Adventures in time and space, 500 and counting!

Doctor Who Magazine has just published its five hundredth issue with all the magnificence the Guiness World Record-breaking magazine deserves, in not one but two 116-page magazines, a boxed giant party. Current editor Tom Spilsbury asked readers to showcase their collections, which set Twitter alight with comic stacked high in piles, shelves bulging and floors paved with covers. Why not? From October 1979 to June 2016 is a fantastic run, for many people it's not a collection but part of your life, from a childhood love to an adult obsession. DWM welcomed everyone, whether you dipped in and out or proudly own all 500. There is never any fan snobbery, which is how it should be. So I decided to join in too. I counted up my copies and lay out my reasonably size collection of 182 issues, together with 16 Specials, 26 Doctor Who Classic Comics and 8 Doctor Who Poster Magazines, plus one very special Doctor Who Weekly souvenir issue.

A nostalgic way to look back at my life with images of where and when I read the magazine. This got me thinking just how important it was and still is to the comic and magazine industry and its fans. I found myself arguing that the world of comics wouldn't be the same, nor would the magazines we see on supermarket shelves. Now don't laugh but there are unquestionable points to back this up. Let's start at the beginning with the Fantastic First Issue. 11th of October 1979 the start of an adventure of a lifetime. 

Dez Skinn was shaping MarvelUK into a brand that he felt would survive the coming decade with his Marvel Revolution, monthlies where promoted for more mature readers, with The Savage Sword of Conan, Ramage Magazine, Marvel Superheroes and his own Starburst magazine. The weeklies where strengthen with Spider-man getting the cream of superhero action, The Mighty World of Marvel becoming simply Marvel comic, the boys own style action/adventure package, the Hulk got his own weekly with British artists and writers given a platform to show off and Star Wars Weekly left to blossom in glorious sci fi gloss. The Star War Weekly, Hulk Weekly and Starburst productions lead the way for a new fan favourite to be born. A weekly comic with fantastic tales from our TV hero. Now even though I was the perfect age to get this comic, being a comic mad nine year old, but my local distribution was poor. A problem that's marred many a magazine. I wish I had a TARDIS so that I could go back in time and tell my young self to try harder. Whenever I'd get a chance to read those old stories, whether in reprints in specials/Doctor Who Classic Comics or buy back issues I jump at them with adolescent joy. The greatest British creators of the time, if not ever worked on those strips. Not just the lead Doctor Who adventure but the back up strips too. Pat Mill, John Wagner, Dave Gibbon on the Doctors stories and back ups from Paul Neary, David Lloyd, Steve Moore, Steve Dillon and Alan Moore, all worked magic in those weekly Doctorless "missions to the unknown." I know people will say that Skinn was using those creators in House of Hammer/Horror, Hulk comic, Star Wars weekly and Starburst, as and when he could. And that 2000AD and Skinn's own Warrior are better examples of the British comic revolution, but Doctor Who Weekly really pushed those talents into the view of not just comic fans but TV fans too. All that time and space shenanigans, plus articles on the TV series with behind the scenes and passed story reviews and comments. Early signs of a bright future.

In less than a year it went from a weekly to a monthly with September 1980 issue 44. Some may claim that this was a sign of decline, but it was a shrewd move that would save the comic and give birth to the magazine we know and love today. The strips stayed the same wonderfully high standard, with Steve Parkhouse, Alan McKenzie, John Ridgway, Mick McMahan and Mick Austin joining an already stellar cast of creators. The articles got better too. Early signs to a publication growing up with its readership.

Now I wasn't a collector of the mag in those early days, mores the pity, but I would dip in when the chance occurred, I was probably more a superhero comic fan but I've always extremely enjoyed the TV series, so it was alway a pleasure to read the mag when I fancied a change. More so when the TV series left our screens in those wilderness years. 

Many TV production talents worked on the magazine with Gareth Roberts, Paul Cornell, Andrew Cartnel, Gary Russell producing comic strip scripts, TV story board artist Mike Collins always showing fantastic artwork and even the Doctor himself, Colin Baker writing a brilliant script that made its was into a DWM special, The Age of Chaos.

