Big Bang Generation
by Gary Russell
Publisher: Broadway Books
Pub. Date: September 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-1101905814
Pages: 240
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

With Series Nine (well, Season Nine here in the United States) done with, Doctor Who fans has some time to waste while waiting for this years Christmas Special to air on Dec. 25th. There are plenty of Doctor Who fiction titles in bookstores to keep you busy, like this year's The Glamour Chronicles series.

Released in September from Broadway Books, Doctor Who: Big Bang Generation features a brand-new adventure starring the Twelfth Doctor, minus the companion Clara.

The plot centers on a time portal opening up in Sydney Cover, Australia that leaves behind a huge pyramid near the Harbour Bridge. This strange event gets the attention of Professor Horace Jaanson, Cyrrus "the mobster" Globb and an alien assassin, Kik. To make things even more complicated, a group of con artists arrive to investigate the pyramid, which consists of Legs, Dog Boy, Shortie, Da Trowel and their leader - Doc.

Doctor Who: Royal Blood
The Glamour Chronicles
by Una McCormack
Publisher: Broadway Books
Pub. Date: September 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-1101905838
Pages: 240
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I guess you can call me a Whovians because my love for the British science-fiction series Doctor Who, which is currently in it's 9th season on BBC America. (Well, technically this is the 35 season if you count the 1963-1989 seasons.) Now when I see any Doctor Who media-tie in novel, I just have to read it.

The newest book, titled Doctor Who: Royal Blood, was released to bookstores last month and is set in the current 9 season. The plot involves the 12th Doctor and his companion Clara landing near the city-state of Varuz, a medieval kingdom where the knights have lasers. Yes, I said lasers. The war-torn kingdom is ruled by Duke Aurelian, whom is preparing his men for one final fight to save his people. The Doctor is mistaken for a holy man and the Duke asks for his blessing in the war.

Out of the blue, the fictional Lancelot arrives in search the Holy Grail. The Doctor realizes that there is something really strange happening on this planet and he is determined to find out who or what is behind it.

Doctor Who: The Dorsten's Curse
by A.L. Kennedy
Publisher: Broadway Books
Pub. Date: July 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-0553419443
Pages: 368
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I stumbled up on the first season of the Doctor Who reboot when it aired on the Scifi Channel (now known as Syfy) in 2006 and I quickly became a big fan. I later learned about the original the series that started in the 1960s to the 1980s and that the new seasons (well series in the Britain) are a continuation. Since then, I've watched a handful of episodes featuring the original incarnations of the Doctors on DVD.

Now available in paperback is Doctor Who: The Dorsten's Curse by A.L. Kennedy, which is an adventure featuring the 4th Doctor (whom was played by Tom Baker from 1974 to 1981). Set at the Fetch Brothers’ Golf Spa Hotel, the plot involves golfers disappearing into thin air and of course the Doctor is there in the nick of time to investigate it.

Once again the Doctor recruits two new companion, Bryony, a Fetch Brothers’ Junior Receptionist,  and alien named Putta Pattershaun, to help unravel the mystery behind why the golfers are vanishing. To make matters worse, the other people at the spa are acting weird, especially Mrs. Fetch and and the twin grandchildren; all of which seem to have the ability to read minds.

As most Doctor Who stories go, there is something alien-like that is causing all the chaos and the Doctor Bryony and his companions must stop it.

Doctor Who: Last Christmas
Director: Paul Wilmshurst
Starring: Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Nick Frost
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Retail: $14.98
ASIN: B00QHND1BO
Running Time: 60 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: DVD, Blu-ray

Review:

Now available to own on DVD & Blu-ray from BBC Home Entertainment is Doctor Who: Last Christmas. Paul Wilmshurst directed this 60-minute 2014 Christmas Special that stars Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth, Jenna Coleman as his companion Clara Oswald and Nick Frost as Santa Claus. Bonus Features include Behind The Scenes featurette and a commentary.

