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September 14th, 2020 88 comments

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Doctor Who Magazine Issue 556

Issues containing Monstrous Beauty are available to order from www.forbiddenplanet.com

Highlights of the new issue include:

• A bonus 20-page supplement featuring the first part of Time Lord Victorious: Monstrous Beauty, an exclusive new comic-strip adventure for the Ninth Doctor and Rose.
• A detailed guide to Time Lord Victorious and an interview with producer James Goss.
• Tracy-Ann Oberman answers questions from the TARDIS tin.
• A celebration of Virgin Publishing’s New Adventures novels, including contributions from authors including Russell T Davies, Paul Cornell and Mark Gatiss.
• The Fact of Fiction explores the 1964 story Marco Polo, plus interviews with Waris Hussein, Brian Hodgson and Derek Ware.
• The untold story behind a proposed season of Doctor Who repeats in the late 1970s.
• Apocrypha looks at Doctor Who Fights Masterplan “Q”.
• A review of the new animated version of Fury from the Deep.
• Previews and reviews, news, prize-winning competitions, Time and Space Visualiser and The Blogs of Doom…

PLUS!
• A giant double-sided poster.
• A diorama of the Ninth Doctor’s TARDIS control room.
• A download code for a complete, six-part audio adventure from Big Finish.

Doctor Who Magazine Issue 556 is on sale from Thursday 17 September
£9.99 (UK)


Categorised under: Doctor Who Magazine, Magazine

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88 comments

  • Anonymous

    September 22nd, 2020 - 9:19pm

    I bought the mag for the the comic strip with it being separate I thought that’s nice if all three are separate but at the back of the mag it says next issue £5.99 does that mean the comic strip mis back inside the mag? If so I’m a bit miffed as I don’t want magazines just the comic. Anyone know if all three are going to be separate? Do you know boo boo?

    Reply
    • booboo

      September 23rd, 2020 - 9:34am

      I dont, one would hope its separate

    • Anonymous

      September 23rd, 2020 - 11:12am

      Lets hope its seperate then.

    • Nigel Geldard

      September 24th, 2020 - 3:19pm

      Hi sorry to bother I am unsure how to post! The items in the latest magazine for the Diorama, is that it complete please or are there more parts? Sorry but couldn’t find anything in the mag about the items. Many thanks. Nigel.

    • Khem

      September 26th, 2020 - 6:01am

      I will post this here & also on ‘Ask A Question’ – I contacted FP over the mag who told me that currently their Issues 557 & 558 are currently posted as £5.69 each. If the original publishing blurb was correct I would presume that Issues 557 & 558 are incorrectly priced if a separate comic was included. FP has already cancelled numerous order’s for Issue 556 because it was incorrectly priced at £5.69. I have now contacted Panini to try & confirm what is going on? Currently neither seem to know what is happening? When I get a response from them I will update on this

    • daz

      September 26th, 2020 - 8:34am

      Hi Nigel.

      The 9th/10th Doctor Tardis Diorama is complete. It is just the TLV comic that is part 1.

  • Callum Eales

    September 21st, 2020 - 12:19pm

    £10 for this magazine is a bit steep. Just for the tlv comic. Bit of a rip off

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      September 21st, 2020 - 4:41pm

      Yeah, I was going to get the three issues for the comic strip but 1, don’t know if it’s a separate comic in each and if it isn’t I don’t really want that. And 2, not really willing to pay £30 for three roughly 20 page comics if each is the same as the first. Will wait for collection. If we don’t get a collection then so bit it.

    • booboo

      September 21st, 2020 - 4:49pm

      Its separate, this also came with a large 9th/10th Tardis diorama and poster which people seem to be forgetting.

    • Anonymous

      September 21st, 2020 - 9:16pm

      I’m not really complaining about the price boo boo it’s just that I’m was only buying the magazines for the comic strip. 3 issues at £10 is just a bit steep for the three comics. Fully understand why it £10 just a bit pricey for only wanted one but of it that’s all.

    • daz

      September 21st, 2020 - 11:05pm

      Anonymous.

      People are selling the comic for £5 and free delivery on eBay.

  • Anonymous

    September 19th, 2020 - 9:02pm

    Will wait for a collection of the tlv story. Not willing to pay potentially £30 for three page comics

    Reply
  • Mrs Croot

    September 19th, 2020 - 11:51am

    Wonder if the next 2 issues will be bumper issues as well because of the comic strip being separate. It would be nice for the 8th doctor to be on the next cover with an 8th doctor diorama, then the timelord victorious on the third, making a connected cover like the 50th anniversary radio times, but I’m only dreaming.

