Sneak Peek: Doctor Who “Clockwise War” includes re-mastered “The Cybermen” strip by Alan Barnes and Adrian Salmon

Doctor Who: The Clockwise War Cover

On sale soon, Doctor Who: The Clockwise War – the latest collection of strips from Doctor Who Magazine –  not only presents the final Twelfth Doctor adventure, by Scott Gray and John Ross – but a remastered collection of “The Cybermen” story by Alan Barnes and Adrian Salmon and Doctor Who strips drawn by Charlie Adlard and John Ridgway.

Inspired by “The Daleks” comic strip in TV Century 21, “The Cybermen” was the first comic strip Adrian drew for Doctor Who Magazine, first published back in 1992 when he and writer Alan Barnes were new to the title and were given a page a month to tell the story by editor Gary Russell.

Doctor Who - The Cybermen by Alan Barnes and Adrian Salmon

Doctor Who – The Cybermen by Alan Barnes and Adrian Salmon

“We had a mad crazy time in which I cemented a lifelong friendship with Alan whilst re-imagining the Cybermen origin,” Adrian commented back in 2013.

“I was both surprised and thrilled to be told by Scott Gray that ‘The Cybermen’ was to be included in The Clockwise War,” he told downthetubes. “Frankly, I’d given up hope of seeing it reprinted, after years of fans asking me the question. To make things even better , Scott asked me to colour the first six episodes , which had been originally printed in black and white.

“The remastering process has taken over six weeks, using a combination of elements , ranging from nine original pages, a number black and white photocopies of the black and white art and the original printings. The challenge was to marry all these disparate parts together into a creative whole.

“I took advantage of modern technology to enhance and improve certain aspects of the strip without, I hope, losing its original visual intent.

“The last four part arc, ‘The Ugly Underneath’ , had the most revision , which included recreating the black and white line art digitally and changing some colour choices.”

The Clockwise War collection, with a cover by David Roach, features the entire strip, presented in re-mastered and presented in colour throughout for the very first time.

Along with “The Cybermen” we’re treated to the final regular Twelfth Doctor story published in Doctor Who Magazine, “The Clockwise War“, written by Scott Gray with art by John Ross. Plus, there are tales of the First, Fourth and Fifth Doctors, too – as played on television by William Hartnell, Tom Baker and Peter Davison – from both magazine and the Doctor Who Year Books.

"A Religious Experience" by Tim Quinn and John RidgwayA Religious Experience” by Tim Quinn and John Ridgway
First published in the Doctor Who Year Book 1994

The Seventh Doctor returns to a planet he first visited as the First, and finds out what happened after companion Ian Chesterton saved the natives from being eaten by a giant worm…

"Rest and Re-Creation" by Scott Gray and Charlie AdlardRest and Re-Creation” by Scott Gray and Charlie Adlard
First published in the Doctor Who Year Book 1994

The Fourth Doctor and Leela are enjoying a picnic on Shontaa, but their peace is interrupted by a duel to the death between Zygon warlords Anktra and Kestral, using a variety of host bodies…

"The Naked Flame" by Scott Gray and Charlie Adlard“The Naked Flame” by Scott Gray and Charlie Adlard
First published in the Doctor Who Year Book 1995

The Fourth Doctor and Sarah face danger on the planet Vortis, ‘The Web Planet’, where Menoptera face death from a compelling crystallin entity…

"Blood Invocation" by Paul Cornell and John Ridgway“Blood Invocation” by Paul Cornell and John Ridgway
First published in the Doctor Who Year Book 1995

The Fifth Doctor and his companions battle a vampire cult, a story tying in with the Missing Adventures Goth Opera novels.

"Star Beast II" by Gary Gillatt and Martin GeraghtyStar Beast II” by Gary Gillatt and Martin Geraghty
First published in the Doctor Who Year Book 1996

A follow up to the story “Star Beast” first published in Doctor Who Weekly Issues 19-26 – recently adapted into an audio adventure from Big Finish – Beep the Meep is freed on parole, after fifteen years of incarceration for his crimes… but he’s a wicked as ever and heads to Blackcastle for revenge on his people… can the Fourth Doctor stop him?

"Junkyard Demon II" by Alan Barnes and Adrian Salmon“Junkyard Demon II” by Alan Barnes and Adrian Salmon
First published in the Doctor Who Year Book 1996

This story is a  follow up to the “Junkyard Demon” written by written by Steve Parkhouse, with art by Mike McMahon and Adolfo Buylla, published in Doctor Who Monthly Issues 58 and 59, most recently re-published, in colour, in IDW’s Doctor Who Classics Omnibus Volume Two in 2014.

“I never quite understood the line ‘ I could Cocoa’ that the Doctor utters as he’s swept out of the TARDIS,” Adrian noted back in 2015. “Alan Barnes and I came up with the idea of doing a sequel to ‘Junkyard Demon’ in a pub around the corner from Marvel UK’s offices in Arundel Street, London.”

The collection also  includes creator commentary – a 13-page in-depth behind the scenes feature written by the creators with many previously unseen design sketches and pencil pages.

• Doctor Who: The Clockwise War is on sale from all goof book shops in late May 2019. Buy it here from Amazon (using this affiliate link helps support downthetubes, thank you)

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Doctor Who - The Clockwise War - Commentary Sample

Doctor Who © 2019 BBC Studios



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