[New post] Doctor Who Big Finish- The Natural History of Fear

New post on The Daily P.O.P. Doctor Who Big Finish- The Natural History of Fear by dailypop The Natural History of Fear Story 054 Written by Jim Mortimore, Directed by Gary Russell Released February 2004 "A fist is not a threat, a gun is not a threat, a word is a threat. An idea is a threat. Ideas are patient." In Light City, everyone enjoys watching the emotionally-charged adventure program for light entertainment. The program is a rehash of the events in Neverland in which the Doctor and Charley struggle to express their true emotions to each other while the universe hangs in the balance. But this is a fiction in a bland world where every question is a crime punishable by removal. In an abstraction of reality, familiar voices of the Doctor, Charley and C'rizz swap from character to character as the truth is edited and rewritten over and over. The Natural History of Fear is the strangest and most post-modern Doctor Who story I have ever experienced. Not only does it feature the a fictionalized version of Doctor Who as a tool to control the masses, but it also uses the creative process of writing and more importantly revision and editing as narrative tools. This is a world that is struggling to maintain a static state and keep the masses from questioning their world or changing. It is the ultimate tyrannical empire where free thought is impossible. The true nature of this story takes its time to unravel, but it is clear early on that this is not a simple tale of the Doctor and his companions fighting an alien despot. In fact, the Doctor inadvertently introduced chaos into this world while he was simply passing through. The rest is post-script as Light City nears a period of violent revolution and a toy top that the Doctor left behind spins languidly on. A deeply sophisticated and mature story, The Natural History of Fear dwells on the question of identity, of the purpose of entertainment and the price of freedom. It is a disturbing and moving piece that teeters on the edge of being far too clever for its own good but never topples over. Author Jim Mortimore shows that he could be one of the most brilliantly gifted writers to ever pen a Doctor Who story with this one. I have to admit that I was thrown by this one at first, desperately trying to figure out if our heroes had gotten their minds wiped by some evil entity or placed in some trap to derive secrets from their brains.  The proximity to Zagreus in which several familiar actors and actresses voice different characters is unfortunate as it makes the innovations in this story seem familiar (and nothing should remind anyone of Zagreus).  The shifting characters grants the actors ample opportunity to stretch their creative muscles and try on some different emotions which is a real treat. The Natural History of Fear is a gift to the cast of McGann, Fisher and Westmaas who rise to the occasion and give life to what could have been a nonsensical audio story. When it was first released, The Natural History of Fear had a somewhat split reception; some praising it as genius others derided it as delusional nonsense. There are some cliched moments (as one would expect in a story such as this), but so many wonderful new ideas that it engages the listener with its energy. A welcome break from the journey through the Divergent Universe, The Natural History of Fear is a real stunner that reminds fans that one can truly do almost anything with a Doctor Who adventure. The only limit is imagination. The Natural History of Fear can be purchased from Big Finish and from local retailers such as Mike's Comics. dailypop | May 29, 2012 at 7:04 pm | Tags: doctor who big finish audio adventures, doctor who paul mcgann eighth | Categories: Big Finish, Doctor Who- 8th Doctor | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-3Md Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://dailypop.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/doctor-who-big-finish-the-natural-history-of-fear/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

[New post] This week at your comic shop – 5/30/2012

