This a prose novel which is part of the original “Goosebumps” book series
ONE OF THE BEST IN THE SERIES
I hadn’t plan to read thiTimely awesome!
This a prose novel which is part of the original “Goosebumps” book series
ONE OF THE BEST IN THE SERIES
I hadn’t plan to read this book anytime soon since it didn’t figure in any top list that I researched about top R.L. Stine’s book, BUT…
…since it was one of the chosen ones to be adapted in the new Disney+ Goosebumps TV series, well, I thought that it was good idea to give it a chance…
…and I am totally glad that I decided to read it, since it’s one of the best Goosebumps novels that I ever read so far.
The story has a great premise with a compelling development and a shocking ending.
TIME TO READ THIS!
Michael Webster is a 12-year old kid with a younger sister, Tara, and I can tell you that Tara is one of most annoying characters that I ever read (so far) in a R.L. Stine book.
Michael’s dad got a Cuckoo clock that he always admired in an Antique shop but he wasn’t able to get it since it was quite expensive, but finaly his time comes and he got in a incredible price. Michael’s mom isn’t too thrilled about the clock but it remains in the house.
Since it’s a priceable antique, Michael’s dad told Michael and Tara not to touch the clock.
In the meantime, Tara made Michael’s life miserable messing with his stuff, making him mean pranks, and even ruining his birthday party,…
…and the worst of it, Michael’s parents aren’t aware of Tara’s behaviour and they think that Tara is the perfect sweet good girl.
Therefore, Michael decides to make something to the clock with the goal of Tara could take the blame…
…but Michael doesn’t know that this cuckoo clock isn’t normal and his actions will put him in a desperate situation turning worse and worse with each passing day…
…and running to a shocking ending! One of the darkest ending that I ever read in a Goosebump book!
This is a novelization of the serial of the same title.
WHO
The Doctor:
The Third Doctor
CompanioEntertaining reading, just nothing extraordinary.
This is a novelization of the serial of the same title.
WHO
The Doctor:
The Third Doctor
Companion:
Jo Grant
WHERE & WHEN
Planet Spiridon. Exact date is not mentioned.
WHAT
The Doctor is injured due events of the previous adventure (he was shot by The Master in Frontier in Space) and he is in a kind of coma, so the Time Lords seemed to direct the TARDIS to the planet Spiridon (why the heck sending the TARDIS to a freaking world full of Daleks instead of bringing it back to Gallifrey, I just have no clue. I think that they could have better luck if Jo just pull some control randomly and landing anywhere else) which is a world conquered by the Daleks looking for the means to become invisible which is something that indigenous race learned to do.
Since the Doctor is out of commision at first, bravely Jo looks for help, finding a group of Thals (the first native species of Skaro before the creation of the Daleks), that they went there supposedly to deal with a small advance exploratory squad of Daleks but soon enough they realize that instead it was a vast army of ten thousand Daleks.
The Doctor wakes up (it’s curious that while the injure seemed to be quite serious, he was able to heal instead of just activating a regeneration) and since he found out that Jo went alone to look for help, he went too to look for her.
The Doctor is captured by the Daleks, and Jo is able to avoid capture thanks to the helps of one of the Thals. Once both heroes eventually find each other, they join forces with the remaining Thals and a rebel force of Spiridons to find a way to stop the Daleks.
The story is entertained and while it’s not one of the finest adventures of Doctor Who, you have several good things like counting with the charm and wit of the Third Doctor, the bravery of Jo, and the fact that any story with Daleks on it, well, it will be something cool to read....more
This book is the second one in the “Coda” trilogy. Each book is written by a different author.
LITERARY CLOThe end of an era… finally concludes!
This book is the second one in the “Coda” trilogy. Each book is written by a different author.
LITERARY CLOSURE
In this Coda trilogy, three different authors, Dayton Ward, James Swallow and David Mack wrote each a book, and without a question they are part of the best authors of expanded universe in Star Trek, however in my personal taste, it was a bummer that Peter David didn’t write any of those three entries, since he is my favorite Star Trek author, where easily five of my personal top ten favorite Star Trek novels were written by him, curiously the odd numbers if I define them in order or preference, but also I understand that Peter David has been too focused on his own Star Trek spin-off New Frontier, so it’s quite logic to select authors more involved in the big picture of the expanded universe of Star Trek that it’s given a closure in this Coda trilogy.
As I already commented in previous reviews of the first two books, I am truly glad that the Star Trek expanded universe didn’t lose totally its canon status but technically deviate to a reality happened in an alternate timeline, that honestly is a better option than turned them into “legends” as happened with the expanded universe novels of Star Wars, since “legends” sound like something that didn’t occured per se.
