Writers Give More Details On Star Trek Movie Prequel Comics

In January IDW will release the first issue (of 4) of "Star Trek Countdown," a prequel comic book for the new Star Trek movie, based on a story by the film’s co-writers. Today in an interview with CBR, Roberto Orci along with the writers of the comic Tim Jones and Mike Johnson reveal some of the secrets of this new book, including how TrekMovie.com was part of the genesis.

 

[SPOILERS]

Excerpts from Comic Book Resources.

Tying the new movie to the TNG era
As reported before, even though the new Star Trek movie takes place primarily in the TOS era, this new comic series will take place in the post Star Trek Nemesis TNG era. In the first press released Orci stated that the comic will ‘pass the baton’ from the TNG era to the new movie. The new interview reveals how this came about.

CBR: How did this comic project come about?

Roberto Orci: Anthony [Pascale] at www.trekmovie.com kept asking what bone can you throw the Next Generation guys as a kind of a passing of the baton, so we finally arrived at doing a [prelude] comic.

Tim Jones: We kind of worked backwards from the Kurtzman/Orci script to figure out Nero’s back-story and find out what’s going on in the Next Generation world.

…more specifically, they noted:

Tim Jones: TNG characters literally play into the story.

Mike Johnson: Both thematically and literally. Well, not literally that there’s actually a little baton that Picard hands over to the new guys – a little silver baton with the Starfleet logo, although that would be awesome. I want one. But literally, it is in the sense that the comic is the missing part of the story between the end of “Star Trek: Nemesis” and the new film.

The team also went into more detail about the comic and the story

TJ: It’s a very poignant character piece tracing the steps of Nero, who descends from a proud Romulan patriot to a murderous arch villain.

MJ: I think fans are going to be pleasantly surprised by the story that starts in #1 and how we introduce Nero. “Star Trek: Countdown” #1 is the issue that sets the stage, and after that the action and drama will steadily increase throughout the series, culminating in a cliffhanger that can only be resolved by a big fat summer blockbuster movie.
"Star Trek" opens May 9


Much more about Star Trek Countdown is available at Comic Book Resources.


Promo image for Countdown

Pre-order Star Trek Countdown now

Individual Issues
at Thing From Another World – tfaw.com (note, not final covers)

Star Trek Countdown #1

Star Trek Countdown #2

$3.19
(Pre-order – Jan. 28)

$3.19
(Pre-order – Feb. 25)

Issues #3 & #4 are not yet available for pre-order

Trade Paperback
at Amazon.com (note, not final cover)

Star Trek Countdown
(Trade Paperback – compiling all 4 issues)

$12.23
(Pre-order – April. 29)

 

Anthony’s note about ‘throwing a bone’
Regarding Bob’s comment above. Firstly I am honored that something I said to Bob inspired something related to this new book. I am not sure I said ‘throw them a bone’ but I certainly could have. The issue that I had discussed with Bob on a couple of occasions was that I knew the film has a link to the TNG era (via Nero and elder Spock) and I thought that the team could emphasize that for fans of the TNG era. I know that many fans of Trek came into it via the 24th century and many want more stories in that era. So I talked to Bob about how they can show their movie is not just about TOS and also has something of the TNG era in it as well.

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I am really looking forward to this. :)

I love the covers

hmmm. i think i’ll consider it canon. The only thing that would change it from being canon is if they turned it into a movie or television version. anything on film or video overrides a comic book.

Never was a fan of TNG but I know many, many people were and I think this will be a very nice bridge indeed. I can’t wait to see it. Who knows…I may become a retroactive TNG fan yet!

And how cool is it that Trekmovie.com had a hand in this? Way to go, Anthony.

Balance of Terror

Unification, Parts I and II

Star Trek: Nemesis

Star Trek: Countdown

Star Trek

Interesting. (First!!)

(guess not first)

I have never been a fan of the comic books, but I will be getting these for sure.

If I pre-order this from Amazon, would I have to wait until the April when the 4th issue comes out to get it? Or would Amazon ship each one as it comes out each month? That’s doubtful I guess.

I wish you could pre-order the individual comics from from amazon.

Consider me well and truly teased. always enjoyed a good comic book and this looks like it’s going to be an excelent builder to the movie.