New post on The Daily P.O.P. This week at your comic shop – 5/30/2012 by dailypop For the complete list of this week's comics, click here. 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. Amazing Spider-Man Annual #39 Amazing Spider-Man Annual #39 By: Brian Reed, Lee Garbett Spider-Man is stuck in a world where Peter Parker never existed, and reality is coming apart! Guest staring the Avengers! ________________________________________________________ Animal Man Annual #1 Animal Man Annual #1 By: Jeff Lemire, Timothy Green ï A stand alone tale detailing the history of the epic struggle between THE RED, THE GREEN and THE ROT! ï As seen in ANIMAL MAN and SWAMP THING, these forces will play a major role in the future of the DC Universe!________________________________________________________ Wolverine and the X-Men #11 Wolverine and the X-Men #11 By: Jason Aaron, Nick Bradshaw An AVX TIE-IN! Cyclops comes to the Jean Grey School! Will Wolverine's X-Men join Cyclops against the Avengers? ICEMAN vs RED HULK! ________________________________________________________ Batman Annual #1 Batman Annual #1 By: Scott Snyder, Jason Fabok 'NIGHT OF THE OWLS' continues here! MR. FREEZE is introduced to The New 52! What is Mr. Freeze's relationship to the COURT OF OWLS? Is he an ally - or do they want him dead? ________________________________________________________ Hulk Smash Avengers #5 (of 5) Hulk Smash Avengers #5 (of 5) By: Jan Van Lente, Michael Avon Oeming, Lee Weeks A five-part, weekly punch-fest that explores the ever-evolving relationship between the Gamma Goliath and Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Red Hulk vs. the 2000s-era Mighty Avengers . . . Black Widow, Wonder Man, Ares, Sentry and the Wasp! ________________________________________________________ Channel Zero TPB Channel Zero TPB By: Brian Wood, Becky Cloonan A blistering take on media control in a repressive future America! DMZ and The Massive creator Brian Wood launched an all-out assault on the comics medium in 1997 with Channel Zero, an influential, forward-thinking series that combined art, politics, and graphic design in a unique way. Touching on themes of freedom of expression, hacking, cutting-edge media manipulation, and police surveillance, it remains as relevant today as it did back then. The Channel Zero collection contains the original series, the prequel graphic novel Jennie One (illustrated by Becky Cloonan), the best of the two Public Domain design books, and almost fifteen years of extras, rarities, short stories, and unused art. Also featuring the now-classic Warren Ellis introduction and an all-new cover by Wood, this is the must-have edition. See where it all began! "It's about anger as a positive force of creation . . . Someone's remembered what comics are for. Meet Brian Wood."-Warren Ellis ________________________________________________________ Doctor Who Dragonfire DVD Doctor Who Dragonfire DVD Starring Sylvester McCoy as the seventh Doctor. At the Iceworld Space Trading Colony on Svartos, the Doctor and Mel unexpectedly encounter an old 'friend,' the desperate Sabalom Glitz. Joined by Ace, a teenage waitress with a love for explosives, the group ventures off to uncover lost riches, not knowing that Kane, Iceworld's ruthlessly intimidating overlord, will gladly murder them all to gain possession of the Dragonfire himself. Soon the Doctor finds himself playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with Kane's mercenaries, descending through the ice caverns ever closer towards the deadly gaze of the monstrous dragon that lurks below. ________________________________________________________ Batman Death by Design Deluxe Ed HC Batman Death by Design Deluxe Ed HC By: Chip Kidd, Dave Taylor In this new, 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. ________________________________________________________ Classic Swamp Thing By Wrightson T-Shirt Classic Swamp Thing By Wrightson T-Shirt Return to where it all began nearly 40 years ago with the new Classic Swamp Thing T-Shirt. Features the art of Bernie Wrightson screenprinted in color on a pine green 100% cotton tee. The swamp never forgets!! ________________________________________________________ Starman Omnibus TPB Vol. 01 Starman Omnibus TPB Vol. 01 By: James Robinson, Tony Harris The first volume of the series collecting the classic super hero series of the 1990s is now available in trade paperback. Jack Knight - antiques collector and dealer - inherits the name and powers of his father's old Starman identity from his older brother, who has been assassinated. This title collects Starman #0-16 ________________________________________________________ Marvel X Tokidoki Avengers Rock T-Shirt Marvel X Tokidoki