Story 7.08
Written by Mark Gatiss
Transmitted 13 April 2013

Intending to show Clara Las Vegas (apparently), the Doctor instead lands the TARDIS aboard a Russian submarine just as it is about to sink to the bottom of the ocean. Aboard is a strange find, a creature preserved in ice which Professor Grisenko is intent on investigating. However, the nuclear submarine is also in the midst of standard war-time drills. Adding to the tension, the creature in the ice breaks loose from a 5,000 year nap and is revealed to be an Ice Warrior from the planet Mars. Stuck aboard the craft as the crew struggles to retain control of their vessel, the Doctor must diffuse a hostile situation on several fronts.

Set in 1983, when the United States and Soviet Union were on the edge of mutual nuclear annihilation, The Cold War is . A lifelong Whovian, Mark Gatiss includes a healthy dose nostalgia into his scripts from his childhood as well as Doctor Who’s history. As such, The Cold War hearkens back to the Patrick Troughton era with a claustrophobic base-under-siege setting as well as a classic monster. The Ice Warriors are obscure today, but back in 1968, they were hot stuff. Massive, deadly and imposing, the Ice Warriors make a welcome return in this story which provides a much-needed lift in the season after the previous two duds. The added color of David Warner who hilariously is obsessed with 80′s era Britpop, makes this the most enjoyable story in a long time.

I am a big fan of his, but even I must admit that Gatiss has a spotty record of success with new Who. The Unquiet Dead was great fun, while Idiot’s Lantern, Victory of the Daleks and Night Terrors were letdowns for numerous reasons, mostly due to missed opportunities and ham-fisted tugs at the heart strings. The faceless victims of the Wire were superb, but the face off between father and son too forced, likewise the Daleks were defeated by an android remembering falling in love… and Night Terrors should have been a knock out horror-fest but in the end was an awkward tale about adoption. I’m not sure how or why the other scripts fell through, but I’m glad that in this case he found his footing at last. But I have yet to watch his second Series 7 episode, the Crimson Horror, so hold that thought.

The Cold War has superb lighting, impressive direction and the unique use of models for the first time in ages (making the submarine sequences much more impressive). When I have written about the Ice Warriors in the past I have pointed out that their return would be interesting given that they have been presented in various ways; as straight forward monsters, as cunning soldiers and as noble warriors. This story ingeniously combines all of these approaches, giving Whovians the most fleshed out version of the creatures to date.

Matt Smith is a real gem, isn’t he? Despite the material he is given, he seems to fire on all cylinders each week. Displaying gravity, humor and empathy in 45 minutes can easily make the Doctor appear manic (just look at David Tennant), but Smith pulls this off with ease. It may be that he is a genuine eccentric who is just as easily warm and entertaining as he is strange and other-worldly. It is nice to see new Doctors pitted against old menaces as it places the production crew in the position to pay homage to the past while building toward something new. Smith seems to be channeling the late great Patrick Troughton in appearing to be both wise beyond time and very human in his eccentricities and sympathy.

The Cold War is a nail-biter, a story that is steeped in drama and atmosphere, with just the right amount of surprises and comedic flair to make things interesting. I will admit that I was disappointed to see the Ice Warrior climb out of its armor, but applaud the director for only hinting at what it could look like rather than giving a full on CGi mess (though the floppy head reveal at the end killed the mood).

Clara continues to run on impish charm and cuteness but she is also very brave and determined to stare danger in the face with a similar attitude to the Doctor’s. As thsi review is very late in the season, it has been said that Clara is the ‘perfect’ companion, one that compliments the Doctor in many ways. This is a good approach, but hinges on the revelation of just who she is. She seems to take almost anything the Doctor shows her in stride without much fuss. So… why?

The Cold War gave Doctor Who an opportunity to do something it has not done in quite some time, tell a compelling story with an interesting monster, a great supporting cast and some damned sharp writing. The moment when David Warner starts to connect with Clara and pleads with her for information about the future is superb, made all the better when he asks if Ultravox stayed together.

With the insistence of modern Doctor Who to tell interconnected stories with breadcrumbs leading from week to week last year, it was as wise decision to move in another direction. Sadly, most of this season has relied on the mystery of Clara rather than telling an interesting adventure. This week broke that pattern and for the first time in ages I was reminded that this really is Doctor Who, a program that I enjoy watching.

Cold War had an Appreciation Index, or AI score, of 84.

The Appreciation Index or AI is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme. The score, out of a hundred, is compiled by a specially selected panel of around 5,000 people who go online and rate and comment on programmes.

The score is identical to last week’s Doctor Who and scored higher than most of Saturday’s output. The highest scoring programmes of the day were Casulty with 88, Walking Through History with 85 and Dad’s Army with 89.. (via Doctor Who News)

Overnight ratings from Doctor WhoTV:

Cold War – 5.7 million (overnight) 7.37 million (final figure)
The Rings of Akhaten – 5.5 million (overnight) 7.45 million (final figure)
The Bells of Saint John – 6.18 million (overnight) 8.44 million (final figure)
The Snowmen – 7.6 million (overnight) 9.87 million (final figure)
The Angels Take Manhattan – 5.9 million (overnight) 7.82 million (final figure)
The Power of Three – 5.5 million (overnight) 7.67 million (final figure)
A Town Called Mercy – 6.6 million (overnight) 8.42 million (final figure)
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship – 5.5 million (overnight) 7.57 million (final figure)
Asylum of the Daleks – 6.4 million (overnight) 8.3 million (final figure)

Next time: Hide

The most popular and successful superheroine has to be Wonder Woman, a creation by William Moulton Marston, also inventor of the lie detector. Marston felt that young men needed a strong female role model to protect them. Princess Diana of Themyscira was created by Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons from the very clay of the island itself. Her desire to have a daughter in a society populated entirely by women was granted by Athena. One of the few characters of her ilk, Wonder Woman was on a mission of peace, yet also a trained warrior princess. Earning her place as an ambassador to the ‘world of men,’ she left Paradise Island for a n unknown world of danger.

