TrekInk: Reviews of Mission’s End #1 & Last Generation #5 + iPhone Countdown Contest March 31, 2009
by Alex Fletcher , Filed under: Comics,Review,TNG,TOS , trackback
In addition to the Tribbles comic (see review), IDW released two other books last week, with one series coming to an end with "Star Trek" The Last Generation" # 5, and a new series just starting off with "Mission’s End" #1. See below for reviews of both. Plus we have a special contest giving away all four issues of "Star Trek Countdown for the iPhone/iTouch.
One ending and one beginning
On one hand, it’s the End of History, and Picard is there to either stop it or help it along. Which is it? It’ll all be made clear. Just as Braxton and Data’s roles in this entire kerfuffle should come to light too. At the same time, it’s the end of an era… or the start of the end of an era. That will lead to the end of an era. Oh, who am I kidding? Gary Mitchell? Kirk sweeping a dame off her feet Indiana Jones style? Bugs? What more do you need in a comic?
THE LAST GENERATION #5 REVIEW
This is the fifth, and last, issue of Andrew Steven Harris’ "Last Generation" miniseries. At the end of the fourth issue, the Excelsior was just about to circle a star and use the gravity well to zip back in time to the Khitomer Conference. This issue opens right with that, and Gordon Purcell’s art really reflects the kind of imagery we previously saw in time travel in the Star Trek films and television episodes with distortion, duplication, and coloring outside of the lines.
The Excelsior finds herself at the right time, but the circumstances appear to have changed. The Enterprise can no longer be found. Picard only has two minutes to make his plan succeed, and heads down to the planet to try to make things work out. From there, the story jumps to Khitomer and plays out, but in a rather odd way. It actually took a couple of readings to get what is going on and it really is a clever conceit that Harris has used. The rest of the way through this miniseries, he’s shown us everything that has happened all along the way. Suddenly, in this issue, he is skipping a few segments here and there, playing with the timestream, so to speak. And once you catch on what he is doing, the story suddenly makes a lot more sense than it did previously. However, the payoff on the final page is a bit predictable and doesn’t work as well as the rest of the story.
Drunk vision, concussed vision, time travel vision all look the same. Coincidence? (click to enlarge)
Purcell’s art is, as mentioned, at its strongest at the opening of the story. It also looks fantastic when replicating scenes from Star Trek VI. He’s not tracing these images, but reinterpreting them from the screen. He captures the entire process of the assassination very well in imagery that could fit right into an adaptation of the original movie itself. Bob Almond’s inking and the combination of Mario Boon and John Hunt on the color duties are all forced to work in a tight tandem to bring off the look to these panels and pages.
Overall, the story presented in this miniseries does feel a touch rushed toward the end, but reading the stories back to back plays out quite decently, far better than I’d expected after reading the first issue of the series. Whoever was in charge of gathering cover artists for the five issues also has to be commended. Seeing the lineup, I expected J.K. Woddward’s covers to knock the socks off of the others, but this cover is another example where the "other artist" (Nick Runge) takes a concept and does a brilliant job with his take on the Star Trek VI poster for the "A" cover.
Regular and dealer incentive cover for "Last Generation" #5
(click to enlarge)
Star Trek The Last Generation #5 (of 5) is available in comic stores now. You can order both covers from TFAW or pre-order the trade paperback from Amazon.
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Star Trek The Last Generation |
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#5 (cover A) |
#5 (cover B) |
TPB |
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$3.59 |
$3.59 |
$13.59 |
MISSION’S END #1 REVIEW
The first issue of Ty Templeton and Stephen Molnar’s look at the USS Enterprise’s (NCC-1701) final mission begins with what appears to be a flashback to an early mission during the five year voyage. It’s stardate 1136.2, the Enterprise is part of a First Contact mission with the spiders of Archernar IV, and as Kirk states in his Captain’s Log, "I look forward to this mission… for the opportunity to observe the Enterprise crew in action. We’ll be out here for the next five years together."
Like any decent standalone novel, Templeton is taking this first issue to show where the story began, flashing back to the beginning of things. Judging from the publicity blurb and the covers, especially cover B, the story will likely play out some years down the road, showing the change of the spider civilization as relates to the Federation. Speaking of cover B, I have to commend artist Kevin Maguire, as he captures the gist of the series’ synopsis in one clean image — Kirk, McCoy, and Spock walking in three separate directions as the Starfleet emblem shatters behind them.
