IDW'S Star Trek #2

[indianatrekker26]

http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/1107/28/startrek2.htm
A link to the cover of IDW'S Star Trek #2. Looks like the episodes won't be condensed into one issue, as some of us feared. Awesome cover.

 

[David cgc]

Well, I guess Gary Mitchell is in the remake, after all. Egg on my face. Still curious about what the new take is going to be.

 

[indianatrekker26]

Here's the description for issue 2:
"The lead-up to 2012's Star Trek sequel continues here! Kirk and Spock face off against one of their own when crewman Gary Mitchell is possessed by an entity of unfathomable power. The next chapter in the adventures of the Starship Enterprise, a creative collaboration with Star Trek writer/producer Roberto Orci!"

Entity??? Interesting

 

[Caesar753]

I'm sorry, but is it really necessary to rehash old story ideas? I'm all for a new trek comic, but how about some NEW stories? Everything today seems to be a reboot or remake of something else. I'm sure there is no shortage of writers out there who would love to make new stories for a trek comic, but instead we get yet another remake.

 

[indianatrekker26]

well i can't condemn or judge this series until i see it in print, and have read the series and given it a try.

 

[Mysterion]

I'm sorry, but is it really necessary to rehash old story ideas? I'm all for a new trek comic, but how about some NEW stories? Everything today seems to be a reboot or remake of something else. I'm sure there is no shortage of writers out there who would love to make new stories for a trek comic, but instead we get yet another remake.

This.

If this is all they're going to do with Star Trek, then what's the point? As a series of "what if?" type comics, fine. But if this turns out to be what JJ Abrams & Co. are going to do with Trek long-term, than to hell with it.

 

[ryan123450]

Entity??? Interesting

0?

Probably not.

 

[Christopher]

If this is all they're going to do with Star Trek, then what's the point? As a series of "what if?" type comics, fine. But if this turns out to be what JJ Abrams & Co. are going to do with Trek long-term, than to hell with it.

Of course it isn't. A tie-in comic and a feature film are directed at different markets and have different priorities driving them. Tie-ins to an ongoing movie series are expected to tell stories that have no real effect on the status quo, so that they don't get in the way of the main story being told by the movies. For instance, Marvel's Star Wars comic from the '70s-'80s was required to avoid exploring the main storylines from the films and instead had to make up its own story arcs about other stuff and keep the characters' status quo pretty much unchanged. The comics are supposed to be doing anything but the same kinds of stories that the movies are doing.

Besides, it's not "JJ Abrams & Co." writing the comics. It's a couple of Bad Robot employees following outlines by Roberto Orci. No direct involvement by Kurtzman, Lindelof, or Abrams, except presumably for story approval. The main team is working on the movie, and a side team is doing the comics under supervision by a single member of the main team. That's the only way it could work, since the movie is a much bigger job and the whole team can't afford the distraction of working on the comics at the same time.

 

[indianatrekker26]

"It's a couple of Bad Robot employees following outlines by Roberto Orci. "
and, i for one, am glad IDW has some kind of working relationship with the forces behind the nuTrek movies. It will help keep things consistent, without stepping on the toes of the movies.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

Pass. I like the original just fine. I love all the people wanting a rehash of "Wrath of Kahn". Why? It was already well done. And you can't do Wrath of Kahn without space seed, otherwise, what is he wrathful about?

Anyways, if the idea of the Abramsverse was to not be tied down by what was done before, why rehash the old stories? That seems to defeat the purpose of what this vision is all about.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

I still wish IDW would give some projects or take pitches fro the novel authors. Give us some novels to complement the books and a means to visualize some of the new faces on the E or aboard Vanguard. Who is more likely to buy Trek comics than the people reading the books and I for one would like some comics in the timeline of the books I like so much.

 

[Fer]

Yeah, but... now Gary Mitchell's eyes have lens flare!!

 

[Christopher]

Anyways, if the idea of the Abramsverse was to not be tied down by what was done before, why rehash the old stories? That seems to defeat the purpose of what this vision is all about.

I just answered that two posts earlier. The tie-in comics are not interchangeable with the movies. The comics will be bought by a few thousand people each, while the movie audience is in the tens of millions. They're not an equivalent market, and the comics are not on an equal footing with the films. They're a side project whose purpose is to tell a different kind of material from what the movies are doing, something that will sustain the core fanbase's interest while not getting in the way of the movies' efforts or materially advancing the film series' storylines in any way. They do not represent the core purpose of the Abramsverse.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

I for one see no need to redo classic scifi. The potential readership of these comics are probably the more devoted fans who have watched and loved TOS and probably don't care for this repackaging. But we would go in circles on this idea, and I respect your evaluation, christopher.