Popularized in print, Wonder Woman is one of three superheroes to remain in circulation from her inception (alongside Batman and Superman). She has also been adapted into other mediums. appearing in the Super Friends cartoon series and in the live action Wonder Woman program.

From 1975-1979, Lynda Carter starred as the Amazon Wonder Woman. Rather than simply an exciting TV series full of action and skimpy outfits, Carter injected some positive messages of female empowerment and peace. It was a bold move, and one that the studio was reluctant to pursue (it was dropped later on), but the mere presence of a strong woman who more often than not saved her male companion rather than the other way around made an impact on young viewers.

Strangely, no modern version of Wonder Woman has appeared since her TV program aside from a stellar animated feature and as part of the Justice League animated series. Nevertheless, the superheroine is a vital part of Western popular culture and one that continues to inspire and empower people fro, various backgrounds. A PBS documentary explored the phenomenon to a great degree which I highly recommend.

The full documentary can be ordered here.

Recommended:

Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess Archives Vol. 1

Wonder Woman: Amazon. Hero. Icon.

Wonder Woman: The Complete Collection

Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Gods and Mortals

Via ActionFigureExpress

AFX Exclusive ThunderCats Cats Lair Statue and Minimates w/ FREE Ma-Mutt Figure by Icon Heroes

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Series 2 Minimates includes Slithe, Monkian, Jackalman, Vultureman, and Wolfrat. Series 3 includes Tygra, Cheetara, Wily-Kit, Wily-Kat, and Ro-Bear Berbil Bill. Each Minimate stands 2″ H with 14 points of articulation and a variety of removable and interchangeable parts and accessories.
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PATRIOT Cologne. Your Attack Plan

Warren Ellis attempted a revival called newuniversal a few years back, but it failed to make enough impact to continue.

This year, Jonathan Hickman took over the reigns of the Avengers monthly series and after an explosive opening arc and a few standalone issues establishing the new members of the team such as Smasher and Hyperion, took on the New Universe in a new way. The White Event has come to the Marvel Universe, but has resulted in a deviation from the expected outcome. The Nightmask and Starbrand ‘vessels’ have arrived but are not correctly aligned to their powers. Rather than being the harbingers of a new power, they are just as deadly as any threat.

It will be exciting to see where Hickman goes with this.

Via Newsarama:
“It wasn’t something that anybody at Marvel especially was looking to do,” Brevoort told Newsarama. “This was all really Jonathan.”

The New Universe started in 1986 during Jim Shooter’s tenure as Marvel editor-in-chief, as a way to mark Marvel’s 25th anniversary. It was intended to be a more grounded world separate from the Marvel Universe, kickstarted by the “White Event” that gave some individuals superpowers. It launched with eight books: D.P. 7, Justice, and Psi-Force, which each ran for 32 issues; plus the shorter-lived Kickers, Inc., Mark Hazzard: Merc, Nightmask, Spitfire and the Troubleshooters and Star Brand.

Following the end of the original books in 1989, the New Universe was touched on in books like Spider-Man 2099, Quasar and the “Starblast” crossover. The most notable revisiting of the concept was newuniversal, a 2007 reboot of the concepts by Warren Ellis and Salvador Larroca. Beyond the six-issue main series, the tie-ins featured some of the first Marvel work from X-Men: Legacy’s Simon Spurrier and Iron Man’s Kieron Gillen.

“For all that everybody says, ‘I don’t know about the New Universe,’ or ‘I don’t care about the New Universe,’ certainly everybody seems to be talking about the New Universe, and has been since the cover to #7, with the pink-white lightning bolt, came out,” Brevoort said. “Everybody recognized it, and everybody had a reaction to it. That indicated that there’s something going on there in the gestalt, whether it’s a nostalgia, or whether it’s just a simple recognition of, ‘It’s that thing from all those years ago, that’s kind of neat, I haven’t seen that in a long time.’”

“Everything has a nostalgic component to it when it comes to comic book readers,” Brevoort continued. “That’s just an ever-prevalent thing. You can’t find stuff in the history of comics that don’t have that pull to them. There’s nothing that is completely salted earth.”

I have to ask if, after the dust has settled, will the other players of the New Universe be in attendance such as Justice, Spitfire and the Troubleshooters, DP7 and… Kickers, Inc? Which one will Bendis be writing?

Recommended:

Star Brand Classic – Volume 1

D.P. 7 Classic – Volume 1

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story

I understand that John Dies at the End was met with some disappointment by fans of the novel and of Coscarelli’s previous films. Like Bubba Ho-Tep, John Dies at the End was very long in seeing the light of a cinema, let alone a DVD rack or streaming store. As such, I imagine that the anticipation grew along with the wait. Personally, I was happy with the end result and feel that it blends the best qualities of both Phantasm and Bubba Ho-Tep. Two regular guys try to keep their heads in a world of other-dimensional insects, animated meat and more. The narrative structure is very wavy, which got a bit frustrating at times, but in the end I just took it as part of the film’s charm.

The cast is phenomenal with the aforementioned Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown and even Phantasm’s ‘tall man’ Angus Scrimm adding to the color and depth of this quirky and weird movie. Surreal horror/comedies are hard to come by these days with the likes of Re-Animator and such a far too distant memory. If you are looking for an unusual horror flick, this should be on your list.