I am still hoping to see Nero as a follower of Spock on Romulas before he goes to prison. I think it would be a nice character detail.

One other benefit of this new film coming out that no one seems to be discussing is: how the success of this new Trek film could easily spawn a new Trek TV show. And after hearing a number of TNG cast member express interest in taking on the roles again. I propose a new TNG series, like a TNG version of Phase II. Could have an over all specific “mission”, or goal behind the usual “seek out…” plot. Could also involve both the Enterprise AND the TItan on a joint mission to some far off, never traveled or explored part of the galaxy.

I would assume folks at Paramount are already working on this.

I have a whole concept worked out in my head here; i’ve only touched on some specifics above.
The point being, this new film could open up a whole new sand box to play in. Or rather, it could repair the sandbox broken by ENT (no offense to ENT fans, but you have to admit the sandbox is a little wrecked).

I see Data inherited the Scotty hair that disturbed fandom awhile back!

:-)

#8 you CAN oder the comics indiviually. Issue 1 in jan 28th 2009.

you have to wait for April if you want the compilation. thats all four books in one.

#5 – yeah, I was drawing that point-to-point line myself. I’m thinking that the Romulan commander in BoT was Nero’s daddy, and Kirk took him out. Then, being the Romulan nationalist he was, he went over the edge when Spock’s unification initiative finally bore fruit. He gets rounded up as a subversive, thrown in the hoosegow on Rura Penthe, executes a jailbreak, then with Khan-like impetus and determination, goes back in time seeking to deprive both Kirk of his birthright and Spock of a planet for Romulus to unify with.

Bob? Anthony? Am I warm? Or colder than a well digger’s keister?

#15 – “The point being, this new film could open up a whole new sand box to play in. Or rather, it could repair the sandbox broken by ENT (no offense to ENT fans, but you have to admit the sandbox is a little wrecked).”

No offense taken, but I think the claims of wrecking are really somewhat exaggerated. My own feeling was always that ENT did more damage to what fans (including me!) had imagined the 22nd Century would be like than it did to anything established on film, and once I separated my preconceptions from canonical “facts”, it went along rather swimmingly.

To be sure, the show had some issues as a *show*, but that’s a different thing. :)

I think the let themselves get caught at Rura Penthe; it’s a place they can wait until the villians ship is ready. Keep in mind… maybe they steal the ship…

Gotta love time travel.

Post-Nemesis Romulus? Maybe we will be able to credit Shinzon being responsible for the course of events afterwards that will give birth to the new timeline? ;)

16-

Sure, sure…but what did you think of the theme song?

You could say it’s all a matter of taste, but i really feel that ANY song that relies so heavily on lyrics, is misplaced as a Trek theme.
Pop music just becomes dated so easily. Could you imagine if a pop vocalist from the mid-sixties had song the TOS theme song. Unintelligible vocalizing is far enough.

I love they’re escaping from Rura Penthe. Considering the only other person in the galaxy to have escaped was their sworn enemy: James T Kirk.
How awesome is that.

#16 Alex – leave me out of it. LOL

What a brilliant way to feed the salivation of the new movie and the sadness that we might never have found out what happened to TNG. Also an ingenious marketing move to have die hard fans get to feel they have a leg up when the movie hits and to build anticipation. I cant recall this ever being done before with such marriage with the folks behind the upcoming movie.

I’m not a comics reader , but I will soon become one. Be cool this could be made into a animated movie included with the Special Addition Star Trek flick when it hits DVD. I know I know

Confirming that the comic mini-series is going to be post-Nemesis seems to confirm that the android on the cover is not Data, but B4. Sigh. Let’s hope some of Data’s mental transfer from Nemesis finally kicked in, at least enough to make sure that B4 passed a basic intelligence test.

Edition even

So if it takes place after nemesis what’s up with Data it has to be B4? Interesting.

Anthony… thank you for making a difference!

Bob (boborci)… thank you for listening, lurking and learning from all the opining going on here! This is the best movie-tie-in since TWOK era, and wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for both of you.

I hope the Supreme Court goes ahead and declares Countdown canon, and opens a new era of Trekdom where a few authorized comics and books written in conjunction with the Supremes could be part of the milieu.