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    September 19th, 2020 - 2:55am

    Just seen the kindle edition of this on Amazon priced at… wait for it… £34.99!

    Reply
    • booboo

      September 19th, 2020 - 9:05am

      that’s for a years subscription, single issues are £4.99

    • Anonymous

      September 19th, 2020 - 9:32am

      That explains it

  • Demdike@CultLabs

    September 18th, 2020 - 11:51pm

    I threw my diorama, poster and Time Lord Victorious comic in the paper collection bin.

    Perhaps i should have tried to sell them

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    September 18th, 2020 - 2:53pm

    Fp have cancelled my order. Very annoyed.

    Reply
    • Andrew Fuller

      September 18th, 2020 - 2:57pm

      Same, do you know why? I couldn’t really tell the reason in the email

    • Anonymous

      September 18th, 2020 - 3:00pm

      They priced it wrong. So instead of honouring the price we thought it was when we ordered they’ve just cancelled the order. I had all three magazines preordered but I’ve cancelled them all now. I’ll just wait to see it the time lord Victorious strip gets collected.

    • Molly

      September 18th, 2020 - 3:40pm

      FP has cancelled my order as well due to the wrong pricing. Unfortunately it isn’t in stock anymore. I have no chance to get it where I live, so it’s Ebay again.

    • Anonymous

      September 18th, 2020 - 3:50pm

      I’m more annoyed by the fact the didn’t even bother giving me the choice of paying the correct price. No. Just cancelled. I was only buying it for the TLV comic strip so I’ll just forget it. If it gets collected great if it doesn’t it doesn’t.

    • daz

      September 18th, 2020 - 5:20pm

      I’ll be selling mine on ebay after I’ve read it.

      But without the diorama.

      I’ll post here when it is up.

    • Anonymous

      September 18th, 2020 - 7:08pm

      I’ll just wait and see if it’s collected. Not paying silly money on Ebay.

    • daz

      September 19th, 2020 - 5:17pm

      Not sure what you class as ‘silly money’.

      For anyone who doesn’t want the Diorama mine is listed for less than RRP with free delivery and ‘Buy It Now’ on eBay.

      I do hope we get all the console room dioramas eventually.

  • Chris Rushworth

    September 17th, 2020 - 8:12pm

    Is the comic being released all together in a collected edition?

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    September 17th, 2020 - 5:42pm

    nice to have the 9th doctor on the cover again i bet he will be back on there next year

    Reply
  • Demdike@CultLabs

    September 17th, 2020 - 11:54am

    The new mag is excellent in my opinion. If you were around when the Virgin New Adventures were hitting shelves then there’s a hell of a lot of reading (13 pages) on them including interviews with many of the authors.

    There’s also a five page interview with Waris Hussein from 2013 about Marco Polo which was never published which should be fascinating.

    Reply
  • DalekAgent

    September 17th, 2020 - 9:58am

    I got my copy today and i noticed in the timeline for time lord victorious theres yet another big finish audio coming out called Genetics of the Daleks so i guess big finish will announce it properly today

    Reply
    • booboo

      September 17th, 2020 - 10:01am

      interesting, i thought all announcements had been done

    • DalekAgent

      September 17th, 2020 - 10:43am

      Theres actually another audio i missed called My Enemy, My Ally and both of them are only connected to the dalek story line and yeah me too booboo but im still hoping they will announce another doctor who game seeing as maze theory who did the vr game are involved in time lord victorious but i guess that could of changed

    • booboo

      September 17th, 2020 - 10:47am

      There is something being announced at NYCC i think

    • DalekAgent

      September 17th, 2020 - 10:50am

      Oh yeah you’re right, i didnt know about this, thanks booboo

    • Whofan44

      September 17th, 2020 - 6:44pm

      James Goss confiremd on Twitter that My Enemy, My Ally is him getting the title of The Enemy of My Enemy wrong.
      He also said Genetics of the Daleks was an error. Did not specify in what way it was an error tho.

    • booboo

      September 17th, 2020 - 6:48pm

      Thought so. Not good though as it went to print but times are not normal.

      People are going to have to forgive a little for a while i think.

