Doctor Who: The Companions by John Nathan-Turner

    The Companion. A staple of the series Doctor Who. It's the crew member of the TARDIS that anchors the Doctor, completes him, and makes Whovians dream that one day we'll hear the melodic whine of the time ship's grinding brakes in hopes that it will be our turn to travel through time and space.

   This 1986 book covers every companion to grace the interior of the TARDIS. Written by (at the time) showrunner John Nathan-Turner, it's filled with lots of insider information about the creation of the characters and the process in casting the talent to portray them on the small screen. However, if the companion isn't from Nathan-Turner’s era, you'll get very little information on your favorite companions. But that wasn't a problem for me as my Doctor, the Fifth played by Peter Davison, features heavily in this book. But it does make for an incomplete compendium on the companions of the first six Doctors. Especially those who traveled with the Hartnell, Troughton, and Pertwee Timelords...

   The book also boasts several painted covers of some past companions. Several were quite good renderings of the actors. A couple were okay but did feature some awesome monsters. And then there is the black and white painting of Elizabeth Sladen’s Sarah Jane Smith… if not for a listing of subjects in the front of the book, I would not have a clue who the artist was going for.

    Doctor Who: The Companions was printed in the UK. I'm sure over there this isn't a hard book to find. But anything classic Who is rare here in the States and I was thrilled to find this at the Doll Book Exchange last month.

  A must for classic Who fans- especially of the Fourth, Fifth. And Sixth Doctors!

  Worth Consuming!

  Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time, Volume 3

Well it took upwards of a year, but I finally have completed the epic Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time 50^th Anniversary miniseries by IDW. It was so very much worth the wait. In this volume, the identity of who was kidnapping the Doctor’s companions from the time stream is finally revealed. I wouldn’t in a million years have guessed who it was. I won’t reveal who, but I’ll give you a hint: this modern era companion is one that Whovians often refused to talk about. (Need more clues, go to the Doctor Who Hub on Facebook and looks for the companion we “don’t talk about.”)

Anyway, the art was fantastic and I was glad to finally read issue 12 after getting some top secret hints from that issue’s artist, Kelly Yates. Plus, in that issue, all 11 Doctors converge with just about every companion imaginable to defeat this top secret villain and his even more super-secret partner. Sorry, John Hurt fans, there’s no War Doctor in this book!

This was a fantastic finish to a wonderful series that had a marvelous mystery to unravel. It’s truly a love letter to the world’s longest running science fiction television program and proof that IDW should be allowed to renew their licensing agreement with the BBC and continue producing more classic Who stories for generations to come!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars!

 

Doctor Who: The Key to Time- A Year-by-Year Record (21st Anniversary Special) (Doctor Who Month)

 

How best to learn more about the early, early, early days of Doctor Who than this exhaustive diary of the first 21 years of the classic British sci-fi classic. Covering its inception and first ever airing in November 1963 to April 1984 with the first appearance of the sixth Doctor, just about everything you wanted to know about the original series is covered here.

It’s a little more focused on the technical and behind the scenes aspects of the show. But that’s fine with me. I want to start really collecting Doctor Who episodes on DVD and I’m not sure I want to know everything that happens. I like being surprised, even if it’s a 30 year old episode.

There’s also quite a bit of editorial covered in this book from reviews of TV critics to angry mothers who make Fredric Wertham looked like a proponent for the comic book medium. I like the reviews, but the Mothers Against Doctor Who passages get kinda old, kinda quick.

There’s plenty of Doctor Who photos in this book, most are black and white, but there are some gems in brilliant 4-color spread format. Also, any artwork in this book was commissioned by fans. I thought that was really cool.

I think that for 1984, this was a great offering for American fans of Who, since not much probably was available on this side of the pond. But, I am sure in this day and age, there are much more comprehensive and more professional records of the series. I hope to find them, but for now, this was a great log of the early days of my all-time favorite TV show.

Worth Consuming.

Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

Wibbly Wobbly Timey Whimey rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Doctor Who: Aliens and Enemies (Doctor Who Month)

From the Daleks and their first appearances in 1963 to the reinvention of the Cybermen during the David Tennant years, this guide by BBC Books is not quite a definitive guide to the aliens and baddies of the Doctor Who Universe. But it’s pretty darn close. Every Doctor is covered in this guide, except for the 8^th Doctor. Why they didn’t focus on the Master’s appearance in the Paul McGann TV movie is beyond me, but it wouldn’t made this book all so much more encompassing. There’s no Matt Smith stuff either, but this was published before he came on the scene.

Each entry includes a small plot synopsis of the episode(s) in which the creature appears, description of the being’s race and demeanor and even technical points on how the FX and makeup wizards of Doctor Who created the characters for the long running show.

There is a companion volume called Monster and Villains. I hope to one day get my hands on that one. Maybe I’ll get my wish and McGann’s Doctor will be covered in that guide.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Wibbly Wobbly Timey Whimey rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

The Cast of Doctor Who unauthorized, #1 (Doctor Who Month)

In this Blue Water Comics offering, we’re giving the biographies of 4 actors to portray the Doctor. Along with the first actor to ever play the Doctor, William Hartnell, this book introduces readers to Tom Baker (4^th), Paul McGann (8^th), and Matt Smith (11^th and current Doctor.)

It’s a very sweet tribute to the long running science fiction series that is just days away from celebrating 50 years! Each biography is great as is the art. I like that a different artist is used for each actor and the segue ways are beautifully done as a tribute to the Doctor.

TO my knowledge, there hasn’t been a second issue. That’s a shame, because there are 7 more actors who could use the bio treatment (8 if you could Peter Cushing’s movie tenure as Doctor Who, not The Doctor. I would love to read more. I’m not sure if Blue Water didn’t make more because this didn’t sell or if IDW or the BBC ordered a cease and desist. If anyone knows, please let me know.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Timey Whimey, Wibbly Wobbly rating: 3 out of 10.

"Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time Volume 1"

 

WORTH CONSUMING!

 

In this epic 50th anniversary mini-series, someone is stealing the companions of the Doctor. Each issue focuses on a single Doctor, starting with the first, William Hartnell up to #11 Matt Smith.

The first four Doctors are collected here in volume 1. The first Doctor meets up with the Animus and his giant ant slaves in 1880s London Underground. Then the second Doctor uses Jamie as bait to end an alien slave ring. The Third Doctor is recruited by Liz to solve the mystery behind the Brigadier’s recent slew of odd commands. Finally, the Forth Doctor, K9, and Leela must find a missing gem before the Judoon tear a tiny planet apart.

The art is fantastic. Renders of famous characters is flawless. This is the beginnings of a great story with an incredible mystery at the heart of it all.

Can’t wait for volume 2!