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Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation² #1-8
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation²: The Complete Series
The two greatest science-fiction properties of all time crossover for the first time! Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise have joined forces with the Doctor and his companions to combat an unholy alliance between the Federation's most terrifying enemy and one of the Doctor's greatest antagonists. But once the Cybermen turn on their Borg allies, the Doctor and Picard find themselves at odds over how to proceed against the threat, with the fate of the universe hanging in the balance!
200 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 10, 2019
Mash-ups like these depend on the writers being fans of both properties, and here that shows, because I was able to hear the actors' voices in my mind delivering the dialogue (my favorite moment is Worf asking the Eleventh Doctor to "PLEASE STOP TALKING!"). But as much fun as the main story turns out to be, for me the highlight is the flashback to the Kirk-era crew encountering the Fourth Doctor. It's done in a completely different art style (which is a great touch), and makes me hope for a full-length adventure in the future (or the past; it is the Doctor, after all). If you're a fan of TREK and WHO, I think you'll like this.
August 5, 2014
Not sure why I decided to read this, outside of pure curiosity. It's a decent diversion, plopping the Matt Smith Doctor (along with Amy and Rory) onto the Enterprise to join Captain Picard and company in a fight against the combined forces of the Borg and the Cybermen. It drags on a bit longer than necessary, but it gets some decent moments in, with the Doctor appealing to humanity's better nature in order to find a solution to their crisis and everyone working together. It's pretty rudimentary, with little in the way of twists or unexpected moments (although there's a nifty flashback in which Captain Kirk meets the Tom Baker Doctor, for some extra nerdiness), and while there are attempts to capture the voices of the characters, it often seems like it's just going through the motions. That might be due to the stiff art by J.K. Woodward, which captures the actors' likenesses for the most part (with some distracting exceptions), but often comes off as a bunch of mannequins posing throughout the panels. It doesn't really work; there's no dynamism or excitement, just a bunch of images of familiar faces wandering across the pages. Not really recommended, unless you really need to scratch this particular nerd itch.
February 21, 2021
The story of Star Trek and Dr. Who is very well written. Great crossover story. I enjoyed tbis story line. Each character from Star Trek and Dr. Who was utilized. It was simple and to the point. The illustrations were a little off putting at time but other wise good.
October 3, 2022
A sudden surge of Borg aggression leads Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D to discover that their cybernetic enemies have a new ally; the Cybermen. As the walls between two universes begin to weaken, the TARDIS materialises on the Enterprise's holodeck, bringing the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companions Amy and Rory with it.
My first reaction to the idea of a TNG/Who crossover was that it was a rather silly cash-grab.
However, the more I thought about it, the more the two franchises actually seemed compatible. There are obvious parallels between the Borg's assimilation mission and the Cybermen's drive to cyberconvert, but there are also more subtle complimentary elements. Time travel and even alternate dimensions are thoroughly built into both franchises and both the Enterprise crew and the travellers on the TARDIS are driven primarily by the desire to explore and experience (to seek out new life and new civilisations, if you will). Finally, both the Doctor and Jean-Luc Picard are scientists who would rather solve a crisis through talking than through direct confrontation.
So, is the ultimate product any good?
Well, actually yes.
The writers clearly have both an understanding and an affection for both franchises and manage to do a perfect job of capturing the primary characters from both. I genuinely could hear the respective actors' voices in my mind as a I read their dialogue here and that's always a sign that an onscreen character has been adapted well.
The interactions between the two groups are brilliant too, with Worf exasperatedly saying to the Doctor "Will you please stop talking!" whilst on the bridge, Rory showing his appreciation of Doctor Crusher's medical facilities and Amy being the one to sweet talk Captain Picard into trusting the Doctor.
On top of all that there's an interlude where we get a flashback which shows Tom Baker's iconic Fourth Doctor teaming up with Captain Kirk and the crew of the original Enterprise.
This book is absolutely fan-service but, considering the fact that I'm a lifelong fan of both franchises, that's just fine with me.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
My first reaction to the idea of a TNG/Who crossover was that it was a rather silly cash-grab.
