Come Friendly Bombs...

"It felt exhilarating to be walking on her own through the past."

Writer: Dave Owen

Format: Short Story

Released: May 2004

Printed in: Short Trips: Past Tense 07

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

1960. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Jo is keen to follow in the footsteps of her father and see just why marching for this cause was so important. The Doctor is impressed with her request and tells his own message. Are weapons themselves bad? Or is it just the use of them that require concern?

Verdict

Come Friendly Bombs... was another fantastic little story to continue this fine collection of Past Tense Short Trips! I really enjoyed this one as there was no alien threat. No grand scheme. No big plot that needed resolving. It was exactly what it should be for a story of this length and it was actually nice to know that not all travels with the Doctor in the TARDIS end up fighting aliens or villains. Jo had an interest in the marches against nuclear weapons from her father's stories so she wanted to go back a little into her past and see why it meant so much. With the Doctor now being able to properly operate the TARDIS following the events of The Three Doctors, she was keen to come to Reading in 1960 and take part herself. I liked how she separated herself from the Doctor and wanted to experience things for herself. She got talking with different people and quickly befriended Joan, a quite passionate protestor who was part of the CND branch. The relationship between those two was nice to read and I loved the passion that shone through. The realisation that Jo had seen death on a micro scale with the Doctor, but nothing in comparison to what had happened on her own planet was quite startling. The issues raised in this adventure were very important and I think deserving of more exposure and its own individual story instead of being part of a collection. Jo then went down a traditional route in historical adventures as she was questioning why the Doctor can't go back in time and prevent the atomic bombs of Little Boy and Fat Man from being created. Of course, the Doctor would not change history but I loved how Jo challenged him by using the Master as an example if he was planning something similar in their present. That was a little different though with the Doctor having been in exile. Jo somewhat understood. Their conversation continued in depth though and I was reading it with absolute fascination. The Doctor obviously had a wider perspective being who he was and a Time Lord, but his example of the likes of a knife once being the most dangerous weapon in the world to now being a simple kitchen utensil. It was not the weapon itself that was bad, but how one puts it to use. I liked that, but Jo was still challenging him despite her seeming to understand as she questioned how an atomic bomb could be put to kitchen use! That was quite humorous. One thing I did not expect from this story was the implication that a TARDIS, and therefore an unnamed Time Lord, was there when the atomic bombs were being created and was actually making corrections to ensure that the bombs went off and caused the utter devastation that they did. Such innocent life lost and I was glad that Jo did not see their sacrifice as worthy of progress. But the prospect of, who I'm going to say was actually the Doctor rather than a more likely Master, carrying out corrections to ensure that such horror occurred is quite something to think about. It really is quite staggering. Overall, a very good and thought-provoking story.

Rating: 8/10

The Thief of Sherwood

"Robin Hood is a myth."

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Short Story

Released: May 2004

Printed in: Short Trips: Past Tense 06

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

The TARDIS lands in the dungeons of Nottingham Castle. Ian and Susan are capture and brought before the Sheriff. The others are captured by bandits and taken to Sherwood Forest where they discover that Robin Hood is Ian's double. The Merry Men elect to rescue Ian and Susan but the attempt fails and Robin is killed. The Doctor saves Susan from execution by posing as a monk. Ian gives away all of Robin's loot.

Verdict

The Thief of Sherwood was quite an extraordinary adventure! Unique doesn't even begin to describe it. It was essentially told as reviews and previews with fictional news bulletins from the likes of the Radio Times and Doctor Who Magazine which was something great and just so different. I definitely approved. I'm not sure how this story would be dealt with in terms of being canonical and that's actually something quite difficult to get my head around. It is essentially a story about a story that never aired. So, I say that the First Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara feature but in reality, how can they really be in an adventure that never took place? It was such a barmy concept, and I absolutely loved it. The idea of a Robin Hood story in the First Doctor era, right between The Reign of Terror and Planet of Giants, is fantastic and I think a blend of fiction and history would have worked so well as it would have been quite distinct from the other historicals of that first season. There was no fictional value in the likes of An Unearthly Child or Marco Polo, for example. That excludes the TARDIS and what not of course. What I liked even more was the prospect of Ian being Robin Hood's double so it would have seen William Russell playing a dual role like we saw William Hartnell later do in The Massacre. I think he'd have shone as Robin Hood. I loved that even though this wasn't a telling of what I'm sure would be a fantastic story - I've tweeted Jonathan Morris to see if this can get an audio release! - it was clear that the Doctor was dismissive of Robin Hood being a real person. Of course, the man who was actually Robin Hood would die in part five with Ian continuing his legacy and becoming the myth that we all know and love today. I thought that would have been a lovely touch. Maid Marion having been played by Anneke Wills was another great anecdote and I liked how it appeared in the Virgin Publishing section. I could have probably done without William Hartnell having a line gaff as that's a little bit of a cheap knock and slightly cliche, but it didn't alter how much I enjoyed the story. The dialogue triumphs were superb, but I just love the idea of an author revering his own work within that very work! Ahh, there's something great there. I know the intentions were not at all pompous but it's a little humorous in my estimation. It seems sad that some of these episodes would be missing, but wouldn't it have been cleverer to say that they were all missing? I think a trick was missed there as it would have been that little bit more realistic. It was still wonderful to read though. I really liked the Time Team section and it seemed so different to that of the DWM team today. The little descriptions of each part were very good in telling the outline of the whole story, even if they did just follow on from the presumed cliffhanger without leaving much room for a 25 minute episode. Regardless, this story just left me wanting to see the adventure so much and I can't quite believe that it doesn't exist! Overall, wonderful and whacky.

Rating: 9/10

Ante Bellum

"Germans, that's all I need!"

Writer: Stephen Hatcher
Format: Short Story
Released: May 2004
Printed in: Short Trips: Past Tense 05

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

Maurice Bernard heads for his dig site. He is pleased they found a goblet that possibly came from Troy. However, he is shocked to see that the dig site has been completely destroyed, with the goblet sitting in the centre of the devastation. The Doctor knows why, and he needs to take the goblet off world before it's too late.

Verdict

Ante Bellum was a very good little story that got the Past Tense collection of Short Trips right back on track! After a shaky blip in the previous story of CHAOS, we got back to normality with another good and consistent adventure. This time around we saw the Seventh Doctor and Ace on their travels and they arrived in Constantinople in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War One. I thought that was an excellent setting and the way it would come to play a part in the overall plot being quite different from most adventures. The use of the goblet was intriguing with it being powerful and having an early version of a chameleon circuit. It was actually not a goblet at all but more a Krivani propulsion unit from a crash some twelve millennia ago. The signal to come and retrieve it due its value was never met by the species as they were engaged in a deadly war that would see their species end. It was an emotional tale but I really liked that they were far removed from the events of the story and it was just their object left behind that became the issue. There was no need for them to actually appear so that was a positive. The relationship between the Seventh Doctor and Ace was very good and it was just nice to see them get along so well for the duration of an adventure. There was genuine concern for each other's safety once they were split apart after robbing the goblet with the Doctor ending up in a Turkish prison, but Ace being captured by the English representatives in the city seeking to take the goblet's power for their own country. The political tensions during a time of pre-war, but with something firmly on the way, was brilliant and dealt with in just the right proportion. Ace thinking so badly of the Turkish prisons based on a TV show she'd seen was quite apt for character, but perhaps my favourite thing about this story was that the British were presented as the bad guys. I liked that contrast to normality and it was really quite different. I could probably have done without Ace actually mentioning that as with this being in the past, it did not really need addressing. The pace of the story was fun and back and forth and I was quite taken aback by how brutal some of the violence towards Ace was. She was full on slapped in the face to the point she was spitting blood twice. I am not at all advocating violence towards women or at all for that matter, but it just made things that bit more realistic. I was a fan of the way the setting and its surroundings were captured on the page. The Doctor gaining the trust of his Turkish colleagues was fun and what you'd expect of him and I liked how the end had a three-way tussle between Turkish, German and English officials all wanting the power of the goblet. A fight ensued and the Englishmen perished at the hands of the goblet after an inadvertent shot, but the Doctor was more saddened by the prospects of his newfound Turkish friends with the coming war. Would they survive being allied with Germany? Could they cope in a new era for the country following civil war? It was nice for the Doctor to actually ponder on the aftermath of his meeting with people on his travels. He got rid of the threat of the goblet into the Vortex, but something much worse was coming to Earth. Overall, a great little story!

