Comments on: TrekInk: Review Star Trek Manga Volume 3

By: PAX

PAX — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:39:16 +0000

[...] and a panel with actor–and now accomplished writer–Wil Wheaton, who has been called “an almost Mark Twain for the geek crowd.” (What, you don’t read his [...]

By: Tokyopop releases third Trek Manga : TREKS in SCI-FI Podcast

Tokyopop releases third Trek Manga : TREKS in SCI-FI Podcast — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:40:52 +0000

[...] Tokyopop has released its third Star Trek manga comic book collection this month, and it includes solid comic narratives and perhaps one of the very best Star Trek panel stories of all time. Titled Uchu (which translates to “Universe”), the volume includes four stories set in the original five year mission, including tales from Wil Wheaton and David Gerrold. Learn more HERE. [...]

By: Izbot

Izbot — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:01:46 +0000

I have to say that I think the idea of Trek manga is a really great idea. Manga have become huge in America particularly among younger audiences (most bookstore chains now have manga sections that dwarf their shelf space devoted to American comic book/graphic novel). Anything that brings in a new generation of Trek fans is welcome in my opinion.

I remember seeing some artwork for an authentic Japanese Star Trek manga in the 1980s with all new characters in TWOK-era uniforms including an Andorian officer. They weren’t available in America and were produced in and for the Japanese market. I have always hoped that someday these would be translated and made available here in the states but it seems unlikely at this point. Looked cool, though. Anybody know anything about those?

By: Mr. Bob Dobalina

Mr. Bob Dobalina — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:02:51 +0000

What’s the attraction to art where everyone looks like everyone else? Everyone is cookie cutter cute and I don’t like “cute” in my Trek. Definitely not for me.

By: Steve Roby

Steve Roby — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:32:03 +0000

I wasn’t anywhere near as impressed with the book as John Tenuto was, unfortunately. Wil Wheaton’s was decent but predictable, Gerrold’s was a 40-year-old story that wasn’t considered good enough back then, The Humanitarian was too much of a big event story for me to buy it as part of the five year mission, and the last story was Trek by numbers.

Not bad, certainly, but nothing to really get excited about, either.

By: Andrew Steven Harris

Andrew Steven Harris — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:08:50 +0000

I think a lot of the comments here are well-considered, but it also needs to be mentioned that despite their initial similarities, manga is an inherently different format and type of storytelling than comic books. (It’s why Tokyopop can publish Trek manga, even though IDW has the Trek comics license.)

For example, fans of Trek comics are notably particular about the likenesses of the actors, but for manga fans, it’s much more important to have that “manga’ look (younger, thinner, more dynamic) than it is for a character to look photo-perfect to the actor. Even the storytelling style is different–more action, less oration, and so on. (Wil Wheaton had some really insightful comments about this at the Star Trek publishing panel at the San Diego convention.)

For that matter, there’s even a difference in comics themselves about the style of storytelling and art between Trek and regular comics–an artist whose work is hotcakes on Spider-Man (say, McFarlane back in the day) might be totally unsuited for a Star Trek project. And yet, EJ Su, who tears it up in the pages of Transformers comics but is little known outside TF fandom, produces some great Trek manga work.

By: Captain Pike

Captain Pike — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:51:34 +0000

Debt of Honor is indeed the stand out effort in Trek comics. Hughes recreates not one but four eras of Starfleet uniforms is loving detail. And Claremont’s story is solid too.

By: Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:34:47 +0000

24. Ditto.

The 1992´s “Star Trek: Debt of Honor” graphic novel is a masterpiece, and every trekker should have the opportunity to savour it

Claremont is as knowledgeable and wordy as usual, and Adam Hughes art is classy, smooth, elegant, subtle and sensual, treating with the same care people and machinery.

By: Izbot

Izbot — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:27:00 +0000

24. P. Technobabble –
“I’ve seen numerous Star Trek comics over the years, and there’s only one that stands out in my mind, “Debt Of Honor,” and that was mostly because of the artwork. To my eyes, the artwork in this graphic novel are superior and best represent the look of Star Trek more than any other Trek comic I’ve seen.”

That was a real high point in Trek comics quality. Written by Chris Claremont (the guy who shaped the X-Men in comics for close to 20 years) and beautifully illustrated by Adam Hughes (who still produces some of the most gorgeous Catwoman covers for DC) “Debt of Honor” was a real standout.

By: Kapitaen Stephan

Kapitaen Stephan — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:49:51 +0000

Oh, cool, they`re printing an Omnibus!!!

And I`ve got all 3 books already!

Damn!

But I like the idea of a TNG-Manga Series.

Have to buy this!