However, the more I thought about it, the more the two franchises actually seemed compatible. There are obvious parallels between the Borg's assimilation mission and the Cybermen's drive to cyberconvert, but there are also more subtle complimentary elements. Time travel and even alternate dimensions are thoroughly built into both franchises and both the Enterprise crew and the travellers on the TARDIS are driven primarily by the desire to explore and experience (to seek out new life and new civilisations, if you will). Finally, both the Doctor and Jean-Luc Picard are scientists who would rather solve a crisis through talking than through direct confrontation.
So, is the ultimate product any good?
Well, actually yes.
The writers clearly have both an understanding and an affection for both franchises and manage to do a perfect job of capturing the primary characters from both. I genuinely could hear the respective actors' voices in my mind as a I read their dialogue here and that's always a sign that an onscreen character has been adapted well.
The interactions between the two groups are brilliant too, with Worf exasperatedly saying to the Doctor "Will you please stop talking!" whilst on the bridge, Rory showing his appreciation of Doctor Crusher's medical facilities and Amy being the one to sweet talk Captain Picard into trusting the Doctor.
On top of all that there's an interlude where we get a flashback which shows Tom Baker's iconic Fourth Doctor teaming up with Captain Kirk and the crew of the original Enterprise.
This book is absolutely fan-service but, considering the fact that I'm a lifelong fan of both franchises, that's just fine with me.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
March 9, 2023
An excellent team up that tells a really clever sure idea of the Cyberman and the Borg teaming up and the Star Trek next GEN crew and 11th doctor Doctor Who having to team up to defeat them each other’s enemies. Both series shine in this crossover given equal time and great character interactions not to mention a bonus story of the fourth doctor with the original Star Trek crew. The art in this book goes for a painterly photo realistic style sometimes that works very well. you get gorgeous panel shots other times the faces don’t exactly look great, but on the whole the art is consistent and looks great.
May 11, 2017
The dialogue from the Star Trek crew members was right on point for their characters, and the art for the spaceships and battle sequences was quite nice.
The characters art ranges from roughly sketched to nearly photo-realistic, but rarely shows a really expressive face. The story seemed to drag on a bit, which is almost an impressive feat to achieve in Graphic novel format.
Overall this ends up being a slightly disappointing cross-over with a really pretty cover.
The characters art ranges from roughly sketched to nearly photo-realistic, but rarely shows a really expressive face. The story seemed to drag on a bit, which is almost an impressive feat to achieve in Graphic novel format.
Overall this ends up being a slightly disappointing cross-over with a really pretty cover.
June 6, 2018
Issue #2
“It's like nothing I've ever sensed before. There's a wisdom, much beyond his years, and a sadness. Great sadness. But no ill intent. I'm certain of it.”
Star Trek / Doctor Who: Assimilation
A fun cross-over series involving the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory. Better than I expected. What do you do when the Borgs and the Cybermen team up, or rather, overtake? This series even has some pleasing interaction between the Fourth Doctor and Dr. Spock!
“It's like nothing I've ever sensed before. There's a wisdom, much beyond his years, and a sadness. Great sadness. But no ill intent. I'm certain of it.”
Star Trek / Doctor Who: Assimilation
A fun cross-over series involving the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory. Better than I expected. What do you do when the Borgs and the Cybermen team up, or rather, overtake? This series even has some pleasing interaction between the Fourth Doctor and Dr. Spock!
March 18, 2023
The story is as good as a Doctor Who/TNG crossover can be really. A fun little adventure but really let down by the interior illustrations.
You can tell the artist has simply taken screenshots from the shows and painted over them for a lot of these panels. The illustration quality also varies drastically, with the faces looking almost unrecognisable at times.
You can tell the artist has simply taken screenshots from the shows and painted over them for a lot of these panels. The illustration quality also varies drastically, with the faces looking almost unrecognisable at times.
