ST09 Tidbits (T-52 days): Comic Preview Reveals Nero Backstory Spoilers + more March 16, 2009
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: Great Links, Star Trek (2009 film) , trackback
Even over a weekend, more tidbits for the new Star Trek movie still come in. Today there is a big one in the form of a preview for the upcoming issue of Countdown Comic book, full of Nero spoilers. But we also have some more stuff, including a real Italian version of the trailer, a fake new poster, a response to that angry San Franciscan, and more. [comic Spoilers below]
Countdown #3 preview gives hints at Nero motivations
[spoilers] The “Star Trek Countdown” comic book series is a prequel to the new Star Trek movie, set in the post Star Trek Nemesis 24th century. The previous two issues have already given us some insights into the events that lead up to the film, focusing on Spock and the the villain Nero (see TrekMovie reviews: #2 & #3). Now AICN has an exclusive preview for Issue 3, which is where we really start to see Nero’s motivations, and also where we see Nero get his tats. Check it out at AICN, but there are spoilers. [Note: AICN refers to the TNG era as '25th century,' but that is just a mistake...there isn't a new 25th century element being added to the mix]
Nero gets his ink in Star Trek Countdown #3
Olympic class ships appear in Countdown #3
Countdown #3 hits comic shops this Wednesday. Look for the TrekMovie review early this week.
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Il Trek
Here is more proof that the new Star Trek is molte bene in any language — check out the official Italian version.
New poster NOT released…yet
Trek fans are a creative lot and often like to make their own posters and desktops, we have even featured many here, but we always distinguish the real from the ‘fan made.’ However, sometimes the fakes work their way into the media, like the following poster which was reported on by a number of sites in the last few days. TrekMovie checked with Senator Vreenak, and it is definitely not a new Star Trek poster, or even a poster made by Paramount.
It’s a faaaaaaake
On the subject of posters, we have seen lots of convention speical posters and teaser posters, but we have yet to see the official movie poster (or posters), but those should be coming up soon. So stay tuned for that.
Trailer Remix w/ official site music
Speaking of fan made stuff, Argentine reader Juan Pablo de La Fuente sent us his new fan made trailer using the new looped music on the official movie website. Note that even though most assume the music is from Michael Giacchino’s score for the film, Paramount has not confirmed this.
A message to that San Francisco guy
Last tidbits we pointed to a video by Zennie Abraham who has some issues with the San Francisco skyline as depicted in the Star Trek trailers. This got a lot of play on the Interwebs on this site and beyond, so another fan has a simple message for Zennie (and one many people could embrace).
Thorsten’s Art Gallery – Pike
Thorsten Wulff has worked his way through the entire classic bridge crew in his ‘Trek Cast As Art’, series. However, our resident artist and designer is not done yet. Today he shows off his Captain Pike poster ala Uncle Sam.
Pike recruits
(click to enlarge)
ST09 Bullet
If that isn’t enough for you, there is even more
- The first announced tickets for the Star Trek movie sold out quickly at the Hollywood Arclight, we are looking to see if they will add additional screens for more midnight Thursday shows.
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Comments»
I ordered the countdown at amazon. As I life in the Nehterlands I have to wait a long time before I can read the comic. Looks promising thoug. So I hope it’s worth the wait.
That can’t be the music for the actual film. It sounds like it was done on the same keyboard they used for Timechasers.
First???
Shame the poster is a faaaaaakke, I like it
I love that fake poster
Excellent work Thorsten. You are indeed a talented artist.
I look forward to learning more about the Romulans fate. Hopefully they still have a bright future.
@5…
Thanks, LSTF!
And sorry for the other thing.
SPOILERS!!!
Star Trek: Countdown Vol. 1 & 2 were AWESOME. If you’ve been reading, you know that Picard and Data (with a side of Spock) are directly responsible for a very, VERY, serious tragedy that happens to Nero (through inaction), and more devastation happening overall. I think the only reason Nero doesn’t go after Picard or Data is because he told Spock he would hold HIM responsible. I cannot WAIT to see how the next issue carries the story…
POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!
The Aint it Cool preview gives a few extra tidbits, such as referring to The Forge, and to some character who we will all know but Kirk hasn’t met.
Personally, I’m thinking Borg technology here.
But also, this Forge thing reminds me of the Greg Bear novel The Forge of God, where an alien race of planet killers put black holes inside the Earth to destroy it.
Sound familiar??
Sorry thorsten. but that poster needs work
LOVE the re: to the SanFrancisco vid
Italian dubbers rule. Seeing the trailer in an italian theater in front of Watchmen was a pleasant surprise.
I’ve decided I’m not going to read anymore spoilers!! I’ve resisted the one here!! I’m not going to read countdown either. Although I have ordered the paperback….
Too bad that the iconic Nero’s “fire everything” has been translated into a bland “fire at will” in the italian trailer.
@13…
well, in german it’s “Alles Abfeuern!”…
;))
“It’s The Star Trek Count Down…….”
Can’t wait to get my fingers on those Comics in April…
“Mi piace questo nave , è Eccitante!!”
I preordered the TBP of COUNTDOWN half a minute ago on amazon.
Happy now?
@17:
Ti sfido a fare di meglio (:
Sarebbe “questA nave”…
Anthony, do you know the release date for Countdown #3?
I s’pose the novel will include the prequel comic story. And for those (hopefully)millions of mainstream moviegoers who haven’t a clue about the comics, will there be nothing from the comic to prep them before the film starts?
That music definitely sounds like Giacchino’s style.
If it is, I have no problem with it. Thank God its NOT a 60’s riff.
This may be another case, as with TMP, where the score elevates the material to another level.
Jeff Bond? Thoughts?
#20: I was going to ask the same think. I thought it was coming out in two weeks, but AICN says this week… Is that correct?
