDIS had actually taken place. That was a delightful moment I must say. The effects of the TARDIS not working without Lucie being inside were very interesting and the Doctor being greeted by a member of the High Council was quite unexpected but I welcomed the continued involvement of the Time Lords. I'm intrigued to see where that direction goes in the future. Karen was a great character and I really enjoyed her relationship with Lucie, something which I think will be key in part two with them now outside of the robot posing as an office work environment. Clive was another weird element of the audio with the lack of surprise at him adding to my thoughts of it not feeling very 2006. The Doctor's meeting with Hulbert was really good and I liked how he was trying to sell off Gallifrey to his business of planet excavation for growing species. The situation on Lonsis had been ongoing for some time and the emergence of the Cybermen at the cliffhanger was as typical a cliffhanger as you can expect in Doctor Who. But it still works and I can't help but look forward to the second part because of their involvement. I'm very interested by them as this hasn't felt at all like a Cyberman story so it will be interesting to see where things fit. Overall, a decent start to the story!

Fooled

"Why can't they remember?"

Writer: George Mann
Format: Comic Strip
Released: August 2017
Printed in: The Eleventh Doctor #3.8

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Alice, Sapling

Synopsis

The Doctor, Alice and the Sapling are fresh from their latest adventure and are now continuing through space and time. The Doctor takes them, intentionally or not, to Earth and to visit a circus. Immediately they notice that something is not quite right. The Sapling has gained memories that are not his, and visitors to the show seem to have lost theirs.

Is the Sapling somehow responsible?

The Doctor and Alice soon discover someone taking photos of the visitors. So the Doctor sets about his work only to get more than he bargained for...

Verdict

Fooled was a decent continuation of the Eleventh Doctor's third year of comic strip adventures! It concluded my loan of The Sapling: Roots graphic novel and I'm now eagerly awaiting the arrival of the third and final graphic novel in the Eleventh Doctor's run which I have requested already. I do hope it won't be too long before it arrives! Whilst the quality of this story was good, as you'd expect from someone like George Mann, I did think some of the artwork was a bit questionable for this story which was most unusual for this ongoing series. What caught my attention was the drawing of Matt Smith and particularly his head - it just wasn't proportionate and didn't do too well in capturing his likeness at all which was a real shame. I liked the Village Green Festival setting and seeing the Doctor continuously fail to hook a duck was perfectly in line with the personality of this incarnation so that was really pleasing. I liked how eager the Sapling was to have its turn and it was rather happy with its surroundings and was enjoying the fun. Its initial confusion over a local referring to it having a costume on was quite humorous and its intent on literal meanings often provides some comedic value which I like. The concept of the Sapling receiving the memories of all those children at the festival was really intriguing and thinking how it could deal with all of those memories at the same time was quite difficult to comprehend. I really liked how it now understood what it had inadvertently done to the Doctor and Alice in taking some of their memories. This understanding was achieved when the Doctor stopped the Krovian from stealing the memories of humans and selling them on because the camera he'd been using actually gave the memories to the Sapling. The Krovian was useless without it and I was a little surprised that the Doctor just left him at the Festival, even if he was useless. The Doctor's defence of how important memories are was wonderful and probably the highlight of the story. He was very offended that the Krovian took them as they were not his. Memories were precious and personal and I loved how that was conveyed. Overall, this was a good comic strip adventure and I look forward to seeing the story continue!

Rating: 7/10

Demons of the Punjab

"Family history and time travel. Very tricky."

Writer: Vinay Patel
Format: TV
Broadcast: 11th November 2018
Series: 11.06

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

India, 1947. The Doctor and her friends arrive in the Punjab, as India is being torn apart. While Yaz attempts to discover her grandmother's hidden history, the Doctor discovers demons haunting the land. Who are they, and what do they want?