December 30, 2017
What an amazing Graphic Novel, who thought you could have a Doctor Who and Star Trek all into one Graphic Novel. Great Story, Great Pictures and Art.
such a good read best graphic Novel so far in 2017
such a good read best graphic Novel so far in 2017
January 5, 2020
I love crossover comics and this one was written pretty well. I could hear the actors' voices in my head and it made it seem like a lost episode. I also loved the OG Trek crew and the 4th doctor making a cameo. This was just such a blast to read.
June 27, 2023
I just recently found the gem and so happy I did!
Excellent mash-up of two of my favorite universes. Love the artwork, true to my favorite characters, and the Borg and the Cybermen as frenemies was an absolutely must.
Excellent mash-up of two of my favorite universes. Love the artwork, true to my favorite characters, and the Borg and the Cybermen as frenemies was an absolutely must.
January 31, 2019
Awesome Crossover!!!
July 21, 2024
Enjoyed the story.
July 22, 2024
Star Trek AND Doctor Who… count me in 🤩
June 9, 2025
This is exactly what I’ve wanted since I was 8
January 2, 2014
Oh, the art. Oh, my eyes. I can only assume that this sort of faux-photorealistic crap is fast and cheap to produce, because I can't believe that anyone actually enjoys the way it looks.
As for the book itself? Better than I expected actually. The Cybermen and the Borg are a natural fit, and it's a pleasant surprise that the writers decided not to include the overused Daleks. I thought the fake out of having the TARDIS land in the holodeck was pretty clever, and the inclusion of Guinan was unexpected, but brilliant; TNG was always pretty vague about what exactly her deal was, but of course she would have an affinity for a Time Lord.
The book also does a pretty good job of straddling the tenuous line between being ambitious and biting off more than it can chew. My own instinct for a project like this would be to throw in everything and the kitchen sink: multiple doctors and companions meeting up with the various crews of multiple Enterprises, culminating in a big space battle involving the NCC-1701, NCC-1701-A, NCC-1701-D, the Excelsior, and at least a few TARDISes. Needless to say, I'm sure that would be a complete mess. This is the smarter path, focusing on just one crew and one Doctor, with the exception of a brief flashback (and oh, why couldn't they have used that art style for the whole book?). Unfortunately, even with so limited a palette, certain characters are given short shrift. Oddly enough, in a story whose two villains are all about cybernetic enhancements, you'd expect Data and Geordi to play a larger role. Instead, it's mostly Worf carrying the load at the climax, and despite the action-based movies of the TNG franchise, it still seems odd for either a Star Trek or Doctor Who story to end with guns a-blazin'.
So, I guess I wanted a little more fan-service, but I appreciate that it's probably for the best that an effort be made instead to tell an actual story. The ending kind of devolves into a mush, but leading up to it, there's an honest-to-glod attempt at a real character-based story, involving the Doctor's attempt to address Picard's Borg-related trauma. The bit where the Doctor takes Picard on a temporal tour of the consequences of his decisions also seemed like a nice echo of the TNG series finale, where Q takes Picard on a similar journey, but into the past, instead of the future.
As for the book itself? Better than I expected actually. The Cybermen and the Borg are a natural fit, and it's a pleasant surprise that the writers decided not to include the overused Daleks. I thought the fake out of having the TARDIS land in the holodeck was pretty clever, and the inclusion of Guinan was unexpected, but brilliant; TNG was always pretty vague about what exactly her deal was, but of course she would have an affinity for a Time Lord.
The book also does a pretty good job of straddling the tenuous line between being ambitious and biting off more than it can chew. My own instinct for a project like this would be to throw in everything and the kitchen sink: multiple doctors and companions meeting up with the various crews of multiple Enterprises, culminating in a big space battle involving the NCC-1701, NCC-1701-A, NCC-1701-D, the Excelsior, and at least a few TARDISes. Needless to say, I'm sure that would be a complete mess. This is the smarter path, focusing on just one crew and one Doctor, with the exception of a brief flashback (and oh, why couldn't they have used that art style for the whole book?). Unfortunately, even with so limited a palette, certain characters are given short shrift. Oddly enough, in a story whose two villains are all about cybernetic enhancements, you'd expect Data and Geordi to play a larger role. Instead, it's mostly Worf carrying the load at the climax, and despite the action-based movies of the TNG franchise, it still seems odd for either a Star Trek or Doctor Who story to end with guns a-blazin'.