[...] Source:ST09 Tidbits (T-52 days): Comic Preview Reveals Nero Backstory b…/b [...]
“News Flash: Star Trek is Just a Movie”
that may be true now, but it wasnt always the case.
now it is indeed, just another movie, nothing differentiating it from any other tripe coming out of hollywood… a shame.
@15:
Oh man! I hope Gob makes a guest appearance, riding in on a Federation issue Space Segue!
Maybe I’m a little late for this, but has anyone ever noticed the ’shimmer’ effect that looks like light refracting/reflecting from the lens in a lot of the footage? An interesting stylistic choice. Maybe we can get an explanation for this? Perhaps?
The music that is on the movie website makes me think of some tracks from “lost” I find that it carries the same kind of emotions… It has to be from the same composer (Giacchino)
The writing on the ‘Countdown’ series isn’t the best, but it’s still a pretty good appetizer for the big meal to come in May. I look forward to getting the next two issues in the mail.
@25 JW Wright:
just another movie, nothing differentiating it from any other tripe coming out of hollywood… a shame.
It is? You’ve seen it? You’ve watched the movie from beginning to end and have the authority to declare this movie is, “tripe”?
Wow!
Why do folks come to this site to trash this flick anyway? TrekMovie.com is obviously a site that is exited about the new movie. All of the posts are pro-movie. The majority of the people who follow this site are anticipating that this movie is going to be (gasp) an enjoyable experience!
We WANT it to be really good. If it sucks, oh well. We’re not going to know that until we see it for ourselves.
If you people want to bitch and moan about something you haven’t even seen yet, make your own blog. Go post your own thread on TrekBBS and hash it out with those dudes.
Just quit crashing our party.
Wow…Those five pages are enough to warrant a purchase (After I idiotically missed out on #2).
So Romulus is no more. I wouldn’t be surprised if the planet shown in the trailer is Vulcan being ravaged by Nero’s Drill. It would make perfect sense. Quid Pro Quo.
de La Fuente’s fan trailer isn’t the only one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r6GjR3mcoE&fmt=18
Cant wait for the official movie poster to come out!
I’m still having trouble following Nero’s motives and line of thinking here. Romulus is destroyed by a natural disaster – and Spock was apparently the only one who tried to do anything about it. So why be angry at Spock (or Kirk for that matter)? I do hope this is explained satisfactorily in the movie…
@27…
Star Trek is shot with anamorphic lenses, and they create the beautiful horizontal lens flares you describe, Nick…
Concerning the music: Paramount may not have confirmed anything yet, but Jeff Bond at FilmScoreMonthly has written in a discussion somewhere that the piece of music on the Star Trek site is by Giacchino, probably not the main title music, but a version of the main theme that’s used for some pivotal moments in the film. He seemed to know for sure.
That is by far the creepiest recruiting poster i have ever seen.
@25:
Oh, please. Save me from your bleeding heart! My god, man, you’ve seen as much of the movie as we have, so unless you managed to sneak in to a press screening or the private screening for the cast and crew, I don’t think you have much to say that’s based on anything resembling fact.
Also, I don’t know if you’ve watched the trailers for the past ten Trek movies, but they didn’t have a lot of emphasis on the deeper storylines and meanings behind the events of the film. They’re pretty much all about the action and eye-catching FX. That’s what trailers are made for: to capture the audience. This movie has a lot of work ahead of it, trying to regroup a large number of fans who want to write off Star Trek as a too-often-beaten dead horse, and so far, the trailer seems to have rallied the troops quite effectively.
And, besides…spare us the dramatics. You’re going to see it anyway, if for no other reason than to have more fuel for your flames. So, just….CUT IT OUT, already.
well that music is on the official site so it’s an authentic Giacchino for sure.
Those mining bombs and Nero’s ship look vaguely Cardassian to me.
28, 37, etc.
Hasn’t it been reported on this site that the trailer music is from a company which specializes in that and is NOT from Giacchio?
Actually, come to think of it, they also look like those star-shaped things that pop out on the skin when the borg tech is taking over the body.
I have been reading Countdown with mixed emotions. I think the frame for Nero is plausible and well thought out, so I have to give props to Mr. Orci and Mr. Kurtzman for that. However, the gentlemen scripting this for IDW are really blowing a lot of the detail work (especially last issue and nearly every Vulcan detail: high command? Praetors? Really?). Spock’s “We share the same ears” line was ST:V worthy in issue 1.
I am having a tough time accepting a supernova which could wipe out EVERYTHING, so if that plays into the film I hope there’s a little more technobabble to suspend my disbelief.
The comic reminds me a bit of season 3 of ST:Enterprise; it was good SF, but was it Star Trek? I kept having to forget the fact in 35 years of Trek no one had ever mentioned the Xindi, and now they were a crucial part of Earth and Federation history.
I suppose I am afraid that this comic’s surface similarity to Star Trek which is not borne out in the detail work will carry over into the movie as well. I am glad to see they are thinking of how to tie it all together, but I am hoping the execution does it better than this enjoyable, yet flawed, set up.
#42 (Anthony Thompson):
You’re right, but we’re not talking about the music in the ST09 trailer, but the piece of background music on the official Star Trek website, which is probably from the film.
Are you sure it’s not 25th century?
From AICN by Hercules:
“Spock identifies Romulus as “my home of the last 40 years.”
The Spock episodes of TNG were set in 2369, according to the official Star Trek timeline; he said he arrived on Romulus a year earlier, which would be 2368. Add forty years to 2368 and that takes you to 2408.
And that, my friend, is the 25th century.
Nemesis is set in 2379. 2408 minus 2379 is 29 years.
Decades. ”
Sounds convincing to me.
