Star Trek: The Newspaper Strip Volume 1

Star Trek is one of the entertainment industry’s most amazing stories, a cancelled television show that launched an entire television and film franchise that continues to this day. Star Trek was marketed into other mediums as well such as the 1970’s animated series and as we’re about to see, newspaper comic strips. In 2012, IDW Press released Star Trek: The Newspaper Strip Volume 1 which offers fans a look at an overlooked production. Like any reprint, the question becomes, was it worth reprinting? The answer is a resounding yes as the comic strips are entertaining and fairly consistent with the Star Trek mythos, quite the achievement considering it debuted at a time when the Star Trek universe was still being defined.IDW Press deserves credit for reprinting a number of classic newspaper comic strips, some well-known and others previously forgotten. In this case, the reprint provides a look at a series that ran for several years, but that was overshadowed by Star Wars (which also had a newspaper strip at the time) and hindered by newspapers reluctant to run more than one science-fiction strip.As any Trekker knows, 1979 saw the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, a film that brought back the beloved TV show’s characters in a big-budget special effects-heavy project. While the film was uneven, it helped launch the Trek film franchise and subsequent TV spin-offs such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. According to the book’s forward, Paramount wanted to launch a newspaper strip and auditioned several people including Neal Adams and Al Williamson (who would later illustrate the Star Wars comic strip among his other works). Writer/artist Thomas Warkentin would land the gig, writing and illustrating the strip.Star Trek: The Newspaper Strip Volume 1 is 300 pages and covers the strip’s first ten storylines as well as Warkentin’s audition strip (which features the classic Trek characters in their uniforms from the Original Series). The first storyline is set before the 1979 film so readers get to see Lt. Ilia before her unfortunate fate in The Motion Picture as well a number of Easter eggs that Trekkers will enjoy.The stories are solid Star Trek stories with occasional continuity lapses (such as the Enterprise going to warp 11), but anyone who’s watched Trek or enjoyed any of its various incarnations in novels or comics knows that continuity errors happen despite the best efforts. It’s happened in the TV series and films so it shouldn’t be a surprise it pops up occasionally in these comic strips. Nevertheless, these stories remain true to Star Trek’s core elements—the peaceful exploration of space and a commitment to exploring new worlds and new civilizations, all the while leaving things better than you found them. With enemies like the war-like Klingons nearby, conflict is bound to happen, but the beauty of Trek is watching people handle things by taking the higher ground, even if it’s not always the easy way to handle problems.There are a number of good stories here including one involving Dr. McCoy’s ex-wife and a revenge-crazed former colleague of his, clashes with the Klingons, a run-in with cosmic con-artist Harry Mudd, and other interesting storylines. Unlike some comic strips, these storylines move at a fast pace and incorporate the character interaction and camaraderie that made classic Trek so popular with fans. There is a trade-off here as the strips explore the characters, but there’s only so much that can be done without the strips moving at a glacial pace. Nonetheless, fans of Trek’s secondary characters get a chance to see characters such as Sulu, Uhura, and Chekov function as more than background characters. Chekov’s role as Enterprise security chief is explored and he plays an important role in several storylines. The Star Trek comic strip also introduces new characters such as a Native American crew member and a number of new alien species.These strips incorporate the designs from Star Trek: The Motion Picture which includes the controversial unisex uniforms (or “pajama” outfits as described by some fans) fans either love or hate. You’ll also see the Enterprise security crew in the body armor they wore in The Motion Picture as well as the wrist communicators and belt monitors that measure an individual’s life signs. These come into play in the stories which shows the research involved in producing the comic.One of the most interesting sidebars about this book is that it includes reproductions of the Star Trek: The Motion Picture Happy Meal boxes. I was unaware of the product tie-in until recently when William Shatner tweeted about it recently. Like most aspects of The Motion Picture, it’s more a curiosity than any interest in tracking them down and acquiring them. The newspaper strips on the other hand, are a lot of fun and show promise as to how the Star Trek film franchise might have gone if Paramount had kept them in their pajama-like uniforms. As much as I enjoyed these strips, I’m glad Paramount went in a different direction with Trek starting with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Some look at newspaper strips with an eye less serious than they view other graphic stories. Some believe that the strips don't hold the depth that you sometimes find in traditional comics. Believe me. I'm here to tell you that's Klingon propaganda.I wasn't sure what to expect when my pre-ordered copy of this beautiful book arrived. Although skeptical, I ordered it because I am a Trek fan, and my favorite stories feature Kirk & Co., the orignal crew.I'm just going to come out and say it now. The stories I've read so far (I've now finished the first four of 10 tales told in this book.) have blown me away. They're "Trek" stories. And, I mean GOOD "Trek" stories.If you are a Trek fan, then you know what a good Trek story is. It's a real science fiction story. It's a story that explores the human condition. It's about ethics and philosophy and the BIG UNIVERSAL QUESTIONS. I've read about a quarter of the book, and I am extremely impressed. This is good stuff.I highly recommend it.To help you decide whether you'll like the book as much as I do, I'm going to tell you about the first story. If you've already made up your mind to get the book, then stop reading here. I'm about to spoil the first story. But, if you're still teetering back and forth, wondering if this book is for you, read about the first story to see if it appeals to your sense of what a good Trek story is....The Enterprise picks up an old style radio message. All it says is, "Come." Investigating, Kirk and crew are drawn to a solar system where the main planet is dead, ravaged by a nuclear war that took place 900 years ago.The signal, though, is coming from the world's moon. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, wearing those neat thruster suits you saw in ST:TMP, head down to the surface of the moon. There, they find a crashed, pre-warp vessel. And, outside the vessel? Footprints!Following the prints, they are surprised when a moon vehicle breaks towards them from the horizon. As it approaches, it fires a burst of energy that paralyzes the three Starfleet officers. Then, these Dr. Octopus-like flexible arms appear from the machine, gather the three men up, like specimens, and carry them across the moon...to a rock...that opens, showing a ramp leading down into the moon.The Enterprise men are conscious. They just can't move. And, Spock now realizes why the gravity on the moon was so low for its size. The moon is hollow.There's a scene that cracks me up. The machine puts Kirk and crew in these box units that they realize are hypersleep chambers. Specimen chambers. There is a soporific hum that, as Spock thinks, "This vibration...like slow delta waves, inducing sleep...by altering the electrical period of the cortical neurons..."One frame shows Kirk, fighting and losing the battle to stay awake. The next frame shows Spock, in his Spartan way, using his Vulcan mind disclipline to fight the effect. Then, in the next frame, we see McCoy. He's sawing logs!That just cracks me up.Anyway, the Enterprise locates and beams up the three of them plus two others in adjacent hypersleep pods. It turns out, the little aliens are from the planet below. They left just before the extinction event, trying to find an answer to save their world. And, they think the Enterprise crew are...gods. The aliens worship their moon.As it turns out, the moon was constructed by some alien race (V'Ger anyone? Nomad anyone? The Doomsday Machine, anyone?) that seeded this part of the galaxy then used these artificial moons to monitor their creations. Once the species developed the technology to reach the moon, the moon would leave the world and return to the Seeders with a sample of the more evolved race that has previously been planted.The big climax to the story is the Enterprise, locked in a powerful tractor beam battle with the moon, as the moon/robot/vessel attempts to recover the aliens.But...the aliens want to return to the moon. They worship the thing. They want to go meet their gods--those that created them.Kirk lets them go, and the Enterprise gets free.Neat story, eh? Very Star Trek-y?I think so.If you agree, then buy this book. You won't be sorry.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this hidden gem in the Star Trek legacy that I had to wirte a review. If you are a die-hard fan of Star Trek like myself, you too will be very pleased with this first volume of newspaper strips (first published in 1979-1981) and now available in a collected edition by IDW. The stories in this volume are very well illustrated and well told. I was impressed by the way the authors and artists captured the essential themes of Classic Star Trek while also adapting to the medium of the daily newspaper strip. Unlike the dreck that passes as "Star Trek" these days (yes I am referring to that pseudo-Star Trek franchise now being peddled by JJ Abrams), this rendition actually tries (and succeeds) in rendering many of the human themes that are truly unique and identifiable with Star Trek - themes centering on morality, life, death, compassion, dignity and the never-ending journey that is humanity itself. The presentation of the strips is superbly handled and should be the standard for other types of volumes (especially in comparison to Marvel Comics Spider-Man Newspaper Strips which pales in comparison to this book). Readers are even treated to the artwork from the McDonalds Star Trek Happy Meals, which gave readers like myself a nostaglic trip down memory lane and youth. I am eagerly looking forward to the next volume. It is through respected and earnest treatments like this that Star Trek will truly "live long and prosper".