Verdict 

Demons of the Punjab was an excellent episode to continue Series 11! I really like a modern historical and this was certainly no different. The idea of Yaz wanting to use her friendship with the Doctor to go and see her grandmother back in time was lovely and I loved how the Doctor was debating whether she should go and knew, really, that they shouldn't but couldn't quite resist the temptation. Yazmin's Nani keeping secrets about the mysterious watch that she gave to her favourite granddaughter was intriguing and I liked how eager Yaz was to know. The arrival into August 1947 was really good and I loved that the story dealt with the partition of India. It's an extremely sensitive subject and seeing it get explored in Doctor Who will hopefully shed some light on it and offer some knowledge to those that might have been unaware. I'm a History graduate currently studying for a Masters so I know my stuff, but this was something that I wasn't taught about until my second year at university and that's only because of the British Empire module I chose. It should be well-known but this episode offered some education on it which was really good. The Thijarians were a great alien race and I liked how they went from assumed assassins to just witnesses. They looked quite impressive and I liked how even the Doctor was affected by their initial method of communication. Graham and Ryan didn't have a great deal to offer in this episode but that was absolutely fine. I did like how the former tried to console Yaz when she knew that her Nani wasn't marrying her grandfather here. She hadn't expected that. Learning about what happened to the Thijarian home world was quite horrifying and seeing that they kept every last remnant of their planet as one in a jar was quite touching. The Doctor was rather apologetic after she'd been running around with it as a means of protection. Umbreen was a lovely character and her determination to marry Prem was fantastic to see. The marriage of a Muslim and Hindi would have been hugely controversial during this time with the creation of Pakistan for the Muslim population of India. Some weren't happy about it and went to extreme means to prevent it. Namely, Manish. He couldn't allow his brother to marry a Muslim and shot him dead on the spot. It was horrifying after he kissed Umbreen goodbye as she headed for Lahore and safety. She would make it but for history to stay on track, and for Yaz to be born, the Doctor and co couldn't do anything to stop it. It was a devastating moment and seeing the Thijarians arrive to witness it made it more inevitable. It was a hugely emotional moment but I liked how Yaz was talking to Nani about her past and how she was the first woman to marry in Pakistan. Overall, a brilliant episode!

Rating: 9/10

Exodus Code

"I want my old life back. I want Torchwood back."

Writers: John & Carole E. Barrowman
Format: Novel
Released: September 2012
Series: Torchwood Novels 19

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Rhys

Synopsis

'Aliens were here, and they slapped a best before date on us...'

It starts with a series of unexplained events. Earth tremors across the globe. Women being driven insane by their heightened and scrambled senses. And the world us starting to notice - the number one Twitter trend is #realfemmefatales.

Governments and scientists are bewildered and silent. The world needs Torchwood, but there's not much of Torchwood left.

Captain Jack has tracked the problem to its source: a village in Peru, where he's uncovered evidence of alien involvement. In Cardiff, Gwen Cooper has discovered something alien and somehow connected to Jack. If the world is to be restored, she has to warn him - but she's quickly becoming a victim of the madness too...

Verdict

Exodus Code was a very good Torchwood novel! It's been a while since I've done anything Torchwood-related and I've been keen to delve back into its world because it's a spinoff series I absolutely love. I have been taking advantage again of the library service and this was quite an epic book in terms of the scale. I think it's quite ironic that my first Torchwood novel is actually the last one to be released but having a story set post Miracle Day was very exciting for me and I liked how it didn't contradict with Aliens Among Us. I'm now intrigued to see where it sits in the Torchwood comics from Titan but I'll get to those at some point in the future. Having John Barrowman, along with his sister, writing was something that really fascinated me but I think having the actor who portrays Captain Jack was hugely beneficial in capturing the character. I loved how much he loved having a team and it was clear that he longed to be back at the Hub with Gwen, Owen, Tosh and of course Ianto. I thought it was good that Torchwood's history was acknowledged and I particularly loved that Jack refused to let Isela sacrifice herself to the mountain following the events of Children of Earth. No more children. Esther getting a mention was lovely too but I have to admit, I was surprised by the lack of depth in Rex's appearance. I was glad he featured but following the cliffhanger of Miracle Day, I expected a little more than just a job update. The changing time-frames in this book was good and I liked the connections between Jack and Renso's relationship and their fall from a plane with the modern day disaster was excellent. I really liked the geysers and the scale of them, and the whole story, was quite extraordinary. It stretched from Wales with effects being felt in New Zealand, Scotland and Peru. The use of synaesthesia was fantastic and was such a good inclusion as it's never been done before in the works I've come across in Doctor Who. I really was a big fan of that, particularly the level of description. The explanation of some of the terminology in this book was very helpful and I liked how things were all tied together. Rhys was superb and the calmness with how he was dealing with Gwen being affected by the madness was quite impressive. His thankfulness towards Jack was also nice to see. I loved how often Anwen featured and it was lovely to see her starting to grow up. The crew of the Ice Maiden were really good additions and I could definitely see them forming a new Torchwood team in the future, or at least helping what's left of the original. Eva and Vlad were particular highlights and I also really liked Shelley. Her continued pointing out that her function to fuck was not yet available did get a little tiresome though. I shouldn't really be surprised by how sexual some of the dialogue was in this book but I did like how the geysers and their omissions were increasing sex drive. The time jump from four days until they geysers closed to six hours was quite unexpected and the whole story with Donoso and Juan and Rex trying to get a connection to the Three Families seemed a bit unnecessary to be honest and made things a little confusing. Once that was dealt with though, getting Jack to the top of the mountain was full of action and tension which was terrific. He believed that the Helix wanted him, based on his previous visit in 1930, because of his coded 51st-century DNA to escape the Earth's core but it actually wanted him to repair. He was the man who fell from the stars. Gwen would join Isela in the sacrifice which had always prophesied three sacrifices in a gripping conclusion but one that needed a bit more time I felt. It was quick and abrupt which made it exciting and unexpected but some more clarity over how Gwen survived would have been nice. Overall though, it was still a great read! We even had a lovely mention of Sarah Jane.