Avengers Rock T-Shirt The fifth season of high-fashion apparel pairing classic Marvel characters with the cheerfulness of the tokidoki universe debuts in 2012! Acclaimed artist Simone Legno brings his unique design aesthetic to the Marvel Universe with his Spring 2012 collection, giving the House of Ideas a hip and hot makeover for the 21st-century and the impending arrival of spring. Whether it's the Avengers embarking on a world tour, the pop-art stylings of Marvel Comics' female characters, or the Silver Surfer catching a wave off Maui, tokidoki x Marvel delivers the fun side of Marvel's beloved characters. Swing into action as the Spring 2012 collection ships to customers beginning in time for the blooming of the flowers. ________________________________________________________ FF #18 FF #18 By: Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta, Mike Choi The kids take their first field trip. To Africa! Meet the Science Club of Wakanda. The Future Foundation gets a brand new member. ________________________________________________________ Marvel Minimates Series 46 Assortment Marvel Minimates Series 46 Assortment A Diamond Select Release! Designed and Sculpted by Art Asylum! This summer, the new Spider-Man movie will bring us a new costume, a new villain... and new Minimates! Based on the characters of Amazing Spider-Man, this movie-based wave of Marvel Minimates includes three all-new two-packs: Spider-Man with Peter Parker, Battle Damaged Spider-Man with the Lizard and Uncle Ben with a mystery foe, plus a rare, one-per-case variant two-pack where Uncle Ben has been replaced with Aunt May! Ben, May and the mystery foes will only be available in this assortment, so don't miss out! Each Minimate stands 2 inches tall with 14 points of articulation and a variety of removable and interchangeable parts and accessories. ________________________________________________________ Incredible Hulk #8 Incredible Hulk #8 By: Jason Aaron, Steve Dillon, Michael Komarck In order to stay himself, Hulk must STAY ANGRY! How does one stay angry? How about going up against THE PUNISHER? And if that isn't enough, the Green Goliath can always take on a murderous drug cartel! ________________________________________________________ Villains For Hire TPB Knight Takes King Villains For Hire TPB Knight Takes King By: Dan Abnett, Renato Arlem, Patrick Zircher All-new, all-evil team! If the story starts with bionic detective Misty Knight uniting heroes Black Panther, Paladin and Silver Sable to halt a heist, why does she then cross the line and hire those she once fought - including psychopaths like Tiger Shark and Speed Demon? Because the Purple Man is out to build a criminal empire with an army including Avalanche, Shocker and the new Scourge! Enter a world of treachery, double-crosses and death when you hear: 'Hello, villain...are you for hire?' Collecting VILLAINS FOR HIRE #0.1 and #1-4. ________________________________________________________ Marvel X Tokidoki Cap Attack Hoodie Marvel X Tokidoki Cap Attack Hoodie The fifth season of high-fashion apparel pairing classic Marvel characters with the cheerfulness of the tokidoki universe debuts in 2012! Acclaimed artist Simone Legno brings his unique design aesthetic to the Marvel Universe with his Autumn 2012 collection, giving the House of Ideas a hip and hot makeover for the 21st-century and the impending arrival of spring. Whether it's Wolverine and Magneto hugging it out, a scandalous headline on the Daily Bugle, or Captain America on the attack, tokidoki x Marvel delivers the fun side of Marvel's beloved characters. Swing into action as the Autumn 2012 collection ships to customers beginning in time for the leaves to fall from the trees. ________________________________________________________ Doctor Who The Happiness Patrol DVD Doctor Who The Happiness Patrol DVD Starring Sylvester McCoy as the seventh Doctor. On the planet Terra Alpha, bright fluorescent lights and garish candy-striped colors abound. The population constantly displays happy smiles. There's no sadness on Terra Alpha. Anyone feeling remotely glum disappears. Quickly. Having heard disturbing rumors, the Doctor and Ace arrive to topple the entire regime overnight. But they haven't reckoned upon the varied punitive measures enforced by colony leader Helen A. This time, Happiness will prevail. ________________________________________________________ Classic Marvel Figure Coll Mag #171 