Comics fans: A few questions from someone who isn't (yet?)

[Paris]

The quality of the artwork of the recent IDW trek comics is far superior to that of the Marvel - DC/Wildstorm years. Artists like Stephen Thompson, David Messina, Casey Maloney, and Steve Conley have really raised the bar. Even Gordon Purcell has turned it up a notch.

When the IDW trek comics started coming out I decided to give them a try. After reading the first year's worth of releases I was totally hooked back into trek-lit. Ultimately this brought me back to the novels.

My recommendations are the first TOS Year Four series, Blood Will Tell, The New Frontier mini-series (much much much better, and 5 times longer, than the shitty Double Time one shot), the Mirror Universe mini and the Alien Spotlight issues. Especially the borg one. Personally i'm also a fan of both of the TNG mini-series. Not everyone is, as they take place over the course of the tv series.

 

[Thrawn]

Well, cool; thanks Paris, that's exactly what I was looking for.

Tell me more about the Mirror Universe one - how does that fit in to the Mirror Universe book series?

 

[Paris]

Well, cool; thanks Paris, that's exactly what I was looking for.

Tell me more about the Mirror Universe one - how does that fit in to the Mirror Universe book series?

Unfortunately I still haven't read the recent Mirror Universe books (the novellas, the anthology or the DS9 one...I have them though), but the comic line seems to be its own thing. The mirror universe from the Stargazer books is different from the mirror universe we see in issue #3 with Picard. But the other four issues of the series that deal with Kirk, Pike, and Spock are awesome. We see how Kirk comes to power and we get an in depth look into mirror universe ship bound politics. Great read

 

[Christopher]

What bothered me about Double Time was the short/undeveloped nature of the storytelling, and the giant-tit-ification of all the girls, more or less. I'm asking if that is common or not.

The former is not common; it's merely a function of the fact that Double Time was a one-shot story rather than an ongoing series. Comics stories can come in many lengths, from a single 22-page issue to a lengthy years-long serial, although these days it's increasingly common to structure stories to be 5-6 issues long, just right for collection in a trade paperback.

The latter, unfortunately, is all too common in comic-book art today.

Tell me more about the Mirror Universe one - how does that fit in to the Mirror Universe book series?

It doesn't. IDW's Mirror Universe tales are not in continuity with Pocket's.

 

[Daddy Todd]

Over the years, I've collected and read a great many Star Trek comics.

I bought and read them because they were Star Trek, not because they were comics.

For much of the '90's, the boom years for Trek comics, I would stop off at my local comic shop every Wednesday to check my hold for new titles. While there, I would try out other titles and other genres. Superhero comics have never interested me in the slightest, although I've bought tons. Manga never caught me, either -- apart from Miyazaki's brilliant Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Indie comics like Pekar's American Splendor and Los Bros Hernandez's Love and Rockets I count as great works, and still read regularly. Jeff Smith's Bone is another brilliant title. But these are the stand-out exceptions. Most comics simply do nothing for me.

I read Star Trek comics the same way I read Star Trek books: looking for the ones that feel like "real Star Trek." Most Trek comics are just OK. But occasionally they are really, really good. And perhaps a half-dozen times in the last 40 years, they've been great.

 

[Therin of Andor]

What bothered me about Double Time was... the giant-tit-ification of all the girls, more or less. I'm asking if that is common or not.

Memory Beta says that penciller Mike Collins... has contributed work to various Star Trek projects. He was a penciler on Marvel Comics's Star Trek: Early Voyages and Star Trek: Untold Voyages comic series', and has produced cover artwork for the Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers eBook series. He also wrote and pencilled the comic The Needs of the One in the Spring 1994 DC Comics Special and co-wrote the SCE novella Caveat Emptor with Ian Edginton.

 

[Thrawn]

What bothered me about Double Time was... the giant-tit-ification of all the girls, more or less. I'm asking if that is common or not.

Memory Beta says that penciller Mike Collins... has contributed work to various Star Trek projects. He was a penciler on Marvel Comics's Star Trek: Early Voyages and Star Trek: Untold Voyages comic series', and has produced cover artwork for the Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers eBook series. He also wrote and pencilled the comic The Needs of the One in the Spring 1994 DC Comics Special and co-wrote the SCE novella Caveat Emptor with Ian Edginton.

Have I ever mentioned that you are awesome?

Seriously, such a positive person to have around in this community. Helpful and detailed, and logical and clear. I disagree with you a lot, but I always am happy when I see you post in a thread I'm following.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Have I ever mentioned that you are awesome?
Seriously, such a positive person to have around in this community. Helpful and detailed, and logical and clear. I disagree with you a lot, but I always am happy when I see you post in a thread I'm following.
Thanks for the info.

Gosh, thanks. Memory Beta continues to grow and is a great place to research the contributions of ST creators, writers, illustrators, etc.

