I had a look at this comic in Forbidden Planet yesterday. Is it set in an alternative continuity to the rest of Trek? I don't know about the previous books in the series, but here Byrne has the Klingon Empire being ruled by an emperor, whereas it's been clearly established in canon material that the empire had no emperor at this time period, nor had there been one for a while. Koloth is also in a secret relationship with the Klingon Princess!!
John Byrne's "Romulans: Schism" (SPOILERS!!!)
- Thread starter EJA
- Start date
Tie-in materials are expected to conform to onscreen continuity, but sometimes discrepancies slip through.
Canon has "clearly" stated that women can't be on the Council, either, and yet Azetbur was a Chancellor and K'Ehleyr was pursued to take a seat on the Council. Canon has also shown that whole family lines can be discommendated - as if they never existed!
So any Emperor during TOS could be written out of history books just as easily. His reign could be a mere blip, deliberately forgotten. Discommendation!
Or you could assume the "Emporer" is actually the Chancellor. Just a misinterpretation in translation.
Or the Universal Translator malfunctioned.
Maybe the Chancellor at the time affected the title of "Emperor," but later Klingon history didn't recognize the title as valid.
Given the timeframe (after "The Enterprise Incident"-2268 or slightly later), that would be Sturka, or a fairly recent successor.
Has anyone else picked up on a particular detail? Byrne is drawing the HemQuch (ridged) Klingons using the TMP style: a knobby ridge along the centerline but smooth to the sides, and mostly without the long hair that's been typical since STIII.
Seems to be a character from novels or other published work and not something he'd be held to by Paramount which, as far as interviews have said, is just onscreen canon.
I noticed immediately and love it. I remember reading one of his coming Trek comics series will be set between TOS and TMP, so I look forward to this. Actually, now that I think of it, I don't know if that was a reference to Schism or not.
In TNG "The Rightful Heir" Gowron states that there hasn't been an emperor for 300 years. MA notes it on their page for the year 2069.
Can you tell me what episode specifically establishes that there was no emperor during this period?
I looked at Memory Alpha and there was nothing directly on point.
Right. And...? Nobody is complaining that he's "wrong". Just noting where his material does or doesn't mesh with others' work set in the same time period.
IDW's approach to their comics seems to be largely free of continuity. Instead of having consistency among the various miniseries, they're apparently letting the various creators do their own things. So it's unlikely they'd keep consistent with the novels unless it's a project specifically meant to relate to the novels, like the NF miniseries.
The second issue of Schism came out Wednesday and during a conversation with some officers at the Neutral Zone Monitoring Station (an interesting place -- both visually and conceptually), it's implied that Kirk's theft of the cloaking device occured a couple of years beforehand, with rumors swirling through Starfleet ever since. This places the events of Schism either in year 5 of the five year mission or not long after its conclusion. I don't know if this fact helps with the context or continuity of the story at all but I thought I'd post it anyway.
I also would like to add that I've really been enjoying this too brief mini-series. Koloth and the Romulans, the Yorktown and her cloaking device -- but the heart and centerpiece of the story is seeing a mature Number One again, this time as the surname-less Commodore. After Crew and now this mini, the character has really come into her own. I hope there's a place for stories of her further adventures -- either in novel or comic book form -- in the very near future.
I also would like to add that I've really been enjoying this too brief mini-series. Koloth and the Romulans, the Yorktown and her cloaking device -- but the heart and centerpiece of the story is seeing a mature Number One again, this time as the surname-less Commodore. After Crew and now this mini, the character has really come into her own. I hope there's a place for stories of her further adventures -- either in novel or comic book form -- in the very near future.
I've been absolutely loving John Byrne's Trek comics. I love the details he's been putting into it, such as the look of the Klingons -- I noticed that too, EmperorKalan!-- the Romulan markings on the D7 ships (that never gets old for me), the insignia for the Yorktown, a female version of the TOS dress uniform, not to mention Number One being one of the leads.
Which isn't to say that every detail is 100% perfect, just that I'm very pleased with it.
I'm not so concerned about the whole is-there-or-isn't-there-an-Emperor thing as far as continuity as concerned, but I am wondering...
Which isn't to say that every detail is 100% perfect, just that I'm very pleased with it.
I'm not so concerned about the whole is-there-or-isn't-there-an-Emperor thing as far as continuity as concerned, but I am wondering...
Is Byrne going to ignore that Kor was in DS9? I wouldn't put it past him to decide to go his own route and actually kill him off. But since Koloth did find most of the hull, I suspect he'll survive...
In a couple of months. It's going to include the Alien Spotlight, The Hidden Crown, Schism, and a "Balance of Terror" adaptation.
If IDW publishes a Trek comic, I think it's safe to assume that there's at least a 100% probability it'll end up being reprinted in trade paperback.
It's not just the comics that make mention of Klingon Emperors within that 300-year moratorium. Diane Duane uses one in her Bloodwing Voyages, and a constant succession of sometimes weak and insignificant Emperors was a feature of John M. Ford's Final Reflection. Only Ford's book predates the TNG episode establishing the moratorium.
But as said, entire lineages may be written out of history in the Klingon Empire. Or dismissed in half a sentence, for that matter. Gowron might simply have been saying "There haven't been people worthy of the Emperor title for three centuries - and that includes the current weakling trembling on his sorry throne, as well as all three of his incompetent usurpers!"...
Perhaps Emperors existed for a long time concurrently with powerful Chancellors, lacking all power but still filling a ceremonial function of some sort. And perhaps this practice ended some time before "Rightful Heir", leaving the de facto ruling Chancellors as the only rulers de jure as well.
Timo Saloniemi
But as said, entire lineages may be written out of history in the Klingon Empire. Or dismissed in half a sentence, for that matter. Gowron might simply have been saying "There haven't been people worthy of the Emperor title for three centuries - and that includes the current weakling trembling on his sorry throne, as well as all three of his incompetent usurpers!"...
Perhaps Emperors existed for a long time concurrently with powerful Chancellors, lacking all power but still filling a ceremonial function of some sort. And perhaps this practice ended some time before "Rightful Heir", leaving the de facto ruling Chancellors as the only rulers de jure as well.
Timo Saloniemi