DOCTOR WHO: CYBERMAN WEEKEND OFFER

This weekend, it’s the return of one of the Doctor’s greatest foes on TV: the Cybermen! And to celebrate, we’re doing a special offer on all our Doctor Who Cyber-stories, from main range classics such as Spare Parts and Sword of Orion to Benny story The Crystal of Cantus, stage play The Ultimate Adventure and the complete Cyberman spin-off series. Visit the Big Finish Bargains page for details…

Each story is available at £5 on CD or download (£20 for the Cyberman 2 box set), or you can buy a bundle of the entire lot – 20 releases! – for £100. The bundles button is displayed on all the product pages of the items in the offer, and you can find everything in the Big Finish Bargains section.

1.1. CYBERMAN: SCORPIUS (click to order)

1.1. CYBERMAN: SCORPIUS
THE HUMAN RACE IS ABOUT TO BECOME EXTINCT.

Mankind is fighting a long and costly war with its android creations in the Orion System. The deadlock must be broken at all costs. The president of Earth must think the unthinkable…

‘There is nothing to fear’.

___________________________________

153. THE SILVER TURK (click to order)

 

153. THE SILVER TURK
Roll up! Roll up! To the great Viennese Exposition, where showman Stahlbaum will show you his most wonderful creation, the Silver Turk – a mechanical marvel that will not only play for you the fortepiano, the spinet and the flute, it will play you at the gaming table too!

But when the Doctor brings his new travelling companion Mary Shelley to nineteenth-century Vienna, he soon identifies the incredible Turk as one of his deadliest enemies – a part-machine Cyberman.

And that’s not even the worst of the horrors at large in the city…

___________________________________

135. Legend of the Cytbermen (click to order)

135. LEGEND OF THE CYBERMEN

The Cybermen are on the march through the Hundred Realms, killing and converting as they go. Resistance is useless.

Trapped on the outermost fringes of the battle, the Doctor and Jamie are astonished to encounter an old friend: astrophysicist Zoe Heriot.

It’s the happiest of reunions. But what hope is there of a happy ending against the unstoppable Cybermen?

___________________________________

34. SPARE PARTS (click to order)

34. SPARE PARTS
The story of the genesis of the Cybermen. One of our listeners’ favourite releases. Dark, moving and terrifying…

On a dark frozen planet where no planet should be, in a doomed city with a sky of stone, the last denizens of Earth’s long-lost twin will pay any price to survive, even if the laser scalpels cost them their love and hate and humanity.

And in the mat-infested streets, around tea-time, the Doctor and Nyssa unearth a black market in second-hand body parts and run the gauntlet of augmented police and their augmented horses.

And just between the tramstop and the picturehouse, their worst suspicions are confirmed: the Cybermen have only just begun, and the Doctor will be, just as he always has been, their saviour…

58. THE HARVEST (click to order)

58. THE HARVEST
On the morning of October 12th, 2021 Hex woke up. He was expecting to go to work at St Gart’s in London as normal and, that evening, have a great time in the bar of the White Rabbit, celebrating his 23rd birthday.

But after his ex-flatmate is wheeled into A&E following a bike accident, and the strange young woman from Human Resources tries to chat him up and an eight-foot tall guy in a Merc tries to run him down, Hex realises things are not going quite as he expected.

Then in a Shoreditch car park he meets the enigmatic Doctor who explains that he’s an extra-terrestrial investigator and something very strange is going on up on the thirty-first floor of St Garts.

Therefore, aided and abetted by the Doctor and his other new friend ‘Just McShane’, Hex decides to investigate. Trouble is, everything that goes on at the hospital is being observed and noted by the occupants of the thirty-first floor. Occupants who are none too pleased that people are poking their noses into business that doesn’t concern them. Occupants who will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that no one discovers the truth.

86. THE REAPING (click to order)

86. THE REAPING
On the morning of 9 May 1984, Peri woke up. She was expecting to spend the day relaxing in Lanzarote and, that evening, leave her mother and stepfather to go travelling with some guys she’d only just met.

But things don’t always go as expected ­ as her friends and family discover when, four months later, she returns home having travelled further than anyone could have imagined.

Meanwhile her friend, Katherine Chambers, mourns her father and Peri finds herself meeting some other familiar faces.

87. THE GATHERING (click to order)

87. THE GATHERING
On the morning of 22 September 2006, Tegan woke up. She was expecting to spend the day relaxing at home and, that evening, tolerate a party thrown to celebrate her 46th birthday. But things don’t always go as expected, ­it’s been over twenty years since she chose to leave the Doctor. She’s got a job, mates… a life.

Meanwhile her friend, Katherine Chambers, makes a decision that could change all their lives, and Tegan discovers that you can never really escape the past.

1.3. THE BLUE TOOTH (click to order)

1.3. THE BLUE TOOTH
“I suppose that was one of the Doctor’s most endearing qualities: the ability to make the bizarre and the terrifying seem utterly normal.”When Liz Shaw’s friend Jean goes missing, the Doctor and U.N.I.T. are drawn to the scene to investigate. Soon Liz discovers a potential alien invasion that will have far-reaching affects on her life… and the Doctor is unexpectedly re-united with an old enemy…

17. SWORD OF ORION (click to order)

17. SWORD OF ORION
One of our very best-selling releases. Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor along with his brand new companion Charley, in action with the Cybermen for the first time.The human race is locked in deadly combat with the ‘Android Hordes’ in the Orion System. Light years from the front line, the Doctor and Charley arrive to sample the dubious delights of a galactic backwater, little suspecting that the consequences of the Orion War might reach them there. But High Command’s lust for victory knows no bounds.

Trapped aboard a mysterious derelict star destroyer, the Doctor and Charley find themselves facing summary execution. But this is only the beginning of their troubles. The real danger has yet to awaken.