Rating: 8/10

The Christmas Inversion

"Murderous mistletoe!"

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Short Story 

Released: October 2016

Printed in: Twelve Doctors of Christmas 03

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

The Prime Minister is in desperate need of the Doctor. The world is in turmoil on Christmas Day. A giant black asteroid has parked itself above London and far too many of the population are hypnotised and on the edge of death. The Doctor answers the call, but finds that he's a little early.

Verdict

The Christmas Inversion was an absolutely wonderful story! It continued the Twelve Doctors of Christmas collection in superb style and I'll honestly be very surprised if I find any of the next nine stories better than this gem. It really was magnificent and right up my street when it comes to what I like. I love a clash of eras and having Jackie Tyler meet the Third Doctor, Jo and Mike Yates was just superb. I absolutely loved it. I thought the title was just going to be a little play on The Christmas Invasion, but I never suspected it would take place concurrently with it! A wonderful idea. I really liked how Harriet Jones and her plea found her way to the Third Doctor some three decades or so earlier and he had no hesitation in answering it. As well as the clash of differing Doctor Who eras, taking Jo and Mike into the 21st century worked very well indeed and the latter's failure to know what was considered a computer, in the form of a laptop, was very good. A nice little moment. Jackie was certainly the highlight in this story and her reaction when she barged into the TARDIS only to find unfamiliar faces was just marvellous! She not only thought that the Doctor had regenerated, but that Rose and Mickey had too. That was most unexpected but a delightful surprise. She even seemed to prefer Jo's hair to that of her own daughter and she quickly accepted that regeneration was what had happened to Rose and Mickey. Her dismissing of Mike trying to make her realise that he wasn't who she thought he was made me chuckle. She was very funny and it was a smart choice with the name being similar in having Mike stumble into the TARDIS instead of Benton or the Brigadier, for example. Whilst Jackie was absolutely great throughout, I think the highlight of this adventure for me was Jo and her continuous mentions of the Master. It was simply sublime humour as she was absolutely convinced that he'd be showing up once again and be behind all the ongoings. It really was fantastic. I was certainly not expecting the Master to show up though in a terrific little cameo. The prospect of an alliance between the Delgado incarnation and the Sycorax was a fantastic little thought and I liked how the Tenth Doctor's circumstances aided his third incarnation here as the Master was a Time Lord and that's what was wanted with the hunt for the Doctor's regeneration energy. The Third Doctor aiding his future self by siphoning off some energy was an intriguing moment and I just loved all of the links between past and future. Jackie seeing where Rose was and going off to find her as we would see in the Christmas Special was a nice way to leave her story, but she certainly caused an impact as she wanted to know what happened to those travelling with the Doctor if Jo wasn't around in her timeline with the Doctor. That was quite the provoking question but I thought the Doctor answered it well. The references to Aliens of London/World War Three and Father's Day were nice additions and I also liked the mentioning of the UNIT name change and their relocation to the Tower of London. Overall, a simply splendid adventure! I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Rating: 10/10

The Power of the Mobox Part 2

"No rest for the winners."

Writer: Scott Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 25th July 2019
Printed in: DWM 541

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Ryan awakes from his horrific fall to find that his friends are nowhere in sight. He catches some strange robots clearing up the Mobox corpses following the mag storm. His investigation is under way. Meanwhile, the Doctor is carrying out her own investigation and suspicions start to be had concerning Governor K'Laas.

Verdict

The Power of the Mobox continued in very decent fashion with this second part! More of that shortly though as I look ahead at this month's DWM issue. It looks set to be quite a unique issue with a massive focus on the works of Christopher Barry with a collection. The use of an archive and details regarding some classic stories looks superb and I really can't wait to delve into it! I'm particularly looking forward to reading what collections he had from The Daleks, The Power of the Daleks and The Brain of Morbius as they are three excellent stories! In saying that, I'm probably equally as excited to read about The Savages, Robot and The Creature From the Pit as they're stories I probably know less about the making of and its impact. Either way, this looks exciting! David Bradley being the interviewee for Out of the TARDIS should be wonderful as he is a great actor and whilst I wasn't the biggest fan of his First Doctor from Twice Upon a Time, I absolutely adored him in An Adveture in Space and Time as William Hartnell. I'm also a big fan of his Walder Frey in Game of Thrones so I'm very excited to read it! I'm interested to see how a modern era two-parter is tackled in The Fact of Fiction with the excellent The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon the subject. With the continuation of the Jon Pertwee interview as well, this looks set to be quite the stellar issue! I'm very much looking forward to diving into it. Well, I have already opened its pages and read the comic strip that this comic strip is the blog entry's purpose and I very much enjoyed it. I was glad that a lot of it was focused on Ryan after he was absent for a lot of the first part and I was intrigued by the robots he saw clearing up the Mobox. The later revelation that they were in control of the 'freak' mag storms was most unexpected and I look forward to seeing how that goes in next month's finale. I thought the characterisation of the Thirteenth Doctor was very good in this part with her taking on the manner of the investigator wonderfully well. The way she jumped out at Rodney when she clocked that he was following her was terrific and the comedy that came with his high blood-pressure fuelled reaction was great. The resolution from the cliffhanger with Yaz and Graham literally being spat back into existence by the Mobox was most unexpected. Their ability to basically scream a transmat beam was quite the trait and I hope something further occurs with it because it's rather unique. I like that. Yaz and Graham wanting to find Ryan was good to see, but they became the basis of another pretty decent cliffhanger. With it revealed that the storms were not actually natural, Yaz and Graham seemed in grave danger as they were activated with no shelter in sight We've already seen the damage they did at the start of part one. The Doctor discovering a mysterious underground system in the basement was also intriguing and I'm really liking all of the mystery as we head into the third and final part. Overall, a very good continuation of what is becoming a great story.

CHAOS

"CHAOS was here to stay."

Writer: Eric Saward
Format: Short Story
Released: March 2004
Printed in: Short Trips: Past Tense 03

Featuring: Sixth Doctor. Peri

Synopsis

The Sixth Doctor and Peri are experiencing chaos everywhere they look. But is this even the Doctor's sixth incarnation? Could it be that it's his predecessor? Is this all just the result of a bang on the head... or is there something more chaotic at work?