Set on Christmas Eve, schoolteacher and frequent companion to Doctor, Clara, is woken up by a loud sound coming from the rooftop. She rushes up to roof to find a sleigh, magical reindeer, elves and Santa Claus. Then the TARDIS appears and once again the Doctor needs her help. And, of course, Clara, hops in the TARDIS to go on another adventure.

The Doctor and Clara arrive at the North Pole, where they encounter a troubled group of scientists as their fellow colleagues have been attacked by a Facehugger-like creature. The aliens puts the victims in a coma, While the victims are dreaming, the aliens slow devours their brains!

Doctor Who: Silhouette
by Justin Richards
Publisher: Broadway Books
Pub. Date: September 9, 2014
ISBN: 978-0804140881
Pages: 256
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Despite being over fifty-years-old, the Doctor Who franchise is bigger than ever, but fans will have to wait until the ninth series (season) premieres later this year. The good news is that there are plenty of Doctor Who novelizations fans grab their hands on to keep them preoccupied until then.

Several new titles were released this past September, including Doctor Who: Silhouette by Justin Richards, which follows the 12th Doctor and his companion Clara along with their old pals - Madame Vastra, Strax, and Jenny. 

Set in Victorian London, Silhouette finds the Doctor and his companions investigating a murder and the strange occurrences at a Frost Fair on the River Thames. As a strange figure known as the Silhouette takes center stage, their journey will take them beyond the fair to the Carnival of Curiosities to unravel the mystery.

Doctor Who: The Blood Cell
by James Goss
Publisher: Broadway Books
Pub. Date: September 9, 2014
ISBN: 978-0804140928
Pages: 256
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I've been a Doctor Who fan ever since I saw the first episodes of the first series (season) of the current incarnation back when it aired on the Scfi Channel (now known as Syfy). Though I have been well aware of all the novelization out there, I only started reading a few of the Doctor Who books this year.

 Doctor Who: The Blood Cell centers on the Doctor being stuck on an asteroid prison where he is known as Prisoner 428. The book primarly focuses on the warden - the Governor. The prison is cut off from civilians, so the Governor is a bit shocked when a young woman shows up pleading for Prisoner 428's release. Of course this woman is the Doctor's current companion, Clara.

While I have enjoyed reading the other recently released Doctor Who books, this one is a little bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, there are a few entertaining parts here and there, but as a whole it was quite boring.


About the Author:

AMES GOSS has written three Torchwood novels, a Doctor Who novel, and two radio plays, and is the co-author, with Steve Tribe of The Dalek Handbook and Doctor Who: A History of the Universe in 100 Objects. His books Dead of Winter and First Born were both nominated for the 2012 British Fantasy Society Awards.  

Doctor Who: The Crawling Terror
by Mike Tucker
Publisher: Broadway Books
Pub. Date: September 9, 2014
ISBN: 9780804140904
Pages: 256
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Doctor Who fans have a lot of time to waste waiting for the 9th series (season) to begin, but luckily we have a few Doctor Who novels to keep us busy, including Doctor Who: The Crawling Terror by Mike Tucker.

Set during the 12th Doctor's time-line, the book centers on the Doctor and his companion, Clara, arriving in the small village of Ringstone, which is being overruled by alien bugs! With the UNIT preoccupied with something else, the British Army decides to take matters into their own hands by cutting off the village from the outside world, followed by a possible airstrike.

Of course the Doctor isn't going to standby and let innocent people get killed. Besides from being angry at the British Army, things get even more complicated when the Doctor gets separated from Clara.

After celebrating its 50th Anniversary last year, Doctor Who has returned for an eight season (series) with Peter Capaldi taking over the title reigns from Matt Smith. The eight season (series) premiered on August 23rd on BBC One and BBC America with the 80-minute episode, titled Deep Breath. Typically a DW fan would have to wait until the full season (series) DVD or Blu-ray release to own the first episode, but BBC America will be releasing Doctor Who: Deep Breath on a single-disc DVD and Blu-ray today, September 9, 2014. Bonus Features include: a Prequel Scene, Behind the Scenes, Doctor Who Lives: The Next Doctor and The Real History of Science Fiction: Episode 4 - Time.

Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara (Jenna Coleman)

Deep Breath picks up shortly after the ending of The Time of the Doctor with newly regenerated Doctor suffering from a bit of post-regenerative trauma. The adventure beings with the TARDIS being spit out of the mouth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex that is causing chaos in Victorian London. The Doctor's latest companion, Clara Oswald (played by Jenna Coleman), is still in shock about the Doctor's new incarnation and seeks help from the Paternoster Gang - Silurian Madame Vastra (played by Neve McIntosh), her human maid/wife Jenny Flint (played by Catrin Stewart), and the Sontaran butler Strax (played by Dan Starkey).

While the Doctor tries to rest, the Paternoster Gang helps the local police deal with the Tyrannosaurus Rex problem.  Out of nowhere the Tyrannosaurus Rex spontaneously combusted into thin air.

The Doctor, along with Clara and the Paternoster Gang, investigates the strange occurrences, which leads them on the trail of human-like robots that is lead by a cyborg who wants to become human.

Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor
Director: Jamie Payne
Starring: Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman and Peter Capaladi
Studio: BBC
Release Date: March 4, 2013
Retail: $14.98
ASIN: B00HCK7THS
Running Time: 63 minutes
Rating: NOT RATED

Review:

BBC's Doctor Who franchise celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with a slue of DVD/Blu-ray releases, the second half of Series 7 and the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor. It all ended with Matt Smith's final adventure in the Christmas Special Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor, which is arriving on Blu-ray and DVD this Tuesday, March 4th. Special features include "The Time of the Doctor - Behind the Lens," "Farewell to Matt Smith," and "Tales of the TARDIS."

Picking up shortly after the events in "The Day of the Doctor" that revealed the possible survival of the Doctor's home planet, Gallifrey, the Doctor's Cyberman head "Handles" picks up an odd signal coming from an unknown planet, which the planet is orbited by thousands of aliens, all wanting to know who or what sent the signal.

Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor; the Doctor (Matt Smith) and Clara (Jenna Coleman) Photo Credit: © BBC

The Doctor's latest companion, Clara Oswald (AKA - the impossible girl), is trying to have a normal Christmas dinner with her family, when the Doctor magically shows up, once again dragging her into the TARDIS to travel to the unknown world to figure out what the signal is coming from. With the use of Handles, they track down the strange signal which is located in a town called Christmas, where the Doctor encounters a familiar mystery - the crack in the wall, which was thought to have been closed in "The Big Bang."

Doctor Who: The Doctor's Revisited Ninth-Eleventh
Starring: Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith
Studio: BBC America
Release Date: December 3, 2013
Retail: $39.98
ASIN: B00EZQH11G
Running Time: 339 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

Doctor Who turned the big 50 last weekend and BBC is continuing the celebration by releasing Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited - Ninth-Eleventh featuring a 2-part story for each actor's (Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith) tenure as the Doctor. Each story is presented in its original 2-part version, a feature film version with an introduction by Steven Moffat and a 25-minute documentary on each Doctor. Additionally, there are four magnets included with the set.

Christopher Eccleston's stay as the ninth Doctor may have been short, but he did help reboot the franchise for a new generation of fans. His final two episodes, Bad Wolf & The Parting of Ways) are presented in this set. The Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack Harkness suddenly find themselves separated on various game shows (The Weakest Link, Big Brother and What Not To Wear), only for a few minor changes - the losers are exterminated. As the Doctor escapes the game show, he soon learns his enemy - Daleks are responsible. The Parting of Ways finds The Doctor sending Rose in the TARDIS back to Earth while he tries to stop a Dalek invasion, all leading to his regeneration.