Until, somewhere in the dark recesses of the Garazone System, the Cybermen receive the signal for reactivation…

If you like comic books and still have that playful side, you need to see this.

LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite provides the ultimate blend of action and humor guaranteed to entertain fanboys of all ages. The film finds Lex Luthor taking jealousy to new heights when fellow billionaire Bruce Wayne wins the Man of the Year Award. To top Wayne’s accomplishment, Lex begins a campaign for President – and to create the atmosphere for his type of fear-based politics, he recruits the Joker to perfect a Black LEGO Destructor Ray. While wreaking havoc on Gotham, Lex successfully destroys Batman’s technology – forcing the Caped Crusader to reluctantly turn to Superman for help.

The film will be available as a Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and OnDemand starting May 21, 2013. It is now available to own via Digital Download. Initial Blu-ray Combo Pack & DVD release will include an exclusive Lego Clark Kent/Superman figurine on pack while supplies last.

Story 121
Written by Eric Saward, directed by Peter Grimwade
Transmitted: 8 – 16 March 1982

The TARDIS has become far too uncomfortable and the Doctor needs space to think. Adric has impertinently insisted on charting a path home through the CVE to the dimension of his origin, something that could rip the craft apart, and he refuses to listen to reason. Finding solace in a cave rife with dinosaur bones, the Doctor attempts to find some peace, but becomes a suspect in the grisly murder of an archaeological survey team. Trapped by investigating military, the Doctor tries to explain himself, but is interrupted by a pair of faceless androids firing death rays from their palms. There is much more to the strange situation that the Doctor can guess, and he will soon realize that the planet Earth is the target of a deadly attack from a very familiar foe from his past.

The nineteenth season of Doctor Who was a reinvention of the program, a much needed jab in the arm from the seven year stretch of Tom Baker. Yet the year to date was riddled with production problems regarding scripts, rotating script editors and more. John Nathan-Turner had lost Christopher H. Bidmead and Antony Read in short order, but gained Eric Saward who was massaging the script ‘The Enemy Within’ by Christopher Priest which would have involved the Doctor facing off against a weird creature that lived in the heart of the TARDIS. It would have also seen the departure of Adric, a character intended as an Artful Dodger-type who had fallen rather flat. Yet the script failed to come together and with nothing else planned, Saward swooped in with ‘Sentinel,’ a story that would eventually morph into Earthshock, the story that brought sufficient impact to the nineteenth season for new fans and old and brought a beloved monster out of cold storage.

The opening episode is among the best in the program’s history as it starts off normal as you like with the TARDIS bicker fest and the Doctor landing in an unknown situation. But the supporting cast of characters searching through the caves adds tension. The Doctor has inadvertently wandered into a crime scene, one in which the killers are still in residence. As he approaches the danger, so does the rescue party who are being systematically picked off as they descend deeper into the labyrinth.

The innocuous title of the story leaves the identity of the killers a mystery to the viewer as well as the Doctor. So determined was John Nathan-Turner to keep the reveal of the Cybermen a secret that he refused a Radio Times cover featuring the newly redesigned Cybermen and blocked off the viewing gallery. He was also determined to keep Matthew Waterhouse’s departure a secret by including him in the following story as a flashback.

What a cunning guy!

Peter Davison’s first year was very unusual. The opening conclusion to Logopolis, Castrovalva, was a mind-bender, and Christopher Bailey’s Kinda too far ahead of its time for some. The more traditional Four to Doomsday and the Visitation served as steadier ground, but there was something missing from the program that had been absent for some time. In many ways, Doctor Who goes through periods of introspection and reinvention, looking to its past for inspiration. In this case, Earthshock was not just a return of the Cybermen, but a hearkening back to the Troughton era when monsters lurked in shadows and lumbered toward the viewer, hands out-stretched in horrifying deadly purpose. Likewise the Doctor himself had become more flawed, not at all the flippant Superman Tom Baker had portrayed who laughed in the face of danger and offered sweets to glowing skulls.

In his first year as the Doctor. Davison was given little direction on how to portray the character other than ‘not Tom Baker.’ His performance can often come off as overwhelmed and breathless, but if you look deeper there is a lot going on there. This Doctor is a somewhat reluctant adventurer who inherited the laundry of his past. He seems more drawn toward tranquil pass times such as cricket and drinking tea than fighting evil. Yet when he encounters evil forces or insidious plots, he is more likely to assimilate the situation and only comes to the rescue in the eleventh hour. This was Davison’s justification behind the all beige costume with red piping that visually subdued his presence rather than popping out as Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee had.

At only 30, Davison was a celebrated TV actor at the time and looked at the role of the Doctor as too good of an opportunity to pass up. More attuned to playing roles that are informed by background, it is impressive to see an unusual version of the Doctor that is both charming and socially awkward all at once. Surrounded by companions, he continually disappoints them in the face of adversity! It’s no wonder that the phrase ‘Brave heart, Tegan,’ was coined by this incarnation to plead for courage and optimism when facing insurmountable odds (a line improvised by Davison on the spot).

Peter Davison’s Doctor was a genius (evidenced is in the fact that he defuses the Cyber-bomb and turns the hatch leading to the bridge into an unstable substance trapping the invading Cybermen), yet his mind is frazzled. He can be seen calculating and plotting outcomes at several points through the story, but in the end he is just a man who is unusually adept with mechanics. It is his technical skill and nerves of steel that lead to the destruction of the androids and the defusing of the bomb they are guarding. But the mystery remains, what was the bomb for and who put it there?

In deep space, an old enemy has been battling him at every move, frustrated by this stranger’s intelligence. The Cybermen have yet to show their hand, but are unmasked to the viewer in a truly shocking climax.