#46 “Are you sure it’s not 25th century?”
We’re sure. The comic book writers answered that question on this site.
“Around eight years after Nemesis.”
46
Plus Picard would be ancient by then….not looking nearly as young as he does in this comic
The music on the main site is almost certainly official. In parts it sounds identical to portions of the Lost score, which was also done by Giacchino.
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!
PS I just saw the new trailer last night in front of Last House on the Left. I got shivers.
#44
“Spock’s “We share the same ears” line was ST:V worthy in issue 1.”
That was a joke, and we know that Vulcans are not good at joking. So the goofiness of that line is there for a reason, in my opinion.
“The comic reminds me a bit of season 3 of ST:Enterprise; it was good SF, but was it Star Trek?”
You know, I was actually waiting for this exact thing: good SF that keeps a distance from Trek as we know it. I am excited by fresh and new points of view.
Anthony Pascale- “Olympic class ships appear in Countdown #3″
Not for long it seems.
Anthony,
Does this issue come out THIS wednesday or NEXT Wednesday the 25th? I thought it was the latter. I don’t want to make an unnecessary trip to the comic shop or go too late and find that it’s sold out. Thanks!
Spoiler question:
Anyone else bothered by the fact that Beverly Crusher ends up becoming Captain of the U.S.S. Pasteur, just like in All Good Things? She seems to be the only character who ends up in that path of destiny.
PSA: Countdown #3 comes out MARCH 25th (not this wednesday, but next), however if you haven’t jumped onboard yet, you should definitely just wait for the trade paperback in April, which will have all four issues combined.
I’m sorry to say it, but Nero’s motivations are complete and utter bull. I threw my hands up when I read the preview over at AICN because is that what Nero really believes? Is he that retarded? Why would he suddenly fall for the notion that the Federation wanted to take over Romulan space…when it’s obvious that the Federation sent medical ships to help them!!! And it’s not like the arrival of those ships were completely unexpected…after all, didn’t Data make it clear that the Federation wanted to help before the star reached Romulus? I could swallow Nero’s contention that he would hold Vulcan responsible for Romulus’ destruction, but I cannot swallow this. Sure, it’s traumatic when you see your home planet and everyone in it blown to smithereens, but why would Nero jump to conclusions that quickly? Believe me, I’ve suffered personal trauma and lost loved ones, but I didn’t go around blaming people that had nothing to do with it. I sincerely hope that the writers can justify all of this in the next 20 pages because I thought the whole point of the Countdown series was to paint a three-dimensional portrait of a bad guy whose motivations aren’t entirely half-baked. Soran from ‘Generations’ had better motivations than this guy does.
*keeps fingers crossed that he’ll be wrong come Wednesday*
51- Just to make sure I understand, and I am not trying to be rude or facetious, but I want to respectfully ask: You want Star Trek not to be “Star Trek”? There’s lots of good Science Fiction out there, heck BSG. But any more than I want BSG to be Star Trek, I don’t want Star Trek to be BSG.
Do I think Trek could use a fresh visual wash? Yes. But it needs to still be Star Trek, otherwise it might as well be Star Wars, or Babylon 5, or Andromeda. If not, then what’s the point?
55. Brian
Thanks so much, that’s what I thought. I have been keeping up and have already read issues 1 & 2 multiple times. Can’t wait for next week as this has been a great prequel to the sequel part of the prequel…? Anyways, thanks for clarifying.
#56 Perhaps it’s because Nero does some research (as depicted in the comic) on Kirk, and thus is informed of the “Balance of Terror” which left the onus on Romulus, but the “Enterprise Incident” also: Those were in a sense aggression which set the Romulans against the Federation for many years… and both involved Kirk. Heck, they can blame him for Nimbus III too, and stopping Nanclus’ efforts to bring the Klingons against a new Federation (via Cartwright)–Romulan alliance.
If Kirk is erased… perhaps Nero thought the Commander would have been successful in “Balance of Terror”, and that “Enterprise Incident” never would have happened.
For The Dark Knight, a couple of months before the film’s release my cable TV provider (Comcast) showed a handful of 8-minute shorts that provided some background information to the film They were in the form of the news/entertainment show in the movie called “Gotham Tonight” hosted by Anthony Michael Hall’s character. They were news stories about Bruce Wayne, Batman, Gordon, the Joker, etc., and they are included on the DVD as extras. While it wasn’t necessary to see these before the film, they were great for fans of the Batman franchise. I had hoped we would see something similar for STXI.
Well looking at the San Francisco rant again…. the gentlemen got some images wrong…
When he says here is San Francisco today, his view is from the west end of the Oakland Bay Bridge looking east. That’s not San Francisco, its Oakland. Does anyone se the TransAmerican BUilding (the narrow pyramid) in that shot? No? Well that would be because its behind you in POV.
The shot from the trailer is looking at San Francisco from the Golden Gate. That easy enough to figure out buy looking at the support cables for the bridge and their spacing.
Finally when someone does get a chance to take a look at the San Francisco skyline… you will see much larger buildings then our friend has suggested.
http://www.skyscraper.com/skyline.jpg <- SF skyline
@ 30. Trekphobic Hells Yea!
@25. J W Wright, then go watch a foreign film you douche
Enough with the “its not Star Trek” shit. Gene himself said he wanted fresh new minds to redo Star Trek one day and make it bigger, right out of the mouth of the creator. I am sorry but you can’t argue with that. This new movie is pure Star Trek and the Star Trek I have been waiting for.
@ 20 I’m dead Jim, and anyone else, the third countdown comics is released on March 25th, that is the date! The fourth comic and the paper back are out on April 29th, no if, and’s or but’s about it. I also agree with #29 that its not the best writing but the comics really a treat before the movie.
