Star Trek: Countdown #4 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: COUNTDOWN No. 4, April 2009

Despite “Imagine Games Network” supposedly “positively” reviewing Issue Four of “Star Trek: Countdown”, it seems doubtful that many of this comic’s ever-mounting 14,544 readers would have agreed with the “IDW Publishing” pre-release boast that the mini-series’ final instalment brings “the Romulan villain Nero’s vengeful crusade against the Federation... to a stunning conclusion!” In fact, it’s arguable as to whether Mike Johnson and Tim Jones’ narrative even satisfactorily “serves as both a lead up to the film” or “as a continuation of the Star Trek: The Next Generation franchise.”

The writing partnership's main problem is probably their portrayal of the Narada as such a seemingly invincible vessel that it can now take on the entire Klingon Defence Force’s fleet single-handedly, and still maintain “their shields… at full strength.” Plus the enormous spacecraft can both conceal itself and “fire while they’re cloaked” without any apparent energy-loss or engine distribution difficulties whatsoever. Considering that such technology has been fitted to just a simple mining ship, one has to wonder why the Romulan ruling council never saw fit to apply this technology to their D'deridex-class warbirds and give the antagonistic Star Empire a truly formidable edge over their neighbours at the conference table? Or how the U.S.S. Kelvin later lasted anywhere near as long as it did against the Borg-enhanced craft considering that its technology was already inferior by a couple of hundred years? If some of General Worf’s “late 24th century” Birds Of Prey couldn’t last five seconds against the Narada, how did the Federation Kelvin-type starship temporarily survive long enough to actually damage the superior vessel..? 

Disappointingly, there also appears little logic to Nero’s decision to want the son of Mogh to both “board a shuttle and come to me”, as well as “surrender on behalf of the Klingon Empire”. The heavily-tattooed miner would surely know that his aggressive foe would never yield to such demands, especially to such hated race rivals, and therefore smacks of the creative team rather indolently contriving to arrange a set of circumstances which allows the U.S.S. Enterprise’s former Strategic Operations Officer to kill a few of Vulcan’s “biological cousins” in hand-to-hand combat and subsequently be ‘gutted’ in a gratuitously overly-bloody scene pencilled by David Messina, which appears far more appropriate to a narrative set within the “Alien” franchise than Gene Roddenberry’s universe; “You fight well, Romulan! But not well enough! Tell me where your coward captain hides!”

Story: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, and Writers: Mike Johnson & Tim Jones

Star Trek: Countdown #3 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: COUNTDOWN No. 3, March 2009

Apparently “the first comic to be released in stores and on the iPhone on the same day”, this third instalment to Mike Johnson and Tim Jones’ “official prequel to the upcoming motion picture” almost exclusively focuses upon Nero’s descendent into barbaric madness and additionally provides a somewhat contrived explanation as to how the mining captain’s space-craft would prove so incredibly formidable once it had travelled back in time to the 23rd century, and encountered the U.S.S. Kelvin. Indeed, in many ways it’s hard to imagine a swifter descent into homicidal mania for the “particularly troubled Romulan”, and a more fortuitous encounter in order to better arm one of the Star Empire’s light drilling vessels…

Admittedly, this comic’s narrative starts with actor Eric Bana’s emotionally distraught character brimming with tears at the sight of his wife and unborn child’s death, yet in the very next panel the authors would have their increasing 12,486-strong audience believe the grieving widower is “suddenly, strangely… calm” and capable of instantly forming a stratagem which will persuade the nearby Federation planetary evacuation fleet into dropping their shields so he can teleport massively destructive explosive charges aboard the vessels; “I have several injured refugees in need of medical attention. Can I beam them to your ships now?” To make matters worse, the driller doesn’t even rationalise his appallingly merciless behaviour as revenge, but rather states, presumably in some advanced case of prompt paranoia, that Starfleet is only there “to claim Romulan space for their own”?

Just as arguably grating is Nero’s incredible good luck at being “hailed by the ruling council” from their senate shuttle and, having butchered the ever-egotistical praetor, subsequent attainment of the encrypted code required to enter the Vault; a station which “is the last hope of the Romulan Empire.” Not only does this amazing coincidence place the captain in contact with the commander of “an advanced military facility whose existence is known only to the Romulan High Command” and who seemingly doesn’t care whether he’s lied to her just as long as he obtains “vengeance for all of the survivors of Romulus”. But also provides his “simple mining vessel” with “the most advanced weapons system in the galaxy” courtesy of the Borg…

All of these “Trials and Tribble-ations” are pencilled by David Messina competently enough, with his imagery of Nero receiving his “ancient symbols of love and loss” upon his forehead proving a particularly impressive illustration. However, the Scuola Internazionale di Comics graduate does seem to struggle with the likenesses of some of this comic’s other more recognisable cast members, such as Ambassador Spock and Jean-Luc Picard, and resultantly these sequences can prove a little troubling to the eye.

