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: Prisoners of Time: Volume 2 (Doctor Who Month)

 

In this volume of IDW’s tribute to 50 years of Doctor Who, we focus on some of my all-time favorite Time Lords. It doesn’t hurt that these are the guys I grew up with. But I also love that my Doctor- the fifth played by Peter Davison is covered here.

Someone with connections to the Doctor in the future is still kidnapping his companions. But, unlike the last volume where he was caught off guard by this occurrence, the Doctor is starting to catch on.

I liked the IDW used the original artist for the Colin Baker era comics. It was also need to see a character used only in those comic adventures be used for that Doctor’s adventure. Very smart. I loved it.

What I was not a fan of was the art. Okay, let me back up. The art of the aliens, the TARDIS, and the supporting characters is very good. But, the fifth, seventh, and eighth Doctor and their companions are not photo-realistic looking. One might say, it’s a comic, it’s not supposed to look real. However, the sixth Doctor, Peri, and the Master look like the actors who played them. So, if that issue could capture the looks of Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, and Anthony Ainley, why couldn’t the other artists have done as good as job on their mandated Doctors as well. (Plus at least 3 of the last 4 Doctors in volume 1 looked like the actors who portrayed them, so I have a very valid argument.)

Despite the art, the stories were all very good and the writing captured the style and mannerisms of all the characters. I desperately cannot wait for volume 3 and the answer to just who is behind these kidnappings.

Worth Consuming.

Rating 8 out of 10 stars

Wibbly Wobbly Timey Whimey rating: 10 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.