After the Cybermen are revealed as the main threat, Saward wisely reminds the audience just who they are. This is clever as the Cybermen had not been seen since 1974 and before that not since 1968!

A beloved monster second only to the Daleks in popularity, the Cybermen were mostly a 1960′s craze along with the Yeti and Ice Warriors. But through the use of rarely seen flashback footage, we are reminded that these creeps have fought the Doctor many times before. This is a big deal in an age when repeats were rare, the internet non-existent and most of the episodes lost.

As some fans put it, this short sequence in which the Cyber Leader recounts the identity of the Doctor and his race’s many encounters with him in the past creates a connection all the way back to the beginning of Doctor Who, making it feel like one ongoing story (for the first time in easily ten years).

The Doctor tracks the signal to the bomb to a freighter in deep space where another mystery waits. Again, the Doctor wanders around and is again a prime suspect for murder as he is found next to a pair of corpses in the freighter’s hold. But there is more going on than anyone suspects. The captain is more concerned with her pay for delivering the cargo and her twitchy security officer Ringway is making her life miserable. Power failures run rampant through the ship and a heightened level of security surrounding Earth means more delays. Little does she know that she is carrying an army of Cybermen to Earth to attack a special meeting of Earth forces. It’s an impressive twist on a contemporary plot idea in which terrorists commandeer a plane for safe passage to their target.

Whereas in previous stories the Cybermen are shown as cunning and cruel creatures ruled by logic, they are downright ruthless here, even stating that the Doctor must ‘suffer’ for his past actions. Saward has come under for for giving emotions to an emotionless race, but I think that is a misunderstanding of the Cybermen. They do not possess a full spectrum of emotions, but they are driven toward their goal, much like a predator is compelled to kill out of instinct. The Cyber Leader toys with the Doctor by threatening to kill his companions not because he enjoys watching the Doctor squirm but to remind his enemy of the weakness of emotion and attachment.

The actual first meeting between the Doctor and the Cyber Leader is very impressive. Actor David Banks towers over Davison and clad as he is in a modified flight suit, appears strangely alien and bizarre. The Doctor attempts to find some kind of emotional connection with the Cybermen which is laughable since they are so INhuman, yet he tries out of sheer desperation. All of this heightens the drama as he is no longer the man with all the answers, just a man determined to fight the good fight as best as he can. From this moment on, the Doctor is clutching at straws and his options are rapidly slipping away. When he must finally surrender his TARDIS to the Cybermen and leave Adric behind on the freighter, he is overcome with anxiety, dumbfounded with impotence.

Again, portraying the Doctor as being this powerless (without later saving the day) would never happen today.

So desperate is the Doctor that he at one point raises a gun at a Cyberman (an image that was weirdly reproduced for posters that year). Saward’s script shows just how remarkably smart and resourceful the Doctor is, but in the end, the Cybermen have prepared for every eventuality, through the use of the androids, the bomb, the mole on the freighter and finally by taking control of the ship’s computer with technology that cannot be hacked without sufficient time. The Doctor has lost. This is such an important moment that it carries over into Davison’s final year when he chooses to kill Davros and later the Master! He finally realizes the stakes of the game he has been playing and how lucky he had been up to Adric’s death.

Earthshock is full of amazing images and while the cast complained that director Peter Grimwade was a taskmaster one cannot argue with the final result, a spine-tingling thriller that would be remembered for generations. It brought back the Cybermen in a big way in much the same way that Resurrection of the Daleks brought menace back to the Daleks two years later. Sadly, the Cybermen would become rather boring and lose their impact in subsequent outings, but Earthshock saw them at their menacing best!

The soundtrack by Malcolm Clarke of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop is nothing short of stunning. Yes, the same madman behind the atmospheric and odd Sea Devils soundtrack provided the moody audio landscape for this one. After some of the strange incidental music by Paddy Kingsland which was mainly evocative of synthesized flutes, it was something else entirely to hear throbbing beats, metallic clangs and strained warbling mechanical wailing. The alien atmosphere and sense of dread is evident through all four parts from the dark and mysterious caves to the claustrophobic confines of the star freighter. Topping this all off is a signature tune of the Cybermen, an eerily threatening march that clearly announced a classic monster had returned.

‘Cyber Strength’ by Malcom Clarke

Of course one of the main impacts of Earthshock is the loss of Adric which was played incredibly well all things considered. Given that the companions of modern Who are constantly portrayed as the most special people who have ever lived, it is an interesting choice to have the Doctor and Adric at odds with each other throughout their relationship rather than have Adric raised to some kind of near-mythical importance. In fact, most fans despised Adric and still do. It’s the age old case of a too clever audience refusing to take the bait of accepting a smart kid as being ‘just like them.’

Throughout Earthshock, it becomes clear that the stakes are higher than usual and that the Doctor is out of his depths, wandering into a mystery beginning with a slaughtering of innocents to a devastating bomb to an entire space craft full of kill crazy robots. THEN things get really bad when the Cybermen turn the craft into a time traveling explosive aimed at the planet Earth! As became the usual trend in later Eric Saward scripts, the death toll is rather high. However, in difference to his later work such as Resurrection of the Daleks and Revelation of the Daleks, the sacrifice by Adric in Earthshock is a noble one. Granted, Adric was hamstrung by fate, but he bravely faces his fate rather than pleading for rescue. It’s quite touching (and something we would not see today, I wager). Tegan and Nyssa plead with the Doctor to save him, but sadly, this is one point in which he cannot intervene. The Web of Time is resolute and irrefutable, making Adric’s death part of a landmark in history.

