The third issue of John Byrne’s mini-series, Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor arrives in comic shops this week, courtesy of IDW Publishing. Byrne begins weaving threads from some of his other Star Trek comics into McCoy’s story. Spoilers ahead in this week’s review. Plus we have some previews of upcoming Star Trek comics.
REVIEW: Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor #3 "Medics"
written and illustrated by John Byrne, colors by Lovern Kindzierski
McCoy and his team are asked to visit and report on a planet under routine Starfleet observation. On arrival, their ship is fired upon and damaged. Only Duncan’s sure-handed piloting gets them down alive. On the ground, they find themselves in a war zone. Theela and McCoy are separated from Duncan, then captured by soldiers. McCoy’s interrogation is interrupted by Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln. It seems that Seven’s employers are partly responsible for the surprising situation on the planet. Klingons are responsible for the rest.
Before you read the latest installment of John Byrne‘s Frontier Doctor tales, pause and take a moment to review his past contributions to the Star Trek saga. In particular, reacquaint yourself with characters from Assignment Earth, Crew and Schism. Done? Let’s proceed. In this issue, Byrne begins weaving characters from his previous Star Trek comics into a tale about McCoy, Theela and Duncan, in a tight spot. Who else besides Seven and Roberta, you ask? Read the comic. Some folks might read this story and raise the fanwank alarm, but what I see in Byrne’s work is deep affection for original series Trek. He’s clearly having a good time telling his story so I know I won’t be disappointed. Medics is only the first part of this tale. After history lessons from Seven and a Klingon commander, a rescue led by a Starfleet admiral, and a decision about their future by Theela and Duncan, the comic concludes with McCoy visiting sickbay to check on Seven and encountering a surprise to be illuminated in issue #4. I’ll be waiting in line at my local comic shop, as should you.
Where there are Klingons…
Byrne and colorist Lovern Kindzierski use an interesting technique for some flashback panels in Medics. Instead of smooth digital coloring, the flashbacks look like comics printed with the halftone process that I grew up with. I haven’t seen a printed edition of this comic yet (IDW provides screen resolution PDFs for these reviews) so I don’t know how the flashback art really compares to the comics I used to read. In any event, the artwork and vibrant colors are a fine complement to the story. Together with some appealing characters, the McCoy comics should be on everyone’s Trek reading list.
Lost and found!
Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor #3 ships with two regular covers illustrated by Byrne and colored by Kindzierski. Cover A features McCoy, Theela and Duncan scrambling thru debris in a war zone. The coloring and the carnage remind me of covers for Terminator comics. Cover B is another keyhole cover featuring McCoy listening to the complaints of an alien patient, one of writer Larry Niven’s Puppeteers. A retailer incentive cover featuring the black & white art for cover B is also available.
Cover A: John Byrne, Cover B: John Byrne, colors by Lovern Kindzierski
Retailer Incentive Cover: John Byrne
After you pick up a copy of Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor #3 from your local comic shop, run back home, crack open a flagon of your best bloodwine and enjoy. Byrne’s McCoy comics can also be purchased online at TFAW.
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The trade paperback collection of Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor is scheduled for publication October 2010 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.
Something for completists only
IDW published a variant edition of Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor #1 for a Diamond Retailer Summit held at the 2010 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) this past April. The cover features all four of John Byrne’s amusing keyhole illustrations of McCoy providing medical care to alien patients. The title lettering and logos on front and back are printed in gold foil (which, unfortunately, looks black in the scans below). You can find copies on eBay. Prices vary widely so shop around if you want a copy of this variant.
Front and back covers for the 2010 convention edition of McCoy #1 by John Byrne, colors by Lovern Kindzierski
COMIC PREVIEWS
Some of the Star Trek comic artists have been revealing some previews from upcoming comics, check em out (click images to see full size).