Rating: 8/10

The Bidding War

"The Cyber Empire will have the secrets of the Time War."

Writer: Cavan Scott
Format: Comic Strip
Released: July-August 2017
Printed in: The Ninth Doctor #14-15

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose, Captain Jack, Tara

Synopsis

With some knowledge of his past life apparently restored, Jack is determined to put right his misdeeds as a Time Agent - in particular, stopping his past self from erasing the criminal Zloy Volk from the timeline, using an Eradicator gun. But... Zloy Volk is verty much alive. How?! Even worse, in the process of stopping his past self from erasing Volk all over again, Jack was seemingly erased! The Doctor, Rose and Tara are on the scene...

Verdict

The Bidding War was a superb end to the Sin Eaters graphic novel and the ongoing series of the Ninth Doctor! It really has been a terrific run of stories and a real treat to get an extended run of adventures with the Ninth Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack! Tara has been a good and interesting addition to the team and I was glad to see that she departed in a brilliant way here. We finally got the Ninth Doctor doing battle with the Cybermen which was wonderful and although he was actually confined for a lot of it, I think it's fitting that each incarnation gets an outing against the infamous metal foes, regardless of format. I loved how this story tied in with the whole series that preceded it but it did so in a subtle way. This has been a fine example of what a comic strip series should be like in my opinion as there was an ongoing story arc but it wasn't the overlapping issue in each issue. That's something that probably isn't the case with the Eleventh Doctor's ongoing series for example. It just worked really well. We saw flashbacks of Weapons of Past Destruction and Doctormania and I loved how Addison had got some help from the Slitheen to make her own Captain Jack costume. I really wasn't expecting that after the cliffhanger finish of Secret Agent Man. The experience sphere was a really great device and I loved how the Doctor kept altering the settings to suit his need. He could be observing or experiencing, and the differing perspectives were hugely beneficial. Rose feeling what the Doctor felt was fantastic. I really liked that. Tara didn't have too much to do in this story but when she did she didn't fail to mention her days at UNIT which was good - I'd love to know more about her interaction with the Cybermen in Halifax! What she did though was crucial to stopping the Cybermen and seeing gold used against them in a modern era story was really nostalgic. I was a big fan of that. Addison wanting to sell the Doctor's memories, particularly those of the Time War, was excellent and the differing buyers were really interesting as their motives were all different. The cameo flashback to the Time War and the War Doctor was superb and I loved the mention of Cardinal Ollistra and the probable appearance of Cinder, tying in nicely with the War Doctor audios and Engines of War. The TARDIS being used to help bring Rose, Tara and Jack together was really good and I liked how there was no animosity towards Jack following his departure. Nomicae being desecrated was quite shocking and I loved Tara's reaction to the Doctor just departing. She was staying because she could help. She was more than companion material! The ambiguous ending was good and I like how there's room for her to return and I also liked the idea of the Doctor looking back on his actions. Overall, a stunning end to the ongoing series!

Rating: 10/10

Secret Agent Man

"I was never supposed to learn the truth."

Writer: Cavan Scott
Format: Comic Strip
Released: May 2017
Printed in: The Ninth Doctor #13

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Captain Jack

Synopsis

After being absolved of the murder of Tara Mishra, the Doctor successfully defeated his evil doppelganger - a sentient entity formed from his worst impulses and darkest desires. But where is Captain Jack? He's run away after his objectionable actions as a Time Agent were revealed to his friends. But he can't hide from his friends or past for long.

