Doctor Who - Revenge of the Cybermen Review

Continuing Our Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Cybermen

Doctor Who:

Revenge of the Cybermen

By Gerry Davis 

“You've no home planet, no influence, nothing. You're just a pathetic bunch of tin soldiers skulking about the galaxy in an ancient spaceship.”

Using the time ring to meetup with the TARDIS at Nerva Beacon The Doctor, Sarah and Harry have discovered that the TARDIS is not there and that this is not the Nerva Beacon they left earlier.  In fact it is a beacon that is not even in orbit around Earth at all. In fact it is in orbit around what looks like an asteroid that has been floating in space and caught in Jupiter’s gravity.  As the three travelers decide to leave the control room a dead body falls through the door they were going through.  In fact it appears there are dead people all over the beacon and they appear to have died from a plague.  

They are eventually captured by the remaining members of the crew and have been briefed on what going on by Commander Stevenson and it all seems to have started a few weeks ago.  When they hear another crew member scream they discover that he has the plague and The Doctor discovers that the man does not have the plague but has been bitten by something and is dying from the poison.  The Doctor discovers that Kellerman isn’t all he appears to be and then realizes that the asteroid is in fact Voga the planet of gold.  Things are coming into focus especially after Sarah Jane is bitten by what is discovered to be a Cybermat the creature that the Cybermen use to soften up the station for an invasion.  The Cybermen want to destroy Voga and the Vogans want to destroy the Cybermen and The Doctor, Sarah and Harry are stuck in the middle trying to make sure the Cybermen are stopped and that Voga and the beacon do not get destroyed.

Doctor Who - Covers and Details For 4th Doctor Issue 3

Out today is the third part of the 4th Doctor mini series as we see The Doctor trying to find a way to rescue Sarah Jane.  You can pickup this comic book at your local comic book store.

'GAZE OF THE MEDUSA' continues, as the Doctor and Sarah Jane team with Professor Odysseus James, and his daughter, Athena, to face down an ancient alien horror. Battling a malign influence all the way from Ancient Greece to London in 1887, the Doctor is faced with a petrifying challenge – and physical evidence that he cannot win!

Doctor Who: Fourth Doctor #3
Writers: Gordon Rennie & Emma Beeby
Artist: Brian Williamson
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Comicraft
FC - 32pp - $3.99 - On Sale: Jun 1

Cover A: Brian Williamson
Cover B: Photo
Cover C: Warren Pleece
Cover D: Robert Hack

Doctor Who - Details and Lots of Covers For Fourth Doctor Issue One

Out today is issue one of the 4th Doctor mini series comic book from Titan.  The Doctor will be joined by Sarah Jane Smith and set upon an adventure in Victorian England. You can get this comic book at your local comic book store or online from online dealers.

Victorian England. A mysterious woman commands a hidden army in a house of the blind. Scryclops stalk the streets…. and something alien and terrible screams from prehistory – with a hunger that cannot be satisfied!

The Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith return for an all new adventure: GAZE OF THE MEDUSA!

DOCTOR WHO: THE FOURTH DOCTOR #1
Writers: Gordon Rennie & Emma Beeby
Artist: Brian Williamson
Covers: Alice X.Zhang, photo, Brian Williamson, Jay Gunn, Matt Baxter, blank sketch
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC - 32pp - $3.99 - On Sale: March 23

Doctor Who - The Android Invasion Review

The Android Invasion aired 40 years ago from November 22 to December 13.  See what we thought about this classic Doctor Who Adventure from 1975.

Doctor Who:
The Android Invasion
By Terry Nation

“Is that finger loaded?”

The Doctor and Sarah still trying to get back to Earth and UNIT headquarters end up on what appears to be Earth.  Smells like Earth, feels like Earth and definitely looks like Earth but something just doesn’t seem right. After watching a UNIT soldier running off a cliff and falling to his death the two travelers get shot at.  The Doctor and Sarah make their way to a village called Devesham which happens to be near a Space Defense Station.  Everything about Devesham seems out of the ordinary also.  The pub has freshly minted money, a brand new dart board and telephones that do not work.

Then the villagers show up and they are a strange lot.  They do not like strangers in their village and do not treat The Doctor and Sarah all that kindly.  Then the UNIT soldier who apparently killed himself shows up at the pub very much alive.   This does get The Doctor thinking that they are definitely not on Earth and there is something very much wrong with this village.  It appears they are on a planet made by the Kraals I which they are using to practice for an invasion of Earth. An invasion that they will use their androids to achieve unless The Doctor and Sarah can find a way of warning Earth and stopping the Kraals.

Doctor Who - Pyramids of Mars Review

The Pyramids of Mars aired 40 years ago from October 25 to November 15.  See what we thought about this classic Doctor Who Adventure from 1975.

Doctor Who:
Pyramids of Mars
By Stephen Harris

“The forces that are being summoned into corporeal existence in that house are more powerful and more dangerous than anything even I have ever encountered.”

The Doctor and Sarah are attempting to return to Earth and UNIT headquarters when they land at the exact spot but in 1911 way before UNIT occupy the house its HQ is in.  Something throws the TARDIS off course which contributes to arriving at the wrong time. They discover an Egyptian is living in the house that belongs to Marcus Scarman.  It appears that the sarcophagus in the house is the unit that made the TARDIS veer off course.