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
Many heroes have fallen (no, I won’t spoil which ones) and many others are falling here in this final entry, and nobody is safe since the crews of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine (there are very few characters of Voyager due the way that that spin-off ended in its own expanded universe saga) come to the grimm conclusion that their reality isn’t meant to continue that there is a “prime reality” with bette chance to survive, therefore, they will do anything in their power to save that “prime reality” even if that means that they won’t continue to expand anymore (certainly a powerful and creative way to give sense why the new TV series have different events than the ones evolved in the expanded universe novels).
They will die to give a chance to survive to the TV & Film timeline.
However, the Devidians are insidious enemies and it won’t be easy to find a way to defeat them, since now they aren’t the only foes to be worry about but also…
…THE BORG!!!
Since, they find out that their “literary” timeline “expanded” due the events on Star Trek: First Contact, where the events after that in Insurrections and Nemesis plus the active TV series back then happened relatively the same, but obviously right after Nemesis, the “prime” TV & Film reality and the literary expanded reality started to deviate in huge proportions and now only the TV & Film reality is the one with a fair chance to survive.
Obviously, in the book they don’t refer those realities as “TV & Film” of “literary”, I am choosing to refer to them in that way, since it’s a lot easier to understand. I am truly glad that William Riker is “cured” and getting back as a hero instead of an antagonist, since he is one of my favorite characters and I wouldn’t enjoy to have him as foe in the final book of the expanded universe.
What I find sad is that the USS Enterprise-E didn’t play a role in this third book since, again, it’s the final entry of the expanded universe, so having Captain Jean-Luc Picard using another starships is kinda bummer.
However, in general, it’s an exciting book that gives (along with the other two novels in the trilogy) a respecful closure to the awesome expanded universe that many outstanding authors wrote giving to the universe of Star Trek an amazing bunch of adventures meanwhile there wasn’t any project on air during those many years.
This is the fourth book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that itThe final chapter!
This is the fourth book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that it was published in four separate parts to sell them in a lower price each. Later it was re-published in an omnibus edition.
The story is set at the beginning of Buffy’s freshman year at UC Sunnydale. (Season 4)
THE BOOK EVENT COMES TO AN END
Buffy Summers has been 5 years in the future dealing a dark scenario where Giles is king of the vampires controling all Sunnydale and several of her friends and allies are no more, even the supposed main villain Camaztoz, the Mayan god of the bats has fallen against this Vampire King Giles.
Vampire King Giles is by far, one of the best villains ever conceived in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, therefore, maybe my only complain in this final part of the story is that the heroes will be dealing with him like in the second act of three, where the climax would be getting back with Camazotz again in the present, obviously is something logical, but nevertheless this “god of the bats” not matter how powerful is and not matter how enhanced are his minions, a new kind of vampires, faster and more vicious, you can’t avoid to feel that once the arc of Vampire King Giles is resolved (I won’t say how), the hype of reading falls a lot since the “cool” threat was Vampire King and Camazotz is like a second banana compared to a Giles turned evil.
Refering to the whole story, the four parts, definitely is very cool novel, totally recommended to any Buffy, the Vampire Slayer fan where you have a dark future tale (someting always cool in any series) where familiar character like Willow and Xander are portraited having to deal with roles that aren’t typical of them but required to the story and where is really awesome to read about them.
Also, the story shows how important is the friendship of Buffy and Willow, where they are stronger together and where they argue for small things is where a mistake can be made causing fearsome repercusions.
Even, you’ll have a new Slayer around that I won’t say much but always a new girl answering the call of the Slayer is something cool to have in any Buffy story.
This is the third book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that itThe darkest future!
This is the third book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that it was published in four separate parts to sell them in a lower price each. Later it was re-published in an ómnibus edition.
The story is set at the beginning of Buffy’s freshman year at UC Sunnydale.
THE MOST FEARSOME ENEMY
Buffy Summers never faced such terrible villain, so far she had faced enemies such as The Master, Spike & Dru, Angelus and the Mayor…
…BUT…
…she never thought to have to face her own mentor!
In the previous two parts, Buffy and gang met a new kind a vampires, stronger and more vicious, led by Camazotz, known by the Mayans as “the god of the bats”. While they posed certainly a new level of threat, Buffy trusted to find a way to deal with these new vampires, however she is ambushed and Giles is captured. Buffy guessed that he was used as bait or hostage but Camazotz had other plans for the watcher, turning him into a vampire!…
…BUT…
…it was a terrible miscalculation by Camazotz since Giles resulted in the most cunning vampire ever, and soon Giles took control of Camazotz’s clan, meanwhile Buffy met an entity known as The Prophet that took her consciousness into her ownself five years in the future, finding out that she has been prisoner in a cell during all those five years, in a future where Giles is king of the vampires, reuniting a vast army of regular vampires along with the new kind of vampires, having total control of Sunnydale and beginning now to make moves to do the same on Los Angeles city.
