Customer Reviews

Star Trek: Countdown TPB (Star Trek (IDW))

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I managed to hit the lottery and get my copy of the Star Trek: Countdown trade paperback very early from Amazon (before the release of Issue #4). Personally I would have preferred to win a real lottery, but that's no reflection of my opinion of Countdown itself. I skipped the comics as I always do these days, preferring to wait for the collected versions to be released. It's often less expensive (as it was in this case) and sometimes you get extras (as you do here, I suspect).

This will be a spoiler-light review, as so few have even seen the concluding Issue #4 at this point. Star Trek: Countdown is a prequel of sorts to the upcoming film, but takes place completely in the post-Nemesis Next Gen timeframe (8 years after Nemesis). Countdown is the story of a Romulan named Nero, a hardworking family man who captains a mining vessel. After barely avoiding a stellar catastrophe, he returns to Romulus with a warning of the pending doom that threatens the entire Romulan Empire. When his fears are rejected, he decides to take on a mission to save his world with the help of some unlikely (and familiar) allies from the Federation. But events will not go as planned, great losses will be incurred, and a villain intent on utter vengeance will rise from the ashes.

Short spoiler-free review: STC is a pleasant, fairly compelling story with wonderful art by David Messina. The TPB includes 5 pages of character sketches by the artist that may not be included in Issue #4, which alone may make it worth picking up the TPB. Despite being intended as a direct prequel to the film, STC stands very well on its own right up to the non-cliffhanger ending. The best aspect of it is the "passing of the torch" feel because of the inclusion of many well-loved characters, undoing some damage inflicted by Nemesis. I found the quality of both the character art and the space battles to be exceptional, the best I've ever seen in a Trek comic. I can't judge how well it succeeds as a prequel at this point, but the story and some specifics in it do raise some questions about some pre-conceptions fans (including myself) have about the movie storyline. The series is let down, however, but some plot-holes and grade school science fiction that I sincerely hope are not going to creep into the film itself.

Some light spoilers follow, so if you want to be surprised, stop reading now.

I've seen some criticisms leveled at Messina's character art, but I found it to be very good. His renderings of Spock, in particular, are just excellent. The character sketch section in the back and Giovanna Niro's cover are wonderful.

As I indicated above, I thought the story was better than average. Despite the number of cameos, they didn't feel forced. It's good to see how some of our favorite characters have moved up over the years, though there's really no time for development of anyone except Nero himself and, to some extent, Spock. The quiet moments are the best. Unfortunately, I feel that the story and Nero's progression is really let down by the contrived cataclysm of the Hobus system supernova. It's never explained how the explosion could possibly endanger Romulus so quickly, let alone Vulcan and the Federation, let alone the whole galaxy. And when Spock tells the Vulcan council, "It threatens the entire Universe," without any further explanation, it just goes from bad science fiction to stupid. I also have to wonder about what seemed to me to be a big plot hole, specifically that if the danger to Romulus was so immediate, why in the world would Nero have left his family there?

But those are the only big weaknesses that jumped out at me. I was impressed by how self-contained the story was because of the conclusion. Countdown could lead directly into the movie, or standalone on its own, and that's more than I expected.

"Countdown" is the official prequel to J.J. Abram's film prequel to the original Star Trek television series. While the STAR TREK film promises to be a "jumping on" point for non Star Trek fans, this miniseries is definitely written for the long-time fans!

I'm definitely more a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation than the original series and as you can tell from the cover this miniseries uses some key characters from ST:TNG. Without going into spoilers, fans of ST:TNG should be VERY happy with this miniseries. I definitely want to go back and watch the last ST:TNG episode ("All Good Things...") again after reading this series. Events involving Romulans following the last ST: TNG film (Nemesis) blend well into this miniseries, which promises to end where the new film begins.

Despite my fanboy gushing and five stars, this miniseries is not without its flaws. Cons include mediocre artwork, which is unfortunately increasingly typical for IDW books. There is also some re-treading of familiar Trek plot territory (yet another unique galactic phenomenon that threatens to destroy the galaxy) and the character Nero's motives for revenge that sets up the main conflict of the miniseries and upcoming film has (forgive the pun) seriously flawed logic. However, the use of familiar characters in a way that's true to their well developed on-screen counterparts more than made up for all of that.

Star Trek Countdown is a must have for an ST:TNG fan!

Star Trek: Countdown (2009), a prequel to the 2009 Star Trek film, collects the four-issue comic miniseries of the same name. The story is by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Mike Johnson and Tim Jones, and the art is by David Messina. The primary function of this prequel is to provide back-story for Nero, who gets short shrift in the film.