    • DalekAgent

      September 17th, 2020 - 6:56pm

      Oh fair enough

    • booboo

      September 17th, 2020 - 7:00pm

      I think these mags are planned several weeks in advance so sometimes corrections are not possible ( although i secretly hoped they had sneaked in the 9th Doctor Somehow)

  • Anonymous

    September 17th, 2020 - 9:47am

    Fp are saying its currently unavailable

    Reply
    • booboo

      September 17th, 2020 - 9:53am

      yes its defaults to this if the stack hasn’t arrived by the due date or its not been added to the system yet.

    • Anonymous

      September 17th, 2020 - 10:39am

      Thanks boo boo

  • DB

    September 16th, 2020 - 4:11pm

    Does anyone have the link and the code for the big finish story?

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      September 17th, 2020 - 6:17am

      It’s on Reddit r/Gallifrey

  • Deano

    September 16th, 2020 - 1:18pm

    Received today so very pleased shame it’s not a subscription picture only cover with the 9th Dr being on it but understand as it’s a special priced release with extras.
    Interesting with the price stating £9.99 because of the extras but in the last issue it said would be £5.99 ? although mines included with the annual subscription + special editions.
    When I subscribed it included issue 550 but that was a special limited lockdown offer so if your a new subscriber normally it won’t be the current issue your get but the next or even the one after that depending when you sign up.

    Reply
    • Gareth Pugh

      September 17th, 2020 - 9:19am

      To be fair, the inside back cover ‘Next Issue’ ad in the last edition did say this would be £9.99. My copy – once you open the poly bag, the cover of mine is a no-text picture cover of Chris. I guess the difference this time is, every copy is text free (including shop-bought)?

  • jazzathecutts

    September 15th, 2020 - 9:26pm

    I’ve just subscribed to the magazine today, will I get this episode or will my subscription start with next month’s edition?

    Reply
    • Peter

      September 16th, 2020 - 12:07am

      I think when I subscribed earlier this year before issue 550, my first subscriber issue was 551, so I had to buy 550 individually. With the new issue coming out on Thursday I suspect you may be in a similar situation in that your subscription could start next month. I would check with them though.

  • Anonymous

    September 14th, 2020 - 6:00pm

    When is this out?

    Reply
    • booboo

      September 14th, 2020 - 6:01pm

      Thursday

  • Loobop

    September 14th, 2020 - 5:09pm

    i want the diorama and poster but part of me can’t bare to pay £9.99 for a magazine.

    Reply
    • daz

      September 14th, 2020 - 7:30pm

      But it is £9.99 because it is a magazine including the extra things you want.

      Without them it would be normal price of £5.99.

    • Molly

      September 14th, 2020 - 7:37pm

      Forbidden Planet offers the magazine for 5,65 £. I don‘t know if they‘ll correct the pricing but probably if you preorder it now the price will remain the same…

    • Dalek z

      September 15th, 2020 - 12:17pm

      Fear not some helpful sole on eBay will sell that diorama separately without the magazine…he will charge £19.99 but hey that’s eBay!

  • Anonymous

    September 14th, 2020 - 4:15pm

    Is this exclusive to anywhere? Thanks

    Reply
    • booboo

      September 14th, 2020 - 4:17pm

      no not at all

  • Andy

    September 14th, 2020 - 4:07pm

    Anyone know which BF audio story is for download?

    Reply
    • MJS

      September 14th, 2020 - 5:19pm

      I suspect the Fragile Yellow Arc of Fragrance

    • MJS

      September 14th, 2020 - 5:20pm

      I suspect the Fragile Yellow Arc of Fragrance but I hope for Masters of Luxor

    • Andy

      September 14th, 2020 - 5:44pm

      Thanks

    • Gareth Pugh

      September 14th, 2020 - 5:50pm

      Big Finish’s website confirms its ‘Farewell Great Macedon’

    • Anonymous

      September 14th, 2020 - 6:44pm

      It says six parts on the cover so its definitely not fragile.

  • michael

    September 14th, 2020 - 12:47pm

    Is a print off the diorama provided with digital subscriptions? I went digital last month

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    September 14th, 2020 - 12:37pm

    I love the Jodie poster and it’s fantastic to see the 9th doctor on the cover! Can’t wait. Hopeful the guide will make sense of the time Lord victorious arc because I’m so lost to the point of not bothering it with.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      September 14th, 2020 - 2:14pm

      Read the first part of the titan comic. It’s ok but I can’t say it was gripping.

    • Dalek z

      September 14th, 2020 - 2:43pm

      I’m with you, the whole Timelord Victorious looks great but I’m a bit lost as to what it all actually is and how it fits together and can’t be that bothered to really find out.
      Anything outside of the TV series never grips me much, also yes the Jodie poster with the Tardis looks cool!