Willow had to take lead of the gang along with new allies during those five years where close friends and allies fell or got missing.
Now, Buffy needs to find a way to stop this dark future if possible, along to get back her mind to her present.
This book is the second one in the “Coda” trilogy. Each book is written by a different author.
EVERYBODY IS INVITEDThe end of an era… continues!
This book is the second one in the “Coda” trilogy. Each book is written by a different author.
EVERYBODY IS INVITED!
The saga giving a closure to the Star Trek expanded universe continues.
Certainly this trilogy is offering a better way to deal with the “canon” topic of prose novels to the Star Trek franchise than the decision made with Star Wars where they just relegated its prose novels (not all of them) to a status of “legends” leaving them totally non-canon, however in Star Trek cleverly they are using this very saga to explain that they exist in a different parallel universe, at least the books about the 24th century set after the events of the ending of the previous TV series and films, since nowadays with the existence of Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Prodigy, even Star Trek: Lower Decks (in the case of Star Trek: Discovery isn´t affecting so far), the lives of characters like Jean-Luc Picard, Kathryn Janeway, Benjamin Sisko and their crews are now totally different in comparison with their adventures during the so-called “expanded universe”.
Another cool thing is that everybody is invited to this closure since in this second novel you get references not only to Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager but also to Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: Enterprise, along with even Star Trek: Lower Decks. Some elements are widely exposed, others are some brief reference, but all of them are there.
THE STAKES IS HIGHER AND HIGHER
The Devidians, villains that appeared in ST:TNG in the two-parter episode “Time’s Arrow” are proving to be one of the most dangerous threats ever faced by any Star Trek crew, since they are putting at risk the very existence of not only this literary universe at hand but also multiple parallel universes, even time-manipulating races like the Krenim aren’t able to stop the Devidians.
Captain Picard and Wesley Crusher aren’t getting the assistance expected from Starfleet Command so they are leaving with not other choice than dealing the menace of the Devidians themselves, becoming renegades, with the support of a small group of friends and allies, including Captain Sisko and his former crew…
…BUT…
…William Riker isn’t one of those friends or allies! Maybe this is the only one thing that I didn’t enjoy in this second book, since while there is an explanation of why Riker is acting that way, still I am not thrilled with the concept of having Riker as an antagonist in the story (not a villain, but certainly a fearsome antagonist).
Since this is the ending of the so-called “expanded universe”, in the first book many characters died, most of them were literary characters created during the expanded universe but there was one truly big and important of the characters from the TV series, and in this second book, the deaths continue, where you have even more characters from TV series dying and not limiting to characters but also iconic elements of the franchise are no more.
The stakes are higher and higher since this the end of a (literary) era!
I think that we, readers, have at least one of those books…
…those books that we found in a shelf of a bookIt was about time!
ONE OF THOSE BOOKS
I think that we, readers, have at least one of those books…
…those books that we found in a shelf of a bookstore, we had it in the hands, we considered to buy it…
…but…
…for some reason, we didn’t buy it…
…BUT…
…that book stuck in our minds since then, we remember the cover, we remember the title, we never forget the book and we kinda regret not getting it and wonder if it was any good.
Well…
…this book was my example of those books. I had it in my hands and considered to buy it but at the end I didn’t and since then I never forget it.
And since 1993, this book stuck in my mind.
Luckily, I was able to get it recently and since Quantum Leap is trending again thanks to the sequel TV series, I thought that it was a perfect…
…time…
…to leap and vanish into reading it.
QUANTUM READ
In this story, Dr. Sam Beckett leaps into a person too close for confort of a little younger version of Admiral Al Calavicci, before of his involvement in the Quantum Leap project and the interaction with this Al can be put into danger the very project causing a paradox of grave consequences.
The mission of the leap isn’t that exciting since it didn’t involve the “past” Al but a person around that Sam needs to avoid her participation in a robbery.
Still, it was a cool reading since you get a lot of conversations of Sam and Al (the “present” Al) and Al and Ziggy (the Quantum Leap project computer) analyzing and explaining how the Quantum Leap project works and its implications in the flux of time, and everything discussed is consistent to the exposed along the run of the original TV series.
So, I am glad of finally “un-stuck” this book from my mind and being able to read it.
This book is the first one in the “Coda” trilogy. Each book written by a different author.
ALL GOOD ENDGAMES THAT YOU The end of an era… begins!
This book is the first one in the “Coda” trilogy. Each book written by a different author.
