Wonder Woman: The Early Years

Being a Wonder Woman fan pretty much since day one, I can remember the Lowndes Middle School library having several of the early comics in plastic binders for reading. I spent many happy hours devouring them, and when I learned that DC had reissued the early adventures in omnibus format, I ordered myself a copy. As corny and as cheesy as these initial strip stories can be, they are a lot of fun. What struck me was how closely the pilot for the WW TV series starring Lynda Carter adhered to the original comic.

Of course there are some things that are risible. Including Diana changing places with a nurse who just happens to look like her and is named Diana Prince. Then there's the fact that she carries a small suitcase around with her WW costume in it for when she needs to change. Thank goodness for Lynda Carter coming up with the idea to spin around and become WW!

Being of its time (the 1940s) there's quite a bit of racism in these strips; Blacks are depicted in the minstrel style while Asians are referred to as "Japs." Women are not as independent as they could be. Even Diana finds herself constantly mooning over Steve Trevor, at one point even bursting into tears when he leaves the hospital and she thinks she'll never see him again. Get a hold of yourself; you're Wonder Woman for goodness' sake!

In hindsight WW's creator William Moulton Marston's predilections for kink are very evident in the stories. I lost count of how many times WW ended up in chains or tied up. There's even a housewife character whose husband chains her to a stove! Not to mention WW's allies - the girls of Holliday College - being shown hazing potential sorority members with paddles.

Putting the negatives aside, I really enjoyed diving into these stories and I found the book difficult to put down. Looking forward to getting the second volume!

Doctor Who'ing

With my friends Beth and Wes, our marathon journey through Doctor Who has brought us to the beginning of the third season. Today we tackled four stories: The Time Meddler, Galaxy 4, Mission to the Unknown, and The Myth Makers.

The Time Meddler was a particular delight for Beth, who enjoyed the mystery of a time-traveling Monk up to no good in 1066. Unwilling to spoil my friends, I kept the Monk's identity of being another Time Lord a surprise. Beth agreed that she liked the Monk's mischievous machinations compared to those of the more evil Master. She even commented that it was probably more fun traveling with the Monk than the Doctor!

I was saddened that this was our last complete story to view for a little while. It's silly, I know, but I genuinely fretted over whether my friends could handle recon after recon.

We watched Galaxy 4 via the great recon that was intended as an extra on The Time Meddler DVD. This story fell into the "okay" category, which actually might be a first during our viewing so far. Beth's reaction to the Drahvin spaceship--"They live in a trailer?"--made me burst out laughing.

Maaga, leader of the Drahvins, missed her calling as a Dominatrix, we felt. Just look how much she loves punishing her drones, and those orgasmic monologues about bringing harm to others.

Steven's out-of-character behavior, with his background as an astronaut being forgotten when he finds himself trapped in an airlock, raised an eyebrow.

Mission to the Unknown was a surprising oddity for Beth and Wes. They were taken aback by the absence of the Doctor, Vicki and Steven, as well as the prospect of an ongoing Dalek series (which we all agreed would have failed). The Varga plants were noted as being especially unusual, and the make-up for the alien Malpha was praised.

On a personal note, I was horrified that the soundtrack of the Loose Cannon recon was so terrible. It's been a while since I last watched it and, if I'd've realized, I would have certainly dubbed the clean CD soundtrack over it.

Finally, there was The Myth Makers, which turned out to be the biggest hit of the day. It's a personal favorite of mine, and I was thrilled that Beth and Wes enjoyed it too. Wes liked that Donald Cotton's witty script was akin Monty Python, and I was pleased to find Beth smiling throughout.

Vicki's abrupt departure at the story's end came as a shock. After the adventure was over, I enlightened my friends to the circumstances regarding Maureen O'Brien's leaving the series, and how William Hartnell was absolutely furious with new producer John Wiles over it.

Although Vicki's goodbye is a nice one (especially compared to certain other companions) the decision to write her out was a rotten one. Today, even script editor Donald Tosh laments it. O'Brien and Hartnell had tremendous chemistry, and it would have been wonderful to see more of the First Doctor/Vicki/Steven TARDIS team.

So, my friends survived three recons in a row... Which, I'm relived about! Thankfully, there's at least three surviving episodes of The Daleks' Master Plan to enjoy next time.

Pic Spam

Just because I had to share the awesomeness that is Matt Smith.

Kingdom of the Dead, Parts 3 & 4

Finishing up the second season of Dark Shadows full-cast audio dramas, Part three of Kingdom of the Dead sees Lysette Anthony's villainous Dr. Rankin return and set her sights on the inhabitants of Collinsport. Having been drawn together, Barnabas, Angélique, Quentin, Maggie, Willie, and David are all assaulted by their worst fears. It's a harrowing an effective sequence, especially when an old telephone appears in David's hands and his trauma at the hands of Quentin's ghost returns.

Cleverly, Rankin is ultimately defeated by unleashing a creature upon her that cannot feel fear: the werewolf. Although I've often found that using Angélique to cast a spell and defeat a villain has been used too often in the audio plays, here her powers are put to clever effect. Having Angélique bypass the power of Quentin's portrait and transform him into the werewolf again is something I could easily see happening in the TV series.

Once the enemy is finally defeated, events hurtle to a climax in Part four. Quentin, having fallen in love with Susan Griffin, co-owner of the Blue Whale with her husband Ed, discovers she has become a victim of Barnabas'. Meanwhile, Angélique has enlisted Ed to be her servant.