Verdict

CHAOS was sadly a quite poor continuation of the Short Trips Past Tense collection of stories. It's such a shame as I had incredibly high hopes for the consistency of this volume but it seems like it may not live up to my expectations. I hope this is just a blip, and I am somewhat confident that it might be. I was further disappointed by the standard of the story given the fact that Eric Saward was the writer! His televised serials are often favourites of mine with Resurrection of the Daleks, Attack of the Cybermen and Revelation of the Daleks particularly standing out. Specifically that middle one. It's one of my all time favourites. After reading his recent interviews in Doctor Who Magazine, I got excited to be reading something of his ahead of the prose releases of his two Dalek adventures but I hope this is not anything to by! Not a lot happened and it was just a bit of a mess really. The whole story was chaotic and not in a good way. It was tough to follow, and that's not just because of my tiredness following an incredibly early rise to witness my glorious girlfriend graduate. I certainly won't let this put a dampener on what has been a wonderful day. Thoughout the story, I was never overly sure which incarnation of the Doctor was actually featuring. It seemed as though this was definitely an adventure of the Fifth Doctor but just as the story is coming to a close, the last page reveals that it's actually his predecessor and that he's in the TARDIS with Peri. I thought the concept behind CHAOS could have been great and the bits it was included did sound pretty interesting. I'd definitely like to know where the ending goes with the Doctor's brain being infiltrated without him knowing it, but as stated that's a story for another day. I thought one particular passage of this story was plain awful. I fully appreciate that at barely eight pages, this particular story did not have a lot of room to play with compared with those it accompanies in this book, but describing the events of a story rather than actually explaining it just didn't sit well with me. I couldn't quite believe what I was reading. It was horrible! It's just not enjoyable when something you don't know the events of is told in what was basically a recap. The initial prospect of a Fifth Doctor and Tegan story would, to my knowledge, be rather difficult to explain in TARDIS ins and outs chronology, but I'll do my best to let that slide as it was in the Doctor's dream. I found the reveal that all of what we read was just the results of his concussion from being knocked down in America was very poor indeed. I did find his reaction to realising he was concussed to be the highlight of the story and a quite brilliant moment. There was something to take away at least! Because this really wasn't a historical story it all. From the perspective of the Doctor and his companion, this wasn't in the past at all which was a big shame. Overall, a moment or two but quite a poor bit of prose.

Rating: 4/10

A Comedy of Terrors

"The show must go on!"

Writer: Colin Brake

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2016

Printed in: Twelve Doctors of Christmas 02

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

The Second Doctor, along with Jamie and Zoe, arrive on the royal cruiser of Starlight. The starship is carrying Princess Triana of the Sita Federation to the planet Luxona for Christmas where she hopes to become Queen. But there's something smelly going on aboard the ship...

Verdict

A Comedy of Terrors was a fantastic little continuation of the Twelve Doctors of Christmas book! This time around we got to read a Christmas adventure of the Second Doctor and whilst the holiday theme was definitely lacking compared to All I Want for Christmas, it remained a very good story. I think the best way to describe this adventure would simply be fun. It was a hugely enjoyable little read and I just really enjoyed the characterisation of the Second Doctor. Patrick Troughton's likeness was well captured on the page which made for excellent reading. I thought the same could be said of Jamie as well which was pleasing, but maybe it was a little less so the case for Zoe. That's probably only because she didn't seem to feature as much as her two comrades. That wasn't bad though. She was actually very important in being our window into getting to know Triana. Her story seemed quite a sad one with her having turned eighteen some six months ago but still being denied her rightful crown on a technicality. She was on her way to Luxona now to rectify that as part of a Christmas visit, but that was pretty much as festive as things got. I like the idea behind this book with Doctor Who being so synonymous with Christmas prior to the Thirteenth Doctor, so giving each incarnation their own Christmas story is a terrific idea when nearly every incarnation was denied one prior to The Christmas Invasion. The Second Doctor suited it down to the ground but he was given more of a focus in regards to the theatre which was absolutely fine. The idea of the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe taking part in a play was very humorous to me and I think they'd be a fantastic trio on stage! Jamie was less happy about the prospect of learning lines which I thought was very good. He wasn't too adept to spying either as Vaxene caught him with his script upside down. I thought she was a good little character and she initially reminded me of Cersei from Game of Thrones but it turned out she was actually a good person. She wasn't after Triana's crown as it appeared. The enemy in this story being a Raxacoricofallapatorian was most unexpected, but when the first hint was dropped it was obvious throughout and I found myself enjoying the wait for the inevitable reveal. This one was part Blathereen and the Doctor suspected their presence ever since Butlins appeared. I kind of hoped that this would be the Doctor's first meeting with the species that we as fans would meet in Aliens of London/World War Three, and even though it was feasible that it may have been, it really didn't seem like it was the case. I'm just a big fan of first and with the early incarnation, I really would have loved this to state it was his first meeting with them. The farting got a tad silly but that's to be expected with this species. The Doctor, despite his comic charm, was very mature and serious which was commendable. The way it was inadvertently blown to smithereens was very sudden and I liked that the Doctor hadn't intended that. He didn't seem so accepting of the hero status he was afforded. It was nice how he tricked Butlins into revealing her lack of contemporary knowledge to confirm that she was an alien. Overall, another very decent and enjoyable story!

Rating: 8/10

All I Want for Christmas

"Trying to get home for Christmas."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner
Format: Short Story
Released: October 2016
Printed in: Twelve Doctors of Christmas 01

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

The First Doctor, along with Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright and Vicki Pallister, arrive to England, just in time for Christmas in 1963. Or have they? The Doctor warns that it may be trap. But what isn't he telling them? Is he reluctant to see his companions leave?

Verdict

All I Want for Christmas was a terrific start to the Twelve Doctors of Christmas collection of stories! The volumes of this nature continue but this is the last one I will be starting now so the end is in sight. I look forward to it being in the order of the Doctors and with the First Doctor being one of my very favourites, this was always going to be a good place to start. It's a little weird reading all about Christmas when the sun is scorching here in July, but I loved the idea of it not being Christmas for Ian and Barbara but their reminising of their Christmas Day was delightful to read. They really got very nostalgic and even Vicki wanted to experience it all! The references to The Rescue were good and it is actually quite easy to forget everything this young companion had gone through in pretty much losing everything and everyone. Barbara missed her dad, but she hadn't lost him on the level Vicki had lost her entire family. Her being from the not overly far future is a good aspect of her character but I wasn't sure about her lack of knowledge of puddings! That seems unfortunate and quite an awful experience of life. One little thing about this story that could have been improved was more of the Doctor as the first incarnation is so unique when compared with the rest. I did very much enjoy the prospect of him not wanting Ian and Barbara to leave when it seemed like they'd arrived in December 1963. The very thought of the two companions getting back to where and when they came from was hugely surprising to me and I was hoping throughout that this was not where they were. It would not have been the same when they left in The Chase if they'd already passed through their own time and continued to travel with the Doctor. It was drip-fed to the reader that the Doctor's worry of things potentially being a trap rang true and I thought that was a good thing. It would have been quite a sudden shock to find out that what we were reading was actually Barbara's dream and in being so was a gift from Vicki. The Doctor had a new machine (I love how many little machines there are in the TARDIS in the First Doctor era) that enabled a shared dream that could be constructed by the host, who this time was Vicki. The confusion regarding Queen Victoria delivering the traditional Queen's Speech because she was also the monarch who appeared on the sixpence that went into the pudding was humorous and that was when it was fully obvious that they weren't actually in 1963. The thought was enough and the anticipation of Ian and Barbara coupled with their disbelief was lovely to see. It showed just how much home meant to them and it was a shame that they didn't quite get there. It wouldn't be long though. The ending with the embroidered handkerchief for Ian for Christmas was a nice touch and I liked how the sixpence also found its way out of the dream somehow. It must be quite the machine of the Doctor's! Overall, a lovely little Christmas tale and I very much enjoyed the freshness of there not being an enemy.

Rating: 8/10

All Done With Mirrors

"I've always had a flair for the dramatic."

Writer: Christopher Bav
Format: Short Story
Released: March 2004
Printed in: Short Trips: Past Tense 03

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane

Synopsis

The Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane visit the seventeenth century with the Time Lord mistaken for Christopher Marlowe. This is not the only case of hidden identity though... could it be that Marlowe is actually a great British playwright going by some Shakespearean name?