ALL GOOD ENDGAMES THAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND
I am truly glad of the TV series Picard but I don’t understand why they had to set the TV series in a date coliding with the one used on the expanded book universe (Relaunch novels). I think that they could easily put the TV series like 5 years in the future, leaving breathing space for the expanded book universe to close their own storylines…
…BUT…
…they didn’t do it that way and that provoked that the expanded book universe wasn’t canon anymore, but at least they turned it in a parallel universe and not “legends” like in another certain popular sci-fi franchise.
Star Trek: Voyager wasn’t greatly affected since they had time to make their own planned ending, it was clear that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine still had some stories to tell; but the real affected one was Star Trek: The Next Generation since the expanded book series was starting a new narrative era where the series was exploring a vast new sector.
At least they are making this Coda book event to have a proper closure of this expanded book universe.
And so far I understand the future of TNG, DS9 and VOY new novels will be to publish new adventures BUT set in the time of their TV seasons. That’s not something really bad but certainly is sad to witness the end of this wonderful and exciting expanded book universe.
TIME TO END, NO ONE IS SAFE
This Coda trilogy is a book event taking to a closure the main three 24th Century Star Trek expanded book series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager, dealing with a threat menacing the fabric of time itself and the very existence of not only this expanded book universe but also several other parallel realities.
An unlikely foe from the past appears again and the whole multiverse is in real peril of disappearing.
But, also a friend from the past returns to help our heroes.
There are many situations but the main narrative in this first novel of the event is focused in the crews of the USS Enterprise-E and the USS Aventine.
However, since this book event is properly ending the expanded book universe, no character is safe, not only the obvious secondary characters only existing in books but even main characters from the former three TV series.
I understand that they want to make it an event with impact, and some meaningful death always helps to make memorable a crisis, but I don’t like when too many characters starting to fall like flies in big way.
Death isn’t the only way to end a book series…
…since Life goes on.
I do hope that in the other two novels from this event, they’d be able to make a more creative way to give a worthy closure, to the expanded book universe, beyond of just killing characters for not being used by other authors later. ...more
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I've chosen this TPB edition to make a better overall review.
This TPB editioBuffy's last stand!
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I've chosen this TPB edition to make a better overall review.
This TPB edition collects "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer - Season 12 - The Reckoning" #1-4.
Creative Team:
Writers: Joss Wheddon & Christos Gage
Illustrator: Georges Jeanty
Cover art: Stephanie Hans
THE END OF AN ERA
Dark Horse Comics were publishing Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (along with tons of other related titles) since 1998, and after 20 years, this massive journey of comic books comes to an end, since next year (2019), it will be Boom Studios who will take the title (getting back to Buffy's high school years).
At the beginning, Buffy comics were the typical media tie-in product where you read stories that while tring to be faithful to the franchise, those comics weren't canonical,...
...BUT...
...in 2007, that changed, pioneering in the marketing of comic books, since Joss Wheddon approach Dark Horse, starting a new line of Buffy comics with the "Season 8" indicator, and certifying that the comics were not only canon but the official continuation of the Buffy universe, after the finale on the TV series.
This take for Buffy, the Vampire Slayer did a revolution in how to manage the media tie-in comics for pop culture franchises, where soon enough many other franchises granted the "canon" status to their own comic book titles, giving a major boost to the readers to decide in buying those comics.
But nothing last forever, and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer comes to an end (for a while at least) since as I already commented, Boom Studios will take back to Buffy Summers to her high school's years, therefore, The Reckoning (Season 12) will be the most updated adventure of Buffy and the Scooby gang.
PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE ARE INVITED
Buffy Summers has enjoyed a rare year of peace and quiet, in the field of paranormal threats. Xander Harris is married to Dawn Summers and they already have a baby girl, Joyce. Willow Rosenberg is in charge of the remaining Slayer army along with a new bunch of Wiccan trainees...
...however that tranquility is coming to an end due a menace from the future, that Buffy knows too well...
...Harth, the twin brother of Melaka Fray, the Vampire Slayer of the future, that due their singular share birth, giving to him the full memories of the Slayers from the past, but when Harth was bitten by a "lurk" (vampires' name used in the future), now Harth is very dangerous enemy for not only her sister but to all the Slayers legacy.
Harth is travelling to the present, making an unholy alliance with the infamous Wolfram & Hart legal firm, to build a fearsome force of demons and monsters...
...adding a secret surprising old enemy long thought beaten!
Harth is using his access to the past memories of all previous Slayers (Buffy included!) to know how to manipulate the legendary Reckoning crisis on his benefit!
Buffy, Willow, Xander & Dawn, need all the possible help so...
...Giles, Faith, Andrew, Spike, Angel and Illyria (in possession of Fred's body) will risk everything to stop this final challenge!
