It’s a great debut for the latest crossover between the crew of the Enterprise and the Green Lantern Corps.
Previously in Star Trek/Green Lantern Spectrum War – The Enterprise encountered a dead Guardian from the DC Comics Universe, keepers of the Green Lantern rings. With the assistance of Green Lanterns Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Guy Gardner, they defeated Klingon General Chang, Nekron and more, to save the universe. However, one drawback of the victory is that the Green Lanterns and allies are now stranded in this new timeline, never able to return home.
Star Trek/Green Lantern: Spectrum War was the rare multiple-publisher crossover that beckoned for a follow up. Luckily, DC Comics and IDW Publishing agreed, and greenlit the second mini-series, Star Trek/Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds, by Mike Johnson and Angel Hernandez. The universe might have been saved in Spectrum War, but not everyone was defeated.
Three of the Lanterns pulled from a DC multiverse are still on the loose in this new iteration of the Kelvin Timeline, as DC villains Sinestro (Yellow Lantern of fear), Atrocious (Red Lantern of rage) and Larfleeze (Orange Lantern of avarice) all escaped capture at the conclusion of Spectrum War. Meanwhile, the 21st-century heroes have been busy acclimating to their new lives, and have not been too worried about the escaped villains from their universe.
A consequence of the Lanterns being pulled into this new universe was it left them without their power batteries, which allowed them to charge their rings. They were given a temporary power boost to win the day during Spectrum War, but without being able to recharge, their rings have been failing them.
Opening at Starfleet Academy with guest lecturer Guy Gardner, Johnson deftly uses the second page of his lecture to summarize the events of Spectrum War and another to describe the Green Lantern’s ring ability. Both are key narratives in allowing new readers to pick up Stranger Worlds #1 without having read the previous series, as well as giving readers background information needed to understand these new superhero characters from DC Comics.
Penning a terrific hero moment ripped out of the pages of DC’s Justice League of America (Johnson is a former writer on both DC’s Superman/Batman and Supergirl), the Enterprise and new crew members Captain Hal Jordan and Star Sapphire attempt to evacuate a space station before it’s destroyed by a meteor shower. Of course this would be an inopportune time for Jordan and Sapphire’s power rings to go out on them.
These new crew members have assimilated well in their new roles on the Enterprise and in this new century, including one who has entered into a “cross-reality romance” with an Enterprise officer.
The more things change (as in a different universe with different factions), the more stays the same when it comes to Sinestro (evil there, evil here). Since the defeat of General Chang in Spectrum War, Sinestro has assumed his role as Emperor of the Klingon Empire. It is interesting to see Klingons taking orders from an alien, although these are definitely not your father’s (or John Byrne’s) Prime Timeline Klingons.
Star Trek/Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds #1 quickly sets the plot for the mini-series: find a solution to the draining power rings. If a solution isn’t found, all ring holders will turn into ordinary mortals once again. However, new mysteries pop up, including the appearance of another DC Universe stowaway that could provide some answers.
Johnson and Hernandez have picked up exactly where they left off with Spectrum War, building onto this new universe which appears to have endless story possibilities.
This sounds ridiculous. But intriguing. lol
Indeed.
When will the Kelvin timeline crew and the stranded Lanterns all visit the Planet of the Apes for a showdown with Mister Mxyzptlk?
Yeeesh … I’m trying to be open minded here but who writes this garbage? Please help me to understand what the possible market for this would even be
Mike Johnson, a New York Times-bestselling writer with experience in comics, animation, and video games.
Last year, in the first series, it debuted at #21 of all comics and finished out the year 196 out of 1,000+ books, beating out many issues (even first issues) of the Walking Dead, Superman, Batman Beyond and even the DC Convergence titles. Not bad for a comic book company with 4.87% of the market.
If it wasn’t well received by fans, there wouldn’t be volume 2. There was also a very popular Star Trek/Legion of Superheroes crossover set in the prime universe.