So, I guess I wanted a little more fan-service, but I appreciate that it's probably for the best that an effort be made instead to tell an actual story. The ending kind of devolves into a mush, but leading up to it, there's an honest-to-glod attempt at a real character-based story, involving the Doctor's attempt to address Picard's Borg-related trauma. The bit where the Doctor takes Picard on a temporal tour of the consequences of his decisions also seemed like a nice echo of the TNG series finale, where Q takes Picard on a similar journey, but into the past, instead of the future.
August 9, 2015
I’ll start with this, as a fan of both Next Gen and Dr Who, my little nerd heart was fluttering around in drunken circles of delight inside of my chest while I read this comic. The personalities of all the characters were cleverly transcribed into comic book form. I was tittering when the Doctor came up to Data and started asking him probing questions about his construction.
The plot for this series managed to blend the usual formats of both shows into one exciting space exploration experience. You get to explore the world of the Borg and the Cybermen and see how the two technologically based cultures blend together. I loved everything about the story in the comic.
What I had a hard time with though was the style of the artwork. I was done in this beautiful painterly quality, but often the lighting in the image felt off making a lot of the panels feel like a photoshop collage of the two shows with a oil-paint filter tossed on top. Once I got used to the style however, I started to enjoy it. Particularly when the backgrounds became more complex. That’s where this artwork really shown.
However, there was one thing that needed to be pointed out. The artist had a really hard time drawing Amy Pond’s face, because most of the time, she ended up looking like Felicia Day. Now, I love Felicia Day, but she is not the red-head that plays Amy Pond. That would be Karen Gillan.
Look at the chin shape!! Gah!! Incorrect!
Apart from those moments of awkwardness in the artwork, I really enjoyed this comic. I loved seeing my favorite characters butting heads and then figuring out how to work together. It made me want to go binge watch both shows, and forget about the outside world for a month or two. (I settled on watching a few episodes of each rather than a binge-a-thon, BTW).
So I’m giving Assimilation 2 a 4 out of 5 star rating. For those of us who love both Next Generation and Dr. Who this is a treat to behold.
On the other hand, if you are not a fan of both shows, you will not enjoy the novelty of this series. Outsiders beware, inside jokes abound in this one.
The plot for this series managed to blend the usual formats of both shows into one exciting space exploration experience. You get to explore the world of the Borg and the Cybermen and see how the two technologically based cultures blend together. I loved everything about the story in the comic.
What I had a hard time with though was the style of the artwork. I was done in this beautiful painterly quality, but often the lighting in the image felt off making a lot of the panels feel like a photoshop collage of the two shows with a oil-paint filter tossed on top. Once I got used to the style however, I started to enjoy it. Particularly when the backgrounds became more complex. That’s where this artwork really shown.
However, there was one thing that needed to be pointed out. The artist had a really hard time drawing Amy Pond’s face, because most of the time, she ended up looking like Felicia Day. Now, I love Felicia Day, but she is not the red-head that plays Amy Pond. That would be Karen Gillan.
Look at the chin shape!! Gah!! Incorrect!
Apart from those moments of awkwardness in the artwork, I really enjoyed this comic. I loved seeing my favorite characters butting heads and then figuring out how to work together. It made me want to go binge watch both shows, and forget about the outside world for a month or two. (I settled on watching a few episodes of each rather than a binge-a-thon, BTW).
So I’m giving Assimilation 2 a 4 out of 5 star rating. For those of us who love both Next Generation and Dr. Who this is a treat to behold.
On the other hand, if you are not a fan of both shows, you will not enjoy the novelty of this series. Outsiders beware, inside jokes abound in this one.
