Using a 25 page Doctor Who comic to comment on the complexities of Middle Eastern politics, including the cultural use of the burqa, is a risky gambit, and for this reader it didn’t quite pay off. Dense space politics discussions are a tricky flavour. I think Dune is one of the only examples I can think of that enjoyed.  The first Peladon story also did it better.

Timey wimey the comic. I like the novelty that you can read the comic both linear and backwards. I probably didn’t get as much out of it as other readers but enjoy IDW trying something a little different with this one.

Charley had way too much fun being the boss of the Doctor like that lmfao

I found this story to be surprisingly conceptual and imaginative - you have to just go with it and see where it takes you. You are buffeted about from the Middle Ages on the way to see a healer then all the way to a far flung planet watching human size viruses fight it out. There’s a good energy to it, even if it is a bit breathless and light on plot.

I took this note during listening and feel like it perfectly encapsulates my feelings: I have no idea what’s going on but I am entranced by Trey’s voice. Truly I am in love with Trey, she is just so amazing I could listen to her for days.

Narvin is amazing in here. His relationship with Romana is so compelling, and he is such a bad spy, like he doesn’t even try, it’s incredible. I also love the way he deals with meeting humans, it is so funny.

Ace is here!! I love Ace, Ace is great, she is wicked and she is perfect in here and I really don’t have anything else to say because she is just perfect. Love the way she brings a contemporary human’s view to Gallifrey.

This story is very atmospheric and shines in the way the characters talk. It’s pretty confusing when you’re expecting more seamless continuity as before in the series but once you let go of that it’s wonderful. Really Juliet Landau’s voice just does it all. I don’t need to understand what’s going on if I can just listen to her.

The first part of Fear is an excellent mystery plot, a slow burn where even the listener is left in the dark as to what's really happening. We begin to see fundamental relationships shattered, particuarly entering the second half the story. The second half is much more action-focussed and really starts introducing many of the key themes of this series. This is where Cyberman gets good. This series is an exploration of characters and their relationships, and that begins to get interesting in this story. It's still not as good as the rest of the series to come, but it's getting there.

For context, I love this series. In fact, it is probably my favourite Doctor Who fiction, ever. This is actually the third time I'm listening to it. Scorpius is not the most exciting story ever. A lot of set up has to occur in this series, and a lot of that happens here. It's not bad in any way, but it just does not reach the same hights as the rest of the series. If you're reading this review and it's your first time listening to this series, don't let this one relatively mediocre story put you off.

I think that War Stories has quite an interesting and unique idea that's fun to explore. However, I found much of the narration quite forced and unnatural, possibly bordering on cringey. The impression of the Twelfth Doctor was really good, though.

Gridlock is a good story with an interesting and nicely paced plot. The worldbuilding is excellent, and all of the sets and costumes look good. I also really like quite a lot of the music from this episode.

This story has a great premise and does great worldbuilding to present an interesting dystopia. The plot is quite good. However, I feel that the story suffers from a slight overuse of exposition.

I found The Sun to be enjoyable. It has some funny moments and the plot is also quite good. It does have some strange political messaging, though.

The story is not particularly compelling and the world feels a bit flat, but I like that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. I like the stance that The Doctor takes too. The IDW comics generally have failed to grip me so far, but the artwork this week is nice.

The artwork for this story is very beautiful, and the vibe is good. Doctor Who in the Victorian era always “works” for me. The plot gets tortured enough that The Doctor needs to turn to the reader and give a rundown of everything that has and will happen. Though I can honestly say it’s a very fun story.

Thank goodness this terrifying art style is a one off. The faces look haunted. A collage of reference photographs and sketches that do not marry up. The setting is an interesting one, but the tried and tested resolution of the monster feeding on The Doctor’s infinite energy is so hackneyed at this point that it just feels like a writer going through the motions.

This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: 1963: The Assassination Games

It's alright but pretty unremarkable. The story isn't anything I haven't seen before. There were some good moments for Ace and I enjoyed the 11 cameo if only because I like hearing all the actors try an impression of him (Sophie Aldred's one was actually pretty good). I'm struggling to even write anything out. A really middle-of-the-road nothing story.

Next Story: Battlefield

Legacy is a fun whodunnit by Gary Russell who goes all out with his continuity references, this story made me really like the ice warriors, they are so cool here, lord savar and sskeet are really nice additions to the cast and I’m interested to see how Benny changes as a person as she goes to live with them for the next 3 months… the book is a love letter to Brian Hayles Peladon duology and it’s really beautiful in the way it does that, the exploration of Peladons deep history, a few little cameos from Mr Braxiatel….. this story is just a blast to read from beginning to end. While this book does pretty clearly show Russell didn’t really know what to do with ace as she gets pretty significantly sidelined for a solid 5/6ths of the book I still think her sections are fun if not funny… can’t wait for next book to formally introduce Irving!

