Torchwood Magazine # 23

Captain Jack gets the cover to Torchwood Magazine # 23, with the Stars n' Stripes in the background to herald the show's new season on a U.S. network. Here's the interesting bits from this issue:

* A SPOILERY discussion of four new characters for the upcoming season of Torchwood on the Starz network. I'm doing my best to avoid spoilers from here on out, but this is what's already been released: (1) Rex Matheson is a CIA agent in his late 20s, described "fast, sharp, smart, clever, and when the situation demands it, ruthless". Sounds like Jack actually, except for that late 20s part. (2) Esther Katusi, a CIA analyst in her early 20s who is an "optimist" who is "essentially good-hearted" and "in love with Rex Matheson, though she'd never tell him"; (3) Oswald Jones, a "convicted murderer and paedophile" in his late 40s--this is the most original and potentially interesting character of the lot (Starz recently signed Bill Pullman to this role, an unusual choice if you ask me); and (4) Dr. Vera Juarez who (according to Russell Davies in a later article in the magazine) is "a vital character who gets involved in the big, worldwide story that grips everyone together" and who will probably be "a mid-30s Latina".

* The aforementioned interview with Russell Davies (Torchwood's executive producer) about the new series. Some interesting bits and with the caveat that plenty could change, he mentions the somewhat SPOILERY nugget that the season will be 10 episodes long, one big story, and will see visits to at least Wales and the U.S.

* A short story by Sarah Pinborough titled "Mend Me." Each member of the Torchwood team is visited by a stranger who repeats only "mend me." It's a fairly standard aliens-stranded-on-Earth story, and I'd give it a C+ were I forced to grade such things.

* A ten-page guide to the all of the locations in which Children of Earth was filmed. Unless you live in or near Cardiff, this will be pretty damned boring.

* "Everything's True" by Guy Adams, a short story with an interesting point of view: it's told through transcripts of a psyche doctor after disturbing events at a sanitarium. Bonus points for creativity and good artwork.

* A comic strip titled "Somebody Else's Problem." The artwork is much improved over previous strips, but the story involving alien drug dealers is a bit "meh".

* A good feature on Torchwood novels, including brief plot breakdowns and notes for each. Do I own each of the books discussed? Yes I do. Does that make me the most awesome person on the planet? I'm too modest to say so, but you can feel free.

* A short story titled "The Secret of Crow Island" that has a really interesting setting: a remote island monastery. I think the virtue of short stories and books is that they can break outside the mold of the show and put the characters in new and interesting situations (a virtue rarely taken advantage of). Although it comes to a rushed ending, this one at least has some good ideas.

* A "Beyond the Hub" feature on real-life "ghost" photography. I always like these features, as they're well-researched but readable.