Other great British talent who worked on the strip are worth naming, Alan Abnett, Grant Morrison, Jamie Delamo, Alan Barnes, Simon Furman, John Freeman, Arthur Ransom, Lee Sullivan and Adrian Salmon amongst many more.

 But another reason why the magazine is so important is that it kept going while the parent program was off air. Not just ticking over but loud and proud about how great the show was. It never slagged off the production when it was on TV, so when it rested the magazine took hold up the reins and steered it through the storm. Together with those Virgin novels, the comic strip was the only place to get your fix of the Doctors adventures. It was the video age so I would pay and watch all the tapes I could buy, but the strip was very important to me. In many ways more important than the articles in the magazine, at least to me at the time. My fix of Doctor Whoness. Although those articles told us just how good the show was and soon others would try to show us too.

 The magazines patience payed off when Philip Segal brought the good Doctor back, with a good intentioned TV movie. I really loved it, I really loved how the magazine embraced it. It was a good time to be a DWM reader, cracking articles, great coverage and a brilliant strip. The Paul McGann Doctor strip has always been one of my favourites. If only the TV version had been as much a success. The TV Doctor disappeared once more, but not for long, maybe it wasn't a unsuccessful as many though. A man called Russell had thought it was marvellous too.

 Like the Doctor the Magazine has always Regenerated. New life was given to the fandom with the strong return of the Doctor. Russell T Davies latest reboot exploded onto the TV screen with action, adventure and a lot of heart! The patience of the fans lead by the Magazine had really payed off this time. It wasn't just Cult TV fans or comic strip fans that got the best from this NuWho, but the every day viewer. You didn't have to be a fanatic to be a fan, you just had to enjoy the show. A new love was born, a new fan. What better place to explore this new world, to some at least was the new Magazine, where everybody was welcomed. This glossy, slick publication became the standard that every other sci fi magazine followed. Always fair, always fun, just the right amount of sucking up and the right amount of critic. Always a great read, that's why it's so important to the British comic/magazine industry. And maybe to the world.

It's never rested on its laurels, MarvelUK or Panini spun off some brilliant companions, with seasonal Summer, Autumn and Winter Specials, the spectacular Doctor Who Poster Magazine, Doctor Who Classic Comics with old Doctor tales from pre DWM and their own archives, plus the coffee table gloss of Doctor Who Magazine Special Editions. My summer holidays could never be the same without a thick bound edition to read while I relax.

 Thanks to all those editors Dez Skinn, Paul Neary, Alan McKenzie, Cefi Ridout, Stella Cronna, John Freeman, Gary Russell, Marcus Hearn, Gary Gillatt, Alan Barnes, Clayton Hickman and Tom Spilsbury. Happy 500 Doctor Who Magazine, Splendid mags, every issue. 

"Doctor? Doctor who?"

What's wrong with superhero movies?

Right cards on the table, I've never been a big DC comics fan. I enjoyed Teen Titans with Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, some Batman, Super Friends, the entire Vertigo line, some other but not many. As a young child I must have watched every Adam West Batman TV episode, which hasn't helped my impression that DC comic are just childish/camp superhero shenanigans. OK I know there as been some cutting edge story telling/artwork from DC, maybe I've missed out but I could never be bothered to trawl though the massive back catalogue to find it when I already had so much invested in the Marvel Universe with its realistic characters dealing with real problems, in my eyes comic that don't dum down. Yes comic are for kids but what kid wants to be treated as a kid? So when Batman vs Superman came out I wasn't excited like a child on Christmas Eve. 