Verdict

All Done With Mirrors was a very decent continuation of the Past Tense Short Trips book! This was a good addition to the collection and there was just something great about the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane visiting the theatre in sixteenth century England. Their relationship was quite intriguing throughout with the latter often dismayed by the Doctor's whacky antics. I can often forget some of the differences between these two but I really enjoyed how the Doctor was acting unawares towards Sarah's discretions. He was mostly written very well with some more than decent characterisation. The use of the scarf to make it clear that this was the Doctor's fourth incarnation was good and I loved how the TARDIS ended up materialising during the middle of a play. The Doctor's reaction when Sarah Jane pondered whether he got the coordinates wrong was wonderful. I'm not a huge fan of classic English literature or plays, far from it if I'm honest, but I could fully appreciate how well that was utilised here and it definitely fits in very well with the theme of this book. The late sixteenth century was terrific and Sarah Jane's lack of bearings because of how different this London was to the one she knew was great. It was rather humorous. The Doctor getting mistaken for Christopher Marlowe was good and I liked how quickly he accepted the likeness, despite his comments in the TARDIS regarding their similarities. There was a lot of dialogue in this adventure which surprised me, but it was absolutely fine and I think it can help with the pace on times. It definitely made things flow and where there wasn't actually a huge deal going on, the conversation more than kept my interest. I thought a little more could have been made of Sarah Jane pretending to be a boy and I really think she'd have put up more of a fight in accepting that. Ned Alleyn was an interesting character, although I wasn't too sure he'd have allowed the Doctor to sit in Kit's seat and basically act as if he was him. That was a weird little section of the story. Things certainly got more interesting when Marlowe arrived and the Doctor's reaction when he was confronted by the very man he was impersonating was probably the highlight of the adventure. A great little moment and I could just perfectly picture Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor in that moment. It would have worked so well. The story covering the mysterious death of Christopher Marlowe was intriguing, even if I didn't know much at all about the history it covered, but the moment where it was revealed that Marlowe was actually Shakespeare was an unexpected feature. I liked it a lot. I'm not sure he should have left him the copy of Shakespeare's complete works though! I guess the Fourth Doctor can get away with that though. Sarah's reaction to that was very good too. Overall, a decent little adventure despite there not actually being much at all going on. I think that's testament to the writing of the dialogue! A very well done little story.

Rating: 7/10

Far From Home

"What a day of adventure."

Writer: Alison Lawson

Format: Short Story 

Released: May 2004

Printed in: Short Trips: Past Tense 02

Featuring: Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

The Eighth Doctor is being chased away by Mr Wesley when he is caught up by two young children on their way to school. Tommy and Ralph soon get into a mission to help a crashed spaceship after the Doctor received its distress call. Except one passenger is missing, and the rain is deadly...

Verdict

Far From Home was a very good continuation of the Past Tense edition of Short Trips prose from Big Finish! No, this is not a blog entry regarding the latest Spider-Man MCU film (although I am currently watching all of that, TV series included, in chronological order but that's just a Twitter thread @brandonarthur18). Instead this was an adventure in my home country of Wales in the quite specific location of Bettws. As soon as I read that was the setting I was super delighted. It's a niche little area and I thought the lack of Welsh stereotype was largely good, with just the one instance of 'boyo' which was much more realistic than some representations in prose depicting Wales. This was of course a historical and the 1928 setting worked superbly well. It was so simple in just having the children walking two miles through lanes and fields to get to school, but that's exactly the kind of stories I was told by my Grampy about his journeys to school so that resonated with me a lot. Through Tommy and Ralph, who were fantastic characters, I had quite a sense of nostalgic feeling and a real reliving of my childhood through their excitement. It was wonderful writing to see just how fascinated they were with the stranger who came to be revealed as the Doctor. I liked that the Eighth Doctor was travelling solo as the children could be utilised a lot better than they would had Charley appeared for example. The relationship between Tommy and Ralph was very good and even when they had to split up with the younger latter being on his own and away from the Doctor, his maturity in looking after the Velderon was hugely impressive. They were an intriguing species and I was surprised that they would be so small given their violent nature. It worked for the story though and the real threat being the impending arrival of the rest of the alien species to retrieve those who fled in the shuttle was good. We didn't get to see them which I thought was the right move too. The ue of rain in this story was sublime and if there's a place you need rain at any possible moment, Wales is definitely the place! I loved that in a Doctor Who adventure in Wales, the rain was deadly. The Velderons, through their acidic nature, were susceptible to it and it was quite horrifying to read of the death of the Velderon who had escaped from the crashed ship. Tommy's reaction to him jumping backwards down the well was heartbreaking to read. Mr Wesley was a humorous character in wanting to prevent people from reaching the barn and the thrill of the children getting to infiltrate somewhere they're usually forbidden from going was terrific. George Evans-the-Cwm, a rather weird name even for us Welsh, was another good threat to the secrecy of the children and even though they knew that their parents would soon be aware that they'd skipped school, Tommy and Ralph didn't care one jot because of the adventure they'd had. They met an alien, saved another one and got to see the TARDIS disappear. Quite the adventure! Overall, a lovely tale.

Rating: 8/10

The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who

"They made a TV show about me?"

Writer: Paul Cornell

Format: Comic Strip

Released: December 2013

Printed in: IDW 2013

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor 

Synopsis

A strange force flings the TARDIS and the Eleventh Doctor into our own universe! Once here, the Doctor encounters a 10-year-old girl who happens to be a huge fan of the Doctor Who TV show. The Doctor grapples with being a fictional character and a monster lurking at the girl's school on the way to coming face-to-face with the actor who portrays him, Matt Smith!

Verdict

The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who was just wonderful. This was a real love letter to the fans and it made the whole idea behind the show and its fiction become real in a brilliantly accessible way. I loved how the Doctor arrived in what was just recognised on the TARDIS console as a parallel universe, but it was actually this one! The Doctor arrived in a world where he was the centre of attention and a revered character. The TV series following his life was superb and the imagery of him just holding a copy of The Twin Dilemma was something quite spectacular. I loved the comment regarding The Android Invasion as that title definitely would have made things easier for him! That was a humorous moment. We even got to see the 2007 Doctor Who Annual make an appearance in the hands of Ally. She was a fantastic character and just epitomised what it meant to be a fan. She wasn't stupid though and whilst she loved Doctor Who, she had no desire for who she thought to be Matt Smith to act out being her hero. She knew it was all a story. I thought that was nice. It just stunned me a little to actually have Matt Smith's name referred to in a Doctor Who adventure! And it actually made sense and worked really well. The Eleventh Doctor met Matt Smith. How barmy is that? I love it. The Doctor mentioning having saved Peter Davison in the past was further comedic value and I also thought the line about Peter Capaldi was great, even if it seemed a tad forced. The Doctor's initial reaction to the new universe was good and perfectly in line with his incarnation. Ahh! That reminds me, the Doctor's mentioning of him not calling his past selves 'incarnations' was delightful and it was just fantastic for Ally to prove him wrong. The appearance of a Cyberman as a full on enemy was an unexpected pleasure and I loved that it was one from the Battle of Canary Wharf. It managed to slip into this parallel universe and wanted to convert the planet. Ally mentioning it being from Doomsday was just splendid too! I did like that a lot. There was so much to love about this comic strip and you really couldn't help but smile throughout. A real treat. The way the Doctor was able to take advantage of the Cyberman to get back to his own universe was good and quite quick, but that was what you wanted in a story of this nature. It wasn't about the monsters here, but it was nice to have that connection. The little mention of Elisabeth Sladen was a terrific touch and I liked how the Doctor was able to tell Ally that Sarah Jane was still alive and well in Ealing. She would live forever through the Doctor, but I did think it was intriguing for her to mention knowing the fate of his old companion. The convention scenes were very good and I absolutely adored the moment where the Doctor was fooled by cosplay. The Krotons were coming! Well, not quite. When the Doctor started saying he should have known it was them, only to then correct himself was absolutely superb. I found that too funny. Overall, a simply splendid comic strip adventure! Even a mention of the missing episodes. All round great.

Rating: 10/10

The Birthday Boy

"I love a party."

Writer: Matthew Dow Smith
Format: Comic Strip
Released: November 2013
Series: The Day of the Doctor DVD Special

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

23 November. It's the Doctor's birthday and everybody is invited! Clara is hosting a get together and companions from all ages have accepted the invitation. Except, is there really a party at all? The Doctor doesn't do birthdays, does he?