The Stolen Earth and Journey's End are the two final episodes of the tenth Doctor's (David Tennant) third season (series) which brings former companions Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness and Sarah Jane Smith, to help him stop another Dalek invasion (created and led by Davros and the red supreme Dalek), but this time the Daleks are a step ahead the Doctor, as the Daleks have literally stolen Earth and have relocated it. It almost seems the Doctor will finally be defeated by his nemesis, but everyone's fate lies in the hands of Donna Noble.

BCC's Doctor Who is celebrating its 50th anniversary next month with the special "The Day of the Doctor," but before then you can experience the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth doctors with today's release of Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited: Fifth - Eighth, starring Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann in four exciting adventures, Earthshock, Vengeance on Varos, Remembrance of the Daleks, and Doctor Who - The Movie, on four discs.

Earthshock aired in March 1982 and has the Doctor (played by Peter Davison) and his companions (Adric, Nyssa or Tegan) arriving on Earth in the future. They explore a few caves and run into Lieutenant Scott and his men, who claim the Doctor and companions killed Professor Kyle's exploration team. The Doctor convinces Scott that they didn't have anything to do with Kyle's disappearance and offers his assistance to help with the search, leading the Doctor to come face to face with the Cybermen.

Colin Baker plays the Doctor in Vengeance On Varos, which originally aired in January 1985. After the TARDIS comes to a complete stop in the middle of space, the Doctor and his companion (Peri Brown) go to Varos (formerly a prison planet) in search of Zeiton-7, which is what the TARDIS needs to run properly again. The planet is operated by the evil Governor and getting the Zeiton-7 will be more difficult (even deadly) for the Doctor.

Remembrance of the Daleks first hit the airwaves in October 1988 starring Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, who (along with his companion, Ace) arrives in Shoreditch in 1963, where they track down the strange magnetic fluctuations near the Coal Hill School, which happens to be a grey Dalek. The Daleks have followed The Doctor through time in search of the Hand of Omega; all leading to the return of the creator and leader, Davros.

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, BBC Home Entertainment is releasing the best serial from each of the eleven Doctors. The first release features the first four Doctors, William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, and Tom Baker, from the years 1963-1981, each in one classic episode, The Aztecs, Tomb of the Cybermen, The Spearhead From Space, and Pyramids of Mars.

My introduction into the world of Doctor Who was when the episode "Rose" aired on the Sci Fi Channel (now known as SyFy) in the spring of 2006. I was aware of the previous series that aired from 1963-1989, but I had never watched an episode before, though I had watched the Peter Cushing's version, Doctor Who and the Daleks and Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D., so I was eager to watch the four-disc set, which I received free of charge from BBC Entertainment in exchange for my honest review.

Each episode can be watched in its original four-part version or as a feature presentation with an introduction by Steven Moffat. For a bonus, there is a profile special on each doctor.

Doctor Who: Series Seven, Part Two
Starring: Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 28, 2013
ASIN: B00BXTH49M
Retail: $24.98
Running Time: 360 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon.com

Review:

The legendary Doctor Who turns fifty-years-old this November and it is the time to catch up with the second half of series seven with the two-disc DVD of Doctor Who: Series Seven - Part Two out in stores today.

Picking up where the 2012 Christmas special, The Snowmen, ended, The Doctor tracks down the modern day version of Clara Oswin Oswald, aka The Impossible Girl, who just happens to need his help to stop the Great Intelligence. The Doctor is intrigue with Clara as she doesn't remember ever meeting him before. He takes her on a several adventures across the universe and across time in the TARDIS, but waiting in the shadows is the Doctor's darkest secret.

Doctor Who, Season 7, Episode 10, Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) and the Doctor (Matt Smith)

Photo Credit: 

Ray Burmiston/Adrian Rogers, ©BBC WORLDWIDE

The episodes on the two-disc set are:

Doctor Who: The Snowmen
Starring: Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman
Studio: BBC Warner
Release Date: May 28, 2013
ASIN: B00CENXWA6
Run Time: 60 minutes 
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review: 

The 2012 Doctor Who Christmas Special is finally making its way onto DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, May 28th, 2013, which introduces Jenna-Louise Coleman as the Doctor's new companion, Clara Oswin Oswald, or otherwise known as the Impossible Girl.