This strip has a really interesting idea behind it that I'd happily see explored further. However, I felt that this strip was a little short and rushed (issues that I feel are shared with many DWM strips). The main villain was also annoyingly cringey. The art was good but nothing special.

jesus christ, i don’t think my ears will ever be the same

This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

This definitely isn't as good as Remembrance of the Daleks but it's nonetheless a solid action thriller. 7 becoming a local politician is quite funny and in line with his character. The Counter Measures team are good fun, this has definitely intrigued me about their spinoff. Aside from Gilmore though I don't think they get much time to shine which is a tad disappointing.

The story is a bit sluggish in the beginning but it really picks up towards the end. It's very exciting which a lot of stories can often fail to be even with absurdly high stakes. It's not exactly like Mission Impossible but that's the best comparison I can think of especially in that last act. The Light feel a bit underbaked though. I think the story on the whole would've worked better without any alien elements at all.

Overall, not the best in the 1963 trilogy but still really strong.

Next Story: Shockwave

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

“THE FLOOD: A WORLD DROWNING IN LIES”

In The Flood, Rose and Clive land in yet another doomed alternate reality, this time a version of London where technology was banned in the ’80s to combat global warming. The result? A perpetually flooded world, with endless rain and a slowly starving population. This bleak setting provides an eerie backdrop for an engaging story that blends dystopian sci-fi with strong character moments.

MEET ROB TYLER—ROSE, BUT DIFFERENT

One of the standout elements here is Rose meeting her male counterpart, Rob Tyler, played with charm by Joe Jameson. Rob shares many of Rose’s traits but is raised in a world where Pete is the tech-savvy parent and Jackie is the one who died young. The way Rose and Rob immediately click—bordering on disturbingly well—is both amusing and fascinating. Rose even admits to finding Rob attractive, which adds a weird but oddly fitting layer to their dynamic.

CLIVE’S SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE

Clive’s arc is another highlight. He teams up with Caroline—this world’s version of his wife, who never met him in this reality. Their growing bond is sweet and melancholic, as Clive hopes to bring her back to Pete’s World, only for Caroline to gently refuse. It’s a touching subplot that gives Clive more emotional weight.

POLITICAL INTRIGUE AND DARK TRUTHS

The story builds its tension well, particularly through Rose infiltrating the government to expose the truth about the floods. The Prime Minister, Kinnear, is a compelling villain—another lying politician who has long given up on saving the world, choosing instead to hide the truth. The revelation that the alien rains are the real cause of the crisis adds another layer of intrigue, making this more than just a simple environmental cautionary tale.

A FUTURE BEYOND SAVING—BUT WITH A HINT OF HOPE

Like The Endless Night, this is another doomed world, but at least its people now know the truth. The story ends with a small glimmer of hope as Pete and Rob continue searching for the Doctor, with a tease that their contact "Donna" is, of course, this reality’s version of Donna Noble.

VERDICT: A RAIN-SOAKED NIGHTMARE

A strong, atmospheric entry with great character interactions and a hauntingly relevant premise.

📝8.5/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

“THE ENDLESS NIGHT: A WORLD FADING TO BLACK”

It’s wild that Big Finish waited until 2019 to give Rose Tyler her own audio series. With Dimension Cannon, we finally get to explore Rose’s time in Pete’s World as she jumps between dimensions, searching for a way back to the Doctor. The Endless Night serves as the launchpad for the series, and it sets the tone well: a mix of parallel world intrigue, personal stakes, and apocalyptic drama.

A FAMILY REUNION—BUT NOT QUITE

The first half of the story is mostly character-driven, focusing on Rose reuniting with alternate versions of her parents and old acquaintances—most notably Clive, the conspiracy theorist from Rose (2005), played once again by Mark Benton. It’s light-hearted at first, especially with a bit of classic Jackie-and-Pete bickering, but it doesn’t take long for the tone to shift. The sun is fading, and soon, this world will freeze over entirely.

FROM SCI-FI FUN TO APOCALYPTIC DREAD

As the world grows darker and colder, the stakes ramp up. People huddle together, waiting for the inevitable. The Jackie/Pete dynamic is a highlight, with Camille Coduri and Shaun Dingwall delivering some of their best work as their characters find a fragile peace amid the disaster. Billie Piper is fantastic as Rose, portraying her desperation and guilt over leaving this reality’s inhabitants to their fate. The climax brings a surprising twist, as Pete—desperate to save himself and Jackie—becomes something of an antagonist, forcing Rose into a brutal moral dilemma.