@ 46 VZX No this movie is not in the 25th, it takes place in 8 years after Nemesis (2379) which would make it 2387 there is still a good decade to go before the 25th.
We have been given tidbits of music in trailers and on the website so we can make an educated guess as to how the music might sound. I am still most anxious to hear the main theme.
@35. Shatner_Fan_Prime & @ 56. DGill, no doubt, all the people he turned on tried to help him, but his HOME PLANET IS GONE! ALONG WITH HIS RACE, AND HIS WIFE AND UNBORN CHILD! I think I would go nutty as well and turn on anyone. He does not seem too happy with the romulan council either. Seems like Nero only trusts his own kind (the few that exist which we see in trailers fighting with sulu.) He turns on the Spock, Picard, The Romulan council. So you cant really rationalize a characters actions who has just gone through something that is beyond tragedy.
@ 44. Weerd1 Regarding your Xindi theory. Yes Enterprise is Star Trek I mean fans are so obsessed with cannon but then they pick and choose weather Enterprise is Star Trek. You cant pick and choose what you accept when WE KNOW that (regardless of all the comics and novels that) all the TV series, and movies are cannon. Just as the novels give us info and adventures we have never seen, the same exists with the Trek TV and Movie universe, so much is yet untold, LOL think of how big the LCARS databanks are on Earth. Ok the Xindi have not been mentioned, how many other dozens of races have not been mentioned. That is the beauty of being a writer, you can create. Just because it was not mentioned before does not mean it does not exist. History is only as accurate as the pieces we find and fit together. Since Star Trek is the history of the future we could look at Star Trek with the eyes of a historian the information is only as accurate as the pieces we find and fit together.
A friend of mine who is not a fan of star trek (thinks its for geeks, blah, blah) actually wants to see the movie. He saw the most recent trailer and wants to go see it. I am surprised yet not. I am surprised because he is a jock and is not a trek fan but likes star wars (not fanboy), but through high school always teased me about star trek, now he said he wants to see this new movie. The new movie looks so good, there is no doubt it is going to attract non trek fans as well, the trailers alone are proving that. The appearances of JJ and the actors around the world butting a bold new face on Star Trek also helps. If the trailers alone are attracting new people and peeking their curiosity, we have a winner, and I am really excited about that.
I thought the official movie poster for ST : TFB would of been out by now
I come in peace to seek Shatner knowledge. today i take my finals on my final day in college. Heard about this site Shat uploaded so in that case I wanted to see if it was a joke. I wanna talk to uncommon people, I wanna go wherever uncommon people go. I wanna chat with uncommon people, I wanna chat with uncommon people like you. So that’s what we should do. At least for a moment or two. I heard about Twitter Shatner so I’ll go there Sat-ur-day after-noon, to twi-tter around with you. I don’t know why but I gotta start somewhere. So why not there? And what’s great is it costs no money (Shat’s probably thinking, that’s pretty funny) Yeah? well, I can’t see anyone else smiling in here. I’m sure I wana chat with uncommon people, talk about shat with uncommon people, aren’t you all uncommon people? Aren’t you all uncommon people like me? (Beam me up, Scotty!) I hope you all can understand…i’ll clarify why this phaser’s in my hand!! Talk about Trek with uncommon people, talk about whatever heck uncommon people do, even shat about Sulu. Talk about how cool Shat is with uncommon people, ride a horse and drink a beer of course and show remorse with uncommon people like you! And chekov too! even Uhura or Uhu-ru. Shat all day long with uncommon people. Nothing wrong with uncommon people. Drink along with uncommon people even if they’re not drinking with you. that includes me too. Alone with Bones and shocked by Spock, yeah you two, too. The whole enter-prise crew. I suppose that I’m gonna, chat with you if you wan-na, spend some time shatt’in with me too, we could write back and forth in lieu…of watching Miss Congen-i-al-ity 2. I really hope you can understand how hard it is for me to type but what I’d really like to to do is chat with shatner once on Skype. That would really make me glad I wish it were a chance I’d had. If I had a chance like this I’d grab and hold it tight in my mac-fist-o and then after that I could die. But for now I climb the walls but shat could chat and stop it all if he’d just chat with one of these uncommon people, because we’re all created equal, hope Shat’s in-volved in the star trek sequal but that’s just for those common people not us uncommon people we don’t need no star trek 2. I’m sure he’ll find something else to do!
I’m sorry, I still find that “I dare you to do better” line to be an awful way to get Kirk down the path of joining Starfleet.
Neat poster, though.
Oh, also not massively inspired by the music. It’s not a bad piece of music, but it just doesn’t feel very Star Trek to me. It feels more like a stock piece of music that was pulled from a catalogue. Guess we’ll see if it actually is or isn’t a part of the score.
#62
I’m not arguing that the destruction of Romulus driving Nero to insanity is absurd, but the lightning-quick manner in which he jumped to those conclusions is. I liked the first two issues because the comic portrayed him as a good, decent Romulan with all of his marbles intact, and I thought his descent into madness would be more well-rounded than what we’ve been shown so far. Even in “The Dark Knight”, the audience could buy Harvey Dent’s transformation into Two Face because it was a gradual descent, and the tragedy that befell him was merely the straw that broke the camel’s back. The fate of Nero’s loved ones wasn’t engineered by outside parties…it was the result of a natural disaster. Yes, the Vulcans’ stingy nature moved things along. Yes, Spock and the Romulan Council’s passiveness played a huge role, but the notion that the Federation was using the supernova to their advantage is just more than I can chew. However, that’s just what I think.
Like I said before, I hope the remainder of the issue makes everything clearer. This was just my initial reaction to the first few pages. Even if the writers half-ass Nero’s motivations completely, I still think Eric Bana will do a FANTASTIC job with the character, and it certainly won’t ruin my enjoyment of the movie when it comes out.