We don’t see him without his shirt… but he’s certainly trying! (click to enlarge)
The story itself is relatively simple and introductory. We see a first contact play out, and get introduced to a few characters that may (or may not) play bigger roles in later issues, including Captain Cassidy, and Kelso. Stephen Molnar’s art reminds me a lot of some of the older DC Comics in its style, and to my mind, this story feels like it could even have fit into that series back in the day without missing a beat. In terms of the art and dialogue, a couple of oddities that struck me during the course of the reading of the issue included Spock wearing command gold and Gary Mitchell calling Kirk "Captain", something I don’t recall from the original episode. Of course, please correct me on my memory for those two, it’s been a while since I’ve seen that episode, and my memory may be a bit faulty.
This first issue presents a neat little story with a bit of a small cliffhanger at the end (one that could play out twenty years later), but presents a very interesting culture, one I’ve not seen anything like in the Star Trek universe to date (but then again, I do not make any claims as to having read many of the novels at all, other than those TNG and DS9 era ones written in the last few years). I like what Templeton has brought to the table, and I’m interested to see where things play out in the next couple of issues of this one.
Regular and dealer incentive cover for "Mission’s End" #1
(click to enlarge)
Mission’s End #1 (of 5) is available in comic stores now and Issue 2 can be pre-ordered at TFAW.
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#1 |
#2 |
#3 |
#4 |
#5 |
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$3.59 |
$3.19 |
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IVERSE COUNTDOWN DOWNLOAD GIVEAWAY CONTEST
As reported with our review of Countdown #3, this series is available on iTunes (for iPhone and iTouch) as well as on Android and Kindle II. Each issue costs $0.99. The comics are converted to mobile devices by iVerse Media, who have set up a special website promoting their offering.
iVerse have also offered us ten ‘download sets’ of the entire Countdown series (all four issues. Winners will be sent codes for free downloads. In order to win it is simple, the first 10 people to type in ‘I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH’ in the comments section below. You must use a valid email address and the codes only work in the USA (sorry). Codes will be sent out the morning of April 1st. (NOTE: Codes only work if you have an iPhone or iTouch, you cannot read the comic using only the iTunes software on your computer)
And if you don’t win, you can buy the series for less than four bucks.
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Countdown #1 |
Countdown #2 |
Countdown #3 |
Countdown #4 |
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$0.99 |
$0.99 |
$0.99 |
Apr. 1(iTunes) |
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$0.99 |
$0.99 |
$0.99 |
Apr. 1(Android) |
Here is a screen shot of what Countdown comic looks like on the iPhone.
Win the entire Countdown series for iPhone
MORE TREK COMICS COVERAGE COMING SOON
Tomorrow IDW release two more comics: final issue of Countdown (#4) and the second issue of John Byrne’s Crew. Look for reviews of both shortly. Also the Trade Paperback for Countdown is officially coming out on April 7th, but Amazon has already shipped it to some customers and should be filling pre-orders in the next few days.
Pre-orders available at TFAW and Amazon.
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Comments
I wasn’t a huge ST comic book fan, but since countdown I’m all into it!
Cool….first?
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE
I want Countdown for my iPhone.
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH’
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY ITOUCH
I just want to be sure….only USA owners of iPhone and iTouch should say they want it…otherwise it is a waste
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I want star trek countdown for my itouch
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH’
Darn looks like I just missed it. :(
gonna get me TLG, CD and TWOK TPs (if they do TWOK as a TP – if not seperate issues)
first time i gonna buy trek comics in..oh bout 13 years? (FC adaptaion was the last one i got LOL)
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
But I fear I’m too late :-(
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY ITOUCH
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
note to first ten contest entrants, please reply to emails sent by TrekMovie confrming you are USA residents with iPHone/iTouch
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE
Alex–
In “Where No Man Has Gone Before” Spock is wearing the gold shirt. He was wearing blue in “The Cage,” however. And of course, by the second episode of the show, he’s wearing blue and the shirts look the way they would for the rest of the series (in style, fabric, and braid).
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY ITOUCH!
I fear I may be too late though.
lol – i wondered just WTF was going on – i thought it was some kind of spambot…I WANT COUNDOWN FOR MY IPHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (oh wait i dont have one)
I WANT ALIEN SPOTLIGHT: TRIBBLES FOR MY IPHONE/TOUCH!
Hiya Alex–actually, Gordon Purcell DID draw the Star Trek VI adaptation, all the way back when the movie first came out! He actually included a panel or two here taken from the original book.
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
AND I AM AN AMERICAN IN THE GOOD OL US OF A
Yay I got a free copy. :) Thanks Anthony, and iVerse Media!
i think we have plenty of entrants…thanks for joining in
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I WANT A TICKET FOR THE STAR TREK PREMIERE FOR MY LETTER BOX!
I WANT A MODEL OF THE NEW ENTERPRISE
What? I do.
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
:/
yet another contest us non-usa trek fans cant enter,, *sigh
ahh well,, Not long now to ST : TFB,,
and only acouple of years to,,, ST : ???