A BLEAK BUT POWERFUL ENDING

This story takes a turn for the tragic, but in the best way. The final moments are beautifully sombre, a stark contrast to the more comedic early scenes. Clive’s rescue and recruitment into Rose’s team add a touch of hope, setting up further adventures.

VERDICT: A LONG-OVERDUE SPIN-OFF

A strong start to Dimension Cannon, blending personal stakes with high-concept sci-fi and a chilling apocalyptic backdrop.

📝8/10

This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: Silver Nemesis

An absolutely brilliant serial. Fitting to close out such an absolutely brilliant season. McCoy and Aldred are on top-form and I really cannot overstate how good a pairing they are. The direction and camerawork of this story really stands out to me. In the hands of the wrong director this could've easily been really ridiculous and difficult to take seriously.

There's a lot of odd elements to this story that seem like they shouldn't work together but they absolutely do. Clowns, werewolves, norse Gods and a colonial explorer all come together to make something really unique and impressive. Speaking of the norse Gods, the Gods of Ragnarok were really cool. They were built up really effectively with the sinister family in the audience and that whole sequence where 7 faces them down while doing magic tricks was a joy to watch. Their defeat was a bit underwhelming though.

For probably the first time in Classic I really can't get enough of it. It's a shame that I've only got 4 serials left after this because they had something really good going on here.

Next Story: 1963: The Assassination Games

Absolutely incredible horror story. The best the cybermen have been since The Doctor falls, using Jo and Tim's 3 was very genius, as the pair has one of the best chemistries between any current Doctor/Companion duo. I won't say much more, because I promise to you the blinder you go in, the more you'll enjoy it.

Some of the best dialogue in recent years, channeled absolutely brilliantly by both Tim and Sadie. Tim’s suave gravely voice just brings comfort, which in later parts you’ll need. But Sadie’s the star here, her Sarah is given so much here, and every she chews the scenery on every single line she has. I won’t spoil it, because what happens is very fun to experience blind. But trust me this story is far better than you’ll hear on the street!

MR 070: Unregenerate!

Or the one where Sylvester McCoy chews the scenery for an hour. There's definitely some interesting stuff going on, but this one is kind of hampered by its format. It could have benefited from being an hour long story instead of a two hour story.

There's a mysterious organization that is abducting people outside of time a day before their death. They make a faustian deal with them to make their lives better in exchange for grabbing them at the last minute.

The Doctor is in this facility having just recently regenerated. He lost his mind and is a gibberish wreck for some reason while Mel is off on a chase with a cabbie that the Doctor directed her towards.

This facility is abducting people to wipe their mind and put in an artificial mind for the purpose of controlling time travel. They can direct the course of time travel research by controlling the minds of those who are time sensitive.

I was thinking that this was something the time lords might do and it turns out they are indeed time lords. It's interesting how the episode tries to disguise them being time lords and use it as a cliffhanger for the last episode. It recontexualizes what's going on. It's very Rassilonian to interfere in the development of another species for your own benefit. They don't want a bunch of other species to have time travel and mess up their precious web of time. The thing that allows them to be dominant in the universe. They see it as a noble purpose but of course they do. They're brainwashed.

And hypocritical. When the show is not doing the changing history is bad/fixed points in time bit that I hate so much, the Doctor regularly changes history and interferes all the time. That's why the Time Lords put him on trial twice, as Mel helpfully points out.

Of course this is not new ground for the CIA. They're the ones who go against traditional time lord rules to preserve time lord supremacy. To actually maintain those rules they have to break them. Cause they're not good rules in the first place.

I like that they first tried this on Daleks and it didn't work. Kind of a precursor to the time War. They knew the Daleks were a threat, clearly with Genesis.

With the recontexualization that these are time lords, we also get that these are not just generic ai, they're mini-tardis intelligences. They're growing tardis intelligence on a computer essentially instead of however tardises are normally grown. The only problem is that a tardis intelligence is way more than a human or time lord brain can contain so it's not a very effective process.

The two newly born tardises commune with the Doctor's tardis to figure out how to make the facility into a tardis themselves and then leave while the Doctor dismantles the program. I do like that one of the characters is a CIA agent and calls them, but it doesn't really matter. I'm not sure why the human cabbie stays but sure I guess.

Like I said, a lot of interesting ideas, but they're mostly in the backhalf after a bloated first half. Condense it down to an hour and this could have been much better. Still it's decent for what it is. If you ignore McCoy's cheese.