Countdown #3 official review thread [Spoilers]

[SalvorHardin]

I don't have the time right now to write a detailed review for #3 but I'll give you pictures from the pages and leave the rest for tomorrow or others who have read it.

So here are some of the most important moments :



[Out of concern that too much of the comic was being reproduced here, several images have been removed. - M']

 

[TheBrew]

That was a fan-wank-fest, but I loved it!

 

[Franklin]

This may be an unpopular view, but thank God this isn't the movie. With this issue, the series has become fan-wank to say the least. The whole thing has the feel of a story put together as an afterthought (which it kinda was, wasn't it?). I'm interested, but only in the eye-rolling car-wreck sense. I'm not sure how this was really supposed to enhance a fan's movie-going experience. (But that's just me.)

 

[ralph]

Thanks, friend.

 

[Kpnuts]

the jellyfish eh?

Spock's ship in the film

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

It seems that those who do not particularly care for Countdown, ST Online (to which Countdown appears to be a sequel), or ST XI's changes, now have an easy out. This is made even more so for those who accept the current Trek novel continuity as a 'real' continuation of what happened onscreen (I am one of these people). To wit:

- Certain things in ST Online, such as Gul Macet's emergence as a sort of "Dukat clone", are incompatible with Trek novel continuity (in which Macet is a benevolent reformer).

- Countdown is a sequel to ST Online. In all but name. If it's not official in this regard, it might as well be.

- Certain things in Countdown are also not compatible, such as Worf (a General in the Klingon Defense Force in Countdown, but first officer of the Enterprise-E in the novels). Also, since when exactly the hell does Vulcan have a "Praetor"?

- And therefore, since ST XI obviously follows directly from Countdown, it can theoretically be rationalized that this "trilogy" - Online/Countdown/Trek XI - is not only a separate timeline, but literally an alternate universe as well. So then, Nero's time travelling to the past, and Spock's actions to stop him, do permanently change the timeline, and completely overwrite the old one, but *only in the alternate universe where this takes place*. In the mainstream Trek universe, absolutely none of these things ever happen. Spock might meet a completely different fate, Nero might not even exist, that sort of thing.

Your thoughts on this? Now bear in mind, I totally love what I have seen of ST XI so far. I'm not a hater. I think it's going to be a wonderful film. But it may be a reboot from the ground up anyway.

 

[ancient]

It is a bit fanwankish, what with everyone breaking out uberships and a threat that seems to be teh biggest threat ever, a big explosion that's gonna blow up the whole galaxy!!1111

Never-the-less it's good to see the TNG crew again.

 

[Sharr Khan]

Also, since when exactly the hell does Vulcan have a "Praetor"?

Hard to say, given I don't think we've ever really ever explored Vulcan government in any substantive manner. Clearly the implication is that the Romulans brought with them a similar structured government when they left the planet.

I always find it funny when fans complain about "fanwank" cause the people who do also tend to be the ones who get mad when it isn't there in any form.

Me doesn't bother me at all.

Sharr

 

[Franklin]

Never-the-less it's good to see the TNG crew again.

That's it, really. The whole thing is a valentine to TNG fans.
Honestly though, one more negative thing and I'll clam up. Would it be useful to recommend these comics to any non-Trek fan on the hope it would excite the person to want to see the movie? Honestly, now.

 

[JuanBolio]

I actually quite like it...

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Also, since when exactly the hell does Vulcan have a "Praetor"?

Hard to say, given I don't think we've ever really ever explored Vulcan government in any substantive manner. Clearly the implication is that the Romulans brought with them a similar structured government when they left the planet.

We saw enough in ENT's Vulcan trilogy.

 

[ancient]

Well, it's about a really big sun that's going to explode the whole galaxy and the only way to stop it is with a few grains of a technobabble new material we never heard of before which will be delivered somehow by the USS AWESOME to make a really big black hole which will eat the really big galaxy-destroying star but unfortunately a romulan/borg ship is trying to stop them because Romulus blew up. All in all it's the perfect follow-up to Nemesis and the Shatnerverse novels.

So yes, non-nerds are going to jump on this one!

And before I get forcefully removed from the internet for that, I'm not whining about it, just sitting back and having a good laugh. I bought issue one and I regret nothing!