Verdict

The Birthday Boy, or 50th Anniversary DVD Special, as it is actually titled within the third volume of IDW's Eleventh Doctor Archive, was a very decent little story! I liked how it fitted in with the actual 50th anniversary celebrations some six years ago now and the theme of the Doctor's birthday being explored was really good. It was quite obvious from the get go that things weren't all as they seemed and there was some sort of dreamscape thing going on, but it took a while for things to actually be revealed as a dream. I loved the idea of the story and numerous past companions from all eras of the show was really a delight to see. However, despite the quality of the story, one thing that really hurt proceedings was the artwork. I don't mean to be too negative but it was rather awful. Not all of the companions were anywhere close to being recognisable which was a big shame but the intent was there so I can certainly appreciate that. Nyssa was only noticeable by her frizzy hair but the drawing of her facial features was quite horrendous! It was a big shame. Sarah Jane, even, was just not at all recognisable and I only knew for sure that it was her by her name getting mentioned. That shouldn't be the case in a format where art is so important and the fundamental basis! Some of the companion choices were nice with the likes of Katarina and Sara appearing for little cameos. I was pleasantly surprised by how few modern era companions appeared so the nostalgia was definitely fitting for a fiftieth anniversary celebration. The return of the Trylonians following on from Convention Special was decent and I liked that the Doctor was actually at the mercy of one of their brain drain machines. The opening page, or even prelude page, of the invite to the Doctor's party was good but I think the basics of her surname being wrong is rather bad. Surely that doesn't take much research? I'll let it slide though because I like the idea so much. The characterisation of the Eleventh Doctor was very good throughout and even though his memory was questioned, his quick change of mind in his opinion of offices was terrific. That was perfectly in line with Matt Smith's incarnation's personality. I liked it a lot. Once the Doctor managed to wake up, following on from some lovely panels with varying versions of the TARDIS console, things proceeded rather quickly and excitingly and I surprised myself in liking the unfinished ending. We pretty much knew how things were going to go but it was just a nice line with the Doctor and Clara on the up and fighting more monsters as their adventures continued. The Doctor overcoming the brain drain with the power of his past and some interesting lines repeated from all of his incarnations was good and I loved the artwork there. Quite a contrast! Overall, a very good little story with a fantastic idea but the artwork let it down in some parts but I've tried to ensure my rating wasn't too affected by that.

Rating: 8/10

The Immortals

"We're looking for the giants."

Writer: Simon Guerrier
Format: Short Story
Released: May 2004
Printed in: Short Trips: Past Tense 01

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

The Fifth Doctor takes his three companions to Eastern Europe in the early eleventh century. It's not a location the Doctor is overly clued up on, but even he knows the locals can't have recently done battle with the Romans...

Verdict

The Immortals was a somewhat average start to the Past Tense edition of Short Trips prose. As one collection finishes I find myself needing to get through the library loans I have out rather quickly with less than two months now left to live in Bristol. As well as an MA dissertation. We'll get there. Now, I love the prospect of several historical stories with each of the first eight incarnations of the Doctor and this one was an interesting start. I think it would've helped to get a specific location but the timeframe being early eleventh century was really intriguing. I do though think more could have been made of it but the locals' reaction to the Doctor and his companions as newcomers was pretty good. I liked Udilf and Mang the most of the guest characters but they didn't really stand out too much. What I found with this story was that there wasn't really anything that bad, just not a great deal seemed to happen. The excitement only really came on the penultimate page and even then it was written in a way that you realised everything was okay and all had already occurred. It was a weird ending. It seemed to be written so differently from the rest of the story. One thing I thought this adventure did pretty much nail was the characterisation of the Fifth Doctor and his companions. Things being placed for them shortly after the events of Logopolis with the Doctor newly regenerated was excellent and I loved how Nyssa was the knowledgable one of the trio in understanding that aspect of the Doctor. Tegan still wanted to get home but she was some 1,000 years in the past, and at least the same amount of miles away geographically. A decent attempt from the Doctor though. I wasn't a big fan of Tegan in this story as she so adamantly convinced herself that history was changed just because of one story. That was a big assumption to make, especially given the prominence of oral tradition throughout history. Of course it was just a story! Nyssa taking her to one side in quite an angry fashion was good though and I liked how she stood up for respecting their hosts, even if she didn't quite have the knowledge of Earth's past. Adric was characterised very well in this adventure and because of that I didn't much like him. He's just a bit annoying isn't he. He doesn't want to do much and isn't very interested in anything either. Boring. I'd have much preferred things if Nyssa was the one to go with the Doctor and inspect the creatures. Those creatures turning out to just be Asians was unexpected but I wasn't a fan of silk being the reason they couldn't die and could retrieve the arrows from their skin. That was hardly a big reveal. The moment where there was a little TARDIS quartet standoff with Adric and Tegan taking each other's side but Nyssa standing firm with the Doctor was very good and I hoped more was made of that. I've already talked about this one's conclusion and whilst it was exciting, some more clarity was needed in terms of timing. I'd also have liked more on the Doctor and Adric leaving the Asians - especially with the latter basically inventing the cross-bow! The Doctor leaving that slide hardly seemed in character. Overall, some good parts but room for improvement.

Rating: 6/10

Scream of the Shalka

"We have to bomb these people."

Writer: Paul Cornell
Format: Novel
Released: February 2004
Series: BBC Books Special

Featuring: Alternate Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

When the Doctor lands his TARDIS in the Lancaster town of Lannet, in the present day, he finds that something is terribly wrong. The people are scared. They don't like going out onto the streets at night, they don't like making too much noise, and they certainly don't like strangers asking too many questions.

What alien force has invaded the town? Why is it watching barmaid Alison Cheney? And what plans does it have for the future of the planet Earth?

The Doctor is helped (and hindered) by his new military liaison Major Kennet and his Royal Green Jacket troops. His old enemy the Master also plays a small part. During the course of this adventure he encounters a brand new race of ferocious alien monsters, and strikes up a friendship with his latest companion, Alison.

Verdict

Scream of the Shalka was a very good novel! This was probably the book that intrigued me most out of all of the titles available at my local library and even though I am still somehow yet to watch the animated story, I just had to give this a read! This alternate and thus discontinued ninth incarnation of the Doctor has always interested me and to get a chance to read the adventure in which he appears was fantastic. I thought the Doctor himself was rather interesting and I found myself wanting to know a great deal more about the circumstances that he found himself in. Why was he so dismissive of Earth and humanity now? How had he come to be travelling with the Master in an android form? When did he regenerate? I got the feeling that this was just intended to be the start of something, but then of course Doctor Who returned in 2005 with the true Ninth Doctor and this ninth incarnation quickly became defunct. I thought the story of his progress to accept and yearn for companionship again was lovely and that made Alison a really lovely character. She was brilliant throughout and the pain and torment she went through was quite staggering. It was clear that thinks were on the brink between her and Jason with them wanting different things and you knew early on that she was going to be the companion. That was good. The Shalka were very good enemies and whilst I found the Doctor never hearing of them despite them having 80% of the universe's planets in their empire a little hard to believe, they were really impressive. The scale of their devastation literally being worldwide was terrific but I thought the focus on Lannet was great. It was an intriguing place and I'm sure fans who are from there would have revelled in it. The screams being so powerful initially seemed like something I wasn't going to enjoy, but I really did grow to thinking it was very good indeed. The scream actually being a way of gaining control over the humans who heard it was intriguing and the thing that stuck with me most was that these people were under control, but they were fully aware of that fact. That was really frightening. Great stuff. The moment where Alison and Jason and co are leading the population of Lannet to the factory and a human ramp is made to get over the fence was just horrifying. It was really uncomfortable which was superb writing. My favourite passage of the book by a country mile. I was delighted when it was revealed that the Master was featuring in the story but sadly he didn't do much at all. I assume his android state was intended as a result of The Movie but I didn't like it as his character was so limited! The moment he was interrupted by the Doctor in trying to get Alison to obey him inside the TARDIS was humorous though. One thing that irked me with this adventure was how the screams of the Shalka managed to open the TARDIS doors, only for it to be forgotten about. I didn't like what was going on there at all. The ending was pretty well done though with the Doctor using the Shalka that was implanted in Alison's head to act as a microphone and become the means of sonic attack from the Doctor that resonated in such a way that the Shalka became mist. A fitting end. Kennet was a good character and his knowledge of the Doctor's history was good but more could definitely have been made of it. Alison joining the Doctor on his travels was a nice way to end and whilst things are non-canonical, I'd definitely be interested to read more from this TARDIS trio. Overall, a great read!

