Calling all Time Lords! Ready the Tardis! The Doctor is here! I love Doctor Who with David Tennant, so I’m a little apprehensive about the upcoming series where he’s replaced by the much younger doc. So when I was in London, I picked up a copy of Doctor Who Adventures (#123, July 9-15, 2009) even though it’s not a traditional comic book. Doctor Who Adventures is actually a magazine from BBC Magazines that features a comic book section. The magazine part takes up the largest portion of the publication with photos (including pictures of readers dressed as the Doctor, and photo-spreads of the metal-munching Stingrays, The Tritovore Ship, Lazarus Revealed, and pin-ups of The Daleks, and even Jack Barrowman), Doctor Who’s “Top 10 Fights And Battles,” puzzles, and a “Where’s Waldo”-inspired feature called “Who’s Where?” by Christopher Cooper.

But the thing of real interest to comic fans is the Doctor Who comic strip, “Starstruck” by Craig Donaghy and artist John Ross. It’s short, just 4 pages and feels almost like a bit from a larger piece, but it has some charm, even though it’s been aged down to be very kid-friendly, like a Scholastic Books version of the Doctor.

In a further effort to destroy the collectibility of the magazine, this issue comes with a squirt gun version of Doctor Who’s Sonic Screwdriver in a blister pack that’s taped to the front cover. All for just £2.10, which makes it about $3.75US. It’s a nice value if you’re traveling with young Doctor Who fans who would like something different while waiting for the next episode to air.

And here’s a note to the folks at BBC Magazines: you can actually use the internets as a way to promote a magazine and make it appealing to your audience. Your listing for the Doctor has none of the charm of the actual series and nothing at all about the contents, or upcoming issues, or previously published material. A three-sentence listing that basically says “here’s something we do” is probably not effective promotion.

[Artwork: Cover to Doctor Who Adventures 123, ©BBC]