Interestingly, as Maggie learned the truth about Barnabas earlier in the storyline, so David is also afforded the chance to discover that Angélique is, in fact, his former stepmother Cassandra. David makes a ruthless deal with her in order to rid Collinsport of the creature from the point between life and death that Barnabas and Quentin first encountered in Part one. Reverend Trask does the job for them, however, by murdering Susan and the being is banished.

With things back to normal--or as normal as they can possibly be at Collinwood--a distraught Quentin decides to leave town again just as Carolyn Stoddard returns. Barnabas, meanwhile, after a blistering confrontation with Maggie, also departs... Albeit not for good. His mission is to find Dr. Julia Hoffman with the hope that she might cure him of his vampirism again.

Kingdom of the Dead finishes on one hell of a cliffhanger as David and Carolyn are reunited, with the former carrying a familiar disembodied hand. Both Carolyn and David have been possessed by Count Petofi!

Over the second season has been a can't miss success. It's one hell of a ride, with the actors giving it their all and bringing these beloved characters back to life so brilliantly. I'm excited about the prospect of the malevolent Count Petofi returning, which was an idea bandied about for the final TV storyline. I do wonder if season three will see recasts for Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Roger Collins, and Dr. Julia Hoffman, all hinted at to be coming back.

Also, it's worth mentioning that Kingdom of the Dead sees the first blatant continuity nod with the first Dark Shadows audio drama, Return to Collinwood, with Willie Loomis meeting his wife from that play, Jessica, portrayed by Marie Wallace.

Kingdom of the Dead, Parts 1 & 2

Having finally had a chance to listen to the second season of Dark Shadows full-cast audio dramas, I thought I'd post my thoughts about the story. The first part deals with the ramifications of the previous season's cliffhanger, in which the ship The Lorelei sank with Barnabas Collins and Quentin Collins still on board. The pair find themselves trapped in the halfway point between life and death, where a new villain awaits them. Angélique manages to find her way there, however she can only rescue one... and she chooses Barnabas. This creates a rift between Barnabas and Quentin, opening up old wounds and creating some very tense moments between the characters.

Meanwhile, Maggie Evans finds herself in peril after remembering the ordeal she suffered when Barnabas kidnapped her back in 1967. Her confrontation of Barnabas is a moment we were never granted in the TV series, and Kathryn Leigh Scott clearly relishes sinking her teeth into the wealth of emotion she's given to play. In order to protect her from Barnabas, Willie Loomis has no other choice but to hide her at Windcliff Sanitarium, which does not sit well with Maggie after having endured two previous stays there (first, at the hands of Barnabas, and then later, Roxanne Drew). But, Maggie finds herself in even more danger as the Sanitarium has been taken over by the sinister Dr. Rankin, played by Lysette Anthony, in reality a creature that feeds off of fear.

Maggie isn't alone, however, as she finds an ally in the mysterious orderly, Patient D, played by Alec Newman. In a surprising move, it turns out that Patient D is, in fact, an older David Collins, suffering from amnesia. David, having attempted to use magic in order to forget the horrors of Collinwood, has made himself vulnerable to Dr. Rankin's machinations. Although Rankin is seemingly defeated, things are not well in Collinsport, as a descendant of Reverend Trask appears on the scene, and, to put it mildly, all hell is about to break loose.

Halfway through the story, and it's been a fantastic ride so far. Part 1 largely deals with the aftermath of The Rage Beneath, and Kingdom of the Dead itself doesn't properly get going until Part 2. I've had a couple of minor quibbles while listening, most glaringly being why Angélique, determined to protect Barnabas at all costs, doesn't simply erase Maggie's renewed memory?

Looking forward to Parts 3 & 4 tonight!

Heroes of Sontar

The first in a second trilogy of adventures for the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough, and an older Nyssa, Heroes of Sontar sees the debut of the Sontarans on audio. As with the most recent TV adventure, A Good Man Goes to War, this story makes novel use of the Sontarans by presenting the most inept platoon ever cloned. Although I'm not a fan of characters taking the piss out of baddies--particularly Tegan's constant putdowns here--it makes for some surprisingly humorous situations.

What I liked best about the play was the interactions of the time travelers with the Sontarans, especially Turlough, as well as the combined threat of Rutans and the terrifying-sounding Witch Guards. The only real downside was Nyssa's problem, which never felt as if anything terrible might happen to her.

Overall, it was a good story and a promising start to a new series of adventures for this reuinted team.

Curse of the Pharaoh

The first Dark Shadows dramatic reading to feature Nancy Barrett, she recreates her role of Carolyn Stoddard as if no time whatsoever has passed by. In this two-hander, she is joined by Marie Wallace, who plays a new part as the villainous Dr. Gretchen Warwick.

Set some time after we last saw the present-day characters (there is a reference to David Collins being away from Collinwood studying), things have been relatively quiet until Egyptologist Dr. Warwick, whom Wallace portrays with relish, appears on the scene. Warwick and her recently deceased husband have discovered a box which is frighteningly familiar to Carolyn: one which bears the seal of the Naga. Lured into aiding Warwick with promises of reuniting her with Jeb Hawkes, Carolyn finds herself an unwitting pawn of the Leviathans once again.

Although the Leviathan arc is often derided by many fans, I have a certain fondness for many aspects of it and tip my hat to the Dark Shadows writers for bringing a touch of H.P. Lovecraft into the series. Here, Curse of the Pharaoh plays on that storyline's strengths beautifully and actually adds to the mythos.

I was enraptured throughout, and I found myself pleased with how the plot tied neatly together in the end. It's an incredibly strong story for Carolyn, who, in many ways, finds peace and is able to close an unpleasant chapter of her life.

A superb release, which wins a well-deserved 10/10 from me.