Star Trek Movie Adaptation #5 – Page (July)
via David Messina
Star Trek: Burden of Knowledge #4 – Cover (September)
via Joe Corroney
Star Trek: Captain’s Log: Jellico – Cover (October/November)
via JK Woodward
Mark Martinez is an obsessive-compulsive Star Trek comics reader and collector. You can visit his website, the Star Trek Comics Checklist for more than you ever needed to know about Star Trek comics.
De Kelly was the heart and soul of Trek.
Thumbs up on that! McCoy is my favorite and I loved Kelley’s portrayal. The next Trek needs more McCoy! (Urban did a bang up job and needs more screen time).
Jellico issue looks cool.
My beef with them using Excelsior class ships is that most should have been upgraded to Enterprise-B type ships. TNG didn’t of course because GENERATIONS hadn’t been made yet, and DS9 used the original version for their CG version (but they did use the modified model for “Homefront”).
Looking forward especially to the new Pike comics with great likenesses of Jeffrey Hunter and crew!
What a shame that Robert Lansing never got to reprise his role of Gary Seven in a new Trek adventure. Lansing was so good in “12 O’Clock High,” “The Equalizer,” and the rebooted “Kung Fu.” And who could forget Lansing in the 1958 film, “The Four Dimensional Man,” I think it was called…
Reprehensible that Teri Garr pooh-poohed her role in Classic Trek opposite Lansing.
And I wonder why Gary Lockwood didn’t play Gary Mitchell in the semi-pro fan film, “Of Gods and Men”? Although the actor they got was damned good.
Now you’ve done it Mark. Despite a positive review, John Byrne decided to not mention your praise in a post on his website. Instead he focused on you suggesting people reacquaint themselves with his past Trek stories and how wrong that is.
Ever notice he does that with most every review, from here and elsewhere posted on his site? Never thanks the reviewer. Never says he is glad they liked the book no matter how glowing and kind their words. He just focuses on finding something to be negative about.
You deserve better. Don’t let this get you down. Glad you liked the book.
Wide-smiling Cardassians creep me out. It never turns out good.
Gary Lockwood was contacted about reprising his role in OGAM, but was out of the country (Australia, I think he told me) when it was being filmed and was unavailable. The producers also tried to get Robert Walker Jr. to play Charlie Evans again, but he had suffered a knee injury and was rendered unavailable as well.
Just watched “For The World is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky” again Sunday…very underrated ep.
Question: Why wasn’t DeForest in “Errand of Mercy”, “What are Little Girls Made Of?”, nor one more…; I mean I know why he wasn’t in WNMHGB.
@ #3 – Simon
I have to disagree with you on the decision not to use the E-B variant. I have always been in love with the lines of the classic Excelsior, and to my mind what they did to it for Generations is just a cheesy and not very successful attempt at beefing it up. It’s like sticking a spoiler, neon underlighting and “hopping” hydraulics on an Aston Martin DB5.
Cool. I’ve been looking forward to this one. I too like how he ties it all together from his other works and his deep affection for the original show. Yay, Gary Seven.
I also like all the other nods to another time. If he really is doing colorization like the comics I grew up reading that’s another nice touch.
Hey maybe Tom Hanks could be Gary 7 in the TREK 12!
True…McCoy is the heart and soul of TREK…and De Kelley was a true gentleman….so glad Karl Urban has taken that road with his McCoy.. I hope they play off him more in the next movie…the big and not just cliches’ Im a doctor not a…. or . he’s dead Jim…etc….
Well they’ve been really good so far!
Gary Seven, huh? Well, I guess now I’ll definitely have to pick up the TPB…
@3, 10.
It always irked me just because there was no reasons *not* to have both, but we never see one besides the E-B. On the other hand, how come we haven’t seen another Sovereign-class vessel? It’s all about recognizing lines on a ship.
I wish someone would do a Romulan war series of comics. Using Daedalus and NX class ships. They could also include some of the old FASA designs as well.
Just noticed John Byrne read my previous comment to Mark.