Rating: 8/10

Sedna

"Even in war the Siccati create a work of art."

Writer: Andy Frankham
Format: Short Story
Released: October 2005
Printed in: Short Trips: The Solar System 10

Featuring: Third Doctor

Synopsis

The Third Doctor takes his friend Jeremy Fitzgerald to the planet Sedna, millions of years in the Solar System's past. He encounters the Siccati once again, and learns that it was they who were attacking their own species when his second self was on Neptune. What will connect the dots?

Verdict

Sedna was a very good little adventure to conclude my reading of The Solar System Short Trips! This has been quite the collection and whilst the standard has been somewhat mixed, I have very much enjoyed reading and have loved getting to explore a story on each and every planet within in the Solar System with every incarnation of the first eight Doctors. A real treat. It was the Third Doctor with his second story of the collection to finish things off, but I do wish they went with a more familiar companion! After having done a little research on Jeremy, I'm not sure he quite counts as a companion but despite not knowing anything at all about him coming into the story, I found him quite enjoyable. The Doctor clearly thought of him as a little useless which was intriguing as I couldn't quite see the third incarnation having the patience to put up with somebody of Jeremy's character, but he actually proved pivotal to the resolution of the plot. The return of the Siccati was slightly unexpected but the links this one had with Neptune certainly were not. I thought they came together very well and this was a definite improvement on the story it runs concurrently with. The Doctor recalling some of its events and how it was his second incarnation that was on Neptune at the same time was great. I do wish that there was a little more made of the Sedna setting but I guess information at the time of writing wasn't available in its droves. It was nice that the planet was the setting though which surprisingly was not always the case in this book. I enjoyed the characterisation of the Third Doctor very much and as I delve through this month's DWM that tributes Jon Pertwee, it was lovely to see such good writing of his Doctor here. I was very impressed with it which was just delightful. The Doctor attempting to find a way to get to the Arrangers was humorous and after he put together a stellar piece of art, it was almost immediately thrown into the House of Rejections whereas Jeremy's mess of a piece of art won them their way through. The Doctor had to encourage them to stop their bombardment of Neptune, but the comic value that stemmed from the fact Jeremy was the only person they'd converse with was fantastic. The Arranger who was dying explaining why it was Jeremy's artwork that was chosen because of its imperfection was lovely and I really liked how that tied with The Great Tapestry. They didn't need to destroy Neptune if those Siccati wanted to stay because it did not need to be a perfect Tapestry. Once that was understood was terrific. I liked how the Doctor didn't actually do a great deal in this one to help, as everything he attempted seemed to have Jeremy outdo him! I liked that dynamic and I would certainly be keen to read more of Jeremy. He was a humorous character. Overall, this was a very good adventure to finish on and I definitely favour the idea of two of the planets sharing links as strong as were present here. I still don't know a great deal about Sedna, but it being almost concurrent with Neptune every millennia certainly intrigues me. A nice way to finish.

Rating: 8/10

Convention Special

"We want his stories."

Writer: Matthew Dow Smith

Format: Comic Strip

Released: July 2011

Printed in: 2011 Convention Special

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

The Doctor takes Amy and Rory to the San Diego Comic-Con so that they can meet Hamilton Wilson, author of the comic Captain Rocket. But Hamilton's work has been spread across the stars and now a small group of aliens want more of his stories. And they are willing to use any means necessary to get them.

Verdict

Convention Special was a pretty decent but somewhat average little story to continue my reading of the Eleventh Doctor Archives volume three from IDW. It was certainly a unique adventure and I am a big fan of a comic convention special story being set in the very comic con that it is being sold at. I also loved how the love of stories and comics and an adoration for one's heroes shone through in this story. That was a really positive aspect of its storytelling and undoubtedly its highlight. It was also what it was aiming to do the most with the plot line becoming secondary to the love of comics. The comic strip of Captain Rocket being prominent alongside its creator of Hamilton Wilson was a nice touch and I loved the idea of both Rory and the Doctor being fans. Amy was less understanding but she never tried to ridicule them for liking comic strips which was something I feared may occur. One big negative for this adventure was the artwork for her character and I have to say it was quite awful in my opinion! That was a big shame as Karen Gillan's appearance never really seemed close on the page. The characterisation, whilst not amazing, was less inaccurate so that was something at least. I thought the Eleventh Doctor was written pretty well and his love of the whole comic con idea and people coming together simply because of the stories they loved was wonderful. It was a real love letter to the fans at these conventions who would probably appreciate them the most. I am fully on board with providing a story for those specifically at the convention, but I cannot help but feel this really should have been included in the second volume of the Eleventh Doctor Archives instead of here. The unnamed alien and its species attempting to kidnap Wilson because of his stories was quite something and I did like how his story of Captain Rocket was on board NASA probes all over the universe. I'm not really sure though if I buy that this species came all this way just because in his stories, Wilson's character was victorious. I wasn't much a fan of the brain-drain machine of the Trylonians and as Wilson stated, why wouldn't they at least just ask him first? I didn't like that. The overall plot was quite dull and didn't actually do much for the overall story with the love of comic cons being what I cared about most. Rory was quite humorous in this one and when the alien was attempting to kidnap Wilson, I half expected it to be him that was harassing his hero's creator. The Doctor was less inundated with the writer but meeting people of this calibre was hardly new. I hoped for a little reference to Timelash with the mention of H. G. Wells but alas that didn't come around. Not much actually happened in this adventure and I feel like I'm going to become really repetitive if I go for more, so I'll stop here and just say whilst I really liked the convention appeal, the overall story was somewhat lacking. Overall, a decent read but improvements definitely could have helped. 

Rating: 6/10

Dead Man's Hand

"A dead man who cannot die, killing people with the power of fear."

Writer: Tony Lee
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September-November 2013
Printed in: DW12 #13-16

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis

The Doctor and Clara cross paths with Oscar Wilde and Calamity Jane in the frontier town of Deadwood as they pay their respects to the recently passed Wild Bill Hickok. But soon they discover the grave is empty, and that the town is being plague by a masked gunman who shoots his victims with nothing but a finger!