Verdict 

Secret Agent Man was a very intriguing continuation of the Ninth Doctor's ongoing series from Titan Comics! There's still a lot to be answered in the two-part finale but I liked that Captain Jack had his time to shine with what was basically his own spinoff issue of the comic series. We got to see what Captain Jack was like during his days as a Time Agent and it was quite different to what we know of him, at least at this point in the chronological run of Doctor Who. As the series progressed and Torchwood became a thing, we got to learn a great deal about Jack's past but seeing it here was really intriguing. I liked how happy his new life with the Doctor and Rose had made him and it really was a shame that he'd had to leave because Rose found out all about his past and the particular dealing with Zloy Volk. I still love what it translates to in English and I'm fascinated that the Doctor hasn't mentioned the English meaning considering he would later pick up on it in Boom Town with the Welsh language. Anyway, the narration from Jack was really good throughout and it offered an insight into his perspective of things. His dealings with the Time Agency will probably never leave him but I found the arrival of the Doctor quite humorous in this comic strip. This was a rare Ninth Doctor without Rose really appearing which is somewhat a rarity. She was just present for the little flashback to a time where she was flying the TARDIS as the Doctor prevented Jack from falling out of it and being devoured by a dinosaur. The description of the Eradicator showed just how deadly it was as a weapon and the idea of shooting someone and them being erased from time completely, past and future, is a concept that continues to really intrigue me. I like it a lot! Jack punching the Doctor to prevent Volk's eradication was surprising and probably not too necessary but I liked that Jack wanted his independence. The cliffhanger was something I was not expecting though as Captain Jack, confronted with himself, was shot by himself! I look forward to seeing how that gets resolved because it was quite extraordinary! Speaking of which, I should also mention how terrific it was to see a panel of Captain John Hart in a Doctor Who story! That was really good. Overall, a very good and intriguing comic strip!

Rating: 8/10

Sin Eaters

"The universe is riddled with evil and the Doctor knows the cure."

Writer: Cavan Scott
Format: Comic Strip
Released: March-April 2017
Series: The Ninth Doctor #11-12

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose, Tara

Synopsis

The Doctor is arrested for the murder of Tara Mishra and is taken to Hesguard Institute, a place that prides itself on being able to cure its patients of their criminal urges. But when they try their "treatment" on the Doctor, it becomes apparent that their cure isn't as effective as it would seem.

Verdict

Sin Eaters was a very good comic strip adventure to kick off the graphic novel of the same name! Sadly, it's the final instalment of the Ninth Doctor's ongoing series and even though I'm still far from finished, it's been fantastic to get an extended run of comic strip adventures with him, Rose and Captain Jack. He wasn't around for long enough on television to get a lengthy DWM run but Titan have certainly done him justice. Captain Jack didn't feature here following on from the events of Slaver's Song and that meant, for the most part, we really did just have the Ninth Doctor and Rose. However, it wasn't quite as we remembered as the former was pretty much incarcerated for most of the story. The Hesguard setting was really good and I liked how it had connections with being a Stormcage. We know all about them because of River Song! Rose was posing as an Earth examiner and I have to say, it wasn't the beginning I expected after the previous story's cliffhanger with a Judoon arresting the Doctor for the murder of Tara! We all knew that couldn't have actually happened but as it turned out, it was quite an audacious plan from the Doctor to get into the Institute here. What was happening was quite something as it was a reformative institute for criminals where their sins were literally eaten away from them. The Doctor set things off though and was pretty much responsible for a lot of the wrongdoing that occurred in this adventure as his dark side manifested a conscience and that allowed for quite the image of a bulky and just aggressively insane Doctor! The multiple personality disorder comments were good and seeing some of the faces of old incarnations trying to get out from within the Sin-full Doctor was very intriguing. The image of the Doctor in the orange attire so associated with American prison was something in itself as well. Rose was great in this story and I liked how Tara sprung a surprise in showing up to save her life. With just three issues left, I'm very intrigued to see how things are left between everyone. The way the Doctor tricked his doppelganger into the Void was typical of him and really creative and I like how concepts we know about because of TV episodes after the Ninth Doctor's run can be applied in the comics. It's really terrific and I do enjoy when it happens. I thought the ending came quite quickly and I liked that Tara questioned him but Rose told her that's just the way it was. It was quite a good summing up of the Ninth Doctor really. Overall, a very good comic strip!

Rating: 8/10