Our friends over at the On Network webshow “Bif Bam Pow Wow” have dedicated their most recent episode to all things Star Trek. Their focus is comics, but there are also interview snippets from last summer’s Vegas con with Rod Roddenberry and Wil Wheaton talking about the new Star Trek movie. Check it out below.
NEW FEATURE: In the last year Star Trek made its comeback into comics and with more and more issues coming out every month, TrekMovie.com will now devote a weekly column to them. This first TrekInk column takes a look IDW’s first year including reviews of January’s comics. Plus we have some previews for upcoming issues.
More TOS & TNG + New Frontier, Mirror Universe & Gary Seven! In 2007 IDW ended a six year drought in Star Trek comic books. Last week IDW announced a new TNG comic series to debut in January and today the company announced an aggressive slate of four additional series to premiere over the following 5 months. These include a TOS ‘Year 4’ series written by D.C. Fontana, a New Frontier series written by Peter David, a Gary Seven ‘Assignment Earth’ series by comic legend John Byrne plus a series set in the mirror universe. There are also plans afoot for an adaptation for the new Star Trek movie later in the year.
IDW are following up their popular ‘Klingon Blood Will Tell’ series of comics told from the Klingon point of view with a new series of ‘alien’ comics. Each of the new IDW ‘Alien Spotlight’ comics in the series will tell a story from the point of view of a different classic Trek alien (Andorians, Borg, Gorn, Orions, Romulans, and Vulcans), with the first issue due out by the end of the month. IDW has provided TrekMovie.com with cover art for every issue, many of these covers seen here for the first time.
The fourth year of the original five-year mission continues with IDW’s Star Trek: Year Four #2. The Enterprise detours to Aarak 3 to replenish their supply of dilithium crystals. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are entertained by King Marat when terrorists attack and nearly succeed in killing the king and his guests. Kirk learns that rapid change since the Federation began buying dilithium has split Aarakaian society. Spock believes that overthrow of the government is inevitable. While Kirk decides whether or not to intervene, Scotty gets some assistance installing new dilithium crystals from a very attractive Aarakaian with more on her mind than starship engines. While the Aarakaians play out an elaborate deception, the crew of the Enterprise answers with a little deception of their own.
IDW’s mini-series, Star Trek: Klingons — Blood Will Tell, concludes with issue #5. Having made his decision to support Chancellor Gorkon’s proposal to seek Federation help, Kahnrah finds himself hunted in the mean streets of the First City. Armed with his mek’leth, he eludes four assassins and encounters his granddaughter. For a moment he believes K’ahlynn will help, but discovers that she is opposed to begging for help from humans. In the end, blood does tell, and Kahnrah must kill K’ahlynn. In the council chamber, Kahnrah casts his vote for change and for survival.
D.C. Fontana gives us her thoughts on canon, M’Ress, Ira Steven Behr, and so much more.
Blood Will Tell #4 is the latest in IDW’s series of famous Trek stories told from the Klingon point of view. In this case: "Day of the Dove." K’ahlynn accompanies her grandfather, Kahnrah, to the Museum of Military Triumph and Conquest. They meet Morglar, an old comrade of Kahnrah’s, and former security officer aboard the Voh’Tahk, commanded by Kang. Morglar recollects the events of Day of the Dove.
IDW Publishing staff laid out some of their plans for Star Trek comics in this week’s Focus On… Star Trek. When Blood Will Tell concludes this fall, the creative team of Scott and David Tipton, and artist David Messina, will kick off a new six-issue mini-series, Star Trek: Alien Spotlight, with a tale of the Gorn. In each subsequent issue, different creative teams will focus a spotlight on other alien races from the Star Trek universe: Vulcans, Borg, Andorians, Orions (everyone’s favorite green gals, to be precise), and Romulans. IDW promise ‘six different races their own issue in which to see things from their side, no matter how alien the perspective.’
Star Trek: Year Four is the latest comic series from IDW. It is set in a notional ‘4th season’ of the "Star Trek The Original Series" (during "Star Trek The Animated Series"). The Enterprise encounters an immense planetary mass, capable of supporting 800 billion inhabitants, with only twenty life signs. Beaming down to investigate, Kirk finds Dr. Othello Beck, renowned medical researcher and Phlox prize winner [ENT ref alert!], working in a vast scientific laboratory left by a dead civilization. With Beck are the B’nai, creatures he created to assist in the lab. Kirk and McCoy discover that Beck’s ethics are questionable. He’s hiding a terrible secret which ends tragically.
It was the best of comics, it was the worst of comics… The conclusion to IDW’s Star Trek The Next Generation "The Space Between" saga is both disappointing and enjoyable. IDW’s TNG comics have always been a mixture of good and problematic. Neither Issue 5 "Space Seeds" or issue 6 deviates from these expectations. IDW comics have a good sense of the characters. Each issues has presented characters that are familiar to their television versions. However, the situations they deal with and the narratives of the issues are problematic.