I guess we just have to wait and see how sales turn out.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

Yeah, but... now Gary Mitchell's eyes have lens flare!!

LOL! Well played, sir.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I for one see no need to redo classic scifi.

Then why did they make the 2009 movie at all?

The potential readership of these comics are probably the more devoted fans who have watched and loved TOS and probably don't care for this repackaging.

Sales of previous IDW comics show that "the more devoted fans who have watched and loved TOS" you mention didn't care enough for IDW's previous TOS, TNG or DS9 comics either.

What did sell extremely well for IDW were any comics related to the JJ Abrams-directed movie: "Countdown", "Spock Reflections", "Nero", and the film's adaptation in comic form. IIRC, IDW said the new comic tie-ins to the movie would be a mix of "what if"-type retellings of TOS and new material. Sales will inform them of which direction is best worth pursuing.

 

[FatherRob]

I for one see no need to redo classic scifi. The potential readership of these comics are probably the more devoted fans who have watched and loved TOS and probably don't care for this repackaging. But we would go in circles on this idea, and I respect your evaluation, christopher.

I guess we just have to wait and see how sales turn out.

I consider myself a lover of TOS, and I definately don't care for the repackaging of Trek under the JJ mantle. That being said, I will read these comics, and I will read them on their own merits... if for no other reason than to be able to complain afterwards!

Having, in the past, attempted to write a far more plausbile fan-fic version of "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (no, I didn't get far), I can tell you that I never thought of the idea of Mitchell being possessed by an entity, and it should have been terribly obvious. Instead, my attempt had been to find a way to recast the galactic barrier as a supernovae's bow-shock, and to find some overly complicated reason that it sent Mitchell beserk. Entity possession would have been a far more straightforward and easy to tell tale... which explains why they are the writers, and I am the reviewer!!!

At any rate, I am sure I am not the only one who has a desire to retcon some classic episodes and make them seem more senisble. This provides a way to do that without affecting the prime universe... and it's a disposable option to boot. You won't need any of this to enjoy or dis the next film... so as a stuck up original continuity TOS/DS9 fansnob, I have no problem with this.

I for one see no need to redo classic scifi.

Then why did they make the 2009 movie at all?

Well, that's a good question, Therin, which I am sure would draw much blood in the movie discussion section. Suffice it to say, I am all for a Star Trek reboot, just not the lousy one we got. I wanted a harder sci-fi Star Trek, set further in the future, approached from a very different perspective (and with no connection to what came before (save homages), ala BSG). We got mass-consumer driven fluff. Yes, it was pretty fluff, but, it was fluff nonetheless.

That begin said, I do think the next film has some very real potential, given that the things that annoy the living snot out of me about the reboot film are the completely impractical and insane staffing choices made in the film - choices which are now set and operative. I can disregard JJ Trek 1 and, hopefully, enjoy JJ Trek 2. JJ Trek 1 was a nice popcorn flick, and had nice SFX (even if I don't care for the ship), but other than that, I choose to only view it as a setup for the next film... a film I sincerely hope delivers far more Star Trek and far less crap. (IMO)

Rob+

 

[Christopher]

The potential readership of these comics are probably the more devoted fans who have watched and loved TOS and probably don't care for this repackaging.

It's impossible to make blanket generalizations about what devoted Trek fans want. Most of the participants in this board are devoted Trek fans, and look at how fiercely they argue over every little thing.

The fact that a lot of fans love TOS is exactly what's going to draw them to retellings of TOS. Not everyone is a purist. Not everyone is opposed to the idea of a beloved story being retold. I'm sure a lot of fans would be thrilled to see how Gary Mitchell or Harry Mudd or Kor or Gary Seven would fit into this new version of the Trek universe. Heck, from what I've seen online, there's been plenty of speculation about just that sort of thing for years now. Lots of fans have spent a lot of time wondering how such-and-such might happen or what so-and-so would be like in the Abrams version, or hoping to see Khan or Kor or Mudd in the next movie. Heck, it was probably awareness of that pre-existing fan interest in such things that inspired this approach to the comics in the first place.

 

[JD]

IDW said the new comic tie-ins to the movie would be a mix of "what if"-type retellings of TOS and new material. Sales will inform them of which direction is best worth pursuing.

I just wanted to repost this for emphasis. For those who are pissed they're doing remakes, I think it's worth keeping in mind that the stories are going to be a mix of new stories and remakes, and we don't even know yet what the proprotions of each will be.

 

[Therin of Andor]

look at how fiercely they argue over every little thing.

We do not.

we don't even know yet what the proprotions of each will be.

I would guess that neither does IDW. At least long term.