January 2, 2014
Star Trek and Doctor Who are two of my favorite science fiction franchises, so this was a must-read for me. While Star Trek has been referenced as a TV program within Doctor Who, one may interpret that Star Trek can be "real" in a parallel universe. In relation to Doctor Who, this adventure appears to take place during series 6 since there are references to series 5 and the special "A Christmas Carol." In relation to Star Trek: The Next Generation, this takes place between the season 5 episodes "The Outcast" and "Cause and Effect." However, the only prior knowledge from TNG that is required is the events of "The Best of Both Worlds," a two-part story that made up the season 3 finale and the season 4 premier. The Eleventh Doctor also has a flashback of when he, as the Fourth Doctor, met the crew of the original U.S.S. Enterprise from Star Trek: The Original Series.
While the Star Trek characters outnumber the Doctor Who characters, there is a fair balance of focus between each ensemble. The interactions between the characters, especially the similar ones, seem very believable. The alliance between the Cybermen and the Borg is every Trekker (or Trekkie) / Whovian's dream come true. One conversation between Data and Geordi about upgrades may lead readers to believe that Data will become a Cyberman later in the story, but this turns out to be a red herring. The ending foreshadows the events of Star Trek: First Contact.
There is also humor where humor belongs, such as an easter egg in the form of a street sign that says, "4th," next to a sign that says, "Tom's Bakery," which is appropriate given the Fourth Doctor's presence in part of the story. In addition, the art gallery contains a picture of a Sontaran and a Klingon, both warrior races.
While the Star Trek characters outnumber the Doctor Who characters, there is a fair balance of focus between each ensemble. The interactions between the characters, especially the similar ones, seem very believable. The alliance between the Cybermen and the Borg is every Trekker (or Trekkie) / Whovian's dream come true. One conversation between Data and Geordi about upgrades may lead readers to believe that Data will become a Cyberman later in the story, but this turns out to be a red herring. The ending foreshadows the events of Star Trek: First Contact.
There is also humor where humor belongs, such as an easter egg in the form of a street sign that says, "4th," next to a sign that says, "Tom's Bakery," which is appropriate given the Fourth Doctor's presence in part of the story. In addition, the art gallery contains a picture of a Sontaran and a Klingon, both warrior races.
August 31, 2016
Time unravels, dimensions merge, a deadly alliance rises in two universes. It's crossover time!
A crossover between Star Trek: The Next Generation and modern Doctor Who is such a completely perfect idea that it has to be too good to be true. But no. "Assimilation 2" takes the very best of both worlds and manages to utilize the rather short format to its fullest. The atmosphere is perfect the characterization spot on.
The first half is mostly introduction, but highly engagingly so. The exploration of Picard's scars of his assimilation from about a year before is effective, the familiar Trek characters’ insight into the Doctor clever. The connection established between the Doctor and Guinan is an especially good tease.
Both Trek and Who have always utilized their cold, unfeeling antagonists well, making what might easily be a series of goofy stories about cyborg invasion both psychologically and philosophically engaging. “Assimilation 2” stays true to its source material, we get wonderful character moments here and the plotting is as smart as a fan could ever hope for.
More of these, please. When you mix brilliant with brilliant and do it as…brilliantly as has been done here, what you get is completely, well, brilliant. See how what little eloquence I once might have possessed has been taken away by the literary overload of this book? Read it and be overwhelmed with geeky, intelligent sci-fi ecstasy.
A crossover between Star Trek: The Next Generation and modern Doctor Who is such a completely perfect idea that it has to be too good to be true. But no. "Assimilation 2" takes the very best of both worlds and manages to utilize the rather short format to its fullest. The atmosphere is perfect the characterization spot on.
The first half is mostly introduction, but highly engagingly so. The exploration of Picard's scars of his assimilation from about a year before is effective, the familiar Trek characters’ insight into the Doctor clever. The connection established between the Doctor and Guinan is an especially good tease.
Both Trek and Who have always utilized their cold, unfeeling antagonists well, making what might easily be a series of goofy stories about cyborg invasion both psychologically and philosophically engaging. “Assimilation 2” stays true to its source material, we get wonderful character moments here and the plotting is as smart as a fan could ever hope for.