    • Anonymous

      September 14th, 2020 - 3:08pm

      I’m getting the books and comics so I’ll just see if they make sense. I’d also buy the dalek animation if it gets released. Difficult to judge a storyline on a single issue of one part of it but we’ll see. And yes the Jodie poster looks fabulous.

  • Doctor Stu

    September 14th, 2020 - 11:39am

    Wait a second do I need To get this for the full time lord victorious story? Is that segment going to be available anywhere else?

    Reply
    • booboo

      September 14th, 2020 - 11:50am

      Its been said every part can be stand alone.

    • Anonymous

      September 14th, 2020 - 11:53am

      Chances are it will be collected either as a separate panini graphic novel or as part of the ongoing series. But you may have to wait awhile for it

    • Doctor Stu

      September 14th, 2020 - 2:52pm

      It’s a story with a beginning, middle and end I don’t see how every part can really stand alone. They say this so you don’t feel pressured into buying everything but if you want the full thing, then you will have to buy everything.

    • booboo

      September 14th, 2020 - 3:00pm

      I’m just repeating whats been said numerous time in the official releases, everyone can make their own choice if they want to buy into it or not.

      I’m assuming the free to all animation series may fill in some of the gaps.

      Its not my sort of thing to be honest so i will only be buying the figurines (and DVD if there is one)

    • SamWho

      September 14th, 2020 - 3:04pm

      Each story has its own beginning middle and end you can just get the DWM comics and Still have a full story yeah you might not know everything but you don’t need to get everything

    • Anonymous

      September 14th, 2020 - 4:30pm

      Same here boo boo. I’ll buy he animation if its released but not bothered about watching it on youtube

    • the ergon

      September 14th, 2020 - 4:37pm

      I was drawn to the TLV Big Finish audios at first but since they announced that one of the stories was to be available on Digital download only, I,ve had that sinking feeling and have started to doubt the whole idea. I think i too will stick to the figurines. I don,t want to get drawn into something thats so far ranging but inconsequential. For now i,ll continue with The Time War series and some of the more exciting, recent announcements released in 2021/2 .I can,t collect everything, as much as i,d like to.

    • booboo

      September 14th, 2020 - 4:46pm

      The problem is the LP was commissioned by Demon records who are still a Doctor Who licence holder and clearly were entitled to be a part of this as anyone but they only do LP’s so a digital download was the only option.

      You could argue there are no books of the CD’s for book readers and no CD’s of the Books for non readers as usually happens.

      Its basically independent companies coming to together in their own specialist area with the BBC fitting in between.

    • Anonymous

      September 15th, 2020 - 1:56pm

      People forget ‘The Time Lord Victorious’ has six tales across the whole: You could just pick one & leave the rest…

    • Anonymous

      October 7th, 2020 - 7:51pm

      The Short Trips are digital only too, so won’t even have a vinyl release

  • Anonymous

    September 14th, 2020 - 11:32am

    Fp website is down

    Reply
    • Coleman

      September 14th, 2020 - 11:35am

      Me too, but I’ll have a walk out in the sunshine today, usually picks me up.

    • booboo

      September 14th, 2020 - 11:35am

      probably only for a few mins, it happens

  • Anonymous

    September 14th, 2020 - 11:25am

    What does it mean issues containing? Does that mean that in the fp ones the tlv strip is in the magazine and not a seperated supplement?

    Reply
    • booboo

      September 14th, 2020 - 11:27am

      no it means they come with probably in a polly bag

    • Anonymous

      September 14th, 2020 - 11:31am

      Thanks boo boo

    • Gary H.

      September 14th, 2020 - 11:32am

      Will be pollybagged BooBoo because of the extra comic, double sided poster and console room diorama.

  • Dalek z

    September 14th, 2020 - 11:24am

    Can’t get onboard with the term “Control room” to me it has always been the “Console room”

    Reply
  • daz

    September 14th, 2020 - 10:46am

    Looks like I’ll be needing this for the Tardis Diorama.

    Hoping we get them all eventually so I can use them as backdrop to my Eaglemoss consoles.

    Reply
  • Judooning

    September 14th, 2020 - 10:40am

    Cant wait for this one

    Reply
  • Doctor

    September 14th, 2020 - 10:40am

    Another tardis diorama exiting

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      September 14th, 2020 - 6:00pm

      i do like a diorama

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