Finally Starting "New Frontier" - 10 years later!

[David cgc]

The only thing that confused me was the term, "XO" referring to the late night captain. I always thought the XO and commander were the same things

They are, outside of NF. PAD needed a co-First Officer for the story, so he came up with that notion. Honestly, it's the most thought Star Trek has ever given to the practical requirements of operating in a truly round-the-clock environment (even 24-hour jobs on Earth are affected by the fact that, when it's night, things are less busy), and even then, it just writes off the third-shift as a bunch of seat-warmers.

 

[thribs]

Just finished the New Frontier Double Time one shot comic which was a lot of fun. The ending seems a rather extreme to add to the lore that is not mentioned at all in the novels (up to book 11 that is). You’d think that would have been brought up.

I also noticed that they deliberately kept Primus’ face hidden. Is she supposed to be someone we know? The mystery deepens.

 

[Stevil2001]

Just finished the New Frontier Double Time one shot comic which was a lot of fun. The ending seems a rather extreme to add to the lore that is not mentioned at all in the novels (up to book 11 that is). You’d think that would have been brought up.

If you're referring to the overshoot, it's meant to retcon the fact that the first couple New Frontier novels take place around the time of First Contact, but then in Double or Nothing, the Dominion War is over, yet clearly not much time has elapsed for the crew of the Excalibur. At the time, John Ordover explained that he and Peter David thought of the series as taking place in "comic book time"-- each novel took place in Star Trek's "present", but they also took place one right after the other. But later on, David decided to explain the discontinuity in Double Time. I don't think it's ever referenced in any of the novels, but the New Frontier short story in Tales of the Dominion War does follow it up.

 

[David cgc]

There was one point where Calhoun sarcastically brought up the idea of using time-travel to solve the plot of the book, but for the fact that it'd get them in trouble with Captain Braxton again, but I can't remember when.

 

[GaryH]

I also noticed that they deliberately kept Primus’ face hidden. Is she supposed to be someone we know? The mystery deepens.

It was a joke based on Majel Barrett having played multiple characters. It was implied that Primus was Number One from Pike’s crew, and Scotty thought she was Christine Chapel when he met her in one of the novels.

 

[JD]

They do show her face several times in IDW's Turnaround miniseries, and she does look like Majel Barrett.

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

They do show her face several times in IDW's Turnaround miniseries, and she does look like Majel Barrett.

She was specifically modeled after Number One in Turnaround, with the same hair style and IIRC an outfit very similar to the uniform used in The Cage.

 

[thribs]

It was a joke based on Majel Barrett having played multiple characters. It was implied that Primus was Number One from Pike’s crew, and Scotty thought she was Christine Chapel when he met her in one of the novels.

Really? That's kind of disappointing. I expecting something more.

Just finished book 11 which I see as the end of the first season of New Frontier. I enjoyed the book but the only thing that annoyed me was that they never gave the class of the Exeter and the Grisson ships. Hard to imagine the ship if you don't know what class it is. I'm going with Excelsior with the Grisson and an Akira with Exeter.
I look forward to what family life brings to Calhoun for "season 2".

 

[David cgc]

According to most editions of the Star Trek Encyclopedia, Grissom was an Excelsior-class, and Exeter was an Ambassador-class.

 

[thribs]

According to most editions of the Star Trek Encyclopedia, Grissom was an Excelsior-class, and Exeter was an Ambassador-class.

So I was half right. What about the Trident?
They also mention at the end that two Kirk era officers are now back in Starfleet. Scotty is one but who is the other? Spock is still doing that Romulus thing and McCoy never left.

 

[USS Firefly]

So I was half right. What about the Trident?
They also mention at the end that two Kirk era officers are now back in Starfleet. Scotty is one but who is the other? Spock is still doing that Romulus thing and McCoy never left.

The Trident was a Galaxy class like the Excalibur A.

 

[thribs]

The Trident was a Galaxy class like the Excalibur A.

That’s not very imaginative. Would have made that an Akira or something.
I’m also not a fan of calling it the Excalibur A. To me that’s something that only the Enterprise gets because it’s the flagship. I know other ships have it as well but I’m just not a fan.

 

[USS Firefly]

That’s not very imaginative. Would have made that an Akira or something.
I’m also not a fan of calling it the Excalibur A. To me that’s something that only the Enterprise gets because it’s the flagship. I know other ships have it as well but I’m just not a fan.

I would also prefer an Akira class because we haven't seen/read much about her class, although the Galaxy class is one of the most beautiful class there is.

 

[GaryH]

Really? That's kind of disappointing. I expecting something more.
.

Morgan is a great character that has a unique voice and very unexpected development. This is just an injoke about a few years in her past, which would have taken place 100 years before New Frontier, but her primary role in this series is being the mother of Robin.

 

[JD]

So I was half right. What about the Trident?
They also mention at the end that two Kirk era officers are now back in Starfleet. Scotty is one but who is the other? Spock is still doing that Romulus thing and McCoy never left.

Have they brought in Arex and M'Ress in yet at that point?

 

[mthompson1701]

I just finished the Excalibur trilogy about a month ago. They mention Arex and M'Ress in the last chapter of Restoration. They aren't really featured until the Gateways book right after it.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

The Trident was a Galaxy class like the Excalibur A.

For some reason, I thought the Trident was Prometheus-class, but you're right, and Memory Beta confirms.

 

[David cgc]

^IIRC, PAD and Ordover considered making the Excalibur-A a Prometheus.

One of the Gateways books (not the NF one, I think the TNG closing short-story) called the Trident Ambassador-class, which I've generally kept to in my mind, both because of the low registry and because I have no patience for the novels' Galaxy-inflation (especially bad in the numbered era) and would like to remove excess Galaxies whenever possible.

 

[thribs]

Ha! And I thought there was a Excelsior excess.
I agree though. There were far too many Galaxy class ships around at that time. Should have use some of the other Wolf 359 ships.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

^IIRC, PAD and Ordover considered making the Excalibur-A a Prometheus..

They did, yes. Ordover was really excited by the Prometheus when it was introduced over on the old S&S boards, well before there was any narrative need to replace the Excalibur.