Doctor Who The Official Annual 2008

Overview

 * Release Number 2
 * Publisher BBC Children's Books,UK
 * Released in September 2007
 * ISBN: 1-405-90199-3
 * Priced £6.99 (UK)
 * Format Hardback 62 pages
 * Featured Doctor: The Tenth Doctor
 * Featured Companions: Martha Jones
 * Featured Enemies: Various

Comic strip Story

 * Myth Maker by Davey Moore
 * Illustrated by John Ross and coloured by James Offredi


 * Swarm Enemies by Davey Moore
 * Illustrated by John Ross and coloured by James Offredi

Text Stories

 * The Planet That Wept by Justin Richards
 * Illustrated by ?

Features

 * `Adventures in Space and Time` Written by Justin Richards
 * `Worst Case Scenario` (including; how to escape from a Raxacoricofallapatorian, meeting a Reaper, avoid detection by a Macra, seeing a Krillitane, get rid of a Racnoss, escape a black hole, and cooking a Krynoid)
 * Stargazing (feature on Suns) by Duncan Howe
 * The Master by Mathew Kemp
 * Daleks - A History of Terror (4 page history from Davros to the Cult of Skaro)
 * Doctor's Miscellany (New Who `facts`) by Justin Richards
 * Know Your Enemy (full page)
 * Carrionites
 * The Weeping Angels
 * The Family of Blood
 * Slitheen
 * Judoon
 * Dalek Sec Hybrid
 * Racnoss

Additional features

 * Puzzle: Dalek Wordsearch
 * Puzzle: Watch Hunt Maze
 * Quiz: Christmas
 * Puzzle: Captain Jack's Conundrum
 * Word Puzzle: Alien Grid
 * Game: Time War Battleships
 * Word Puzzle: Martha's Shopping List
 * Activity: Make Your own Journal of Impossible Things
 * Game: Bard Game
 * Puzzle: So-Doc-Who (4x4 suduko)

Credits

 * Editor: to be added
 * Designer: to be added
 * Frontispiece uses graphics by ??

Additional Notes

 * The first run of annuals was subject to a recall, prompting the need for a second run to be reprinted. Although no official reason was ever released, those printed in the first run featured the mispelt title "The Offical Annual 2008" written on their spines.
 * This years release repeated the format (and success), of last year, with two releases the Doctor Who The Official Annual 2008 (published by BBC Children's Books) AND the Doctor Who Storybook 2008 (published by Panini). While the later presented a series of short illustrated fiction stories, the former concentrated on the lighter side of activities, games, puzzles and, this year all new, comic strip stories.
 * released in the UK following the third television series (with Tenth Doctor) the cover featured a large lenticular cover that when tilted displayed the TARDIS in the background, the sonic screwdriver glowing and the logo glowing.
 * Content adds very little to what was already known and is very basic being aimed at young readers. Interestingly though is the fact that it includes a number of references from the classic series which are not illustrated in any way. These include Davros,and Krynoid.
 * Included in the Dalek history regarding the Time War it states that "The Time Lords reached back into history for ever more terrible weapons, while the Daleks unleashed the Deathsmiths of Goth.". As well as having been mentioned on TV in passing the reference also ties in to an early Doctor Who Magazine comic strip story.
 * Individual page credits are given on the title page but are not completist.