#66
It seems like “guilty by association” is the theme here.
After J.J.’s epic, TNG needs one more.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Movie.
Last one. Let’s get it done!
#57 “You want Star Trek not to be “Star Trek”?”
I want to taste some Trek that is a “different” Trek.
I think Nero is looking for someone to blame, and the Federation is the best target. Also, he has been driven somewhat mad by the tragedy he has had to endure. I don’t think it is reasonable to expect him to be perfectly rational. If he were, he probably wouldn’t be a villain to begin with.
@ 66. DGill, he man no doubt, I never said you were arguing or that you are wrong, I am just providing my view points on how I interepred it, no ill feelings. We are all over hyped for this movie lol.
No doubt on Eric Bana, even the 3 cameos he had in the new trailer were impressive, from the little we have seen, I already think he is better than Khan when it comes to Trek villains. “my day of reckoning,” “James T Kirk was a great man,” “FIRE EVERYTHING,” were all so intense and believable. I don’t mean to put him down but where Ricardo was acting as Khan it was still quite theatrical and didn’t feel “real” where as Bana playing Nero, my god he’s not just acting, he became NERO. Honestly I am looking forward to Bana playing Nero more than Pine playing Kirk.
62- Oh, I am not arguing to have Enterprise removed from Canon (I actually liked the show), but I don’t think it always lived up to its name sake. Now there’s a couple of different ways a show can do that. One is the surface stuff- the uniforms are the wrong color, etc. Most of that is forgivable. The Xindi not being referenced before somewhere… OK, given Earth’s rich history a year long state of war resulting from a devastating attack may slip through the cracks. I think the Remans push the envelope though. We’ve watched the Romulans for years, we’ve watched the Romulans fight the Dominion War for a couple of years, but for Nemesis suddenly there’s these guys? Stretches credibility and pulls you out of the moment.
It’s the thematic breaches I think I have more problem with. Star Trek should certainly have a sense of adventure, but I also want to see humans learning, humans succeeding, and characters with whom I commiserate. I like the crew of the NX-01, so I forgive them bad stories and surface issues. Voyager stays firmly in my “apocrypha” bin because it not only breached surface continuity, it strained credibility dramatically, failed thematically to match Star Trek, and had characters that with few exceptions I just didn’t care about.
Going back to “refresh” (notice I avoided reboot) Classic Trek is a risky proposal. There ARE certain expectations which go along with Trek which even someone only aware of the pop culture aspect of Trek will be looking for. The proof however will be in the thematic presentation. Is it about humanity’s optimistic future? Are the characters true to their archetypes? We’re not talking about BSG where you had a season thirty years ago which most people ignored- you are talking the cultural icons of Kirk, McCoy, and Spock. Any writer has a responsibility to that. If someone is going to do a great SF story, but had fundamentally changed the themes and characters, I have to ask again, what’s the point? JMS wanted to do a darker Star Trek, so he made Babylon 5. He created, and had no parameters to fit except his own. New writers on Trek I think are free to create, but there’s an obligation to what exists.
Otherwise, feel free to make a movie about John R. Smith, Iowa slacker who decides to join the 25th Century Space Navy and serve on the E.S.S. Indomitable. You’ve matched surface, but not themes, and it is all yours.
As for taking what is or isn’t canon, I ABSOLUTELY have that right. I am the consumer. If I choose to ignore the existence of Nemesis, I am free to. If I have nothing on my Trek DVD shelf but TNG episodes, I am free to. Dear Lord, if I can pick and choose which parts of the Bible I follow (All about not killing or stealing, a little less on keen on being the guy to stone adulteresses to death), I can certainly decide to ignore certain Star Trek episodes. I really hope I don’t have to ignore the new movie. I WANT to love it, but there are expectations it must meet. This comic is not filling me with hope.
This also raises the question: seeing as how Nero and his crew eventually acquire the technology to go back in time, what’s stopping them from going back and stopping the disaster from occuring instead of causing everyone in the past a load of grief? I hope this is addressed in the remainder of the series as well. Of course, I think it’s important to consider whether or not Nero and his crew can go back in time more than once. If the technology only warrants a one-way trip, that would explain a lot given Nero’s insanity. If he CAN go back more than once, it would be just as far fetched as that episode of “Voyager” in which the 29th century pilot tells Janeway that he has no time…when he’s sitting in a time machine!
#71
Amen to that, Chadwick. I think Bana’s performance will outperform all of the other villains we’ve seen in the last decade of Trek. I still like General Chang though. The Chang/Kirk dynamic was very unique.
69- I have no problem with that (not that you are looking for my permission :P ) but I think of it this way- I like cheese. Sometimes I want cheddar, and sometimes brie, and even sometimes, I really want some panela queso from central Mexico. Don’t give me a yellow piece of chicken and tell me its cheese. Trek is a huge universe which can suit many flavors, but there are certain standards the new film, or ANY Trek should adhere to. Further, every and I mean EVERY previous series as examples of “non-Trek wearing a Starfleet uniform” in my opinion.
Yeah, I want good SF- but I want it to be good Trek too.
@ DGill: He may have the technology to go back in time but that doesn’t mean he has the technology to stop a star from dying. He could go back in time before it happens, but I’m not sure how he would be able to stop the disaster per se. You’re right though that this is all speculation. We’ll see how the story plays out.
#72 “Any writer has a responsibility to that. If someone is going to do a great SF story, but had fundamentally changed the themes and characters, I have to ask again, what’s the point?”
In my opinion, the core elements of Trek are very easy to keep intact. On that elements there are a lot of different flavours, themes, plots and stories to be told. I am not a conservative person and I embrace new ways of telling stories.
In my personal vision of Trek, it’s like bands covering classic musical compositions. Every writer is entitled to embed his own vision in Trek.