This is a novelization of the never-produced movie proposal by Douglas Adams, for “Doctor Who”, which eventuaA great story but got ball tampering!
This is a novelization of the never-produced movie proposal by Douglas Adams, for “Doctor Who”, which eventually the very Douglas Adams used the material for “Life, the Universe and Everything” (third book in the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”).
WHO
The Doctor:
The Fourth Doctor
Companions:
Romana II & K-9 (Mark II)
WHERE & WHEN
Around the galaxy. Several time periods.
WHAT
The Doctor takes Romana to a Cricket game on Earth, since it seems that the end of the universe will begin there, and he’s not mistaken since soon enough a squad of Krikkitmen, fearful xenophobic sentient robots appeared shooting.
That was bad, yes, but the read bad thing was that it was supposed to be impossible that one single Krikkitmen would be free in the galaxy…
…and that only means that the universe is in peril, again.
The Krikkitmen were an unstoppable menace, many eons ago, and the galaxy was in such threat that the Time Lords had to intervene…
…but while it was supposed to use an ingenious way to deal with the Krikkitmen…
…once again, the threat is on, and the Doctor has to take the matters in his own hands.
The Krikkitmen was a proposal to make a theatrical film of Doctor Who, and even the original script has Sarah Jane Smith as the companion for the Fourth Doctor. However, never got green light and the story got buried in the personal papers of Douglas Adams, and he even used the ideas to take shape in his third novel in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy saga.
So…
…Since the recent previous adaptations of Douglas Adams’ stories never put in paper before have sold so well…
…it was obvious to go to the stored documents of Adams to fish yet another tale!
I love Shada (see my review about it) adapted by Gareth Roberts, and I read the other adaptations of Pirate Planet and City of Death by James Goss (the author of this very adaptation), but I truly feel that Gareth Roberts was WAY better understanding what the late Douglas Adams wanted to do with his stories, Gareth Roberts is a related mind to Adams. And while I am sure that James Goss put his soul to the task of adapting his assigned books, something got miss in the road…
…and here, happened again. Especially, since I think that “less is more”, and I believe that Goss wanted to put so much in the adaptation (probably to avoid to fall into a mere copy of “Life, the Universe and Everything”) that Goss lost his way in the process, started so good and so fun, I was having a blast, but later he added unnecesary (and pointless) chapters in the middle of the journey, tediously extending a cool tale that it could be told…
The Doctor versus monsters, what else do you need?!
The rating is an average sum of each rating that I give to the short tales featured in the anthThe Doctor versus monsters, what else do you need?!
The rating is an average sum of each rating that I give to the short tales featured in the anthology.
MURDER IN THE DARK
Rating: *** (3 stars)
The First Doctor, along with Steven Taylor & Dodo, arrive to a mansion in the middle of a Halloween party, however the party is way more than it seems, and escaping from there can be more tricky that you may imagine.
SOMETHING AT THE DOOR
Rating: *** (3 stars)
The Second Doctor has the TARDIS traveling through the time vortex, meanwhile Ben and Polly are showing the whereabouts of the time machine to the recently arrived Jamie McCrimmon, they find an Oujia Board in an odd room of the TARDIS, and they're too imprudent to try it out...
...big mistake!
THE MONSTER IN THE WOODS
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Third Doctor takes Jo Grant to a trip on Bessie, following a signal that shouldn't exist, meanwhile three young brothers are in the grasp of a dangerous being in the deep of the woods.
TOIL AND TROUBLE
Raring: *** (3 stars)
The Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry facing a wicked coven of alien witches.
MARK OF THE MEDUSA
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Fifth Doctor takes his entourage (Tegan, Turlogh & Kamelion) to the inauguration of a museum in the future where the best art & cultural pieces of Earth will be there, when a lethal monster is unleashed there.
TRICK OR TREAT
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The best short tale in the anthology!
The Sixth Doctor must face alone an insiduous old foe who will put in the balance, the mental sanity of the Time Lord. Showing that some stories may not end when you think first.
THE LIVING IMAGE
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Seventh Doctor and Ace arrive to Victorian London, just in time to deal against a vicious foe who thrives in paintings.
ORGANISM 96
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The Eighth Doctor gets onboard of a cruise liner, right in the middle of a killing spree, and while he points out at once who is the culprit...
...it isn't that evident to the crew and passengers!
THE PATCHWORK PIERROT
Rating: **** (4 stars)
The Ninth Doctor meets an odd circus where an old foe taking a different appearance is menacing everyone!
BLOOD WILL OUT
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The Tenth Doctor and Donna are trapped by a group of known villains risking the safety of the entire universe!
THE MIST OF SORROW
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
The Eleventh Doctor must struggle to save a family who is menaced by some of the scariest beings in the universe!