There’s a good fellow out there named Marco Palmieri that CBS+Paramount+Bad Robot could hire on to coordinate! ;)

I can’t wait to get this! I’m curious to see how Picard will fit into the story. Although I’m sure this will leave us with more questions about the movie and no answers :-)

Aw, shucks, Anthony. Admit that you and your site were part of the genesis of the series. Good job.

As a mostly TNG-era fan, I’m happy to know this will be an explanation as a “prequel” to the movie. I certainly hope and wish the story will make things very interesting! A big ‘Thank you’ for everyone involved in the project!

It’s funny that the movie baton was passed when Kirk was killed in a bungled job, and now the baton is being passed back through time to the original crew!

This is ideal, a bridge for TNG fans 2 TOS/reboot time. I cannot wait!

And it’s by the movies writers. How cool?

Congratulations Anthony. That’s the biggest news for me in this article.

I’m quite pleased and encouraged by this tributes Bob is doing to the fans, like the previous day with the fan made picture of Enterprise being built on the ground, and Anthony’s “bone” for the comic books.

And that’s the kind of man i want to lead the franchise for another 40 years.

Bob Orci, you have my biggest admiration. Believe me, I appreciate this small things much more that the result of the movie in May.

Jesus I’m all excited and this has nothing to do with me. I can only guess how Anthony is feeling. :))

P.S. I have my doubts about JJ’s lack of acknowledgment to the fans, but Bob is compensating quite good. :)))

31# Not written, but plotted i presume?

Anthony Pascale…OUR ADVOCATE! Dude you should run for office.

Really not feeling this cover art. Hope it’s a mockup and gets replaced. I understand the notion of echoing the teaser posters but this is pretty weak.

Other than that, I’m on board.

Interesting to see Nero with hair and without tattoos. That little black streak on Nero’s forehead in the promotional poster is actually hair. So I guess my theory in the other thread about this stands :)

who—-is—-it—-on—-the—-cover—-B4—–or——-Data??

Bring Datas head back! It’s come back before (Time’s arrow) and there was a explosion involved with thst head loss as well.

#11 – rationaloptimism

I concede that some people think the “sandbox has been wrecked”.
That, however, neither is, nor ever was, my opinion.

Is the inclusion of Rura Penthe a rumor or has it been confirmed?

I so have to read this thing!

I really haven’t read a lot of Trek comics (some), but this is totally on my must-read list for ’09!

the art is awful, has anybody at Paramount ever seen anything from artists like Takehiko Inoue? This half assed and heavily photoshopped stuff is insulting.

I wonder how much Damon Lindellof´s self-professes addicion to comics has with this coming out at all. Either way, I am really looking forward to it!

Ha, for those of us who have seen artists like Takehiko Inoue, suggesting that they’d work in Trek is a pretty funny comment.

I reserved my copies of the first two just now. I can’t wait I had a feeling something to do with after Nemeis I had the feeling. I also heard from some paramount people about the tie in. C an’t say what I NDA even though I signed the NDA and went in for a fitting and they forgot to call me for the scene I was surposed to be in. Though I am not complaining. I will still watch the movie I will just pout in the theater (If I am in the theater since i am possibly deploying overseas in the coming months.) One Way JJ and Crew could make up for forgitting about poor lil me is to send me a copy of the movie in May so I can show troops one my base in Kosovo thats where I am heading. That would make up for it.

Anyways I am looking forward to reading these when they arrive

This is a cool idea. It should be considered canon.

Too bad they couldn’t have found found a small role for Patrick Stewart in the film.

46

Maybe they have, but the haven’t announced it. Kind of how we all thought for the longest time Shatner was in but they were keeping it hush hush.

As long as they bring Data back, I am absolutely considering this series canon, no doubt.

46.

They have.

AS DOCTOR WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I don’t consider the comics canon. I think we should just stick with the rule that have already been set forth, “not canon until it is on screen.” For what it’s worth, I’ll be considering them “official.” That is, valid information from a valid source but not as set in stone as “canon.” Another example of this category would be the “Star Trek TNG Technical Manual.”

Nevertheless, I am very excited about these comics and will definitely be reading them. It is very cool that the film’s production team had a hand in them and that they will fit in nicely between “Nemesis” and “Star Trek 2009” (as long at the Data or B4 character is consistent with “Nemesis”)