There was Roddenberry, that started it all. Coon. Ellison. Bennett. Berman. And now the crew Orci/Kurtzman/Abrams. Let’s see what they have for us, with a truly open mind. If we don’t like it, we’ll wait for the next cover :)
#76
Yes, pure speculation. At this point, I have been speculating that Vulcan probably is the planet being destroyed in the trailer because it synchs up with what has been discussed in the comic. I think Nero and his crew will indeed obtain “Red Matter” at some point (remember that their plan in the last issue was to create a black hole in the star using red matter) and use this to destroy Vulcan. I can’t speculate beyond that point, but you get my drift. :D
#75 “but there are certain standards the new film, or ANY Trek should adhere to.”
I agree but, as I said, in my opinion the core Trek elements are not difficult to respect, and what I see in trailers and comics is not trashing Trek as I know and as I like. Personal opinion :)
It sounds like a shakesperean tradgety to me. Fascinating stuff. I will not judge untill I have the whole picture to go by. that includes the movie too.
@ 66. DGill ok true Nero did “switch over” quickly, a little too quick.
The music could be track #10, “New Directions”. Could be.
Bear with me people this is regards to the views of San Francisco and that the buildings are too big in rant guys video. Carefully read this but don’t half ass read it or don’t read it at all or confusion will ensue.
@ 61. biodredd, until I am proven wrong I belive that you are wrong lol, yes it is San Francisco in this guys video, and view IS from the east end of the Oakland bridge looking west into San Francisco not east away from San Francisco as you indicate, which is why you DO see the Trans American building in the rant video off to the right (look again) which is where it should be when you are looking west towards San Francisco from the Oakland bridge. The Trans American building is on 600 Montgomery Street in the east side of San Francisco which is why you do see it in the rant guy video off to the right. Rant guy’s image is of San Francisco but it is not the same view of the city as in the trailer. It would be best to compare a photo of present day San Francisco Bay Area looking south from north. The TransAmerican Building would not be behind you in the trailer it would be in front of you but it is either renovated, torn down, or behind all the other larger buildings. With no anger or finger pointing :) you are totally wrong, where the rant guy in the video simply has a different picture of the city which make it confusing, he could have sourced a better comparison photo (which I did.)
Bottom line rant guy should have compared a photo of San Francisco like in the trailer, looking over the bridge in a southerly direction at San Francisco bay area from the north side of the bridge (i.e. from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area towards San Francisco) not from Oakland.
LMAO I am from Hamilton Ontario lol, a 25 year old Canadian and (sadly) I have never been to San Francisco and I know the San Francisco area with regards to direction and locations better than homegrown Americans. Should I laugh or cry?
You can tell in the trailer where the shuttles are flying by your view point is from Golden Gate National Recreation Area north of San Francisco and you are looking south and slightly east at Starfleet Academy, through the middle of the Golden Gate which would mean that the Pacific Ocean is off to the right and behind us in the trailer scene. The trailer shows what (in present day) are the Ggnra Yacht Harbor, Fort Mason, and Marina Blvd.
The photo I have provided in the link below shows what the trailer shows but is a much wider angle, you can’t see Marina Blvd (too far off) but it shows Ggnra Yacht Harbor, Fort Mason, AND the Presidio, (the Presidio is not shown in the shuttle trailer scene, it would be off the screen to the right and probably still a preserved area.) This photo offers a better “today vs. tomorrow” comparison than rant guy video. Why compare a photo of San Francisco from the Oakland bridge looking west when there are plenty of photos from the Golden Gate looking south like in the trailer.
Look at the photo and the trailer.
http://www.aynsof.com/photogallery/Golden%20Gate.jpg
LOL I really don’t care about the photos and if its Oakland, San Francisco, or across the bay in Alameda “That’s vhat I said….Alameda” “But where is Alameda?” It’s what rant guy says about skyscrapers that is inaccurate, what the does he know about the 23rd century. Buildings will always get taller and more efficient, more or less self-sustaining with regards to energy. I mean that is the problem today we use up too much land for our suburban homes, the goal it to build up and up and being able to put more people in the air whist using less area on land. This looks like an accurate representation of the 23rd century, just look at what they are building in Dubai and China! And rant guy is telling me this isn’t 23rd century San Francisco? Go back 200 years and people would never believe the building we have today, same thing. I don’t doubt that this could be a highly possible vision of future San Francisco where buildings are self-sustaining. This guy knows nothing of history, human patterns, or architecture and how its role will play out with our “green” future. Rant guy’s arguments are not valid. Rant guy is just lame.
The ONLY down side of the awe-inspiring view in the trailer is the city does not look very green, you do see trees but it does not look clean, green, healthy, the sky does not look blue. Seems too smoggy for the 23rd century.
79- Actually Paulaner, I think we are in overall agreement, and if I came off as bashing the new film, it was not my intention. I simply cannot judge if it is good Trek or not until I see it. Nacelle size is not what will make or break it for me. Its the themes.
That vid response is awesome. I mean yeah, of course the buildings are over sized, but if that guy wanted to make a real case for it he should have just compared it to San Fran in other Star Treks, us Trekkies dont care what its like compared to actual history, just cannon Star Trek, and even then the size of the buildings are going to be the least of our cannon concerns. And yes, good job on the poster.
I doubt it’s getting a staggered release, but this issue of Countdown is, in fact, scheduled to hit stores this week.
#27 & #36- Tech note: All those horizontal blue lens flares we see in the fx footage of ST09 are stylistic choices. the old anamorphic lenses would produce those naturally when a bright point source of light was present.
Back on Dragonslayer, ILM added the blue horizontal flare to some scenes.
Looks like they’re reviving the look with ST09! (Cool!)