I hear Mr Shatner might be in ST : ???
:o)
I WANT AN iPHONE FOR MY HAND!
_\\// Live Long and Prosper!
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
37.
STXII was just anounced and your already spreading rumors
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
by the time you get to comment 39…. you kind of assume that the 10 requests have already been made :p
Does anybody know if there is any difference content-wise between the iphone/itouch versions and the actual comic?
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY ITOUCH!
I got an email from AMAZON today saying that my issue of the TPB Countdown was being released early and I would have it within a week.
Sweet….
on AMAZON UK it states CD out – 26 Jun 2009 ??
thats a heck of a wait!
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I WANT THE STAR TREK MOVIE ALREADY
I WANT TO STOP WANTING
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I appreciate the entries, but we have our ten winners….so feel free to talk about it, but sorry but no more entries. (but will $3.96 kill ya?)
Looks like the Countdown TPB will ship early from Amazon:
We are writing about the order you placed on March 06 2009 09:18 PST (Order# xxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxxx). The item(s) listed below will actually ship sooner than we originally expected:
Robert Orci, et al “Star Trek: Countdown TPB” [Paperback]
Estimated arrival date: 04/07/2009 – 04/09/2009
I WANT A COOKIE
I just had a cookie.
I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT AND NEVER SHALL WANT A MODEL OF THE NEW ENTERPRISE
I think Gary called Kirk “captain” when opening the “address intercraft” system or doing some other routine helm business — maybe he just called him “sir” though.
I hope I’m not the only one who thinks that IDW is doing terrific stuff with Trek. I really enjoyed “The Last Generation” as the best of the TNG stories and I’m interested in how “Mission’s End” plays out. And to think we’re finally getting a “comicazation” of Wrath of Khan. Trekkie heaven!
56 – im hoping we get a little bit extra in TWOK comic – like stuff that happened off camera like Khan taking the reliant and the torturing the scientists…and stuff that was described in the novel…maybe even a brief prologue showing Khans time on Ceti Alpha V (like an ultra condensed version of Greg Coxs rather excellent ‘Reign in Hell’ novel)
its gonna be soooooo good placing it inbetween TMP and TSFS adaptaions as a complete set at long last! *im sad i know..but hey i like my comics*
1.- “UNABASHED PLUG”
I have the Star Trek Comic collection on DVD.. Worth every penny of the $29.95 I paid at Amazon.com
hey u know what else id like to see adapted in to comic form sometime? some of the better novels like Prime Directive (esp since Bob Orci said it influence the new film in some way), Federation, The Lost Years and a few others..
to my knowledge theyve only done 1 – Ashes of Eden and it was pretty cool seeing the story visualised in comic form…(like an comic adaptaion of a Star Trek VII that never was)
Enough people got iPhones? Wow! Little contests like these are cool, if you’re lucky enough to have one of these devices, which apparently a lot of people do. I love these movie comics, what a great idea…like this contest. Though, maybe try something like this again when movie merchandise is released or when “Star Trek” comes out on Blu-Ray and DVD later this year. In regard to that, has there been any DVD news? I would think not considering the movie’s not out yet, but I wonder if we could expect a one-disc release or two-disc special edition…I’m sure whatever it is, we’ll find it here first.
#56
I’m sure it was a long time ago, but when were TMP and SFS comic adaptations released? Who did them?
And how have I not heard of the TWOK adaptation before now?!
Movie adaptation comics can be very good and also very bad (usually it’s the art quality that makes them bad, imo). I’d love to see the Star Trek movie adaptations–and add them to my growing collection of Trek comics.
**Don’t feel sad–I’m a girl, and I too love my comics! :)
I WANT THE GENESIS DEVICE!
I DON’T WANT AN IPHONE EVER! VIVA THE (now dead) PALMOS AND MY TREO 650! OLE!
Seriously though, I wish I had the $$$$$$$$ to buy comic books again. I miss reading them, especially Trek comics. But I will buy the Countdown TPB and the new movie adaptation (if they do one).
Just to change the subject entirely as this is the latest news article, I was wondering if anyone had managed to get tickets to the Sydney premier next week. I have managed to get tickets and flying over from New Zealand especially for it (craziest and most expensive whim I have ever had), I was wondering if anyone else was going and what peoples thoughts were!!!
p.s. I am very very very very excited!!!!!
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE
60 – all the comic adaptations were released at the time of the movies up to FC…Marvel did TMP/FC, DC did the rest with the exception of Khan…which is being done later this year as 3 issues and in a TPB with all th rest
http://ryalltime.blogspot.com/2009/02/pecs-on-fire.html
http://ryalltime.blogspot.com/2008/12/riding-omnibus.html
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY BLACKBERRY STORM!
a jet
and one million dollars!