Big-breasted women are fairly common in comic books. Have you ever seen DC Comics' Power Girl?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Girl

 

[Thrawn]

Have I ever mentioned that you are awesome?
Seriously, such a positive person to have around in this community. Helpful and detailed, and logical and clear. I disagree with you a lot, but I always am happy when I see you post in a thread I'm following.
Thanks for the info.

Gosh, thanks. Memory Beta continues to grow and is a great place to research the contributions of ST creators, writers, illustrators, etc.

Big-breasted women are fairly common in comic books. Have you ever seen DC Comics' Power Girl?

I know they're common; doesn't mean I have to like it when it makes characters like Shelby appear differently to an annoying degree.

 

[William Leisner]

Have I ever mentioned that you are awesome?
Seriously, such a positive person to have around in this community. Helpful and detailed, and logical and clear. I disagree with you a lot, but I always am happy when I see you post in a thread I'm following.
Thanks for the info.

Gosh, thanks. Memory Beta continues to grow and is a great place to research the contributions of ST creators, writers, illustrators, etc.

Big-breasted women are fairly common in comic books. Have you ever seen DC Comics' Power Girl?

I know they're common; doesn't mean I have to like it when it makes characters like Shelby appear differently to an annoying degree.

Did you get a different version than I did? Granted, there are a number of panels that have Shelby in form-fitting tops, with significant detail to the shading, but none where she's unusually endowed.

 

[Thrawn]

Gosh, thanks. Memory Beta continues to grow and is a great place to research the contributions of ST creators, writers, illustrators, etc.

Big-breasted women are fairly common in comic books. Have you ever seen DC Comics' Power Girl?

I know they're common; doesn't mean I have to like it when it makes characters like Shelby appear differently to an annoying degree.

Did you get a different version than I did? Granted, there are a number of panels that have Shelby in form-fitting tops, with significant detail to the shading, but none where she's unusually endowed.

I'm glad it didn't bother you, but it was annoying enough to me to pull me out of the story completely.

 

[Geoff Thorne]

EARLY VOYAGES!! Yes!! It's Pike-tastic!

 

[William Leisner]

Did you get a different version than I did? Granted, there are a number of panels that have Shelby in form-fitting tops, with significant detail to the shading, but none where she's unusually endowed.

I'm glad it didn't bother you, but it was annoying enough to me to pull me out of the story completely.

And I'm sorry you were so completely distracted.

 

[Therin of Andor]

EARLY VOYAGES!! Yes!! It's Pike-tastic!

But... it also has Mike Collins' pencilled big-boobed women!

 

[Therin of Andor]

I'm glad it didn't bother you, but it was annoying enough to me to pull me out of the story completely.

It's called keeping abreast of Starfleet matters.

 

[Thrawn]

I'm glad it didn't bother you, but it was annoying enough to me to pull me out of the story completely.

It's called keeping abreast of Starfleet matters.

 

[captcalhoun]

i still want an explanation for 'canon bitch fixes' in Double Time.

 

[JoeZhang]

I have potentially an even dumber question.

What is it people find attractive about reading comics? They're too short, they seem underdeveloped compared even to TV or movies, let alone an actual book...not a lot of bang for the buck, if you ask me.

I'm not trying to flame here. I actually want to know, what is it comic book fans read them for? What do they get out of them that no other medium supplies to the same degree?

Do you mean Star Trek comics or comics in general?

Like any medium, 95% of what is presented is pap but there are a fair number of gems. Having said that, I wouldn't buy floppies (single issues), they are a complete waste of money and don't sit nicely on the bookshelf, it's trades (collected editions) for me all the way. That in it's self is a hotly contested issue as floppy readers argue that us trade waiters are killing comics.

 

[SicOne]

Mmmmm, Power Girl...

(shakes head vigorously from side to side to dismiss nude imagination of Power Girl to refocus on thread...)

JoeZhang, I agree with you in that the "wait for the trade" crowd may be injuring indiviual issue sales, but there are still plenty of people (like myself) who aren't into delayed gratification and get each individual issue when it comes out.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I have potentially an even dumber question.

What is it people find attractive about reading comics? They're too short, they seem underdeveloped compared even to TV or movies, let alone an actual book...not a lot of bang for the buck, if you ask me.

I'm not trying to flame here. I actually want to know, what is it comic book fans read them for? What do they get out of them that no other medium supplies to the same degree?

Do you mean Star Trek comics or comics in general?

Like any medium, 95% of what is presented is pap but there are a fair number of gems. Having said that, I wouldn't buy floppies (single issues), they are a complete waste of money and don't sit nicely on the bookshelf, it's trades (collected editions) for me all the way. That in it's self is a hotly contested issue as floppy readers argue that us trade waiters are killing comics.

It's comics in general. Even graphic novels...I've had trouble really grasping what it is to them that I can't get out of a book or a movie.