More of these, please. When you mix brilliant with brilliant and do it as…brilliantly as has been done here, what you get is completely, well, brilliant. See how what little eloquence I once might have possessed has been taken away by the literary overload of this book? Read it and be overwhelmed with geeky, intelligent sci-fi ecstasy.
July 16, 2014
This one quote pretty much describes the whole crossover:
Crewmen: We could hit the wrong thing and blow this whole ship up...very easily.
-Lt. Worf: Yes, I have considered this. That would still achieve our ultimate goal. Today is a good day to die!
Rory Williams: All right, then. Never much care for it myself...
A crossover waiting to happen for years, Star Trek and Doctor Who. The fanboy in my started singing praises to all the geek gods I could find. So much potential here, and much of it was used, so I will break it down like this.
Good: the plot and writing felt like I was watching a both the Next Generation and Doctor Who at the same time. This is a very good thing.
Bad: Not a fan of the art style. I know that's being petty but in a graphic novel, art can draw you in or push you at.
Good: I liked the attention to detail of having Tom Baker and Kirk work together and the story flashes to that. Hell, I would pay top dollar to get a series of just that.
Bad: I wish we had gotten more from the Tom Baker/Capt Kirk flash back, it just felt too rushed.
Good: While I'm tempted to knock off more points for how easily and quickly the ending came (I think they easily could have had another issue but IDW didn't want 5) it still felt true to the source material.
Summary: In short, if you are a fan of Doctor Who, the Borg, the Cybermen, or Star Trek: The Next Generation, then this story is for you.
Crewmen: We could hit the wrong thing and blow this whole ship up...very easily.
-Lt. Worf: Yes, I have considered this. That would still achieve our ultimate goal. Today is a good day to die!
Rory Williams: All right, then. Never much care for it myself...
A crossover waiting to happen for years, Star Trek and Doctor Who. The fanboy in my started singing praises to all the geek gods I could find. So much potential here, and much of it was used, so I will break it down like this.
Good: the plot and writing felt like I was watching a both the Next Generation and Doctor Who at the same time. This is a very good thing.
Bad: Not a fan of the art style. I know that's being petty but in a graphic novel, art can draw you in or push you at.
Good: I liked the attention to detail of having Tom Baker and Kirk work together and the story flashes to that. Hell, I would pay top dollar to get a series of just that.
Bad: I wish we had gotten more from the Tom Baker/Capt Kirk flash back, it just felt too rushed.
Good: While I'm tempted to knock off more points for how easily and quickly the ending came (I think they easily could have had another issue but IDW didn't want 5) it still felt true to the source material.
Summary: In short, if you are a fan of Doctor Who, the Borg, the Cybermen, or Star Trek: The Next Generation, then this story is for you.
May 13, 2015
I am not particularly crazy about Doctor Who crossing into other fictional universes which one reason why I didn't rank this story highly.
However, it is not a bad story at all. I did find the story entertaining. The writers captured the characters quite well, except for Amy Pond. I felt that the lines written for Amy didn't mesh quite well with Amy's personality.
As for the artwork, the quality varies through out 8 issues. It seemed that the artwork started out great in the first two issues then gradually declined throughout the next 6 issues but it didn't become horrible, except for the scene with the 4th Doctor with Kirk's crew. That's because it was drawn by a different artist. The TOS crew's likeness was drawn very well but not the 4th Doctor, who is my favorite Doctor. He was drawn so badly that he did not look like Tom Baker at all and it was very jarring. I would have preferred the flashback scene to be drawn by the same artist who did the rest of the story with the TNG crew and the Smith Doctor's crew.
It was entertaining enough that I forgive them for doing a crossover story but hope not to see officially licensed books doing that again. Titan Comics, now that you have taken over the rights to Doctor Who comics, please stay away from doing crossover stories!
However, it is not a bad story at all. I did find the story entertaining. The writers captured the characters quite well, except for Amy Pond. I felt that the lines written for Amy didn't mesh quite well with Amy's personality.