Is it just me or do the Olympic classes have red nacelle glows?
I do like the new poster even it’s a fake one :-)
…honestly though whats the point of Star Trek existing if Vulcan is destroyed and they dont undo it somehow? or maybe Vulcan only appears to be destroyed but unexpectedly the black hole sucks Vulcan X number of light years in another direction and spits it out intact on the other side…with everyone alive…or maybe Carol Marcus invents the Genesis Device earliwr and creates a new Vulcan…or maybe Vulcan refugees claim Mars as their new home… LOL or maybe the Preservers step in and replace Vulcan with a duplicate Vulcan like that duplicate Miri Earth in TOS existed…look to Shatners post-Generations Kirk novels for why the Preservers are relevant..
LOVED The Response to the San francisco Guy…. whoever made that video was pure genious! GREAT Job!
Okay, I don’t understand the whole “which bit of San Francisco are we looking at?”
It’s obvious. You can see the Exploratorium in the middle of the shot!
Check out these pics. First one shows a comparison between the still from the trailer, and a picture I took on a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge about two years ago. You can even see the same damn clump of trees on Marina Drive!
http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbanf/SF1.jpg
Second pic is from Google Earth showing the line of sight of the shot.
http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbanf/SF2.jpg
Case closed
#90
I think Star Trek will exist, with or without Vulcan.
I love how some people group together and attack people with a dissenting opinion on this site, like a group of sharks smelling a fresh papercut.
Newsflash: Not everyone is going to like this movie, or the comic that leads up to it–and guess what? They are entitled to their opinion.
Doesn’t make them HATERS or NON-FANS. It makes them strong, independant people with thoughts, feelings, observations and opinions.
You know, thinkers. The opposite of SHEEP.
Baaa…
It is going to be so nice come June when this movie is out and everyone has seen it for what it is, not what it might be, could be or should be.
Only then will we know the real story. One thing is for sure, whether you love it or hate it, a lot of people will be singing a different tune after it has opened.
Good or bad, I just hope it isn’t medeocre.
And on page 22 one of the most iconic characters in all of Trekdom turns up to issue an ultimatum.
…
Q?
Some people, yes, maybe take Star Trek very seriously, too seriously, even. But to say it’s “just a movie” is like saying the Bible or the Qu’ran is “just a book.” I’m not suggesting Star Trek is necessarily comparable to God– but think of it this way: Someone who believes in Islam does not see the Bible as anything special. It is paper, a book. Just as a Christian might see the Qu’ran similarly.
We mustn’t forget that just because Star Trek is a movie doesn’t mean there’s nothing to it. Like the “Undiscovered Country” trailer says, these ships and their crews HAVE been our guides and our friends. They really have, like it or not. Those aren’t just words to many people that really get into the ideologies of Star Trek. Plus, I don’t think most of us would say to a friend or a guide that she is “just another person.”
Many people probably have a space which they find comfortable. For some, it is in Star Trek. Others, maybe it’s on the toilet in the morning or in a park at sundown. These are not just places to some people. And to say it’s harmless and insignificant to add a florescent green mat in front of the toilet is just someone saying that that space is not as special to them. But take a look around — maybe it IS special to someone.
Star Trek is a movie. “Just” – not so much.
@95…
Guinan?
Spanish trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy7hqvXtUa0
German:
http://www.looki.de/video/star_trek_xi_film_trailer_2_video_v5427.html
French:
http://snipurl.com/dy6h1
BTW, speaking of ‘Italian’ trailers … :-D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FykT1N0FEjo
I just watched the Italian version of the trailer. I am Italian and while the voices of Pike and Nero are really good, esp. Nero, and the voice of Spock is so-so, the voice of Kirk is crap. I hope they change his voice for the film. The trailer is good and the trailer music is great. But I don’t like the official music by Giacchino.
Anthony, it is molto bene, not molte bene.
95/97:
Q’s story ended happily with “All Good Things” and he hardly qualifies as “most iconic.” His episodes were hit and miss at best despite J dL’s great hammy performances.
And Guinan? PuhLeeeze.
Stewie Griffin?
If Guinan does show up in the comic, I bet she’ll unleash those killer braids of hers. That hat is way too big to keep anything not living under it.
I was kidding.
We all know it will be Sevenofnine.
If chief O’brien were on board those Federation ships, he would insist on receiving the coordinates of the objects beaming over. If the objects were unstable, he would defuse them before they came on board the ships. Giving the coordinates to the Romulan ship sounds like gross negligence to me.
96- Amen Pinky, Amen and hallelujah!
96-
Of course, you are entitled to believe whatever you wish. And as far as ideologies go, you can probably do much worse than Star Trek. But there are limits (as to how far you can indulge your personal beliefs in public life).
If I were your employer and you showed upto work in a Starfleet uniform, I’d say I am not paying you to spread the gospel of Jesus, Mohammed, or Gene Roddenberry. Save it for the Halloween office party.
Re: The SanFrancisco video: Great video, a good point well said. Great job!!!
I really like the de la Fuente trailer remix with the Giacchino music (I think the music is from the film, likely “Kirk’s theme”, and I think it’s great) but I can’t seem to find it on youtube to playlist it.. Any suggests what to search for exactly?
Forget it. I figured it out.
I suspect people are going to do all kinds of interesting things with the new film once it’s released (incorporating images from TOS, etc.). Should be fun.
94 Jeff C.
AMEN TO THAT
92. ucdom,
I followed your first link and I just noticed something in the 23rd centory SF still that I haven’t noticed before. If you look at the building second from the right, you can see a Starfleet delta shield on the side of the building. That’s about where the Presidio is located, am I right?
Still no solid ideas on a most iconic Trek character that Kirk never knew.