The Daily mail published the first three stories in this series back in late 1979, early 1980, I had no idea the strip actually ran in the States until 1983. These are great solid stories with spot on characterisations and good likenesses. My only quibble is that early strips feature Lt. Ilia who was actually killed off in Star Trek: the Motion picture; but she soon disappears. This collected volume also solves a long time mystery for me, namely why I had seen a strip re-printed in Starlog magazine with the characters in their original TV incarnation.

Have been looking for this book for some time, it did not disappoint.

I jumped at the opportunity to buy this rare reproduction of the Star Trek newspaper comics which appeared years ago. Having read the first few stories, I can see why despite being such a fan favourite, the comics never much caught on. In fact many Trekkies would not even be aware of their existence. While the stories are quite good, technically sound and fast paced, the soul of any comics - the artwork, drawings, call it what you will - leaves a lot to be desired. It's inconsistent to say the least. You might get a panel with great work and then a few panels of utterly disappointing artwork. Then there is the continuity. It's exasperating when almost 90% (sometimes entire) of the earlier panel is repeated, which happens quite often. Also some of the panels couldn't be replicated properly leaving them watery and pixellated. To sum it up, if you as a Trekkie rode the Enterprise expecting a smooth, adrenaline filled ride, disappointingly you are in for a jerky, stop-start ride. Then there is the format - a heavy, dust jacket enclosed hard bound edition which will test both your muscle strength and patience. I would have preferred a lighter matt stock paperback. Would have given it 3 stars if not for the fact that it actually is a piece of Trek history. A non-Trekkie would rightly wonder what the fuss is all about

I have a few other reprint collections ( Secret Agent X-8, Peanuts, and the Star Wars newspaper strips.This is my favorite formatted one of the bunch. The art is just over-sized enough for comfortable reading and the mix of the colr pages mixed right into to black and whites provides some nice variety.I hade read the sunday strips years ago when My local paper still had a weekend color section, but never saw the dailies.

Nada contra o produto em si, que chegou hoje e tem o padrão de qualidade da IDW para seus produtos.Mas ele veio com um inexplicável dano, claramente feito por corte (!) na sobrecapa e por isso só darei a ele uma estrela.