As for the artwork, the quality varies through out 8 issues. It seemed that the artwork started out great in the first two issues then gradually declined throughout the next 6 issues but it didn't become horrible, except for the scene with the 4th Doctor with Kirk's crew. That's because it was drawn by a different artist. The TOS crew's likeness was drawn very well but not the 4th Doctor, who is my favorite Doctor. He was drawn so badly that he did not look like Tom Baker at all and it was very jarring. I would have preferred the flashback scene to be drawn by the same artist who did the rest of the story with the TNG crew and the Smith Doctor's crew.
It was entertaining enough that I forgive them for doing a crossover story but hope not to see officially licensed books doing that again. Titan Comics, now that you have taken over the rights to Doctor Who comics, please stay away from doing crossover stories!
December 2, 2016
This one was interesting. I would never have thought I would see a crossover of the Enterprise D cast and the Doctor Who cast (well at least this version of it) interacting. Actually it was fun to watch. The story makes it clear that The Doctor and his companions are from a different universe than the one of Star Trek, but it never makes it quite clear why they were able to make this transition. That said the meeting of the two groups was kind of fun. Captain Picard is not sure he can trust The Doctor but he is forced to by circumstances. Also Data's reaction to the TARDIS was quite amusing. The use of the Cybermen and the Borg as enemies was appropriate as they are somewhat similar in nature though of course there are differences. As well the ending leaves openings for other stories should anyone wish to tell them. As far as the art goes I had no real problems with it. I was able to distinguish characters where I knew who they were (my knowledge of the current Doctor Who is somewhat limited) and I did not find it a distraction from the story. All in all I enjoyed this one and would not mind seeing a sequel to the story. Oh yes the cameo by the crew of the original Enterprise and the fourth Doctor was kind of fun.
November 9, 2014
I've never actually read a comic book before (except Calvin and Hobbes, but I don't think that counts), nor have I ever seen Star Trek or Star Trek Next Generation, so I went into this apprehensively after the authors assured me I didn't need to know that show to still enjoy it. They were... mostly right. Obviously, I believe I would've benefitted more had I known at the beginning what a borg is, but I was able to piece together everything enough that this was quite enjoyable.
I did the ideas of the artwork, especially how the flashback was done in a different, "old school" format, and the story itself was fun. Although, I will say, toward the end the artwork stopped feeling like a fresh take and started feeling blurred and monotonous instead, but that could've been due to me reading the entire package at once instead of chapter by chapter as it was written and illustrated. Overall, it was clear enough for even me to understand, an enjoyable read, and (mostly) interesting to look at.
I did the ideas of the artwork, especially how the flashback was done in a different, "old school" format, and the story itself was fun. Although, I will say, toward the end the artwork stopped feeling like a fresh take and started feeling blurred and monotonous instead, but that could've been due to me reading the entire package at once instead of chapter by chapter as it was written and illustrated. Overall, it was clear enough for even me to understand, an enjoyable read, and (mostly) interesting to look at.
December 21, 2014
An enjoyable book that appeals on two nerd levels…
I happened to see this at a comic shop while I was on vacation in San Francisco. I put it on my holiday wish list and got it in the mail today from a dear friend.
The art was beautiful, with an almost photorealistic look to it that's a nice change of pace from the traditional style.
The introduction of the two worlds was great fun, but it'd be damned near impossible for them to screw this up.
The ending felt a little rushed, but I don't know how many issues were allotted for Assimilation squared.
There were certain STTNG characters that were underutilized. Geordie, Troi and Crusher were pretty much making cameo appearances.
The only was this could've been better would've been the inclusion of David Tennant's Doctor as well.
I happened to see this at a comic shop while I was on vacation in San Francisco. I put it on my holiday wish list and got it in the mail today from a dear friend.
The art was beautiful, with an almost photorealistic look to it that's a nice change of pace from the traditional style.
The introduction of the two worlds was great fun, but it'd be damned near impossible for them to screw this up.
The ending felt a little rushed, but I don't know how many issues were allotted for Assimilation squared.
There were certain STTNG characters that were underutilized. Geordie, Troi and Crusher were pretty much making cameo appearances.