BABY SLEEPY FACE
Rating: *** (3 stars)
The Twelfth Doctor takes a pair of siblings as unexpected companions to deal of the unusual merge of two old foes, rising a new kind of threat.
This is an anthology featuring six short stories with Missy, the female regeneration of The Master.
The rating for the book is anIt’s Missy’s time!
This is an anthology featuring six short stories with Missy, the female regeneration of The Master.
The rating for the book is an average sum of the ratings of each short story.
DISMEMBERMENT
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
Writer: James Goss
The Master has just regenerate into a female form, and you can bet that he… err… she is kinda disoriented due that.
The Master had a ritual after each regeneration, since any Time Lord got exhausted after that changing process, The Master had a lifetime membership is the infamous “Scoundrels Club”, a selected private club for the most sinister criminals on England, and not matter that The Master has returned to the club with a different face, in many occasions, The Master had take the assigned chair and asked for a drink, while he gain strenght again and deciding the next move…
…but there is a tiny weeny problem this time…
…The “Scoundrels Club” is a men only private club…
…and while The Master technically wasn’t a man, but an alien, to the eyes of the others members and the club’s council, The Master had been a man…
…until now…
…and due this unexpected situation, The Master is asked to leave the club…
…a big mistake, for the club’s members…
…since The Master is a very vindictive person…
…with access to a Time Machine!
..and no morals!
During this adventure, The Master will also meet a collaborator who will hint a new and better aproppiate way to refer…
…herself…
…Missy!
LORDS AND MASTERS
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
Writer: Cavan Scott
Usually, when the Time Lords wanted that some task would be done without a clear direct connection with them, they had used the reluctant services of the rogue member of their species, The Doctor…
…however, the nature and expected outcome of a particular mission, involving a creature with the natural ability of manipulating time, the Time Lords opted for another rogue compatriot…
…Missy!
Similar like done before with The Doctor, the Time Lords take control of Missy’s TARDIS to assure the services of her.
However, Missy is not puppet of anyone!
But also, Missy is not fool!
The Time Lords will wish to do their dirty work for themselves!
TEDDY SPARKLES MUST DIE!
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
Writer: Paul Magrs
Mary Poppins meets Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, in a very twisted way, when Missy assumes the duties of a governess in 1920’s London, along with the reluctant assistance of an odd talking teddy bear with unique skills, they’ll change the fate of three children…
…to the benefit of Missy’s personal plans, of course!
However, tutoring children is a tricky profession and even an evil Time Lady won’t find that, an easy work.
THE LIAR, THE GLITCH AND THE WAR ZONE
Rating: *** ( 3 stars )
Writer: Peter Anghelides
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe takes a wrong turn in Venice, when Missy’s TARDIS crashes against a Gryphon’s time vessel, causing a literally race against time to reach a key technological piece, essential to both parties, if they don’t want to get stuck there.
And remember, while Missy is learning to be a better person than her former regenertions…
…she is still The Master, and at the bottom…
…she always will choose…
…her own benefit over others’.
GIRL POWER!
Rating: ** ( 2 stars )
Writer: Jacqueline Rayner
A wonderful premise done in a tedious way.
Missy is locked up, under the surveillance of the Twelfth Doctor and Nardole, but…
…she manages, in the middle of seemingly innocent petitions for stuff…
…to accomplish a “chat room” with many of the most prominent women in history, interchanging ideas between the group.
Yes, the concept had A LOT of potential but I felt that the way that it was developed by the author denied the expected fun and entertainment of the tale.
ALIT IN UNDERLAND
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
Writer: Richard Dinnick
Alice in Wonderland turns upside down in deep space, in the middle of the events of the TV episodes World Enough and Time and The Doctor Falls, when Missy joins forces with…
…kinda herself…
…The Master (in his “Harold Saxon” persona) to look a way to escape from the gigantic Mondasian colony ship and its doomed course to a black hole.
However, the two versions of The Master, got a “companion”, Alit, a young girl who wants to know what there is beyond her humble “town”.
The Master and Missy interchange an amusing conversation comparing their own experiencies on each regenerations and what have “they” done on even previous versions.
This is a single comic book issue given in the Free Comic Book Day event of 2018, featuring 3 different storieThe Doctor comes to FCBD once again!
This is a single comic book issue given in the Free Comic Book Day event of 2018, featuring 3 different stories with different Doctors.
The overall rating is an average sum based on the individual ratings given to each story included in the comic book.
CATCH A FALLING STAR
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
Writer: Nick Abadzis
Illustrators: Giorgia Sposito & Arianna Florean
WHO:
The Doctor: The Tenth Doctor
Companion: Gabby Gonzalez
WHERE & WHEN:
Deep Space. Non disclosured date.