***Note the guy who says I “never” thank reviewers for positive reviews, only seeking out the negative aspects. Aside from that being very much not the case, I wonder if there is any hope that these Internet savants will ever understand that by phrasing their comments as ABSOLUTES (“never”) they create a scenario in which I need produce only ONE example that contradicts their statement in order to defeat their entire argument.***
I believe John has mentioned recently he’s going without proper glasses so let me requote what I said for him.
**Ever notice he does that with most every review, from here and elsewhere posted on his site? Never thanks the reviewer.**
See what I said there at the start? “MOST every review” Not all, not every, but most. Most of the time when speaking about a positive review, his focus will be about something he sees as a negative. In those specific cases he never thanks or shows appreciation. I did not say he never says anything positive or never gives thanks overall. Which is to say if there is 10 totally positive reviews like this one, he’ll often, nearly, mostly be 100% negative and not say anything positive. Then the rest of those reviews, the non majority, the less, the some, he’ll say something positive. Take note Mark, he still hasn’t said anything positive about your review despite the praise you gave him.
I’d ask Mr Byrne if English was his second language but that expression is old and tired. So instead I will ask, if he often thanks reviewers and doesn’t focus on the negative, please post links to them. If I can produce more posts that only focused on the negative, than I am right in saying he mostly doesn’t give thanks.
With that, I thank you again for your review and look forward to your next one.
@17
Ask him if he’s seen and heard my Gary Seven stuff. Have wondered what his reaction would be. Since I evidently don’t know how to navigate his site.
Supervisor194.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6lmBbV3VWo&feature=PlayList&p=8195FBFFE1177356&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=45
Frank, i think you are getting too personal, so please tone it down. John Byrne has a right to say what he wants to say. Reviews are for the benefit of the readers of TrekMovie.com.
I am a fan of Byrne’s and I believe TrekMovie has been supportive of his work in the past as it is top notch. I also love Mark (and Alex’s) reviews as they know more about comics, and especially Star Trek comics, than just about anyone. I would not be surprised if IDW’s trade collection for McCoy Frontier Doctor had a quote from TrekMovie on the back cover (as they have for other collections).
Anthony,
I had made what I thought would be my last comment but I just wanted to show you respect by replying.
He certainly has a right to say whatever he wishes. I just honestly felt bad for Mark. He wrote a very good, positive review. Did you see John Byrne’s reply at his forum? It was chiding and used over 25 exclamation points without once acknowledging anything good Mark wrote. I felt it was extremely harsh to treat Mark in that way and my initial response, number 6 of this thread was to show Mark support and to let him know not to feel bad for anything he wrote and this isn’t an isolated case in how Byrne acts towards reviewers.
My second post was, yes personal and to you I apologize for that. John Byrne had responded to what I wrote here in a way that showed he was less interested in perhaps thinking what he said to Mark was over the top then showing me up. This is not the place to drop to that level though and for that I again say sorry to you.
You are right that TrekMovie has been very supportive and I would not doubt that a future collection will have a quote from a review here. IDW is a wonderful company and Chris Ryall is one of the coolest guys I have ever spoken to ever since he was back working with Kevin Smith at the Movie Poop Shoot website.
As mentioned I was done posting so I won’t again in this thread. At least I do get one more chance to tell Mark I liked his review and thank you Anthony for your reply to me.
P.s For Andy who mentioned he is unable to navigate the John Byrne website. Here is a direct url for you.
http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33389&PN=1&TPN=24
Well at least the comic adaptation of the JJverse looks decent, but all the other art is hideous.
Pfeh. That ginomous tank is clearly no match for McCoy’s Magnificent Mustache!
Burden of Knowledge: Ooh, Gorns! Cool.
@10: I agree. It’s like that ghastly 3 nacelled future version of the Enterprise D from All Good Things. Yuck. Stick with the smooth classic lines, please.
@7: Seriously. Could someone take that smiling Cardassian very far away from me, right the f**k now, please? Preferably before he haunts my every waking nightmare?!!