It appears the sarcophagus is a time tunnel connecting Scarmans house with Suteks tomb in Egypt. Sutek is using Scarman to build a space missile that would destroy the pyramids on Mars and thus releasing him from his prison.  This would allow Sutek to take over the world and destroy it and destroy everything in the universe.  It’s up to The Doctor and Sarah to prevent this from happening and to stop Sutek from getting free at all costs.

Doctor Who - Genesis of the Daleks Review

With the return of Davros in The Magician's Apprentice we thought it would be good to look back at some of his Classic Who stories.

Doctor Who:
Genesis of the Daleks
By Terry Nation

“Do I have the right? Simply touch one wire against the other and that's it. The Daleks cease to exist. Hundreds of millions of people, thousands of generations can live without fear, in peace, and never even know the word Dalek.”

The Time Lords have diverted The Doctor, Sarah and Harry to Skaro for a mission of utmost priority. The Time Lords see a time where the Daleks will have destroyed all lifeforms and have become the dominate creature in the universe.  The Time Lords want The Doctor to prevent their creation or affect their genectic development so that they evolve into less aggressive creatures.

The Doctor, Harry and Sarah have been separated.  Sarah is captured by the Thals and put to work on their rocket while Harry and The Doctor have been captured by the Kaleds.  The Doctor and Harry are being intergraded and end up meeting Davros.  Davros is talking to the other scientist and introduces to them to the Mark 2 traveling device.  The Doctor explains to Harry that it is in fact a Dalek.  The Doctor also explains to Harry that they have to stop Davros from creating the Daleks and must do whatever they can to prevent Davros from being successful.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: School Reunion

Doctor Who: 

School Reunion 

By Toby Whitehouse

 

“You were my life. You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, or with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles, and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?”

The Doctor and Rose are undercover at Deffry Vale High School as the students are showing and incredible amount of intelligence.   Also investigating what is going on is Sarah Jane Smith.  She suspects something is going and decides to go to the school to interview Mr Finch as a ways of getting in.   The Doctor, Rose and Mickey go to the school at night and decide to look around and investigate what is going on and why the kids are incredible smart.  During the investigation The Doctor and Sarah Jane have a reunion as Sarah Jane runs into The Doctor who is standing near the TARDIS.

What they discover is that the batlike Krillitanes have taken over the school and are using Krillitane oil in the chips and that is what’s making the kids smarter.  What the Krillitanes need is the imagination of a child to help them break Skasis Paradigm which would give the Krillitanes god like powers.  Whoever possesses it will be able to control the building blocks and be able to control all of time and space and even try tempting The Doctor that he could bring back the Time Lords.  So it is up to The Doctor and the Scooby Gang to stop the Krillatanes from getting all that power.

Memories of Elisabeth Sladen

A Tear Sarah Jane

Has it really been a year since the whoniverse lost one of its most beloved actresses who also played one of the most beloved characters Sarah Jane Smith. I do believe so unfortunately.  I can still remember where I was when I heard the very sad and gut wrenching news. April 19, 2011 was a Tuesday last year and I was vacationing (or on holiday for you Brits) at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.  I had just gotten back to the campground after a day filled with fun and to be honest quite a bit of walking.  I headed into the mobile home and decided to unwind by checking my email and maybe peruse the Doctor Who websites to see what news there was on the new season of Doctor Who.  I did not expect the news that I did happen upon.  That Elisabeth Sladen had passed away after a battle with cancer.  I was devastated and crushed beyond all belief that Sarah Jane was no more. I couldn’t believe the evidence before my eyes and went to other sites for more conformation.  

The Sarah Jane Adventures: More like Doctor Who than Doctor Who!!!

After finishing watching the final episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures and wiping the tears from my face I look back at this series and what was so good about it.

CBBC and Doctor Who Elisabeth Sladen Tributes

The official Doctor Who website has reported that a special tribute will be shown this Saturday after the Impossible Astronaut.  The 15 minute special will air on CBBC and will be a collection of clips and stories from her career in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures.  Doctor Who Magazine has reported on Twitter that a dedication will be shown before the Impossible Astronaut.  No news if there will be any tribute for Nicholas Courtney who died earlier this year.

Elisabeth Sladen - 1948-2011

It is with great sadness to hear that Elisabeth Sladen has passed away.  Known and loved by many as the Doctor's companion, Sarah Jane Smith, Elisabeth Sladen remains one of the most popular actresses in the show's history.  She first appeared on the show in 1973 and portrayed the extremely popular character until 1976.  She appeared along side Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker during that time period.  As Sarah Jane she made appearances in The Five Doctors and a pilot series called K-9 & Company.

She would reprise the role in 2006 in the new Doctor Who series with David Tennant and star in the spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures  It was there that Sladen continued to bring us our beloved character and met the latest Doctor played by Matt Smith. 

Sladen had been battling cancer for some time.  She will be missed.  Our thoughts and prayers go to her family.   

Doctor Who News Obituary

 Elisabeth Sladen Tributes

Tom Baker's Tribute