Story: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, and Writers: Mike Johnson & Tim Jones

Star Trek: Countdown #2 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: COUNTDOWN No. 2, February 2009

It would be interesting to know just how much thought Roberto Orci put into this mini-series’ storyline, considering that the “Mexican-American film and television screenwriter” apparently scribed this “official prequel” simply to appease the ever-badgering Anthony Pascale, editor of "TrekMovie.com". For whilst this particular twenty-two page long instalment contains a modicum of excitement in its inclusion of a single-panel starship battle and equally swift karate chop on board the Narada, it’s tremendously wordy narrative genuinely seems to go out of its way to re-jig the cataclysmic conclusion of the 2002 film “Star Trek: Nemesis” and hardly seems to encompass the sort of fiery pace one would expect for a plot which is based upon a planet-destroying cosmic threat…

Indeed, the comic’s declaration that the Soong-type android B-4 is the current Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise alone was probably enough to cause consternation amongst the majority of this title’s 11,357 readers, and not even the later assertion that somehow Data’s neural nets were successfully imprinted upon his predecessor’s “existing programming” can entirely overshadow the sense that the Lieutenant Commander’s noble sacrifice during the destruction of the Scimitar has been horribly disrespected. Little wonder therefore that the filmmaker would later go on and state that he was in no position to declare whether the "Countdown" comic series was canonical or not.

However, this edition’s biggest problem is that its basic premise makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. If Romulus is about to be destroyed by an “impending supernova”, why would Nero, Spock or Data waste precious time plodding across the galaxy in order to speak directly to the Vulcan Science Council? Why don’t they simply contact the agency of the Vulcan High Command via a communication channel? Surely, even if their plan to thwart the exploding Hobus Star necessitated a trip to drill for Decalithium, they could still discuss the Federation Ambassador’s plan with his home planet, and have plenty of time remaining with which to help evacuate the Star Empire’s populace? 

Disappointingly, David Messina’s lack-lustre pencilling only sadly adds to this magazine’s aura of oppressive lethargy. Whether the Italian is sketching Nero furtively searching the Enterprise’s data banks for knowledge about James Tiberius Kirk, the Imperial Science Council realising that the “senile [half] Vulcan was right”, or Ambassador Jean Luc Picard discussing the possibility of converting Decalithium into Red Matter, all the figures appear disconcertingly wooden, emotionless and two-dimensional.

Story: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, and Writers: Mike Johnson & Tim Jones

Star Trek: Countdown #1 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: COUNTDOWN No. 1, January 2009

Publicised as “the official prequel to the upcoming [2009 “Star Trek”] motion picture”, this opening instalment to a four-issue mini-series rather slowly, almost painfully, lays the foundation for “The Next Generation” characters to “pass the baton” back to the ‘original crew’ of the starship Enterprise by ponderously focusing upon Romulan mining captain Nero’s first encounter with the Federation Ambassador Spock. Indeed, if J. J. Abrams had incorporated any of this twenty-two page periodical’s plodding plot into his silver screen production it’s arguable as to whether the reboot would have grossed anywhere near the $385.7 million sales it achieved worldwide…

For starters Mike Johnson and Tim Jones’ tale does little but leap from lengthy conversational piece to dialogue-heavy discussion, as it depicts the Star Empire’s tolerance of immigrants, its senate’s prolonged diplomatic debates and the blessed home life of a man who would go on to ultimately destroy the Kelvin timeline planet of Vulcan; “Your point of order is noted in the record. These proceedings are now closed.” The writing partnership even goes so far as to regrettably squander a dozen or so panels simply describing how the Narada’s commander is so infatuated with his pregnant wife, that he swiftly falls to his knees in emotional shock when Spock simply invites him to “open your mind”…

Admittedly, Nero’s irrational, pain stricken motivation within the Star Trek film franchise’s eleventh movie, is central to Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman’s blockbuster screenplay, and, it’s clear from this comic’s storyline that its authors had been “allowed to read parts of the script and watch parts of the film to understand” the central villain better. But no-where does the ‘flick’ suggest that the late 24th century captain was actually a traitor to Romulus, and sided with the elderly Starfleet officer against his own government. Nor did it imply that the miner actually took his vessel into combat against three Reman battleships whilst drilling for “the rare isotope Decalithium” in the Kimben System..?

Disconcertingly, David Messina’s simplistic-looking artwork for Issue One of “Star Trek: Countdown” probably didn’t assist this book’s 14,585 readers navigating its mind-numbing narrative in January 2009 either, as despite the Italian’s evident potential to pencil a building or spacefaring vessel, his figures are horribly one-dimensional. In fact, even when the erstwhile graphic designer attempts to replicate ‘cinematic shots’, such as a close-up of a resolute Reman soldier or sympathetically-faced Spock, there’s little in the way of physical depth on show in the individuals’ sketching.

Story: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, and Writers: Mike Johnson & Tim Jones