Eight years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis, Spock and the Romulan miner Nero work to prevent a star that is going supernova from destroying Romulus (and the rest of the galaxy). Aided by the Enterprise-E (captained by a resurrected Data) and Jean-Luc Picard, now the ambassador to Vulcan, they get bogged down in Romulan and Vulcan politicking.

Star Trek: Countdown feels rushed. There's a lot going on, and the comic often focuses on the less interesting aspects (like all the political bickering). As a result, the focus on character is diminished. Even Nero, one of the book's main characters, doesn't get a worthy treatment. His shift from loving miner to power-mad tyrant is quick and glossy. And beyond Nero's initial relationship with Spock, Countdown gives us little that we couldn't figure out from the movie.

Other characters from The Next Generation pop up here and there, mostly for no good reason. All of the characters present from TNG, including Data and Picard, are just there to add a few familiar faces. These are well-developed characters whose personalities have been thoroughly explored in hundreds of Star Trek episodes, but here they are completely unremarkable and totally interchangeable. This is a distinct failure to link the new film to the world of TNG.

Messina's art is fine, even if his people look a bit angular at times. But the familiar characters are mostly recognizable, and the ships look good, and that's what counts. Countdown's coloring is murky; this is an obvious attempt to give the book a grimmer, more serious tone. But instead, it impairs the art and gives the reader the distinct impression that it's trying too hard.

Star Trek: Countdown is not officially canon, although there are no canonical red flags. But it really doesn't matter, because this book really doesn't matter. It adds little to the new film, and it adds practically nothing to the world of The Next Generation.

"Star Trek: Countdown" is a fascinating, thrilling four-part adventure that serves as a prequel to this summer's blockbuster return of Gene Rodenberry's vision of the future: "Star Trek!" What makes this prequel unique is that it is actually set almost a full century AFTER the events of the film. Set in the Next Generation era, and featuring several of that show's iconic characters, it tells the origin story of Nero, a Romulan miner who will eventually become a threat to the entire universe, and the main nemesis of Kirk and Spock 100 years in the past.
Featuring beautiful imagery, a few surprise appearances and a story that builds toward an inevitable climax, "Star Trek: Countdown" serves as a fantastic prequel to the next epic chapter in the Trek franchise!
Grade: A

I'm really not sure what to call this graphic novel. The story takes place between "Nemesis" and the new "Star Trek" prequel in theatres May 2009.

The story in brief. Romulan miner Captain Nero discovers a threat to his home world. The Horub system is going supernova. He returns to his homeworld to deliver the news. Unfortunately, the only person who believes him is Ambassador Spock, the Federation Ambassador to the Romulan Empire. The solution is to use a rare element, decalithium, to create red matter which will stop the supernova.

Though they do not precisely trust each other, Nero agrees to work with Spock to save Romulus. They discover the Federation is also tracking this anomaly and is going into the Romulan Neutral Zone to secretly help.

And that's all I'm going to tell you. David Messina's illustrations are excellent. The science--well, not so. But, having first seen the film I am grateful to have an explanation for everything that happened in between.

Rebecca Kyle, May 2009

Movie tie-ins usually make for bad comic books. Star Trek: Countdown has the added onus of being a preview to a movie that none of us have seen (yet!). Nonetheless, Countdown delivers an entertaining story (with a few flaws) and a worthwhile preview of the new film for fans who are dying for information.

Story: I will not spoil the plot, except to say that it puts Romulans, Vulcans, and TNG-era Federation factions into conflict, and introduces the Romulan character Nero, who will be the antagonist in the upcoming Star Trek "reboot" movie. The story does a decent job of working all of these into the mix - but it is nothing terribly special. It has the feel of a Star Trek: Voyager two-parter - lots of stuff happens, but sometimes you feel that they're piling it on just for show. The comic is also a bit short at just under 100 pages - the plot moves very quickly from one place to another, and could have stood a few extra pages of exposition and character development. The central threat (a supernova) is not explained very well, as mentioned in some other reviews. Cameos from several TNG favorites are worked in in an entertaining manner.

Art: The art is highly stylized. It is a very slick and minimalistic style in terms of rendering. Comic veterans will probably have no trouble following it, but those who have read fewer comics in their day may find it confusing. Some characters do not look appreciably different enough to make them out quickly and without some extra thought. Page layouts also shift irritatingly between single page and double page spreads, leading even this comic veteran to struggle with panel order in a few spots. Overall, I'd call the art slightly above average, but noting to write home about.

Context: I will say this - I am slightly less nervous about the new movie after having read this. Orci and Kurtzman clearly are capable of stringing together a decent plot, and they clearly know and care about the TNG characters they utilize here. Is it rip-roaring action packed space drama? Yes. Is it great sci-fi? Eh, probably not. Hopefully, they show an equal respect for the original series characters with their "reboot." I'm still dubious of the entire project - seeing a continuation of TNG era characters whetted my appetite even more for a Trek continuation that moves FORWARD, not BACK.

