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STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Movie?

cooleddie74

cooleddie74

Arguably The Best Poster Named cooleddie74
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I know not everyone liked the COUNTDOWN graphic novels for varying reasons both legitimate and petty...and I myself didn't particularly like the new Starfleet uniforms seen on the Enterprise 1701-E crew in the books as well as the sudden introduction of a Vulcan Praetor and Senate into the TREK mythos after forty years of believing the planet was governed by ministers and councils...but I digress. Since the COUNTDOWN saga has some great moments, pretty solid storytelling for the greater part and fills in Nero's background as well as those of his Narada crewmates, should we consider it canonical even if Viacom/Paramount and the TREK honchos never proclaim it as such? It's all the background we have for the new movie in many respects and without it Nero, Teya and the rest of the Narada crew as well as the ship itself are infinitely more one-dimensional, simplistic and come out of left field without any real explanations save for Old Spock's brief on-screen mind meld with Young Kirk on Delta Vega in the film.

What do you guys think?
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

Yes, and ditto with the deleted scenes that were just cut for flow and time restraint purposes.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

The worst aspects of the COUNTDOWN series are probably the inconsistent and crappy Starfleet uniforms from 2387 and relatively trivial nitpicking fodder like there being a "Vulcan Praetor." But ignore those little details and you can easily and happily fit the comics into the canon for TREK XI and suddenly the villain of the film becomes a much more textured and understandable figure of tragedy.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

No, no, a thousand times no. The story was shallow and was one step away from being fanboyish (apparently comic characters do cameos). It also looked and read as if it had been hurried together.
The story also makes it even harder to understand what would make Nero snap and go after Spock. It's not like Spock was responsible for the stalling around, and Nero knows that. Spock was frantically trying to help, and even engaged Federation help.
As the comic is written, Nero may have a beef with Vulcan, he certainly has one with the remaining Romulans (who didn't believe they were in danger to begin with). But Spock?
In the movie, the vagueness of what actually happened makes his hate of Spock make more sense than it does in the comic.

It was a neat idea to sell comic books by taking advantage of anticipation of the movie. But that's all it was. A money grab.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

Take it or leave it. Who needs some official executive suit to tell you what to think?
I am however all for the nominating it for sainthood part.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

Im just glad the graphic novels did a better job of explaining Nero's motivation than a $150 million major motion picture did. If you went just on the movie alone...as awesome as the film is...Nero would be a less developed, lamer adversary than Shinzon was in the previous film.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

I think Nero's hatred for Spock maybe misplaced but I think it makes sense. The dude just lost his planet and while Spock did everything he did to help, he still failed. Nero is just gonna take all his anger out on who ever he feels deserves it. Again, its misplaced, but I think believable.

As for whether Countdown is canon or not...I say "sure! why not?". It certainly helped fill in a back story for Nero and the rest of the Narada. It added depth to his character and I felt he was a bit more of a likable bad guy. Thats my 2 cents anyway.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

Teya will be surprised to hear herself asking Robau what he knows about Ambassador Spock.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

Jeri said:
Teya will be surprised to hear herself asking Robau what he knows about Ambassador Spock.
Click to expand...

Space cocaine...it's a helluva drug. :shifty:
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

That's what it would take for me to ask Robau anything.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

Unless something official contradicts what was presented in Countdown, there's no harm in it being canon.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

Uh, no. This is not the Star Wars forum.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

My $0.02:

I absolutely LOVED "Countdown"! I actually read it before the film came out--and it HEIGHTENED my anticipation of Opening Night.

There ARE some oddities (such as the "Vulcan-Praetor" thing), but they can all be explained away...with some thought (i.e., much of this tale is from Nero's POV, and perhaps his universal translator misinterpereted the Vulcan word for "Head of the Council", or "President", or whatever, as "Praetor").

And...seeing Worf as a bleep-in' Klingon GENERAL was just AWESOME!

Now...as to whether it's canon or not....

Didn't The Supreme Court (JJ, Bob Orci, etc.) kinda declare it "unofficial" canon, or something?
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

In catholicism, sainthood is bestowed by the pope.
In Star Trek, sainthood is bestowed by Paramount.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

I haven't been interested enough to read the comic, so I can hardly endorse adding it to "canon."
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

no thanks. countdown was a bunch of cameos and lame non-science, some of which made it into the film. geordi laforge really didn't have to design the jellyfish. data really didn't have to be captain. worf didn't have to be the klingon commander. it was a parade of who's who from TNG.
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

No it should not be canon.

We have enough problems around here without making comics and books canon too.
Lets keep it to on screen stuff. :p
 
Re: STAR TREK:COUNTDOWN...Should It Be Canonized as Background for Mov

IIRC from the TrekLit forum, the PocketBooks people intend to ignore "Countdown" in their upcoming post-Nemesis novels.

But I think that would be a mistake. I have no problem with Data being a captain, with LaForge designing the "jellyfish" (I actually love that, even the computer aboard that ship sounded like Dr. Leah Brahms) or with Picard being an Ambassador, but Worf being a Klingon general sounds kinda stupid.

I do believe that the upcoming post-NEM novels should at least somehow reinterpret "Countdown," just for the sake of continuity.

For example, how the Romulans captured the Borg technology used on the Narada would make a hell of a short story (too bad SNW was canceled).
 
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