The COUNTDOWN to the MOTION PICTURE EVENT of 2009 BEGINS HERE in this EXCLUSIVE COMICS PREQUEL to the upcoming BLOCKBUSTER "Star Trek"!
Star Countdown #1 (of 4)
90 screens | mini-series
JJ Abrams, Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (story) Tim Jones & Mike Johnson (w) David Messina (a & c)
JJ Abrams, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman present the origin of Nero, the mysterious Romulan who will ultimately threaten the survival of the entire universe. Don't miss this first chapter in the story that brings STAR TREK back to the big screen!
Roberto Gaston Orcí was a Mexican-American film and television screenwriter and producer. He began his longtime collaboration with Alex Kurtzman while at school in California. Together they were employed on television series such as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. In 2008, together with J. J. Abrams, they created Fringe. In 2013, they created Sleepy Hollow alongside Phillip Iscove. Orci and Kurtzman's first film project was Michael Bay's The Island, and due to that partnership they went on to write the scripts for the first two films of the Transformers film series. Orci first became a film producer with 2008's Eagle Eye and again with 2009's The Proposal. He and Kurtzman subsequently returned to working with Abrams on Mission: Impossible III and both Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. Between 2005 and 2011, Kurtzman and Orci's film projects took revenues of more than $3 billion. In April 2014, Orci and Kurtzman announced that they would only collaborate on television projects, and Orci worked on the third Star Trek film, Star Trek Beyond, until being replaced the following December. Orci created the television series Matador for the El Rey Network, but after this was initially renewed, it was cancelled at the end of the first season. Orci continued and Kurtzman continues to work as producers on the television series Limitless and Scorpion. Orci was awarded the Norman Lear Writer's Award and the Raul Julia Award for Excellence, in addition to shared awards and nominations including The George Pal Memorial Award.
Pros: I did like the concept behind the series, explaining the origin of Nero and what led up to the events of the movie. The focus was more on intrigue, plot and story-telling than the pew-pew of laser fire and who was the baddest in the universe. Not saying battle wasn't present, just wasn't the focus. Overall it was enjoyable enough to pick up the hardcover of the series and will revisit on occasion.
Cons: Some of the artwork could've been better refined. It looked like a few storyboard panels were just slapped in there because there was supposed to be dialogue transitioning from one frame to the next. Far away views looked blobby or empty. I wouldn't mind a 'Next Generation' character or even two involved, but what are the odds that most of the Next Gen bridge crew were in some way or another involved even though they were on different ships? I guess the universe is so lacking in the talents of humanity that only a few are special enough to be involved in the big events.
I'm not sure exactly what I'm reading here. It's a prequel to the JJ Abrams Star Trek movie, set in the future which is the Prime TNG universe. And because of the movie plot this will eventually be a future past prequel of the Kelvin universe? Time travel can be so confusing. Art is good, but I hate prequels. We already know what is going to happen, so who cares? I've never understood the idea of delving into the backstory of what some character had for breakfast when he was a kid. At least these characters aren't kids, but I still don't see the point. Oh well.
Anyone who reads this will be delightfully surprised at a surprise charcyer, and will absolutely be befuddled with the alternate time line because a certain character from the last TNG movie suddenly reappears and this may also cause some ripples in the Picard timeline. But not catastrophically, instead it will make you postulate.
Trying to tell the origin arc of Nero & Spock, interesting but not necessary. It's interest how they would add in the other Star Trek franchise (Cpt Data), probably like a "Flashpoint Paradox" or X-Men flash backs.
I don't want to spoil this for anyone. That said, you'll have to be a bit forgiving of the artwork in this opening installment. Also be understanding of the fact that the team producing this series did not have a finished feature film to work from.
I'm sad to say that I have never thought about ever reading a Star Trek graphic novel. I don't know if I actually knew that such things existed. I'm interested in more!