I had been hoping for an announcement on new DS9 and TNG comics, yet it looks like there are no plans for any Star Trek comics on the horizon.
What is with IDW?
- Thread starter toughlittleship
- Start date
Sales have apparently declined significantly, so it looks like IDW has decided to wait until the next JJTrek movie is closer before announcing any new Trek titles.
Sales on the Infestation crossover issues broke 10k, which was IDW's best sales with Trek since, I think, Nero. (See here.) Otherwise, Trek comic sales have not been good at all. Even the trades aren't selling in the book market; most of IDW's Trek backlist is readily available in the remaindered book chains.
I'm wondering if IDW isn't simply letting their license lapse.
I'm wondering if IDW isn't simply letting their license lapse.
I don't know alot about the comics industry, but I just came up with what I would think is a good sales plan. Make an e-comic only series that is $1 an isssue to own, $.50 an issue to view once. That would be the way that I would spend alot on comics. As it is I've never bought any of IDW Trek offerings. I have read half a dozen or so of the trade collections from the library or booksfree.com, so I suppose I've contributed to their sales in some minor way, but I just can't spend 15-20 bucks on a story that I will only ever read a few times and only takes an hour to read.
On the shelves this week: a "Hundred Penny Press" edition of IDW's "Countdown" #1.
well i think IDW needs to go the route pocket has gone. All IDW has done with the license, outside of Countdown, was tell stories set during the TOS and TNG series.
Pocket has done a great job branching out, creating their own series with original characters. IDW could take a page out of Pocket's book.
The last few series i didn't even buy. I'm tired of these stories simply set during the show's time. You can't do anything new or inventive with these characters.
Any day now, IDW should be announcing their july 2011 solicitations, and if there's no new trek, i'm really gonna start to wonder if they are just letting the license run out.
Pocket has done a great job branching out, creating their own series with original characters. IDW could take a page out of Pocket's book.
The last few series i didn't even buy. I'm tired of these stories simply set during the show's time. You can't do anything new or inventive with these characters.
Any day now, IDW should be announcing their july 2011 solicitations, and if there's no new trek, i'm really gonna start to wonder if they are just letting the license run out.
Well, no - because they had several stories with Pike, stories set wholly on alien planets, a whole mini-series about Number One's career, a mini-series of "New Frontier" from the novels, and stories featuring canonical captains only seen once before, etc.
Really? How about the first TOS mini-series, "Blood Will Tell", revisiting all major Klingon appearances from TOS, but seen through Klingon eyes, and wrapped up with a story set in the movie era?
Yup, Infestation #1 sold 12,090, which is the best IDW's done since Countdown #4.
IIRC, Ghostbusters is going to get an ongoing series...G.I. Joe will have four ongoing titles...the Transformers will continue their monthly stuff...even Doctor Who has an ongoing series at IDW...
...and yet, Star Trek can't even muster enough readers to be an ongoing. Interesting.
...and yet, Star Trek can't even muster enough readers to be an ongoing. Interesting.
Or even to be a mini-series, if the past few months (and the next few months) are anything to go by.
I doubt that readership numbers are the issue. IDW has enough readers to make Doctor Who a monthly ongoing series, plus to run an occasional mini-series (like A Fairytale Life, which starts this week), and by and large the Star Trek mini-series sales numbers are in the same vicinity as the Doctor Who ongoing numbers. To me, this indicates that IDW isn't making the money on Star Trek that they are on Doctor Who. Sales are comparable, talent costs would be comparable, so the deciding factor would likely be licensing overhead. The BBC may be charging IDW less for Doctor Who than CBS charges for Star Trek's rights, perhaps significantly so, and based on historical precedent I believe that's likely. Historically, Paramount priced the Star Trek license high enough that licensees were either borderline profitable or outright unprofitable (see Marvel circa 1998, Activision circa 2003, and arguably Pocket circa 2005), so it's not impossible that IDW isn't making money on Star Trek comics. You reach a point where you simply have to stop throwing good money after bad, and that's why I think IDW is letting the license lapse.
It was interesting to see how often Reigning in Hell lined up with To Reign in Hell. I suppose that if you accept that Khan's people truly were alone for 15/18 years, you would then need to have intra-settler conflict and the failed McGivers assassination attempt to keep the plot going.
The only main major plot difference I remember was the Tiptons landing Botany Bay on the surface.
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i continue to think that IDW is letting the license lapse. The Wondercon was very recent, and IDW had a big part in that show, and there was nothing for star trek mentioned. nothing down the line at all was mentioned. So i'm continuing to be very sceptical about it.
Something very similar happened when Wildstorm/DC held the license. They ran the clock out the second year of the license, with their last releases being TPB collections and the David Brin transporter graphic novel.
IDW cancelled Bob Greenburger's Garrett Captain's Log issue before the art was produced. Not a good sign...
IDW has canceled the odd issue here & there over the years. Byrne's "Crew" was originally supposed to be 6 issues, but was trimmed back to 5. And I'd assume the Leonard McCoy: Frontier Doctor" was originally meant to be a 5-parter, based on the fact that the fourth and final issue tried to cram 2 stories into a single issue.
But it does look very much like IDW is running out the clock on the Star Trek license. They might be planning to do something in conjunction with next year's movie, but maybe not. Publishers don't announce the titles they decide NOT to publish...
But it does look very much like IDW is running out the clock on the Star Trek license. They might be planning to do something in conjunction with next year's movie, but maybe not. Publishers don't announce the titles they decide NOT to publish...
Chris Ryall says more Trek is coming.
That's another five months away. Hell of a hiatus.
at least Chris finally mentioned something.
Which is pretty much right on schedule for unleashing another trade a few months before the new movie comes out. But it is a bit earlier than I expected -- I was anticipating something 4 issues long starting around December or January, with a trade reissue in late June. But September works, too.
I've missed Trek comics these last couple months more than I expected I would, given how often I was underwhelmed by the actual content. But the whole ritual of going to the comic shop, getting the new issues, and coming home to read and catalog them in the database was a pleasant diversion on Wednesdays.
I presume the recent zombie crossover storyline will get collected.