After losing his previous companions, Amy Pond and Rory Williams, the Doctor has parked the TARDIS above London in the year 1892. He's still grieving and would prefer to be alone, in which his allies, Vastra, Jenny, and Strax, keep others from seeking his help. That is until a barmaid, Clara Oswin Oswald, accuses him of building a snowman in front of her workplace. He ignores her and instructs Strax to erase her memory with a memory worm, but the snowmen appear out of nowhere.

Doctor Who: The Snowmen, Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) and the Doctor (Matt Smith)  Adrian Rogers, ©BBC/BBC WORLDWIDE

Clara flees to her other job as a governess to Captain Latimer's children, but she will once again cross paths with the Doctor, who can't quite figure out where he has seen her before. The ghastly snowmen return along with an icy ex-governess, all leading to return of one of the Doctor's oldest enemies, the Great Intelligence.

 Bonus features on the DVD are:

• Clara's White Christmas - Behind-the-scenes of The Snowmen. (3.5 minutes)
• Vastra Investigates - A three-minute prequel to The Snowmen.
• Children in Need Special: The Great Detective - A three-minute prequel to The Snowmen.

Doctor Who: The Snowmen, Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), Commander Strax (Dan Starkey), and Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart) Adrian Rogers, ©BBC/BBC WORLDWIDE

Doctor Who is celebrating its 50th anniversary this November, though I have only been aware of the program since 2006 when I watched Series One of the new incarnation on the Sci-Fi Channel (now known as SyFy). I became a fan by the end of the first episode. Since the end of Series Four, the series has aired on BBC America, which isn't offered through my local cable company. Therefore, I have patiently awaited each new DVD release, which I prefer as I can watch the episodes back-to-back.

The Snowmen runs about sixty-minutes and it feels more like a feature film than a television episode. The snowmen special effects look great and at times are a little frightening. Introducing the old enemy, the Great Intelligence, is pure genius, especially with Sir Ian McKellen as the voice. Jenna-Louise Coleman is a perfect as the new companion Clara Oswin Oswald and adds a bit of mystery for the Doctor to unravel. The new TARDIS design looks great as well as the new opening credits. The Snowmen is now my favorite Doctor Who Christmas special. I highly recommend it to others.



*Disclaimer - I received a free DVD in exchange for my honest review.

Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who: Assimilation 2 
Contributors: J. K. Woodward
Publisher: IDW Publishing
ISBN: 9781613774038
Pub Date:  October 02, 2012 
Pages: 104 

The Federation Planet Delta IV is attacked by the Borg and a new race called the Cybermen.

In the past, The Doctor, Amy and her husband Rory are in Egypt to catch an alien criminal. Then, they hop back into the TARDIS where they encounter a weird disturbance that sends them to San Francisco in the 1940s. Or are they somewhere else, like a holoprogram on the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Commander William Riker, Data, and Doctor Beverly Crusher are surprised by the Doctor and his companions’ sudden arrival, and they are even more surprised when they learn the visitors are not holograms. Commander Riker orders Worf and a security team to take them to Captain Picard.

Doctor Who Dave Gibbons Collection 
Artist: Dave Gibbons
Publisher: IDW Publishing
ISBN: 9781613773475 
Ediction: Trade Paperback
Pub Date: September 18, 2012
Pages: 372
List Price: $29.99 USD

NetGalley and IDW Publishing were nice enough to let me view the upcoming paperback release of the Doctor Who Dave Gibbons Collection.

The graphic novels in this collection are:

The Iron Legion; City of the Damned; The Star Beast; The Dogs of Doom; The Time Witch; Dragon's Claw; The Collector; Dreamers of Earth; The Life Bringer; Way of the World; Spider-God; The Deal; The Free Fall Warriors; The Neutron Knights; The Tides of Time; and Stars Fell on Stockbridge.