The caption for the first picture from “Mission’s End” looks like it’s left over from a Tribble picture from “Alien Spotlight: Tribbles.”
I already download the 4th one this morning on the app store for .99. Yay!
@ 61.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. GENIUS !!! I LOVE IT !
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I WANT MY MTV!!!!!!!!!
Oh.. wait…
Sounds interesting but didnt somebody else do a comic about the end of the five year mission ?
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE!!!
HELL I WANT AN IPHONE!!!
-cs™
67. The TOS Purist aka The Purolator – March 31, 2009
“The caption for the first picture from “Mission’s End” looks like it’s left over from a Tribble picture from “Alien Spotlight: Tribbles.”
I noticed that too… and for the first pic in the mission’s end #1 review
Damn. If only this article were posted after i got home from work.
Oh, heck yeah! I’m not much of a comic book reader, but this sonds fantastic!
Does anyone know if at 12 am April 1st, it’ll be on the itunes store ? Or will i have to wait until later on in the day ?????
@71.
DC did a version during their first run at the Star Trek comics. They might have done one during their second run. Marvel did one during their second run (I think/thought, can’t find it on Memory Beta). So it’s time for IDW to do one. :D
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/The_Final_Voyage
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2270
Just as a side note to everyone I have finished reading Countdown #4 Seemed to go live on itunes at 00.00 GMT! Anyways, its pretty good, much the same as the previous three…a little let down in the climax and doesn’t really explain much ie how Nero gets to Ruthe Pente etc, and is kinda predictable, but still a good enough prequel! The review will probably be up here officially soon, so this will likely be taken down or something, but for these few 5 seconds I thought I would post it, as the needs of the many outway the needs of the few!!
@78. Sweet ! I CAN’T WAIT FOR 12 AM EASTERN !!!!!
I WANT MY MTV!!!
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE!
FIRST!
I WANT AN iPHONE FOR MY COUNTDOWN…. oh darn it.
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY IPHONE/ITOUCH
It’s times like these that make me glad to know my the owner of a local comic book store. Not only will I get my 3 copies of the Countdown finale and the second part of Crew,, but in the weeks to come, I won’t have to go from this Target to that Wal-Mart, etc., etc., for my Trek figures.
Older yes, but hopefully wiser as well.
I WANT COUNTDOWN FOR MY ATARI 2600 WHICH IS IN A BOX BUT STILL WORKS!
Best console ever created, you XBox kids.
Okay, i just read the 4th comic. Its good. I was expecting a little bit more in the end, but it’ll be interesting and it PROVES that theirs no TNG cameo in the new trek movie, lol.
I just read the new comic too, and I gotta say, I think the last 3 were more exciting. Kind of a bummer how it ended because I was expecting to be on the edge of my seat. Not the case though. Very anticlimactic.
I WANT COUNTDOWN IN TRADE PAPERBACK!
So sue me, I’m old fashioned, I like books!
But if you’ve got an extra iPod Touch you’re not using…?
***!!!MASSIVE ST: COUNTDOWN SPOILERS!!!***
DO NOT READ THIS POST IF YOU DO NOT WANT COUNTDOWN MAJORLY SPOILED! THIS ISSUE IS SO AMAZING!!!
I was privileged enough to have gotten Countdown #4 earlier today so…
Below is a link to a list of TEN COUNTDOWN #4 SUPER SPOILERS:
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/3226/countdown4.jpg
NOT an April Fool’s Joke whatsoever. VERY SERIOUS SPOILERS!!!
Star Trek: Countdown Issue #4 Available NOW! Hurry before it sells out!
i got countdown 4 two days ago…
Should the winners have received their code by now?
I don’t want Countdown for my iPhone, I don’t have an iPhone or iTouch (whatever that may be), and I’m not a US resident. What do I get for this?
;-)
54. Mike – March 31, 2009
I think Gary called Kirk “captain” when opening the “address intercraft” system or doing some other routine helm business — maybe he just called him “sir” though
I believe Gary refers to him as “friend-Captain” in a sarcastic way at some point in the episode. I think it’s when they’re on Delta Vega and Gary’s in the brig.
Spock DID wear a gold command shirt in the second pilot “Where no man has gone before.”
If they don’t bring Gary Mitchell into the new movies, perhaps a one-liner mentioning “memorial services for Lt Cdr Mitchell” (perhaps chatter in the background, something on a viewscreen or Kirk reviewing the day’s schedule with a yeoman) or something like that in the next movie would be something of an easter egg for TOS fans, and would kind of dovetail with the old episodes or offer some kind of between-the-timelines continuity (?)
#95—I think that would be the right kind of “easter egg” for this film and potential sequels as well.