Oh, and just a tip if you say things like “…who writes this garbage?” You aren’t trying to be open minded. I’m not sure why I am, but I AM continually amazed at people who denigrate other peoples work.
so in other words, a big waste of time – got it.
crossing star trek lite with one of the lamest super hero movies just seems a bad move to me but hey at least it’s not messing up anything i like.
It wasn’t crossed with a movie, Green Lantern has existed since 1940, this has nothing to do with the 2011 film.
I’d love to see your comic book or your movie so I can see how it’s really done. Just post a link and we’ll all check it out.
Kinda weird, dumb, but somehow interesting at the same time lol
I agree with weird and dumb, lol. ;)
Star Wars vs. Star Trek. That’s your winner right there. BTW Rogue One was awesome. So much awesomeness.
Rogue One was a very poor film in many ways. But it’s enjoyability factor over came weak plot and choppy narrative.
By the way RO made more money in less than a week then Beyond made during its entire run.
Only because it has the words “Star Wars” as part of its title. If it had “Star Trek”, it would fail because half of ‘Trek fans would complain and make sure that the film failed…for not being GR’s vision, even though GR didn’t embrace his own “vision”, other than a means to make money.
But I would want to see a Trek/Wars crossover that is its own continuity. Then again, people would complain about that, too.
@Dswynne – yes, its Star Trek fans’ fault the films sucked. Its the fans’ fault Paramount hired a guy who never liked Trek and said he had to change it to make it better. It’s the fans’ fault they altered canon. It’s the fans’ fault they brought back a villain and altered him to be unrecognizable. It’s the fans’ fault they did a War on Terror story that was anti-American and pro-terrorist. It’s the fans’ fault they ran screaming from their history. It’s the fans’ fault they wrote silly and empty films that turned off the public.
And by the way, visit a Star Wars board if you think Wars fans dont criticize and analyze their films. Plenty of fans were critical of Rogue One. The difference? Rogue One was actually good and worth the debate. STID, for example, was crap and anyone arguing otherwise is whistling in the wind.
Of course it is the fan’s fault. Why? Because we have purists who have a particular vision of what ‘Trek means. It is one that is so strong that half of us will lobby the other half into not seeing the film. I say that because that is exactly what happened. You compare that dynamic with Star Wars fans. Half of whom HATED the prequels. But these same haters saw the films multiple times because of their live for the franchise…and still were able to lobby the studios into making a better product. We ‘Trek fans take ‘Trek way too seriously, and it shows. Personally, I think TMP is the TRUEST interpretation of what a ‘Trek film should be. Why? TMP is the most sci-fi out of the franchise, which is steep in high-brow concepts that is akin to movies like INTERSTELLER and 2001:A SPACE ODYSSEY, both films I also like. However, since half the fans and most of the film going market don’t like TMP, I am perfectly happy to suppor other films, some not as good as others, because I like STAR TREK. But, that’s just me.
Ridiculous. It’s not stubborn purists that made beyond a failure. If that was true it means the film spoke to non purists. Where were those fans? Where was that audience? No where.
If you want to alienate your fans then you better be speaking to another audience. They haven’t been. So maybe try speaking to the audience that is there. Maybe that will work.
The JJ films were rife with issues. To say it’s the fans fault for rejecting them is laughable. If you don’t like Star Trek that’s cool. But then don’t get mad when Trek fails trying to be something different.
It made more money and will continue to make more money because it was a great film. It ties into A New Hope so well.
@Harry – no, it wasn’t a great film. Great films don’t have the plot holes and choppy narrative that Rogue One had. But it was a fun and enjyable film. In many ways, it suffered similar issues to STID except Disney embraces and respects its history PLUS, delivered a fun film for the fans, which STID did not.
So the difference is, Rogue One made you over look the weaknesses while STID didn’t.
I loved Rogue One. But technically it was not a great film.
Choppy narrative? What plot holes? I’ve read a bunch of nitwits making nitpicks like this idiot – http://heatst.com/entertainment/star-wars-rogue-one-has-so-many-plot-holes/ but I gotta think this was a joke because nothing he says makes sense. Why didn’t Jyn and Cassian have sex? Come on.
