Forget that TTN or VGD comic...

[AndrewIDW]

Steve Roby said:
First two cents from someone who's bought all the IDW Trek comics so far and will be buying the collections as well: You can look at continuity with the books as a problem. Or you can look at it as an opportunity.

Actually, I see it as both. It's just that sometimes they're working against each other, and for some questions the answer is on one side of the divide and for some questions it's on the other.

Example: I just recently finished a Trek/Borg script for IDW's Aliens Spotlight series. I wrapped it up about a week before Resistance came out, and it's already with the artist. So, is Resistance a problem or an opportunity? Obviously, if there's anything glaringly contradictory, it's a problem (and, if there are overwhelming similarities, even more of a problem!). But it's also not reasonable to expect a book publisher to start sending out its manuscripts to every other licensee who might be doing something about the same subject, especially when considering how many different Star Trek books come out each year.

With enough advance time, you could possibly request an advance copy (like, say, what they send to reviewers), but since I'm new at the company and there was a tight deadline on the comics script, it just wasn't logistically possible. (And, come to think of it, as a writer on the same subject, I'm not sure I'd want to see their MS ahead of time.) So, on this one, it falls squarely inside the problem box.

But, at the same time, a writer like Keith, who's done a lot of ST novels, could easily bring some of those ideas over into an IDW comic -- not necessarily an adaptation or spinoff book... but if there were clever references, consistencies and obvious continuities for the people who had also read the novels, it would make the story that much better for them.

So, there's my thoughts. Feel free to disagree -- I'm always open to other ideas.

Cheers,

Andrew Steven Harris
Editor
IDW Publishing

 

[Geoff Thorne]

Personally, with the live action series' sleeping and the new feature purporting to be something between a reboot and a prequel, I'm thrilled to have another venue in which to read and (I hope) tell Trek stories.

I loved the Klingon Mini, personally, and enjoy the Year Four stuff for the same reason that others might dig the NEW VOYAGES web series.

Who doesn't like a young Kirk dropping some ass kickery and sarcasm on an unsuspecting galaxy? Or Spock and Bones sparring or Scotty bitching about his bloody engines getting too much of a pounding?

Also, with another variation on the Trek-verse, there can be chances to explore or expand the mythos in ways that neither the lit-verse nor the canon material can. Comics is a unique medium and should be allowed to present, unfettered, the sorts of stories for which it's best suited.

Just wait 'til I pitch my Tribbles vs Q maxi-series. Then you'll see some fireworks.

Those little furry bastards will never be the same.

Evil, I tell you. Pure evil.

 

[Therin of Andor]

AndrewIDW said:
if there's anything glaringly contradictory, it's a problem ... it's also not reasonable to expect a book publisher to start sending out its manuscripts to every other licensee who might be doing something about the same subject

Although, that's the great advantage of having a fellow diehard ST fan (a member of "first fandom", IIRC), Paula Block, as the CBS Consumer Products overseer of ST tie-in proposals and manuscripts. Paula has been known to suggest tweaks that assist synchronicity between certain projects. She can't catch 'em all, but she certainly catches some!

 

[Christopher]

While there hasn't been slavish continuity between Trek novels and comics in the past, there have been some successful efforts. Wildstorm did at least a couple of miniseries that had crossover elements with the novels, and a New Frontier graphic novel as well. Before that, DC's original run featured a few elements that had originated in novels (at least in those issues by novelists such as Diane Duane and Peter David, who brought their own characters into the series), though for the most part the storylines (insofar as any existed in the novels at the time) were contradictory.

And Therin's right -- having an intermediary like Paula Block makes coordination easier. I agree there's value in having the freedom to go in different routes, but it would be nice to see crossovers as well -- or at least to see stories that avoid mutual contradiction wherever possible, so that the readers can choose for themselves whether to count them in the same "reality."

Come to think of it, hasn't there already been one element from the novels that showed up in Blood Will Tell -- namely, the QuchHa' label (or whatever it was) for the smooth-headed Klingons? Didn't that originate in the Vanguard novels?

 

[JD]

I know I first saw that name in the Van: Harbinger.

 

[David Mack]

^ Actually, I think its first appearance in Vanguard would have been in Summon the Thunder, and I picked it up for use in Reap the Whirlwind.

 

[AndrewIDW]

Christopher said:
While there hasn't been slavish continuity between Trek novels and comics in the past, there have been some successful efforts. Wildstorm did at least a couple of miniseries that had crossover elements with the novels, and a New Frontier graphic novel as well. Before that, DC's original run featured a few elements that had originated in novels (at least in those issues by novelists such as Diane Duane and Peter David, who brought their own characters into the series), though for the most part the storylines (insofar as any existed in the novels at the time) were contradictory.

And Therin's right -- having an intermediary like Paula Block makes coordination easier. I agree there's value in having the freedom to go in different routes, but it would be nice to see crossovers as well -- or at least to see stories that avoid mutual contradiction wherever possible, so that the readers can choose for themselves whether to count them in the same "reality."

I'm in almost complete agreement with that, and in one of these back-and-forth discussions it's easy to forget the original comment that gave rise to it, which was:

"We try to comport with all sorts of non-canon continuity whenever possible, and we never go out of our way to intentionally invalidate someone else's story; but if non-canon continuity paradoxes occur, well -- that's just what happens sometimes."

Cheers,

Andrew Steven Harris
Editor
IDW Publishing

 

[Sci]

Personally, I'm happy to see IDW and Pocket both do their own thing sometimes, and to do crossovers sometimes.

But somebody at IDW really ought to do something involving President Bacco and the Palais de la Concorde. Just 'cuz I really want to see a visual depiction of both.

 

[JD]

David Mack said:
^ Actually, I think its first appearance in Vanguard would have been in Summon the Thunder, and I picked it up for use in Reap the Whirlwind.

My bad. I could have sworn it was Harbinger, but since you wrote the book you would know better than I would.

Yeah, I would love to see that stuff to, sci. I would also love to finally get to see some representation of Vale. I think she's one of the most important original characters that I can think of who hasn't been seen yet.

 

[ScottTipton]

Turtletrekker said:
And I've read in few places that Scott Tipton wants to "Pick up where DS9 left off". Been there, done that, not interested in another approach.

Just for accuracy's sake, by the way, although I love DS9, I've never said anywhere that I had any interest in doing post-finale DS9 comics. Not saying it's a good idea or a bad idea, just that I never said it.

 

[Turtletrekker]

ScottTipton said:

Turtletrekker said:
And I've read in few places that Scott Tipton wants to "Pick up where DS9 left off". Been there, done that, not interested in another approach.

Just for accuracy's sake, by the way, although I love DS9, I've never said anywhere that I had any interest in doing post-finale DS9 comics. Not saying it's a good idea or a bad idea, just that I never said it.

Apologies for a case of mistaken identification.

It was Dan Taylor who said here that...

Personally I feel that it would be great to pick up where Star Trek: Deep Space Nine left off. If IDW’s Star Trek line does well, that may very well be a possibility.