What other iconic character is there in the TNG era, aside from Picard and Data?
Worf? Nurse Pulaski?!
This is killing me………lol
I think the debate regarding the beaming of unstable material is just an art snafu. Nero mentions that he just wanted their shields down to beam the stuff over; if the art wasn’t of a transporter pad, no harm, no foul.
#84 “if I came off as bashing the new film, it was not my intention”
You are not bashing it. We are just exchanging opinions in a civic way :)
#111
Wow, you have sharp eyes. I went pack through my 1080p download frame by frame and pulled out this image (http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbanf/SF3.jpg), and it’s pretty clear. I also think there might be the UFP logo on the weird looking place next door.
These building aren’t quite on the Presidio. The Starfleet-logo building is easy to place; it’s built on what is today a massive car park, bounded by Montgomery St., Anza Avenue, Sheridan Avenue, and Lincoln Boulevard (clear as you like on Google Earth). The weird looking place with the maybe-UFP logo is sited pretty much in the block defined by Edie Rd., Girard Rd., General Kennedy Ave., and Lincoln Blvd again.
I love the way the effects artists have respected the 21st century road layout. Nice work.
It would be nice to hear from people involved with ‘updating’ San Francisco for the movie.
There is a limited amount of “iconic” characters in Trek outside of assorted crewmembers and ships. And you can pretty much exclude anything made after TNG.
“Iconic” here is the equivalent of “symbolic.”
-Balok
-The Gorn
-Orion slave girl
-Computer voice
-Khan
-The Borg
-Bearded Spock
-etc.
Now, assuming that none of these will issue an ultimatum on page 22, I can only assume that AICN was exaggerating, and that we will indeed get a Q, or some such.
117
Good list. Orci likes him some TNG with special sauce, so Borg seem likely, but it does say character rather than race.
Guinan seems possible.
… Maybe Uhura? I have no problem imagining her at age 150, and imagining her in some diplomatic position to deliver a Federation ultimatum is not so out of question.
“Iconic” could mean anything to Hercules over at AiCN. He’s the guy who’s been erroneously reporting that Countdown takes place in the 25th century. In any event, looking forward to issue 3.
@119…
Iconic…
that can only mean Vedek Winn Adami…
#25—”that may be true now, but it wasnt always the case.”
Yeah—before 1979, it was just a television show with a unique following.
“now it is indeed, just another movie, nothing differentiating it from any other tripe coming out of hollywood… a shame.”
What is it about past Star Trek movies that you believe set them apart from the “tripe”, which is now suddenly and shamefully absent from *this* one?
thorsten- As usual, superb job on the artwork, my dear.
#56—”…is that what Nero really believes? Is he that retarded? Why would he suddenly fall for the notion that the Federation wanted to take over Romulan space…when it’s obvious that the Federation sent medical ships to help them!!!”
He’s Romulan, isn’t he?
Romulans have always been xenophobic, distrustful, and even a bit paranoid in general. I think we have to remember that early Vulcans were passionate, violent, and quite dangerous. There is a reason they embraced the philosophy we know as theirs in the 23rd-24th Century. The Romulans would obviously display the same type of dangerously emotional behavior, but without the restraints of modern Vulcan philosophies and disciplines.
It always seemed to me that the only glue which kept Romulan society from chaos was a slavish devotion to strict martial codes, and the pride and discipline derived from such a structured existence. In the absence of the structure provided to them by the Empire, would they not revert to their more primal tendancies and weaknesses?
What should be expected of a Romulan, once not only his structured nationalism and ordered existence is ripped from him, but his family as well? I would expect a prime candidate for “mad man”—no?
@122…
thanks, Denise darling. Pike’s face is from the third trailer, the bar scene.
Unfortunately his eyes were in the shadow, so I placed fake highlights in them ;))
The fact that Nero seems to have snapped fairly recently doesn’t really jibe with his line in the trailer about “waiting his whole life for this day of reckoning,” does it? A minor point, I know.
#125—”The fact that Nero seems to have snapped fairly recently doesn’t really jibe with his line in the trailer about “waiting his whole life for this day of reckoning,” does it? A minor point, I know.”
I thought the same thing!
“I’ve been waiting a long time” would seem more appropriate, at least given what we know and expect at this point.
123/56:
His wife and unborn child would be enough to make him snap… and the destruction of Romulus would make his reckless and desperate. Since none of us has personally witnessed the destruction of Earth from space, it’s hard to measure what’s a reasonable response.
…
Separate topic, Ian McShane would make a great Klingon in the next Trek movie.
Ah, that could be the answer to “iconic character:” Klingons.
…or the Ferengi, Tuber!
The Grand Nagus makes an offer no one can refuse…
54> Anyone else bothered by the fact that Beverly Crusher ends up becoming Captain of the U.S.S. Pasteur, just like in All Good Things? She seems to be the only character who ends up in that path of destiny.
Actually, Picard’s following those breadcrumbs too – he was an Ambassador in the AGT future.
The AGT future was a “real” future after all, and present-Crusher confirmed that Picard stood a high chance of ending up with the early-stage dementia he had in that future. Things change, but, then, not everyone’s going down the AGT road, and that’s fine too.
The special guest will probably be the Borg queen.
- I like the italian version of the trailer..sounds very..cool..
125: ‘The fact that Nero seems to have snapped fairly recently doesn’t really jibe with his line in the trailer about “waiting his whole life for this day of reckoning,” does it? A minor point, I know.’
Well, maybe. He could have been living a life that wasn’t his dream. Not happy, but not terribly unhappy, and consoling himself in the thought that his sacrifices made life better for the Romulan people as a whole.
Then if Romulus’ star goes POOF and he perceives stubbornness and stupidity on the part of the Romulan government, it might make him not only snap, but also re-evaluate his entire life.