Verdict

Dead Man's Hand was another great adventure to continue IDW's third volume of Eleventh Doctor Archives! This one had more of an established feel following the previous story's introducing of Clara to the comic strips. I thought the Wild West setting actually worked very well and that's quite surprising for me to say as I really am not a fan of that period of history in the slightest. I thought The Gunfighters was horrendous and I wasn't a huge fan of A Town Called Mercy either. This one actually had some significant similarities to the latter TV episode which was a little surprising to me given that the same incarnation of the Doctor was in this one. Of course, Clara joined him this time but I was surprised the Doctor didn't mention his previous experience in Mercy with the Gunslinger. Anyway, onto this one now and the addition of Oscar Wilde as a sort of companion to the Doctor for this comic strip was really great and I thought he was a fantastic choice given Clara's love and career in literature. Her unintentionally inspiring him for some of the novels he would write was excellent and I loved the Doctor's reaction to that. His wearing of the Eighth Doctor's outfit was superb too. The addition of Calamity Jane as well was really good and this obviously was a choice of time and setting rather than throwing these historical figures together. That was until Thomas Edison was being used by Sondrah in an unexpected turn of events. When the alien recognised the Doctor and reacted with joyful glee, I seemed a little annoyed with myself that I didn't recognise him, but then of course I wouldn't as it was a being with multiple minds. And one of those minds was surprisingly Es'Cartss. I really didn't see a sequel of sorts to The Forgotten coming but I liked the continuity. One thing that was a little iffy was how similar it was to the previous story of Sky Jacks, but I do try and judge things standalone where possible so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt here. The Doctor invoking the Shadow Proclamation conventions was good but I was surprised by how willing Sondrah was. The T'Keyn Nexus baring similarities to the Matrix was good and I enjoyed the links this story had with The Day of the Doctor in freeing the returning parasite here. I loved the scenes in the Nexus with the multiple incarnations of the Doctor confronting Sondrah, but I do question some of the knowledge that each displayed, even if the Eleventh Doctor was the one talking through them. Its distain for the Tenth Doctor was brilliant and a good way of narrowing down who the enemy could be. The Doctor realised when he mentioned the Matrix and from there things became somewhat straightforward. It was all very enjoyable though and one highlight of the story was the emotional battle between Jane and Bill. It was quite saddening that she had to go through him dying once again despite living in the hope of him being around again. Wilde rescuing Earth with his words was wonderful and a very good way to end the story. Finding out about the dead man was not why I expected but I was fine with that not being focus. Overall, a very enjoyable story, even if I'd like to think the Doctor would have a better attitude concerning leaving Susan in The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

Rating: 8/10

Sky Jacks

"I know the TARDIS is bigger on the inside, but this is ridiculous!"

Writers: Andy Dingle & Eddie Robson
Format: Comic Strip
Released: May-August 2013
Printed in: DW12 #9-12

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis

The TARDIS has recently been on the fritz, but now it has gone completely out of control. And the Doctor is nowhere to be found! Meanwhile, white holes have been forming throughout time and space, sucking in everything around them. What does the Hypothetical Gentleman have to do with it all?

Verdict

Sky Jacks was a very good comic strip to kickstart my reading of the third volume of IDW's Eleventh Doctor Archives! This is sadly the last of the comic strip archives released by Titan that IDW printed as part of their regular series and that's quite a shame as I have really enjoyed reading these comics, especially as they weren't properly available in the UK coming from America. This was the first time Clara arrived in the comic strips and whilst her artwork was actually pretty awful, I thought her characterisation for the most part was positive. In saying that, it wasn't always perfect and I thought one line of her blurting out 'what the bleaking heck', was really bad. I'm not sure if that's word for word but it was so horrendous that I really don't want to go back and have a look! I really hated it. Now, onto the positives of what was a very interesting story and I liked how Clara got the bulk of the first part in exploring the TARDIS with no sign of the Doctor. The use of a time loop in something as small as a corridor was great and it was obvious that Clara was going to press the button with it being labelled 'do not press'. The arrival of the Doctor at the end of part one was very good indeed, but I do wonder how he lost his beard so quickly! The initial setting, of what was apparently just endless sky, was really intriguing and the Doctor having been there for three years from his perspective was scarily foreshadowing of The Time of the Doctor. I thought a little more could have been made of that but it was a good bit to play on. The characters of the Sky Jack crew were really great and I loved how they were intended as part of the fatal attack on Japan that saw World War Two come to an end. Their target was Kyoto, but of course that never came into fruition and the Doctor was keen to make sure that remained the case. His reaction to discovering that a third bomb was intended to follow on from Nagasaki and Hiroshima was excellent. The reveal that the area the setting of the story had been was the TARDIS all along was very much unexpected, but not quite so much so as the Matrix itself being revealed as the enemy and also the Hypothetical Gentleman! There was a lot going on and things did tie in nicely with The Hypothetical Gentleman. The links this story had with The Day of the Doctor was very surprising though given the entirety of this comic strip was released before the anniversary broadcast. The moments where it was stated the Doctor had revoked his name and used the Moment were very intriguing indeed. I thought the ending was a little quick but the Matrix actually being sentient was just incredible. I loved the idea and for the Doctor to defeat it, even when it would know everything he was thinking, meant that Clara was required and she did terrifically. The Matrix ganging sentience at the Moment the Time Lord race was wiped out was incredible and its way of using the Black Hole at the Eye of Harmony was very good. That explained the White Hole as it was the other side but the Matrix ended up stuck halfway. Overall, a very good adventure!

Rating: 8/10

Pluto

"This is what her life was now. Counting the moments between dead bodies."

Writer: Dale Smith
Format: Short Story
Released: October 2005
Printed in: Short Trips: The Solar System 09

Featuring: Second Doctor, Polly, Ben

Synopsis

The Second Doctor, Polly and Ben arrive on Charon, one of Pluto's moons, in the far future and discover that there is a shadow living here. When a crew of humans arrive in search of their colleague who lost contact, something sinister is uncovered...

Verdict

Pluto was a very good penultimate story in The Solar System edition of Short Trips prose from Big Finish! I was really glad to see a marked improvement on the previous story and I was very excited to be getting a new story with the Second Doctor, Polly and Ben. They're actually a pretty rare trio as far as adventures come by and I really loved how it seemed to immediately follow The Power of the Daleks. Ben was still sceptical over whether the newly regenerated Doctor was the same person and that theme was excellent to see in terms of continuity. Polly was less suspicious and firmly believed they were the same person due to just how different things were for the Doctor. Her desire to get home was an interesting theme to explore and seeing the recent adventures in the TARDIS from her perspective with death following them and becoming somewhat frequent and almost expected was very intriguing. She was horrified that people died in the Doctor's footsteps and she really was struggling to deal with it. She was quite off with Ben which is very unlike her and this did certainly highlight a different side to her which was very interesting. I was impressed with the use of Pluto in this story and I thought it was fantastic to use companions that would not have even been aware of the planet's existence. It's quite staggering to think that during the time Doctor Who has been on the air, a planet was discovered and now subsequently demoted to a dwarf planet! Regardless, Polly and Ben didn't seem like they had much to question which showed just how much trust they placed in the Doctor and the wonder they had experienced in the TARDIS. The arrivals of Magellan and co were good and I liked how it seemed that the Doctor and his companions were responsible for murder. Learning of the history of the mission to Pluto's moon for water - yes, there was now a shortage in the far future! - was very interesting and I liked that Ask was found after being presumed dead. I thought the jumps in this adventure were very good as they actually told a story, specifically when Ben revealed that Magellan had killed all of the creatures that were sleeping in stasis to hold the shadow in containment. I thought the presence of the shadow was good and provided a decent threat. Scrivens was a good character and I thought that Spinks and Ray were pretty decent too. Magellan being a robot with his brain kept despite his body failing (dying, basically) was very good and I enjoyed Polly and Ben's reaction to that very much. The Second Doctor's characterisation was very good throughout and I loved the moment at the end where he retrieved the TARDIS key from his shoe! That was perfectly in line with his personality. The ambiguity of the ending with Polly wanting to know where exactly the shadow was now was very good with the Doctor basically trimming its evils and keeping that contained beneath the ice of Pluto. The highlight of the story for me though occurred when the group all amalgamated into one to bring the shadow into containment and Ben could hear the thoughts of Polly and heard the voice of the First Doctor, making him firmly believe that the Doctor with them now was the same person. I like the idea of Polly being the one that convinces Ben. Overall, a great story!

Rating: 8/10

Neptune

"Fear was high, but so was love."

Writer: Richard Dinnick
Format: Short Story
Released: October 2005
Printed in: Short Trips: The Solar System 08

Featuring: Third Doctor, Sarah Jane

Synopsis

The Third Doctor and Sarah Jane arrive on Neptune, a colony known by a different name to the current inhabitants of the Siccati. It is a very special time as the planet becomes concurrent with Sedna, the tenth planet in the Solar System, and the battle between the Siccati and Vermillons gets serious.

