DC's Star Trek Comics

[Trek Survivor]

Well, I've finally finished off my DC ST:TNG comic book series. It's prompted me to start this thread for a general discussion of DC's comic output from the 1980s-through-to-mid-1990s.

I have to say, I love the TNG series! Michael Jan Friedman is one of my favourite authors, and he really did a good job of bringing the show to a new medium, without losing some of the morality/philosophical perspectives inherent to the series. At the same time, he didn't skimp on the traditional comic elements either, and the stories had plenty of action and ideas that couldn't have been incorporated into the show for all sorts of reasons.

As for favourite stories... I love the initial run of issues; partly due to nostalgia (Marvel UK reprinted these issues through 1991 here in the UK), but they are also just fun. Lots and lots of fun.

Interested to hear other people's thoughts, opinions and memories on the TNG series, and the original series ones as well!

It's a shame that due to low sales IDW are unlikely to ever reprint the entire series in TPB form, but at least it makes my single issues all the more precious to me!

 

[JWD75]

I have a lot of fond memories of reading the DC comics while growing up. I can remember the thrill every time a new issue appeared in the grocery store comic book rack. Peter David did some truly great work in the TOS comics and the art work by Gorden Purcell was generally very good.

 

[22 Stars]

I too share a fondness for this time, agree that the TOS comics were great, really felt like a glimpse into that time, when there was only a movie every 3 years. Can't say that I read all the TNG comics, but I guess I should revisit them.

 

[Christopher]

It's a shame that due to low sales IDW are unlikely to ever reprint the entire series in TPB form, but at least it makes my single issues all the more precious to me!

Several years ago, GITCorp published a DVD-ROM collecting virtually every pre-IDW Trek comic book (everything except the two X-Men crossovers and the Klingon-language variant of Marvel's Starfleet Academy #18):

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Complete_Comic_Book_Collection

 

[lance421]

I have a lot of fond memories of reading the DC comics while growing up. I can remember the thrill every time a new issue appeared in the grocery store comic book rack. Peter David did some truly great work in the TOS comics and the art work by Gorden Purcell was generally very good.

thank you!!

 

[indianatrekker26]

These were great days. To this day, i still remember my mom showing up at home with a copy of Star Trek #1 in 1989. Then the following week, i was at the bookstore, and looked at the comic rack. i kinda glanced down, saw a saucer shape on a cover, but kept looking. then it hit me, i was so excited to see it was star trek TNG #1. i must of read those two issues that week about 10 times. i loved DC second run, still my favorite run of all time.

 

[JD]

I've read about 20 issues each of the first TOS series and the TNG run, and I really enjoyed both. Although to be honest, I don't really care for the art in the TNG issues I've read so far, but the stories have been great. I've loved the TOS series though, especially the Mirror Universe arc, I can definitely see why that is such a classic.

 

[toughlittleship]

I remember enjoying an excellent storyline spread across several issues that featured the Tholians.

 

[Ian Keldon]

DC's TOS and movie era comics were generally better than the Next Gen ones.

 

[Mr. Domino]

I loved DC's run on TOS and TNG - although, really, I haven't met a Trek comic published after about '84 that I didn't like. The best stuff was arguably the brief stint that Wildstorm did, where they kind of tried to fit into what the novelverse was doing at the time. IDW's also put out some cool stuff, though.

 

[JD]

Yeah, KRAD's Perchance to Dream, and David Mack's Divided We Fall, were awesome. Although my favorite stuff I've read so far has been Marvel's nineties stuff.

 

[indianatrekker26]

Yeah, KRAD's Perchance to Dream, and David Mack's Divided We Fall, were awesome. Although my favorite stuff I've read so far has been Marvel's nineties stuff.

ehh, marvel's 90s stuff was more miss than hit to me. They tried to make the star trek characters into these big superheroes. About the only 2 series i liked was Early Voyages and Starfleet Academy.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

It's a shame that due to low sales IDW are unlikely to ever reprint the entire series in TPB form, but at least it makes my single issues all the more precious to me!

Several years ago, GITCorp published a DVD-ROM collecting virtually every pre-IDW Trek comic book (everything except the two X-Men crossovers and the Klingon-language variant of Marvel's Starfleet Academy #18):

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Complete_Comic_Book_Collection

Funny you mention that Chris, I just picked that collection up from Amazon.com. I am not a hugh comic book guy but I have enjoyed reading through some of the stories. Any particular entries I should read? There are over 500 comics on this CD!

 

[Mr. Domino]

Definitely read the Mirror Universe saga from the 80s TOS run. Most of MJF's TNG run is awesome. Definitely read all of the Wildstorm stuff. Also, Starfleet Academy is worth checking out, even though it gets a little generic comic book-y, just because it chronicles Nog's time at the academy.

 

[JD]

I thought Early Voyages, the Marvel Captain Pike series, was awesome. But just to warn you, the last story arc was never resolved. When I read the series, I didn't even bother starting that one.

 

[Christopher]

But just to warn you, the last story arc was never resolved. When I read the series, I didn't even bother starting that one.

That seems odd to me. Would you refuse to listen to Schubert's Unfinished Symphony? Or watch none of a serialized TV series that got cancelled before its arc concluded? The ending isn't the only worthwhile part of a story. If you know that a work is incomplete, then you can at least enjoy what there is of it and not be thrown for a loop when it isn't resolved.

 

[JD]

I read the series a couple years ago, back when the DVD collection first came out, and at the time I didn't get into anything that I knew wasn't resolved, but since then I've watched several such shows. So now that unfinished stories don't bother me as much, I might have to go back and read the last arc.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Thanks for the recommendations guys I'm looking forward to reading some cool stories.

 

[Brikar99]

I loved the DC 'Next Generation' series. To this day, it is the only comic book series I collected every individual issue of - though for some reason #50 eluded me for a long, long time. Imagine how frustrating that one was.

I also bought that huge DVD, and I've read a lot of the old Gold Key and Marvel stuff that I'd never explored before and while much of it has a sort of "huh?" quality having seen where the franchise went afterward, they're still a lot of fun.

 

[CaptPapa]

I enjoyed DC's TOS runs; the Mirror Universe Saga, and the early second run by Peter David. I thought RJ Blaise was a marvelous character and would have loved it if Paramount had allowed non-regulars to be featured. I also enjoyed Chris Claremont's Debt of Honor.
However, I've been largely disappointed in IDW's output - with the noteable exception of the Klingons: Blood Will Tell mini series.