As a return to form for a classic baddie, Earthshock gets top marks. The Cybermen are creepy, lurk in the shadows and attack en masse. They cause high levels of destruction, but humanity survives by a hair’s breadth. What strikes me as particularly chilling is the mocking laughter of the Cyberman as he fires his rifle at the ship computer Adric had been working on.

The first death of a companion since the 1960′s, Earthshock was unnerving and rattled viewers who suddenly wrote in to defend the previously unloved character. The ratings soared which is unfortunate due to the lackluster finale of the season, Timeflight.

To celebrate the return of the Cybermen and continue the exploration of the classic series, Earthshock will be shown this Sunday, May 26th, at 8:00 pm ET/PT as part of the Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited – The Fifth Doctor on BBC America.

I have been paying some attention to BBC America scheduling of these classic stories and am pleased with the choices they have made (though personally I would not have gone for the Aztecs for Hartnell). This weekend is a special thrill as the Cybermen will be returning in Nightmare in Silver.

Doctor Who Cybermen Masterpiece bust is available exclusively from Forbidden Planet

The Doctor Who Davison Masterpiece statue is available for pre-order from Forbidden Planet

Also recommended:

Doctor Who: Earthshock

Doctor Who: Spare Parts

Doctor Who the Handbook: The Fifth Doctor

Doctor Who: The Eighties

Doctor Who Cybermen

Not sure where your local comic shop is? Try comicshoplocator.com!

(note: all information including ad copy is from the publisher)
If you can’t make it to the shop, just click on any of the images below to be taken to an online retailer. I don’t get any referrals for these sales, I’m just doing my bit to spread the word on some neat products.

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Chin Music #1

Chin Music #1
Shaw is a man on the run and lost in time. Fleeing ancient enemies, Shaw finds himself in prohibition-era Chicago surrounded by gangers and demons alike and caught between law enforcement and the local supernatural underground.

CHIN MUSIC is a tale of mysticism and violence like nothing you’ve experienced before.

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DC Batman Automobilia Figure Coll Mag #6 Detective #156

DC Batman Automobilia Figure Coll Mag #6 Detective #156
he Batman Automobilia Collection gives collectors the most definitive collection of Batman’s vehicles ever assembled.

These amazing die-cast vehicles reproduce the Batmobiles that have been seen in comics, on television, and in the blockbuster Batman movies since Batman’s debut in 1939. Each Batmobile comes with a unique 3-D lenticular backdrop that creates a detailed scene of the Dark Knight and his vehicle. Perfectly reproduced at 1:43-scale and made of zinc alloy, these die-case vehicles have additional metal castings for extra detail, including gadgets.

Every vehicle also comes with an informative 12-page magazine that looks at the history of the vehicle — and Batman himself.

Begin your collection with the Batmobile from Detective Comics #400 (#5) and the Batmobile from Detective Comics #156 (#4).
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Justice League Of America #3

Justice League Of America #3
A new Secret Society is forming–but which of its members has the power to attack the Justice League from within?
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Dark Shadows #16

Dark Shadows #16
By: Mike Raicht, Guiu Vilanova, Francesco Francavilla
Willie and Quentin recruit unlikely allies for their battle to save Collinwood.

Meanwhile, Barnabas makes a desperate attempt to change his, and his family’s, future. . . but will it be all for naught?

A mysterious figure is haunting Collinwood. Could the changes Barnabas is making play right into the hands of one of his oldest foes?
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Doctor Who Auntie Matter Audio

Doctor Who Auntie Matter
Starring Tom Baker and Mary Tamm as the fourth Doctor and Romana. It had all started so well. Finally found a filly worthy of taking to Basset Hall for the blasted Aunt’s approval, bright young charmer called Romana, then everything goes to pot. Now some Doctor cove’s running round the place waving a wand at everything and people are firing weapons at us. It’s all terribly uncivilised. Looks like your hero’s goose might be a trifle on the cooked side. It’s all so dashed frightening. I wonder if it’ll be done for tea?
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Batman #20

Batman #20
By: Scott Snyder, Alex Maleev, Greg Capullo
A strange visitor comes to Gotham City when tragedy delivers the team-up you’ve been asking for since the start of The New 52!
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Gorgo

Gorgo
From VCI! A volcanic eruption in the North Atlantic brings to the surface a 65-foot prehistoric monster. Two treasure divers capture the creature and take it to London when it is put on display in a circus. A scientist discovers that the creature is only an infant, and sure enough Gorgo’s mother comes thundering ashore to reclaim her offspring and return to the sea – but not before she trashes a generous portion of London!
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Steed & Mrs Peel TPB Vol. 01 Very Civil Armageddon

Steed & Mrs Peel TPB Vol. 01 Very Civil Armageddon
By: Mark Waid, Steve Bryant, Joseph Michael Linsner
Saving the world in style! The British icon THE AVENGERS, one of the longest running TV shows in history, returns in comic-book form with all-new adventures! John Steed and Emma Peel face off against a reformed Hellfire Club, led by the children of their past antagonists. This new incarnation does not look to the past, but instead seeks to warp the British Isles to fit their idea of what ‘the future’ should look like. Eisner Award winning writer Mark Waid (IRREDEEMABLE, DAREDEVIL) begins a new era of Spy-Fi action alongside Caleb Monroe (BATMAN), and artists Steve Bryant (ATHENA VOLTAIRE) & Will Sliney (FEARLESS DEFENDERS)!
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Batman Media Lamp

Batman Media Lamp
Dressed in his blue and grey outfit, this 12-inch tall lamp features the Caped Crusader sporting a cylindrical head/shade, just like Funko’s previous Star Wars lamps! Window box packaging.
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Secret Avengers #4

Secret Avengers #4
By: Nick Spencer, Luke Ross, Tomm Coker
‘Tehran’

The Scientist Supreme and the new High Council of AIM ignite global war!