I had no problem following the story on my first viewing. No problem figuring out who was who and why they were there and what was going on. Was it perfect? Of course not. Were the characters as memorable as other Star Wars films? No but this was a plot driven movie first, not character driven and given that we never hear about them in future films their fates were a given. 9/10 for me. And no, the CGI Tarkin and Leia didn’t bother me. Makes me believe the uncanny valley may be coming to an end soon.
Harry, I had no problem following it either. But there were issues. We can assume the massive re shoots changed things.
The first act or so was choppy. The whole scene with Jyn in prison wasn’t needed (it was quick so doesn’t matter). They were trying to establish a lot. Probably due to not using the scroll.
I was fine with it but the flow of the first act wasn’t smooth.
Why Tantive was even at the battle was not clear either. Would have been a lot better a different way. I hesitate to get too detailed due to those who haven’t seen it yet.
Don’t get me wrong. I loved it. Saw it twice already. It blows the JJ films out of the water
I’ve seen nitpicks that are stupid like criticism of the cgi. Which is ludicrous.
But it had its issues. The difference is it was so enjoyable those issues were made minor and easily over looked. Much the same as watching some of the TOS films today. We
Love them. So we over look the issues. That’s the truth of good films and fun films
On that, we can agree. The reshoots changed quite a bit and I’m intrigued if the bluray will explain what changed but from what I’ve heard there were some key changes that would have vastly changed the film.
That would be fun. Have each ‘Trek series (from Archer to Janeway) show up at different points of the Star Wars timeline, and live through those times. Some will die, others will be turned by the Empire and others will fight for the Rebellion. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see a Grand Moff Spock? Would a Jedi named Kirk do better against Darth Vader circa Episode 4 as Luke’s mentor? But I would definitely play it straight…
What a surprise…… Kelvin Timeline bashing.
I could only imagine such a crossover with the PRIME crew. This just looks like a very VERY silly mashup. A very ill-fitting combination.
Given DCs multiple universes and the fact that the Green Lantern Corps is a space based coalition of aliens…it actually works quite well. Not I’ll fitting at all. Have you read Volume 1 “The Spectrum War”? Give it a chance!
And they have done a crossover with the prime crew and the Legion of Superheroes and a prime crew crossover with Planet of the Apes.
i would of them do another doctor who crossover
If the Next Gen crew can meet the X-Men, then I’m all for this!
http://io9.gizmodo.com/5873156/the-star-trek-x-men-crossover-that-no-one-remembers
and
https://www.amazon.com/STAR-TREK-GENERATION-SECOND-CONTACT/dp/B001C4N064
You may have been being ironic asking… the first was a novel, the second a comic.
And thoughts with Carrie Fisher. Makes the last word of RO spoken by her iconic character mean all the more.
Whatever happens, thank goodness LucasFilm respected her and the fans enough to bring her back. Are you paying attention Paramount? CBS?
I Can’t wait till The movie universe merges with the TV Universe or in other words I can’t wait till the Kelvin Timeline and the Prime Timeline meet.
I’m really not that keen on these types of crossovers. Think of it like this: Star Trek is your dinner and the super hero stuff is your dessert. Both are excellent separately, but not that appetizing together on the same plate.
I swear I remember Scotty figuring out how to charge the rings using the Enterprise in the first miniseries, and that it is a plot critical element directly leading to some of the crew getting working power rings. If that is the case, and I’m sure it is, it means that is either ignored, or they will have some silly reason why it isn’t good enough.
I have no interested in seeing the New 52 version of Hal Jordan meeting the Abramsverse crew of the LowRenterprise. I’d rather have seen a meeting of classic Hal Jordan with Shatner’s Kirk. The artist could have had some fun making Hal and Jim look essentially the same, as I’ve always thought a young William Shatner would have made a perfect Hal Jordan.
Bash the concept all you want, but this is currently both the best Trek comic and the best Green Lantern comic out (and there are like 6 of them). It totally works.
It looks like this volume will focus more on John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Kilowog. That works for me. And I loved the first mini hope we get more.