I think by now anyone who really want to see Batman vs Superman must have seen, so whatever I think about it won't matter to them and nor should it. But I think even to those people what I have to say will be of interest. Just like any good film I'm hoping to make you think again, like I did after watching the movie. My history with DC movies hasn't been good, no matter what people say I hate the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, as classic as it maybe the ending of the first has prejudiced my opinion. Spinning the Earth backwards to turn back time suspends my disbelief too far. The Tim Burton Batman movies recovered my faith. Michael Keaton is still my favourite caped crusader, his versions of Bruce Wayne and Batman are perfect in a master class superhero ego and alter ego. Then it all went wrong again when Joel Schumacher took over. Entertaining movies maybe but you can never say classics. Then came a series of inconsistency from DC, V for Vendetta, Batman Begins, The Watchmen all good, Cat woman, Superman returns, Green Lantern, Jonah Hex, not good. Christopher Nolan probably single handedly saved superhero movies with his Dark Knight returns/Dark Knight rises movies. That lulled me into watching Man of Steel, a film of two half's. The first was amazing, a Superman film I really liked, then came the second half, oh dear! I think it's the point were Clark doesn't save his adopted father. Some would say he was following his fathers wishes, keeping his powers secret, it's an important plot point but come on, he's Superman! He could move faster than anyone would see to rescue him and as a plot device why not make him try but fail because he hesitated making his grief worse and his self exile more realistic. The wrong film making choice was taken. 

So then came Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice, DC's answer to the extremely successful Avengers movies. Could I watch it without any preconceptions? Well I went in without high expectations, I thought Ben Affleck was great casting, but why give him a comedy voice? Zack Snyder has made some great movies but some could he handle the expectations of fans? 

I watch with a mind as opened as I could, but why start with another Batman origin scene? We seen it so many times. Bruce racing through Metropolis was note perfect, showing Ben Affleck off as hero alter ego. I liked Henry Cavill God like Superman, remote from humanity and then Clark Kent, the caring journalist. Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luther irritated me. Where they trying to make him into a Joker clone? Does every Superman film have to have him in it? Aren't there any other good villains in Superman comics?I really really loved Gal Gadot, her version of Diana Prince was under played but so engaging. There was far too many unnecessary lengthy dream scenes, that took away from the really important, future film plot hinting scene with the flash. What I really can't grasp with it is why Superman doesn't at least try some good PR to get rid of the idea that he's a threat, surely his Clark Kent alter ego would want to do that. Batman would be driven to think that Superman may not be a threat, but why doesn't Superman investigate Batman motives more. It worked a Lex Luther's party when Superman gets distracted from checking out Bruce Wayne, with an emergency rescue. Some people would say you can't over use it, but they're wrong. Of course Clark Kent would constantly be distracted he's Superman for gods sake! In mine mind Lex Luther would create events to distract Superman from finding out his plot. 

So the first half was so so, the second really took off. We got to see what we came for. Action adventure, smart dialogue and a plot that comes together to make sense. I would've liked to have seen more metahumans, maybe some villains and characters from the Suicide Squad in the Luther files who aren't going to be members of the Justice League, but why didn't Bats and Sups get their own files? Flash and Aqua-man video clips were fine but less would have been more in Cyborgs case, making me more hungry to see a character who is less well know when he gets his own film. I did think Aqua-man was going to rescue the Krytonite spear from the deep water but letting Superman do it give him a Herculean task, which he deserved. A bit more Batman and Wonder Woman interaction would have been great too. 

The film could so easily have been better, with the script tightened up, less heavy handedness from the producers and movie company. There's always the feeling that they're try to out Marvel Marvel. The cast where great, the acting was great, the effects where great. There's nothing wrong with making a film for fans.

On the whole I enjoyed the movie, more days after I'd seen it, because the more I thought about it the better parts washed away the poorest scenes. It's not going to completely change my mind on the DC universe but I'm looking forward to the Wonder Woman film, a Justice League film and a Ben Affleck Batman film. So yes it was pretty great on a whole. But I still think that Zack Snyder's original Batman vs Superman movie was a million times better. What film I'm I talking about? The Watchmen of course. Read the graphic novel, watch the film and imagine what Alan Moore would have done with Justice league if DC had let him get his hands on them! 

Final word, DC isn't so bad, I still think Captain America Civil War will be better. 

Make Mine Marvel.