Overall, I would recommend this to die-hard Trek fans only. It is a merely average comic. If you want some serious "expanded universe" Trek material, I would recommend some of the comics or novels by Peter David, Diane Carey, or Christie Golden.

One final note: I would have given this collection four stars if the price had not been so high. $18 for 100 pages is a serious rip-off. That works out to $4.50 per comic (it was a 4 issue series). What's the point of getting a trade paperback if not to save? This should have been $12.99 list, TOPS. Even at Amazon's reduced price, it's a bit of a stretch as a value proposition.

Star Trek: Countdown is pretty much what the title implies it to be: a prequel to J.J. Abrams' big-screen re-booting of Gene Roddenberry's legendary franchise. Collecting all four issues of the mini-series, this TPB focuses mostly on the film's villain Nero; the Romulan miner and family man who through a tragic turn of events goes back in time to the past to seek revenge. Spock is on board as well, as are more notably Captain Picard and other members of the Next Generation crew. What Star Trek: Countdown manages to do successfully is convey the personas of its starring characters. From Nero, to Spock, to Picard; Countdown manages to do its characters justice, but an overabundance in plot holes and leaps in logic really detract from the overall story. Not to mention that the artwork from David Messina is inconsistent; looking great in some spots and slightly messy in others. Still, Star Trek: Countdown is worthwhile enough to check out for comic-loving Trek fans, and that's really all that need apply here.

I saw the movie <em>Star Trek</em> before I read this book. I have to say, there was a lot in there that didn't make sense, like Nero's motives and what he and his crew did for twenty-five years while waiting for Kirk and Spock to turn up so they could have the deadly vengeance of deadly revenge!

I still don't know what they did for twenty-five years, but thanks to this comic, at least I know a bit more of what lead up to the events in the film.

The book tells the story of Nero and his efforts to help save Romulus with his friend, Spock. It also contains appearances by various TNG characters, like Picard, Data/B4 (remember B4? What a useless sack!), La Forge and Worf.

The artwork here is decent, about what I've come to expect from this publisher. The story is ok, though no great shakes. The volume itself is a little over priced and could benefit by being under ten dollars, but that's a minor point.

This is worth reading if you have a real interest in Trek or you want to have a better idea what's going on before the movie. Otherwise, as a stand-alone work, it's not really worth it.

I've been a fan of Star Trek in all its incarnations pretty much my entire life so when something new is approaching I get very excited. I waited a bit before I read Countdown because I didn't want any spoilers going into the new film (2009). Knowing the story now it gives a very good introduction to the events told in the movie. I really wish they had committed this story to film as well. It has now been 8 years since the events of Nemesis. The crew of the Enterprise-E has moved on with their lives and careers and Spock has continued his efforts on Romulus. A simple planetary miner named Nero witnesses the unstability of the Hobus star and joins with Spock to prevent a galactic disaster. Their efforts to save Romulus will require the help of old friends. Several members of the Next Generation crew play pivotal roles in the drama and none feel too shoe-horned in. I found it gratifying to see what has happened to the crew and there are plenty of treats in here for the long-time fan. The artwork is quite nice and the story is compelling. The relationship between Nero and Spock is well-developed here, adds a great deal more depth to the backstory as told in the movie, and also addresses why Nero's ship is so powerful. If you are a Star Trek fan, particularly of the Next Generation, you need to get and read Countdown. If the next movie is the quality of Countdown, Star Trek will continue to live long and prosper.

This book is a prequel to the most recent Star Trek movie that established a new story line for the original crew. It clears up many of the uncertain and undefined aspects of the movie; in fact my preference would have been to have read this book before watching the movie.
An aged Spock is now residing on Romulus and is the Federation ambassador to the Romulan Empire. He has worked for many years to reconcile the Romulans with their Vulcan brethren and while he has made some progress, there is still a great deal of distrust between the Romulans and Vulcans.
The story opens with Captain Nero and his crew working as interstellar miners on a remote planet in Romulan space. They observe a star exploding with a cascade effect that will destroy the Romulan home planet. Nero is portrayed as a loving family man loyal to the Empire but not so foolish that he will follow it blindly.
Nero and Spock form an alliance in an attempt to manufacture the unstable red matter that will create an implosive black hole. During their adventures, they are aided by a retired Captain Picard and Data, now commanding the Enterprise. Many aspects of the movie are explained, it stops right at the point where Nero's ship enters the time warp with Spock's dragged along.
This is a very good graphic novel that serves a very valuable purpose. It fills a knowledge gap that the recent Star Trek movie simply did not have time to complete. I strongly recommend it to Star Trek fans.