Thunderbird Classic Marvel Figure Coll Mag #171 Thunderbird Classic Marvel Figure Coll Mag #172 Dracula Fully authorized figurines, teamed up with an amazing magazine put this series in a super-league of its own! The hand-painted lead figurines are sculpted by master craftsmen and based on original pieces of Marvel artwork. Measuring 3 1/2'-4" tall, each figurine is individually numbered, comes stamped with the Marvel official logo, and comes packaged in its own box. The magazine accompanying each figurine will provide a detailed history and background on the featured character, including exclusive images and interviews. The fabulous characters featured this month are Thunderbird (#171) and Dracula (#172)!________________________________________________________ Next Men Aftermath #43 Next Men Aftermath #43 By: John Byrne The world is broken, time is out of joint-but the surviving Next Men are about to discover it may not be entirely their fault. A familiar face returns, but will it be good news or bad for our ragged band? ________________________________________________________ New Deadwardians #3 (of 8) New Deadwardians #3 (of 8) By: Dan Abnett, I. N. J. Culbard Investigating the chilling 'Murder That Should Not Be,' Inspector Suttle is obliged to visit the East End of London's notorious and dangerous Zone-B. It's the last refuge of the living, where the poor, the free-thinking, the artistic, the liberal and the undoubtedly mortal live surrounded by the fenced-off restless horror. What secrets will Suttle learn there about the case and himself? ________________________________________________________ Joker Skinned By Daniel T-Shirt Joker Skinned By Daniel T-Shirt Features the art of Tony Daniel imprinted in full-color on a black 100% cotton shirt. Who has the last laugh here? NOW AVAILABLE for sale in Canada and U.K. ________________________________________________________ New Mutants #43 New Mutants #43 By: Dan Abnett, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Stephanie Hans Exiled part 5 of 5! Gods made mortal, with mutants their only hope for survival! Undead cannibals on the loose, San Francisco turned inside out by forbidden magic! A thrilling mythological mystery adventure in the Mighty Marvel manner, the most epic crossover of 2012! (Not counting that one where As fight Xs) ________________________________________________________ Uncanny X-Men #11 (2nd Printing) Uncanny X-Men #11 (2nd Printing) By: Kieron Gillen, Carlos Pacheco An Avx Tie-In issue! Cyclops leads the X-Men into their toughtest battle yet! Juggernaut-Powered Colossus vs. the Red Hulk! ________________________________________________________ Flash 52 By Manapul T-Shirt Flash 52 By Manapul T-Shirt The Scarlet Speedster's coming at you at full speed on the new Flash 52 T-Shirt. Features the art of Francis Manapul imprinted in full-color on a black 100% cotton shirt. Zoom. Zoom. ________________________________________________________ Doctor Who Nightmare Of Eden DVD Doctor Who Nightmare Of Eden DVD Starring Tom Baker as the fourth Doctor. Two spacecraft fuse in a hyperspace collision. Fortunately the Doctor, Romana and K-9 arrive to help. But when a crewmember is found clawed by a ferocious animal, it seems there's something even more frightening stalking the corridors. The answers lie with zoologist Professor Tryst, his CET protection machine, and a planet called Eden - the home of the ferocious Mandrels. ________________________________________________________ Fighting American Covers Mug Fighting American Covers Mug Titan Merchandise proudly debuts a range of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby mugs, officially approved by the living legend Simon and the estate of the late, great Kirby. If you thought Steve Rogers was Joe and Jack's only red, white, and blue hero, you thought wrong! Nothing can prepare you for the pulse-pounding exploits of the Fighting American and Speedboy, the Wonder Kid! Enjoy your favorite beverage in these flag-waving designs, each available on a dishwasher-proof 10" ceramic mug. ________________________________________________________ dailypop | May 29, 2012 at 6:15 am | Categories: comic books | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-3XE Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://dailypop.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/this-week-at-your-comic-shop-5302012/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com