Magazines: new-look Torchwood

Torchwood: The Official Magazine #14

So the new-look Torchwood Magazine has arrived, longer and bi-monthly. This makes a lot of sense for a show like Torchwood, especially when there'll only be five episodes in 2009, and they're all one story to boot -- DWM can sustain its lengthy monthliness thanks to 26 years of classic series and an ever-growing mass of novels, audios, comics, and the fact that even when Who isn't on it never stops.

As for the mag itself... well, it's not exactly a disappointment, but it's not the revelation it could've been. Yes, it's longer, which is theoretically nice... but it costs more and there's a helluva lot of filler. 28 pages of original fiction (as the cover proudly boasts) is fantastic, especially when that includes a 15-page comic co-written by John Barrowman, but fluffy articles on the show's relationships and 'how to be Captain Jack' feel like filler, and too lightweight for a magazine about an adult-orientated series. Put it this way: I don't think DWM would feature such vacant articles and that's family-friendly! And I haven't even mentioned the 'which team member are you' quiz.

But there are some nice interviews, and a Jack timeline is a good idea for a feature (half-decently executed), plus there's news and columns about the forthcoming season. This last one may still be the best reason to buy the mag, though anything seriously interesting will likely make it online promptly. Christ knows what they'll survive on when there's no new season news to report. Still, there's always all that fiction.

And so the new-look Torchwood Magazine is a mixed bag: half worthwhile, half filler. More or less the same as before then.