Countdown to Darkness - Review and Discussion

[JD]

Since this comes out tomorrow, and we've already gotten one review, from Trekmovie. I thought it might be a good time to set up a thread for this.
Trek movie seemed to enjoy it based on their review.
They did review a pretty major spoiler, that should get an interesting reaction from the fandom. Apparently at least one of the series possible baddies is

Spoiler: Baddie's Identity

Rober April

.
EDIT: Oops, if a mod could change the thread name to Countdown to Darkness #1.... it would appreciated.

 

[TJ Sinclair]

Doesn't TrekMovie enjoy just about everything?

I'll be picking this up tomorrow. Hope the LCS puts the right cover in my box, I wish IDW would stop with the photo versions.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Here's a spoilerific montage of that long lost Trek character's appearances over the years.

 

[JarodRussell]

Poor Uhura gets denied her sexy time. Kirk's chance!

 

[Allyn Gibson]

The first issue is fine.

It reads fast. It feels a little thinner than most issues of the ongoing series (or even Countdown), but it feels more substantial than any issue of the recent Assimilation2.

In terms of story, it feels very retro -- strange new worlds and a Prime Directive puzzle. The character work is fun.

There's no indication as to where this is going or how it will lead into the film. It feels like it's simply the next issue of the ongoing series.

 

[ATimson]

After seeing your spoiler-free reviews above, I decided to take the plunge and spring for the $4 issue (even though I normally wait for the price drop to $2/issue). Well, I have to say, I wasn't expecting that ending. They've got me hooked for the rest of the series.

 

[Agent Richard07]

Got the last issue on the shelf. They went fast. It was a quick read but the reveal of Robert April was a nice surprise and the Uhura art on the next page was pretty nice too. I didn't read Countdown when the first movie came out, so I don't know to what degree this will tie into the new one. I wondered if the planet they were on was the same one we saw in the trailer.

 

[CaptainDonovin]

Got the last issue on the shelf. They went fast. It was a quick read but the reveal of Robert April was a nice surprise and the Uhura art on the next page was pretty nice too. I didn't read Countdown when the first movie came out, so I don't know to what degree this will tie into the new one. I wondered if the planet they were on was the same one we saw in the trailer.

According to Bob Orci the movie begins where the last page of part 4 of this series ends, just like ST09.

I was surprised by April as well, very interested to see what his role is in all this. Wonder if that is who Peter Weller is playing.

 

[Tosk]

Here's a spoilerific montage of that long lost Trek character's appearances over the years.

There's also a Gene-style pic of him in Federation: First 150 Years. Just thought I'd mention it in case you care.

 

[Markonian]

According to Trekmovie, the planet in the trailer is Nibiru. The world in the comic is Phaedus.

 

[Ronald Held]

Which universe's April is very it?

 

[The Wormhole]

I just got around to reading it. It's okay, nothing particularly bad, but not really stand-out good either. It's so far better than Countdown, for whatever that's worth.

 

[TJ Sinclair]

...

 

[TJ Sinclair]

So sometime in the last five years

Spoiler: ...

Robert April lands on Barsoom and goes all John Gill with the Thark?

Not what I was expecting, but the writing seems at least a little cut above the usual Trek fare from IDW. And yes, it's better than Countdown so far. I'll stick with it.

 

[Pauln6]

I really enjoyed the comic. It takes its time to set up the story, provides sufficient background on each of its characters to set them up for their role in the story and even references the ongoing series as well as the first movie. I don't feel as though the story itself is going to be much more complex than a standard 2 issue story but they're taking more time, which is something I've wanted to see in the ongoing comic.

Characterisation felt solid and Kudos for giving Uhura the conn but that doesn't alter the fact that the comic is seriously top heavy with men. The ongoing comic has put some small effort into introducing a few more recurring women in the form of security guards but this issue doesn't bode well for the equality of the sexes in the sequel if it represents their approach to the supporting characters (and one extra female crew member isn't anywhere near enough to make up the difference). Apart from a dream sequence reflecting scenes from the first movie (and even then that was top heavy with men) Uhura is pretty much it for the gals.

Overall it's a good start to the series. There is certainly enough here to pique curiosity for the rest of the series and the sequel.

 

[JarodRussell]

The main villain clearly is Darth Vader.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Read it on the train home last night. Last page was a huge, pleasant surprise!

 

[Therin of Andor]

Here's a stray thought:

Spoiler: Next issue speculation

What if Khan's sleeper ship, Botany Bay, was once found by Captain Robert April's earlier Enterprise - and Khan and his Augments took over the ship and... abandoned April and his crew on Phaedus?

 

[ATimson]

Here's a stray thought:

Spoiler: Next issue speculation

What if Khan's sleeper ship, Botany Bay, was once found by Captain Robert April's earlier Enterprise - and Khan and his Augments took over the ship and... abandoned April and his crew on Phaedus?

Spoiler: speculation

Do we really know that it is an earlier Enterprise? Maybe I just have my head stuck too firmly in Final Frontier, but I can't imagine an earlier Enterprise for him that isn't NCC-1701.

 

[bullethead]

Literary Treks had an interesting theory:

Spoiler: Next Issue

Robert April is from an alternate universe.

I think it could work and would deal with the ship problem, but I don't know if they would do more universe hopping in the comics/Abramsverse.