WHAT:
Gabby is alone in space, about to die, after sacrificing herself, and she ponders about her life since she met the Doctor, but hardly she knows that this isn’t the end of her own story and a surprising cameo.
THE ARMAGEDDON GAMBIT
Rating: *** ( 3 stars )
Writer: John Freeman
Illustrator: Christopher Jones
WHO:
The Doctor: The Seventh Doctor
Companion: Ace
WHERE & WHEN:
Planet Trath. Non disclosured date.
WHAT:
At the planet Trath, the violent race of the Kla-Shi-Kel is rising in power, and they already obliterated several alien species…
…but they never were prepared for the Doctor!
It’s quite good, but at the end it’s sadly just like a quick prologue leading to a storyarc that it will be developed in the regular Classic Doctors comic books of Titan Comics.
MIDNIGHT FEAST
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
Writer: George Mann
Illustrator: Mariano Laclaustra
WHO:
The Doctor: The Eleventh Doctor
Companion: Alice Obiefune
WHERE & WHEN:
TARDIS & Joe’s Diner. Non disclosured date.
WHAT:
Things are never boring in the TARDIS, not even at midnight when the Doctor is hungry and looking for some amusing snack.
AND INTRODUCING…
Rating: Not applied
Writer: Jody Houser
Illustrator: Rachael Stott
Maybe it’s not much a spoiler due the title of the last panel (that’s why I didn’t rate it since it’s not a story but only one page without dialogues but showing someone very much important for the future of the franchise.
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I’ve chosen this TPB edition to be able of making a better overall reviIt began sooo good, but…
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I’ve chosen this TPB edition to be able of making a better overall review.
This TPB edition features “Justice League of America” (Vol.4) #1-4, 6-10.
Creative Team:
Main Writer & Illustrator: Bryan Hitch
Closer Writer: Tony Bedard
Closer Illustrator: Tom Derenick
TO END OR NOT TO END…
This storyline, Power and Glory, was one heck of a rocky road. It was conceptualized by the artist Bryan Hitch, usually in charge only of the artwork in previous assignments, here takes full control of not only drawing but also the writing and everything was going superb until issue #5 where it was has to be used in a fill-in stand-alone tale to give him time to make the fifth part of the storyline then re-assigned to issue #6, where I think it was the first alarm call that this won’t end well as it had started.
Since, Hitch was able to keep up the following issues, BUT…
…the issue #10 was delayed, and delayed, and delayed, and…
…when everybody thought that this storyline wouldn’t never properly end…
…sadly it ends, but not as anybody who liked the storyline would expected…
…with Hitch out of the book and a benchwarmer team entering to close the book, in a rushy and messy way, kinda ruining the great scope that the storyline had have so far, and leaving wondering if the Justice League of America was ever relevant on it or just diversions giving time to the story to end itself.
WHY GOD NEEDS A STARSHIP?
The Justice League of America: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), The Flash (Barry Allen), Aquaman and Cyborg; they are manipulated and divided into different places, even different planets and periods of time, by secretive characters leading an odd “company” known as The Infinity Corporation, just in the moment that…
…Rao, the god of Krypton…
…just appears above New York City, with a massive spacecraft, offering to heal the sick and to feed the hunger, worldwide, in change of just offering their faith on him.
Not a bad bargain, mmh?
And Rao is good on his word, since indeed, soon the hospitals would become empty of patients and hungry countries turning into fruitful paradises, and everybody is happy…
…except Batman…
…that you can guess that the Dark Knight isn’t any confident about a benevolent “god”.
A way shattered Justice League of America needs to find their own way back to be once again one team to find a solution against a world population that they don’t want to be saved, but gods work in mysterious ways, therefore what it seemed to be good intentions…
…can contain too much conflicting layers about it.
Planet Vulcan. Non-disclosureSecond Doctor’s first adventure!
WHO
The Doctor:
The Second Doctor
Companions:
Ben Jackson
Polly Wright
WHERE & WHEN
Planet Vulcan. Non-disclosured date, set in the future.
WHAT
This is a novelization of the first serial introducing The Second Doctor, and this serial was totally lost by BBC, and while there is a crude animated reconstruction of this serial, honestly, I prefer (in my personal taste) to enjoy the story in this prose format, especially that John Peel did a great job, not limiting himself of just doing a cold narration of the events but actually adding stylish description and inner depth as you can usually find in a regular prose novel, along with deeper backgrounds from characters of the TV serial and even creating a new character for the prose novelization.
I’m truly glad that I decided to read this particular book, right after The Tenth Planet novelization,...