The Secret Avengers welcome their newest recruit: The Indestructible Hulk!
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Planet Of The Apes Cataclysm TPB Vol. 01

Planet Of The Apes Cataclysm TPB Vol. 01
By: Corinna Bechko, Damian Couceiro, Alex Ross
THE END IS JUST BEGINNING! Eight years before astronaut George Taylor fell from the stars…the stars fell on the PLANET OF THE APES! Once the destroyer of human civilization, the Alpha-Omega bomb of yore has slept silent in the dark side of the moon. One mad monk seeks to wake the beast…and all of ape society is at risk. It’s a race against time as Doctor Zaius struggles to find an end to the madness that has engulfed all that he knows! Collecting issues 1-4 of the critically acclaimed series from Corinna Bechko (HEATHENTOWN, FEAR ITSELF: THE HOME FRONT) and Gabriel Hardman (HULK, AGENTS OF ATLAS) along with fan-favorite artist Damian Couceiro (INCORRUPTIBLE)!
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Phantasm II DVD

Phantasm II DVD
From Shout! Factory! A young man and his friend joins forces to hunt down and destroy The Tall Man, an evil undertaker who terrorized them. Exploding with special effects and unparalleled thrills, Phantasm II climaxes with a blood-curdling conclusion that you have to see to believe!
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Doctor Who Companion Chron Flames Cadiz Audio

Doctor Who Companion Chron Flames Cadiz Audio
By: Marc Platt
A new adventure with the First Doctor, as told by his companions Ian and Susan, performed by William Russell and Carole Ann Ford. The TARDIS materializes in Spain in the late Sixteenth Century. The country is at war with England, and the travelers find themselves on the wrong side of the battle lines. When Ian and his new friend Esteban are captured by the Inquisition, the Doctor, Susan, and Barbara plan to rescue them. But these are dark days in human history. And heretics face certain death.
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Star Wars #5

Star Wars #5
By: Brian Wood, Carlos D’Anda, Gabe Eltaeb, Rodolfo Migliari
When Princess Leia is caught between two squadrons of TIE fighters, her undercover scouting may be at an end. But Luke Skywalker is doing his best to disobey Leia’s own orders, and to once again save the princess. Time is short and the Empire is closing in!

“Brian Wood and Carlos D’Anda truly have the making of a classic on their hands. If you ever wondered if Star Wars could ever recapture that childlike glee of those earliest of memories, wonder no more. Star Wars is back and it’s never been better.” -Newsarama
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DC Heroclix Teen Titans 24 Ct Primer

DC Heroclix Teen Titans 24 Ct Primer
DC HeroClix: Teen Titans offer a whole new level of play and collectability with the introduction of Team Bases!

Utilizing SwitchClix technology, specific HeroClix figures can be exchanged from single base play, to their corresponding Team Base, and back again! Unlock a whole new arena of strategy with Team Bases!

With 88 figures to collect, and 10 figures with all-new dial designs, popular sub-themes include Teen Titans new and old, Young Justice, the Fearsome Five, and more! Available in Gravity Feed Primer packs, Booster Bricks (eight 5-figure boosters, plus one super booster), and a Ravagers Fast Forces Pack.

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Harbinger #12 (Regular Reeder Cover)

Harbinger #12 (Regular Reeder Cover)
By: Joshua D. M. Dysart, Khari Evans, Amy Reeder
HARBINGER WARS: HARBINGER continues here! Battle weary, the Renegades follow Peter Stanchek’s strange dreams and visions into the Southwest American desert, unsure of what exactly they’ll find. Under the duress of constant conflict, and led by the words of the Bleeding Monk – who bleeds but does not die – our band of teens begins to fray, barely even a cohesive group by the time they reach Las Vegas, Nevada – now rechristened ‘Psiot Nation.’ Here Peter and his crew come face to face with the Harbingers who have escaped from Project Rising Spirit’s prisonÖHarbingers who call themselves GENERATION ZERO.
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Archer & Armstrong #0

Archer & Armstrong #0
By: Fred Van Lente, Clayton Henry
The true story of the Epic (Fail) of Giglamesh! Original series artist and Harbinger Wars superstar Clayton Henry returns to tell a tale of the early days of the man known as Armstrong! How early? How’s ancient Ur sound? For the first time, the 100% true story behind the Epic of Gilgamesh can be toldÖ A tale of three warrior brothers, the Anni-Padda – or as you may know them, ARMSTRONG, the ETERNAL WARRIOR and TIMEWALKER – on a quest to the mysterious Faraway to bring back its immortal Boon. What they find is a lost land full of danger, excitement – and the greatest secret of the Valiant Universe! Plus: this issue tees up the next arc of A&A, beginning this June in issue #10!
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Batman Death By Design TPB

Batman Death By Design TPB
n this original graphic novel from superstar writer/designer Chip Kidd and artist Dave Taylor, Gotham City is undergoing one of the most expansive construction booms in its history. The most prestigious architects from across the globe have buildings in various phases of completion all over town. As chairman of the Gotham Landmarks Commission, Bruce Wayne has been a key part of this boom, which signals a golden age of architectural ingenuity for the city. And then, the explosions begin.