Verdict

Neptune was a somewhat decent continuation of The Solar System edition of Short Trips stories from Big Finish. I still find it a little weird discussing Big Finish in terms of prose stories but I still maintain that the idea behind this collection is excellent, even if the quality has not always been to my liking. Sadly, this was not one of my favourites of the book thus far and I was quite disappointed as the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane were a partnership I was very excited about reading together. It's a shame they only had one season together on television but through releases like this one we are able to get brand new adventures with them here. The characterisation of both characters was actually really good and whilst I thought their relationship could have been better captured on the page, it was still nice to have a feeling of familiarity there. One thing I wasn't a fan of was the use of Neptune. It didn't make much sense to me and even though it may have been obvious, the reveal that Cerulean was actually Neptune came far too late and didn't really have any impact at all. It wasn't exactly Skaro or Mondas, was it? I just didn't understand that. Even when it was revealed, the Doctor didn't make much out of it and had even commented on the atmosphere being similar to that of Neptune earlier on in the story. Throughout I just had myself questioning why there was an absence of the planet that was the titular name of the story! It wasn't the right direction in my opinion and somewhat effected my reading of the story which is never good. I thought Pug was actually a pretty good character but I wasn't a fan of the whole naming like 'Pug<ism' at all. I just don't understand unnecessary things like that and why the Doctor became Thedoct at times completely baffled me and needed a lot more clarity. The battle between the Siccati and the Vermillons was intriguing and I really liked how ruthless the latter was in puncturing a hole in the atmospheric shield and ensuring that a number of the former actually suffocated and died in horrific circumstances. It was presented horrifically and that sold just how bad things were during this war. However, not a great deal more was made of it which wasn't what I hoped for! We needed a bit more action rather than tension and whilst it wasn't at all bad, there was definitely room for improvement. The ending of the story with the Doctor just packing up and leaving seemed like it was going to be very shocking. Sarah Jane was momentarily outraged when she was told they would be going and she couldn't help the Siccati. However, the use of the time ram and the impending arrival of a TARDIS echoing the Doctor's own, as well as the links with Sedna, should mean that this has connections with the final story in this collection. It shouldn't be long before I find out. Sarah Jane knew that he'd be there to help one day in his life, past or future, and that was good enough for me. Overall, a pretty decent adventure in parts but there were improvements to be made.

Rating: 6/10

Junk-Yard Demon II

"How does it feel to be a Cyber Controller?"

Writer: Alan Barnes
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September 1995
Printed in: Doctor Who Yearbook 1996

Featuring: Fourth Doctor

Synopsis

Shortly after encountering a Cyberman in the form of a demon in a junk-yard, the Doctor arrives in exactly the same place but at a completely different time. Things have changed. The Cybermen are wanted and Lovejoy McShane will do anything to get them.

Verdict

Junk-Yard Demon II was sadly not the best of comic strip stories to conclude my reading of The Clockwise War graphic novel. It actually ranks as my least favourite story of the whole collection which is a real shame for a final adventure in what has been quite the collection! I thought the original comic strip of Junk-Yard Demon was good, but I probably would have picked a non-Fourth Doctor comic strip story for an immediate sequel after Star Beast II. Even though he's great, not everything needs to revolve around the Fourth Doctor! One story was definitely enough for me, but even so that didn't have any kind of effect on my reading of this comic strip and I just couldn't get on board. There was something that just didn't have the right feel and I think some of that might be down to the artwork. It was whacky and weird and slightly off front the usual style of the Doctor Who Magazine comic strips, and I applaud the attempt but it wasn't something I enjoyed. The follow on from the first adventure with the Cyberman was quite average and I think more could have been made of the fact that the Doctor had jus moved in time rather than space in circumstances extremely similar to The Ark. That fact played such a pivotal role in that serial and I really think more could have made of it here. This story itself though didn't have much going for it and considering the Cybermen appeared, they really didn't do much. Lovejoy McShane, someone who I hope is somehow related to Ace in a very roundabout way, was a decent character but I really didn't think Stinker was any good at all. I thought he was just pretty awful and not a good henchman at all. His appearance wasn't brilliant which was a shame and I felt, even in an eight page story, Lovejoy relied on him too often which took away from the potential great villainy of his character. The returns of Flotsam and Jetsam weren't bad and I liked how they became top thoughts in the mind of the Doctor when he realised he was in the same place. I thought the pace of this story was also a little off with the pace picking up considerably in some parts to then just slow right down. It was quite weird and I'd usually enjoy things from Alan Barnes a great deal more than I did this one. I'm somewhat struggling to find more to say about this comic strip because I just didn't like it. Sadly, it really was just bang average and didn't really do itself justice as a sequel. The appearance of the Cybermen were really weird and seemed to be a kind of blend between those seen in The Tenth Planet and The Invasion. I really don't think that continuity absence helped proceedings. Dutch being used to effectively become the Cyber Controller was a little humorous but the resolution seemed to come incredibly quick! For the Cybermen to defeated so easily and simply, when they're the epitome of logic, was not something I liked much. The characterisation of the Fourth Doctor was pretty average, and that word sadly describes the story as a whole.

Rating: 5/10

Star Beast II

"I'm a nice Meep, really."

Writer: Gary Gillart
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September 1995
Printed in: Doctor Who Yearbook 1996

Featuring: Fourth Doctor

Synopsis

The Fourth Doctor hopes to land the TARDIS on Uniceptor so he and K9 can attend the wedding of his former companion Sharon. However, he ends up on Earth in Blackcastle during 1995 and encounters a deadly foe who has just been released from prison and is recovering something deadly...

Verdict

Star Beast II was an excellent comic strip adventure! It really improved the standard of The Clockwise War's bonus adventures thus far and I was thoroughly delighted with what I read. I had no idea this story even existed before looking at the contents for this comic strip collection and based on the name alone, I was incredibly intrigued. It was, as pretty much labelled, a sequel to Doctor Who and the Star Beast and I love the simplicity of the name in just adding on a II to let you know exactly what you're in for. That, the second ever DWM comic strip story, is incredibly famous and renowned and it is a very good adventure so to get a mini sequel here was fantastic. I thought it did itself justice and definitely lived up the reputation of its predecessor. The prison scenes with Beep the Meep attempting to convince the wardens of his clearing of the black light possession was quite comical and I liked how we as the reader always knew that it wasn't actually a good guy that was cleared. The moment where Meep revealed it was still very much evil despite fifteen years imprisoned was terrific and I was hugely impressed with how much this comic strip covered in just eight pages. The previous adventures from the Doctor Who Yearbooks were decent but this really was on another level which I was delighted with. The pace was very exciting and I loved that the Doctor was intending on visiting Sharon for her wedding. The inclusion of K9 in the form of just dialogue was great and the TARDIS arriving in Blackcastle for 1995 at the cinema was very good. The moment where the Doctor has a gun pointed at him by Meep was hilarious and it was one of the very few instances where I have physically laughed at a comic strip moment! It was such perfect characterisation of the Fourth Doctor and I liked how he wasn't at all disturbed by the threat and return of Beep the Meep. Beep wanting to recover the Black Star drive that was misplaced on its last visit there was good and I liked the linkages to the first story the weirdly whacky enemy appeared in. The interaction between the Doctor and Beep was excellent and I liked how quick things happened because they were exciting and made perfect sense! The Doctor taking advantage of the cinema setting was extremely good and I like to think that the TARDIS was partly responsible for defeating the Meep by arriving here instead of on Uniceptor. The use of the light reels to literally trap Beep the Meep in a film was just wonderful and the enemy's reaction was sublime! It was gutted, angry and trapped so soon after being released from prison in some really great irony. The inclusion of Fugde Higgins was also something I should mention as being a positive and further links back to the original story which really made this a brilliant sequel. He didn't have much of a role here and I'd have liked some more acknowledgement from the Doctor, but it was just nice for him to appear. Overall, a really excellent comic strip story!

Rating: 9/10