Countdown to Darkness - Review and Discussion

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by JD, Jan 23, 2013.

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Rate the comics

  1. Excellent

    5 vote(s)
    14.7%
  2. Above Average

    13 vote(s)
    38.2%
  3. Average

    10 vote(s)
    29.4%
  4. Below Average

    2 vote(s)
    5.9%
  5. Poor

    4 vote(s)
    11.8%
  1. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Hmm. Well, all right then. I haven't heard anything about April's involvement in STID, but there's still so much about the film that we don't know. Including possible cameo appearances.
     
  2. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    Well, we'll have the answer in just over six weeks.
     
  3. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    There hasn't been even a snifter of a possibility of a Robert April cameo in the film, has there?
     
  4. Stevil2001

    Stevil2001 Vice Admiral Admiral

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  5. bullethead

    bullethead Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Having seen their Mass Effect comics, I'd fine with Trek staying with IDW.

    It also means there's a chance of a Judge Dredd/Star Trek crossover ;)
     
  6. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    "Damn it, Jim! I'm a doctor, not a dystopian law enforcer!"
    "Just put the helmet on, Bones."
     
  7. ryan123450

    ryan123450 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Having seen IDW's Trek comics, I'd be fine with it moving to Dark Horse. :p
     
  8. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Star Trek: Into Darkhorse?
     
  9. Ronald Held

    Ronald Held Vice Admiral Admiral

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    April may be mentioned in the movie rather than be a role.
     
  10. Markonian

    Markonian Fleet Admiral Moderator

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    In the movie, there's Admiral Marcus. In the comic, Marcus was the XO of Captain April aboard the Enterprise.
     
  11. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    ^Right. It may be Marcus that the comic is setting up. April may not be mentioned at all in the film, any more than Picard, Data, Worf, and La Forge from Countdown were mentioned in the previous film.
     
  12. JarodRussell

    JarodRussell Vice Admiral Admiral

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    They still might mention him. The production crew didn't call Spock's Jellyfish "LaForge's ship", yet they call Harrison's gun "April's gun".
     
  13. Caretaker

    Caretaker Commodore Premium Member

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    Maybe Dark Horse could get the license if/when IDW loses it. That might be a consolation prize if Star Wars comics go back to Marvel.
     
  14. bullethead

    bullethead Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    They'd have to put in a really good bid to convince Paramount/whoever that blurring the Trek/Wars distinction even more is a good idea.
     
  15. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    Blurring the distinction just because they're from the same publisher? That doesn't make sense. And it wouldn't be the first time that the same comics publisher has held both franchises' licenses at the same time; Marvel published Star Wars comics from 1977-86 and Star Trek comics from 1979-82. Not to mention that Del Rey published the Star Wars novelization and Splinter of the Mind's Eye by Alan Dean Foster in the same years that it published Star Trek Log Eight and Log Ten by Alan Dean Foster. Plus Bantam has held both the Trek and Wars licenses, though not at the same time (unless you count Bantam's right to reprint its old Trek novels).

    Besides, I don't think you're grasping the way businesspeople think. Generally it's seen as a good thing if your product gets confused with another property that's extremely profitable. Heck, that's The Asylum's entire business plan.
     
  16. Allyn Gibson

    Allyn Gibson Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The final issue came out yesterday.

    There are some nice fanwank moments -- we meet Kor, we see Pike again.

    And there's John Harrison on the final page.

    More than that, I see how this leads into the film. It's clear by the end that there's something rotten in Starfleet, that Admiral Marcus and Starfleet Intelligence have too much influence and are wielding too much power.

    The ending especially reminds me of the ending of David Mack's Harbinger, with Kirk anxious to deal with a problem that has been swept under the carpet under heavy classification.

    And I suspect that Kirk keeping Mudd's ship will play some role in the film to come. In other words, much as Countdown explained where Spock's Jellyfish came from, this comic explains how Kirk gets his hand on some hardware that he'll use in the film.

    Was Countdown to Darkness worth it?

    It was nice enough. A lot of it felt familiar -- it's basically "A Private Little War" crossed with "Patterns of Force," but with higher stakes when April commandeers Kirk's ship. I enjoyed it, and the last few pages have me intrigued.

    And I suspect that those last few pages lead as much into the "After Darkness" storyline as they do for Into Darkness. :)
     
  17. SalvorHardin

    SalvorHardin Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I think this might be
    the ship we see in the trailers, where Kirk and Spock argue if it will fit.
     
  18. ATimson

    ATimson Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I'd blame that on the writer (to wit, Mac Walters, the lead writer on ME3), not the publisher. ;)
     
  19. Allyn Gibson

    Allyn Gibson Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I was thinking that as well. :)
     
  20. Ronald Held

    Ronald Held Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I do not see from this miniseries what a potential abuse of power has to do with Khan on the last page.