Klingon High Council member Kahnrah and his granddaughter, K’Ahlynn, continue their discussion of Klingon experiences with the Federation. When espionage fails miserably as a tool for expanding the Empire (Blood Will Tell #2), the Klingons begin a campaign of conquest by subterfuge on the planet Neural (TOS, A Private Little War). Kinsman Krell, commander of the IKS Korthos, visits Neural on a regular basis and plants the seeds of conquest firmly in the hearts and minds of the village people after selecting Apella, a hapless villager, to be his liasion. In spite of Earther interference with the hill people, Krell is successful. K’Ahlynn finds little to admire in the Federation’s response to Krell’s efforts, but Kahnrah needs to know if humans can be trusted, and still hasn’t made a decision about Gorkon’s plan. Stardate: After 9521.6, following the explosion of Praxis, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country with a flashback to 4211.4, Commander Krell’s Log Entry #3854, IKS Korthos
As part of his valiant efforts to keep the Trek community informed, Anthony has foolishly graciously invited me to contribute reviews of Star Trek comics to the Trek Movie Report. What was he thinking? We’ll get started by catching up with IDW Publishing‘s second mini-series, Star Trek: Klingons — Blood Will Tell. The first two issues of this five-issue mini-series are already in comic shops. Blood Will Tell is scripted by brothers Scott Tipton and David Tipton. Interior artwork is by David Messina. Cover art is provided by Messina and Joe Corroney.
Just some little Trek items to tie you over…. The new companion for Dr. Who has admitted that she is more of a Trekkie. The Sun reports Freema Agyeman is a big fan of Patrick Stewart and the Next Generation and has even attended Trek conventions. more at Sun Online… Will Wheaton (TNG’s Wesley Crusher) is getting ready to head back to Trek. Wheaton announced that he will write a story for the next volume in ‘Star Trek: The Manga’ from Tokyo Pop. The actor says he was reluctant when first approached, but then a voice in his head said "Dude, this would be so cool! Come on, man, let’s do this!". more at his blog…
This week issue 3 of Star Trek The Next Generation The Space Between hits the stores with a story set sometime during season 7. After reading issues 3 & 4 the narrative threads that IDW promised are now becoming apparent. One thematic is that each issue focuses on characters, often one character, with a "A" narrative, and there is a "B" narrative with other characters. The photo covers clue you in to this, with issue 3’s featuring Worf and Troi whose romance is set against the story of the Enterprise crew being challenged by a very cool ship that is a hybrid of a Romulan Warbird, a Borg vessel, and a Federation starship. The issue deals with how the crew must defeat this mystery ship while Worf has to figure out how to balance his romance with Troi with his obligations to Starfleet.
IDW Publishing are jumping into the nostalgia for the Kirk era with new comic series from the days when men were men and Klingons were ridgeless. This April sees the start of a five issue comic titled ‘Star Trek: Klingons – Blood Will Tell.’ Each issue will relate to a Klingon-centric episode and show the Klingon point of view. The first issue will be related to the episode "Errand of Mercy", with subsequent issues dealing with "Trouble with Tribbles," "A Private Little War," "Day of The Dove" and even "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." IDW promises that fans will never look at their favorite Klingon episodes the same after the reading the comics. "There is more to the Klingons than meets the eye and that’s what we wanted to get to in these comics," says IDW Editor Dan Taylor.
2007 is the 20th Anniversary of Star Trek The Next Generation, and IDW is planning to celebrate by setting their first Star Trek comic in Jean Luc Picard’s time. IDW is the latest inheritor of the Star Trek comics license (after being owned by both DC and Marvel over the years). The six issue series titled "The Space Between" spans the TNG era, with the first issue taking place in season 1 and the second during season 5. IDW have assigned an experienced team with writer David Tischman and Casey Maloney doing the artwork. Considering that IDW has experience with comics based on media items (such as Transformers and 24) it is no surprise that fans should be hopeful for the future of Trek comics. TrekMovie.com got a chance to speak to IDW editor Dan Taylor and see the first two issues and we like what we are seeing (and hearing).
The meeting of Autobots and Decepticons in the feature film version of Transformers July 4, 2007 will be preceded by a 4 issue prequel comic published by IDW. Transformers comic writer Simon Furman and Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall will pen the issues with art by Don Figueroa telling stories set before the big screen adventure. The first issue will be available this February with a 4 issues adaptation of the feature film being released in June. IDW also happen to be the new licensee for Star Trek comics, with a TNG series coming this January. IDW tell TrekMovie.com that their license covers ‘all of Star Trek’ and they plan on releasing a Klingon series as well as a TOS series. Can we also expect Trek XI prequels and adaptations? For now IDW remain mum on this issue, but prequel comics are all the rage and have been made for the recent Star Wars films as well as Superman Returns . Considering that Transformers is a Paramount feature film written by the same screenwriters as Star Trek XI (Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci) it seems likely we may get a prequel to the upcoming Trek prequel.
Its been a slow couple of days around TrekMovie HQ…here a few things to tide you over 5 years after DC comics (through WildStorm) dropped its license, Star Trek is headed back to comics (not counting the recent ‘manga’). According to Newsorama, IDW (who do comics for CSI, 24 and other franchises) are picking up the Trek Comic baton. Their first foray will be for the 20th anniversary of TNG next year (has it been that long?). IDW also hint at a Trek XI adaptation. Anything has to be better than Marvel’s Trek/X-Men crossovers. Unlike some of his TNG colleagues, Star Trek Enterprise’s Conner Trinneer seems to be open minded towards Abrams Trek XI. The actor tells SFX Magazine (via Scifi Pulse) "I certainly hope JJ Abrams is doing it (Trek XI) I think that would be fantastic. And I’m sure Star Trek is going to continue in some form, at some point down the line." Trineer also says he prefers to get paid but is open to being in a fan film…they can certainly use the help.