...since not only Power of the Daleks is the following serial in the TV series, but also, in this novelization you’ll begin reading about an aftermath of the events in The Tenth Planet, even using in a cool and creative way, characters that they would be introduced in future serials, explaining how the events of The Tenth Planet were crucial to help humanking to reach space and the need of organizing a proper task team to deal with alien menaces. Moreover, the first three chapters of the book are dedicaded to the uncertainity of Ben and Polly about the regeneration of The Doctor, provoking them of not trusting in this “new” character, with a different face, different voice, different body, different age, claiming still being The Doctor.
Therefore, if you aren’t familiarized with the events of The Tenth Planet, you’ll be kinda lost in the beginning of this book.
In this first adventure for The Second Doctor, he receives a “baptism of fire” facing none other than The Daleks! No time for taking it slowly in his very first regeneration but dealing with his deadliest villains once more.
The Doctor takes Ben and Polly to Planet Vulcan (Nope! No, that planet Vulcan!), colonized by Earth, establishing a huge mining facility there (cleverly using the name of a known commercial organization that it wouldn’t be mentioned in Doctor Who until a later serial in the franchise), where an Examiner from Earth is being expected and after a mysterious character has killed the real one, then The Doctor replaces the identity of The Examiner as a useful way to access the mining colony, which it will putting him right in the middle of inner political power conflict, at the same time than the menace of three deactivated Daleks found in a space capsule which fell on that planet.
It’s interesting, that Ben and Polly hadn’t visited an alien planet until this time, and also it’s their first time dealing with the infamous Daleks, that they had heard so much about from The First Doctor.
The Daleks are the number one favorite villains in the Doctor Who franchise. They are xenophobic murderers, with the clear goal of exterminating any other life form different from them in the universe; and it’s depressingly amusing how the prejudices of the Daleks are kinda justified in this story, when they can’t understand why humans kill other humans, along with petty disputes for political power. Moreover, the Daleks show in this story, how cunning they can become, when they’re found in a disadvantageous situation, so without weapons and numbers in an initial stage, they need to become creative to be able of achieving their insidious goals, hidding them in plain sight from the unwary humans.
No time to rest after the first regeneration! The Second Doctor needs to deal with his deadliest enemies!...more
Antartica. EartEnter: The Cybermen and the first regeneration!
WHO
The Doctor:
The First Doctor
Companions:
Ben Jackson
Polly Wright
WHERE & WHEN
Antartica. Earth. Year 2000.
WHAT
This is a key story in Doctor Who lore, one of those serials that BBC lost some of the episodes, that it this case, it was lost the fourth (of four) episode that it was "recovered" using a basic animation and the original sound tapes.
There are some differences from the TV presentation like an odd decision to set the prose adventure in the year 2000 instead of 1986 in the TV original version, but at the end, this novelization is quite right to appreciate the story.
The real action is limited to be honest, and some science elements aren’t managed in a proper way (even having in mind that it was developed in the good ol’ 60s and that it’s a sci-fi show) that leave you with bittersweet sensation that the plot wasn’t exploited to its real potential,…
…BUT…
…it’s two key elements that made this tale a pivotal game-changer in the franchise of Doctor Who…
…it’s the very first story introducing the Cybermen which would became one of the most popular villains is Doctor Who, second only to the Daleks, that while you may not feel them like that in this adventure, it was after all the peak of the iceberg for many more ambitious stories to come using these great villains…
…AND…
…it’s the story where The Doctor passed through his first regeneration, even before of formally name this process in that way, and while it was due the original actor was too ill to continue in his acting role, this opened one of the best elements to keep Doctor Who active as sci-fi franchise even nowadays (2018).
The First Doctor, Ben & Polly arrive just in time (pun intended) to the Antartica when something impossible happened in near space orbit from Earth…
…a tenth planet appears in the Solar System!
It’s Mondas, homeworld of being whom used to be humans but due poor choices in the use of radioactivity, they started to replace organic parts for mechanical ones, until…
…almost none organinc left in their bodies and became…
…The Cybermen!!!
Now, Mondas was left without resources or any kind of energy, and its return to the Solar System means the doom for Earth and its inhabitants!
Resistance is useless! (Mmh… where did I heard that before? Mmh)
It’s obvious that the Cybermen where the inspiration for the Star Trek: The Next Generation’s The Borg, but nobody is hiding or denying anything since if you remember, the very episode where The Borg were introduced was aptly titled Q Who, and after all, if you have in mind that next stop for The Doctor and his companions, after this adventure will be “the planet Vulcan”, well, it’s like Pirates from Sillicon Valley,…
…the one without sin…
Meanwhile, take cover, since a fleet of 250 Cybercrafts are invading Earth and the only able to stop them is The Doctor, but he seems quite ill and aged.
This is not the end, by far chance, it’s only the last chapter of an era, and the next one is just around the corner!...more
Loading...