 

[Sharr Khan]

So yes, non-nerds are going to jump on this one!

I get the impression, the comic is geared for the existing fans and the movie has a broader canvas which is not to say some of these details won't become important in the movie itself.

Sharr

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

Is anyone else nervous because a lot of time-travel stories have big honking things blow up and in the end they get back and everything turns out to be AOK?

I am.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I'm enjoying the hell out of this as I stated in the previous threads and fan-wank or not it has captured my attention like few Trek Comics in the past have. The final page really was unexpected...General Worf! Damn...I wonder if we'll get an explaination of how this came about. Obviously they've taken a different direction than the Pocket Book novels (another alternate reality IMO LOL) and Worf seems to have once again left Starfleet after Nemesis. As for this being a sequel to Star Trek Online, I thought both take place in the same time? 2385 or there abouts?

 

[Franklin]

And before I get forcefully removed from the internet for that, I'm not whining about it, just sitting back and having a good laugh. I bought issue one and I regret nothing!

You're right, despite my above rants, it's innocent fun. And, especially if the movie's a hit, they'll probably become collectible. Come to think of it, the way my 401K looks right now, I probably should buy some as an investment. (Come to think of it, I wonder if my mother kept my substantial collection of DC comics from the 1960s?)

 

[LutherSloan]

On its website Star Trek Online says it takes place in 2409.

It seems like the Romulan Star Empire no longer exists in STO's timeline either.

The fact that the Starfleet uniforms from 'Countdown' are identical to STO's can't be a coincidence.

 

[The Habs Fan]

It seems that those who do not particularly care for Countdown, ST Online (to which Countdown appears to be a sequel), or ST XI's changes, now have an easy out. This is made even more so for those who accept the current Trek novel continuity as a 'real' continuation of what happened onscreen (I am one of these people). To wit:

- Certain things in ST Online, such as Gul Macet's emergence as a sort of "Dukat clone", are incompatible with Trek novel continuity (in which Macet is a benevolent reformer).

- Countdown is a sequel to ST Online. In all but name. If it's not official in this regard, it might as well be.

- Certain things in Countdown are also not compatible, such as Worf (a General in the Klingon Defense Force in Countdown, but first officer of the Enterprise-E in the novels). Also, since when exactly the hell does Vulcan have a "Praetor"?

- And therefore, since ST XI obviously follows directly from Countdown, it can theoretically be rationalized that this "trilogy" - Online/Countdown/Trek XI - is not only a separate timeline, but literally an alternate universe as well. So then, Nero's time travelling to the past, and Spock's actions to stop him, do permanently change the timeline, and completely overwrite the old one, but *only in the alternate universe where this takes place*. In the mainstream Trek universe, absolutely none of these things ever happen. Spock might meet a completely different fate, Nero might not even exist, that sort of thing.

Your thoughts on this? Now bear in mind, I totally love what I have seen of ST XI so far. I'm not a hater. I think it's going to be a wonderful film. But it may be a reboot from the ground up anyway.

According to this site: http://www.geocities.com/cwinifred/Timeline.htm, the Destiny books take place in 2381. This comic book series takes place in 2387. Can it not be possible that these differences between Countdown and Pocket Books happen between 2381 and 2387? It's possible that Worf could leave Starfleet sometime between 2381 and 2387 and become a General in the Klingon Empire.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

the Destiny books take place in 2381. This comic book series takes place in 2387. Can it not be possible that these differences between Countdown and Pocket Books happen between 2381 and 2387? It's possible that Worf could leave Starfleet sometime between 2381 and 2387 and become a General in the Klingon Empire.

If it was only that, then yes, it is possible. But we've established by now that Countdown and ST Online share a universe, and that Online is incompatible with the current state of the 'real' Trek (see above)...so that's why I believe what I do.

And to those who claim that since Trek novels aren't canon, they don't mean anything: Well, Online is 'only' a computer game, and Countdown is a comic book. So how canon could *they* be?

 

[miraclefan]

I read the issue today. All I can say is....WHY Could they not release issue 4 this week to!? I don't want to wait a month! The ''only'' thing I hated about this book..was that it ENDED! This series ROCKS!!!! I cant WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE!!! And in case you mist it, This book is AWSOME!!!!!!