Regenerating

This drone is regenerting, he shall return, in a week or so...

If anyone happens to drop by, leave a comment, I'd be interested to see if anyone actually comes here.

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And return, guess nobody dropped by, ah well, lets get this place up to date...

Preview for The Sace Between #5

IDW have put a five page preview up for the next issue of The Space Between, due next week.

Covers: Art, Photo, Retail incentive
Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

Pages four and five are this image:

Blood Will Tell #2 review

Well it's a slow news week, and I really enjoyed the most recent comic from IDW, so here's a little review:

Blood Will Tell #2, titled "Beneath the Skin" according to the previous issue but again not actually given a title in the comic, was brilliant!

It was more difficult to fill the gaps with the first issue, set around "Errand of Mercy" as there weren't so many to fill, but this issue had a lot of room to play with, set around "The Trouble with Tribbles", and did good.

A bit of a sad story for Gralmek the Klingon, and the poor unfortunate Arne Darvin who's place he took. It really goes to show Klingons are no Vulcans when they have all those human looking Klingons about but decide to sand away ridges of a Klingon who has them to make him look human, poor fella. Made for cool, if gruesome, imagery and a good back-story though. I think this comic really built very well on the episode, and Trek in general featuring the Lexington, discommendation and sneaking Sisko in from "Trials and Tribble-ations". All round very cool.

I think Blood Will Tell is a really excellent series I can’t wait for the rest. Unlike the TNG series The Space Between, Blood Will Tell doesn’t suffer issue after issue of bizarre plot holes and is all joined up nicely with both the overall framing story arc set around "The Undiscovered Country" and TOS TV era story arc joining the Klingon episodes together very cleverly. Not that I don’t like one off stories, I’m really looking forward to the Alien Spotlight series later this year, the Gorn issue will be written by Scott and David Tipton who write Blood Will Tell and if they do as good a job with the Gorn as they do Klingons it will be glorious.

I like the art for The Space Between, I think they are really very beautiful, but they have also been criticised by others for being too stylised. It is interesting to note how despite being equally if not even more stylised I think Blood Will Tell does a much better job of getting the character likenesses, and also has very attractive, if less pretty, look. The boldness suits both the Klingons and TOS.

Post-Nemesis TNG blurbs

Amazon.co.uk have updated there listings with blurbs for two of the Post-Nemesis TNG novels coming later this year:

Q & A, by Keith R.A. DeCandido:
Few of Star Trek's recurring characters have made such an impact as the mercurial, capricious and frequently menacing Q. A seemingly all-powerful being who nevertheless came naked and vulnerable to Captain Jean-Luc Picard for help; cosmic joker, judge and arbiter of the universe; this is an entity to whom humanity apparently means nothing, yet who learns lessons in humility, tolerance and hope from his interactions with Captain Picard and his crew. Now top genre writer Keith R.A. DeCandido conjures him vividly to life as his path and that of the USS Enterprise cross once more, and, in typical Q fashion, he presents Picard and his crew with a deadly challenge to solve the secrets of an enigmatic planet. If they fail, the universe will end.

Before Dishonor, by Peter David:
To the disbelief of Starfleet Command, and especially of Admiral Janeway, the Borg were not vanquished when the USS Voyager destroyed their transwarp conduits. A disabled Borg cube seems to hold the answers to why the Borg are now striking out and killing, without troubling to assimilate their prey. Admiral Janeway, Seven of Nine and a team of Federation scientists know they don't have much time to stop the threat. Meanwhile Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise, who barely defeated the Borg who were trapped in Federation space, turn to Ambassador Spock for help. Can they discover what lies behind these strange and chilling developments before the Borg can make their triumphant return?

Star Trek: The Manga 2 writers and artists

I was doing some googling and managed to find out who is working on Tokyopop's second Star Trek manga anthology Star Trek: The Manga 2 "Kahan Ni Shinkou".

Paul Benjamin will be working with artist Steven Cummings on a story featuring Spock, McCoy and Kirk on Vulcan.

Christine Boylan will be working with Bettina Kurkoski on a story.

And the final three writers are, as we already knew, Wil Wheaton, along with Mike Wellman and Trek novelist Diane Duane, and the other three artists are Ej Su who worked on the first anthology along with Don Hudson and Nam Kim.

Sources: Interview with Paul Benjamin, Bettina Kurkoski's deviantART blog.

DST releases

I've not reported these before (I think they were announced before I started the site) and Toy News International seems to consider them news, so have yourself a bunch of Diamond Select Toys press releases:

Due September, DST's first DS9 figures (with the exception of the "Trials and Tribble-lations" set):

The debut action figure assortment of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters, this first series features Captain Benjamin Sisko, Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax and the limited Lieutenant Ezri Dax! Sculpted by Art Asylum and featuring multiple episode-specific accessories, each figure is in scale with past releases and features multiple points of articulation!