All manner of design-related malfunctions-faulty crane calculations, sturdy materials suddenly collapsing, software glitches, walkways giving way and more-cause casualties across the city. This bizarre string of seemingly random catastrophes threatens to bring down the whole construction industry. Fingers are pointed as Batman must somehow solve the problem and find whoever is behind it all.
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Slaine Grail War GN

Slaine Grail War GN
By: Pat Mills, Steve Tappin
Slaine MacRoth, the Celtic warrior and High King of the tribes of the Earth Goddess Danu, continues his journey through time. Slaine arrives in 13th-century France where he comes face to face with Crusader Simon de Montfort, the sworn enemy of the Cathars. While searching for the tortured reincarnation of his lover Niamh, Slaine is compelled to join forces with De Montfort in order to seek out the Grail Stone. The quest won’t be easy, however – Slaine will have to defeat the dark forces of El if he is to stand any chance of saving Niamh’s soul.
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Hellraiser The Road Below TPB Vol. 01

Hellraiser The Road Below TPB Vol. 01
By: Brandon Seifert, Haemi Jang, Tim Bradstreet
Kirsty Cotton: Year One! Kirsty Cotton has gone from a human resisting the forces of Hell, to the ruler of light in the darkest of places. Shortly after becoming Hell’s Priestess, she was called to New Orleans by a holder of the LeMarchand Device — a woman looking to end a decades-long family feud by any means necessary… Writer Brandon Seifert (WITCH DOCTOR, HELLRAISER: THE DARK WATCH) and internationally acclaimed artist Haemi Jang unite to tell the story of the first time Kirsty Cotton was called to Earth as the new Pinhead. This collected edition of the hit mini-series reveals Kirsty’s first days in Hell, and how the road there is always paved with good intentions. Collects Hellraiser: The Road Below #1-4.
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Green Lantern Corps #20

Green Lantern Corps #20
By: Peter J. Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin, Andy Kubert
‘WRATH OF THE FIRST LANTERN’ epilogue!

In the aftermath of their battle against the First Lantern and the Guardians, it’s up to Guy Gardner, John Stewart and the other survivors to try to put the Corps back together, or decide if there should even BE a Corps anymore. Join Peter Tomasi and Fernando Pasarin for the epic conclusion of their run!
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Iron Man #258.2

Iron Man #258.2
By: David Michelinie, Dave Ross
Micheline. Layton. Two voices that defined Iron Man come together to tell the untold story of his most dire hour – Armor Wars 2!
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Doctor Who Magazine #459

Doctor Who Magazine #459
Packed with exclusive photos and interviews, DWM looks forward to the brand new episodes of the 2013 series; the full-color comic strip continues; showrunner Steven Moffat answers more of your questions; The Fact of Fiction puts another story under the microscope; all the latest audios and DVDs are previewed and reviewed; plus in-depth interviews and features, all the very latest news, prize-winning competitions and much, much more.
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Thor God Of Thunder #8

Thor God Of Thunder #8
By: Jason Aaron, Esad Ribic
GODBOMB Part Two of Five

Thor in chains. Gorr transcendent. All hope for divinity lost. As the clock ticks down on one very large bomb, as enslaved gods look to the skies for a savior, enter. . . the Girls of Thunder?
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Roy Thomas Presents The Heap Slipcase Ed Vol. 01

Roy Thomas Presents The Heap Slipcase Ed Vol. 01
Comics’ original muck monster, The Heap, returns in this, the first of a three volume set collecting his original adventures! Featuring art by Infantino, Starr, Bolle, Peddy, Leav, Barry, and more, Roy Thomas Presents The Heap Volume 1 boasts a new cover by Michael Ploog and a 5,000 word introduction by Roy Thomas. Limited to 300 slipcased copies, with an exclusive art print signed by Mike Ploog and Roy Thomas.
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Doctor Who Wrong Doctors Audio

Doctor Who The Wrong Doctors
By: Matt Filton
Starring Colin Baker and Bonnie Langford as the Sixth Doctor and Mel. With Evelyn gone, the Doctor sets course for his destiny — in the form of his first meeting with Miss Melanie Bush, a computer programmer from the village of Pease Pottage — and blissfully unaware that her future is on its way, in his TARDIS. Make that two TARDISes. Because at that very moment, a slightly younger Doctor is flying into Pease Pottage, too, returning his future companion Melanie Bush to her rightful place and time, after they were flung together during the course of his Time Lord trial.
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Wolverine #3

Wolverine #3
By: Paul Cornell, Alan Davis
Guest-starring Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.!

How will Logan take down a foe with no permanent body to slash and claw?

And what does the Watcher have to do with all of this?

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Creepy Comics #12

Creepy Comics #12
By: Richard Corben, John Arcudi, Ron Marz, Dan Braun, Peter Bagge, Richard Corben, Peter Bagge, Julian Totino Tedesco, Richard P. Clark, Richard Corben
New terror from legendary artist Richard Corben reveals that six feet of soil can’t keep a good man down! John Arcudi (B.P.R.D.) and Julian Totino Tedesco (Uncanny X-Force) explore the aftermath of a deadly plane crash in the ghastly “Pack Leader.” And join Ron Marz and Richard P. Clark for a delightfully twisted fairytale!

* New story written and drawn by Richard Corben (Ragemoor)!

* Creepy Family strips from Peter Bagge (Hate)!
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Uncanny X-Force #4

Uncanny X-Force #4
By: Sam Humphries, Ron Garney, Kris Anka
The first arc comes to a crazy climactic end!

What have Fantomex and Cluster been up to while Bishop has been killing the rest of X-Force?
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Uncanny Avengers #8

Uncanny Avengers #8
By: Rick Remender, Daniel Acuna, John Cassaday
Xavier is dead, now begins the age of The Apocalypse Twins! Now begins Ragnarök and it’s all Thor’s fault!

S.W.O.R.D. Peak station is attacked by Apocalypse’s Ship! A Celestial’s fate so shocking, so impossible, it will rock the Marvel Universe to its core.

This is it, Ragnarök is now and not even the Uncanny Avengers can hold it back!

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Superior Spider-Man By Martin Poster

Superior Spider-Man By Martin Poster
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