The only was this could've been better would've been the inclusion of David Tennant's Doctor as well.
June 27, 2015
I've never read a commercial crossover that knocked my socks off--the respective owners seem too jealous of their properties. The best crossovers are fan fiction. But this story was almost as good. The characters stayed mostly in character, and the different universes' elements of the story blended seamlessly. Still, the overall plot seemed simpler than we'd enjoy in an episode.
But the art! The art is amazing. Each page, each panel, is a painting. All the characters look like themselves most of the time. And the spacescapes and starships are just gorgeous. I felt chills seeing Borg and Cybermen together in the opening pages. Unfortunately the beginning is the strongest part of the book in terms of story, but the art stays strong throughout.
But the art! The art is amazing. Each page, each panel, is a painting. All the characters look like themselves most of the time. And the spacescapes and starships are just gorgeous. I felt chills seeing Borg and Cybermen together in the opening pages. Unfortunately the beginning is the strongest part of the book in terms of story, but the art stays strong throughout.
October 19, 2015
What I liked is that all the aliens are the same. The Borg are the Cybermen; Klingons are Silurians; random fish people are random fish people. Science fiction is a lens for humanity, and humanity has all the same facets no matter where you look.
I can enjoy the comic if I don't spend any time thinking about the plot. Star Trek is a little nonsensical; Doctor Who is a little nonsensical; and together they are very nonsensical. The premise is that all the characters will get along, but the philosophies of the shows don't mesh well. Star Trek is a collectivist fantasy, while Doctor Who is an individualist fantasy. And watching the characters trust each other for no good reason requires quite the suspension of disbelief. But I knew what I was getting into when I started reading.
I can enjoy the comic if I don't spend any time thinking about the plot. Star Trek is a little nonsensical; Doctor Who is a little nonsensical; and together they are very nonsensical. The premise is that all the characters will get along, but the philosophies of the shows don't mesh well. Star Trek is a collectivist fantasy, while Doctor Who is an individualist fantasy. And watching the characters trust each other for no good reason requires quite the suspension of disbelief. But I knew what I was getting into when I started reading.
February 23, 2014
Stellar fun to be had with these science-fiction universes converging here in this graphic novel. And while there are no fish and custard to be seen, we see Captain Picard and the Doctor debating how to handle an enemy ordeal. There's even nods to the old Enterprise crew with the Fourth Doctor first describing his enemy, which then returns during Picard's term. It's amazing seeing the different protocols they both utilize to combat the enhanced enemies. I only wish there had been more interaction with Amy and Rory getting into the fray (perhaps a little inner Centurion brought out on the Cybermen ship). Still a great adventure for the two crews of these different space (and time) ships.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2014
Not a bad crossover between Doctor Who and TNG. Some of the plot elements stretch credulity a bit and we're occasionally told things we probably should have been shown. Still this was a very enjoyable romp through two of the biggest fictional universes out there. There's even a nod toward "The Doctor and the Enterprise" (the Fourth Doctor and James T. Kirk met once and freed some archaeologists from cyber control), and the Doctor also gets to meet Guinan. Both encounters are fanwank of the highest caliber and it's hard to be too critical of the story that makes them possible.
February 26, 2014
This is tons of fun. I was worried that it mite be a whole book of The Doctor admonishing the crew for having guns and being too militaristic, but it ended up being quite balanced. Both parties contributed and ended up balancing each other out nicely. If you're a fan of either property I recommend checking it out. The writing is good and the art is nice.
As always please support brick and mortar bookstores (i.e. real store fronts) or at least order it from someone that actually has a storefront or two somewhere.
As always please support brick and mortar bookstores (i.e. real store fronts) or at least order it from someone that actually has a storefront or two somewhere.
December 31, 2013
The Doctor crosses universes accidently and lands on the Enterprise. The Cybermen are to blame, having already made the journey to get at Borg technology. This is a lot of fun, with some very nice and memorable character moments. My only issue is that the cyber controller does not talk like a cyber controller at all, and that took me out of the story. Lovely painted artwork though. A very good read.
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