A Previews Exclusive! Bring some much-needed security to your collection with this Previews Exclusive Constable Odo action figure! This shape-shifting star of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the perfect addition to your Star Trek crew and comes with episode-specific accessories and multiple points of articulation. In scale with past releases and sculpted by Art Asylum, continue building your Star Trek universe today!

Also due September, coming in three parts starting with Kirk with the full set out by November, DST second TOS statue set:

From the classic STAR TREK episode “Amok Time” comes this three-part statue designed to bring one of the most memorable moments in STAR TREK history to life! Featuring the fan-favorite fight between Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, this epic battle can only be fought to the death. Sculpted by Bill Mancuso and featuring interchangeable weapons, each piece is limited to 1000 pieces and includes a hand-numbered box with matching base and Certificate of Authenticity.

IDW August issues

IDW have updated their solicitations page with their issues due in August which includes two Star Trek titles, the second issue of Year Four and the final issue of Klingons: Blood Will Tell.

Year Four, issue 2:
During a routine visit by the U.S.S. Enterprise to Aarak 3, a major supplier of dilithium to the Federation, an attack on the royal palace reveals a group of zealots who resent the Federation's intrusion and desire a return to "the pure ways" of the ancestors. Captain Kirk must figure a way to prevent the zealots' coup while not violating the Prime Directive. Written by David Tischman (Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between) with art by Steve Conley, and an additional cover by Joe Corroney.

Blood Will Tell, issue 5:
The decision has been made! The Klingon Empire is in desperate need of assistance, but will they be willing to ask for it? Kahnrah has chosen how to cast his vote in the High Council—the question is, will he survive long enough to do so? It's high political intrigue, Klingon-style, in the grand finale of Blood Will Tell! Artist Joe Corroney once again provides a special incentive cover.

"Shore Leave" remastered preview

StarTrek.com have a video preview up for the next remastered episode "Shore Leave". They have also added some new images from the episode, though nothing highlighting any effects changes.

Sagittarius views

Jeff Ayers has updated his Voyages of Imagination website with some orthographic views of Masao Okazaki's Archer class design from the Vanguard book series. Here's the lateral view:

See the rest at Mr Ayers' site.

Minimates wave 2

Diamond Select Toys have announced in their latest Radical Confidential webzine type thing the next wave of Star Trek Minimates. The announcement reads:

The soon-to-break-away hit Star Trek Minimates will continue their legendry journey through the cosmos with this second series of pint-sized adventurers! Featuring two-packs of your favourite Original Series crew members, this series is set to contain Battle Damage Captain Kirk and Gorn, Mr. Spock and Uhura from "The Cage", Sulu and Chekov and the limited swashbuckling Sulu.

Designed and sculpted by the masterful artisans of Art Asylum, these interstellar Minimates will be in scale with past 2" releases and will feature the same articulation and detail of past waves. With Minimate-sized accessories included with each release, set your phasers to stun and prepare to embark on a fantastic five-year mission of your own!

Diamond Select Toys' first wave of minimates will be out in July and will include two packs of Captain Kirk and Spock, Captain Pike and Vina as an Orion slave girl, Scotty & Dr. McCoy and the limited edition Dress Uniform McCoy:

Art Asylum previously released a wave of Trek minimates when they held the Star Trek toys license back in 2001, though those were a different scale to the new ones.

"Where No Man Has Goen Before" Enterprise officially annouced.

As previously reported, Diamond Select Toys will be releasing a "Where No Man Has Gone Before" variant of their USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) model. They have now officially announced this in their latest e-spectrum newsletter. The release is as follows, complete with a picture!:

With the first release of the classic U.S.S. Enterprise now sold out, we’re very pleased to bring you this exclusive version of the iconic ship from James T. Kirk’s very first episode – “Where No Man Has Gone Before”! Observant fans will notice the new bridge dome, shuttle bay, engine caps and deflector dish but even a casual passer-by will catch the voice of William Shatner featured in the all-new sound effects!

This exclusive ship will be available through the Diamond Previews June catalogue and is expected to retail for $45. Sculpted by Art Asylum and measuring fourteen inches long, this light-up starship is perfect for any Star Trek display along with the included display stand!

Preview for "Patterns of Force"

StarTrek.com have put up a video preview for the next TOS remastered episode "Patterns of Force".

Errand of Mercy images

StarTrek.com have updated their image comparison gallery with these images from "Errand of Mercy" remastered:

DST exclusives

Diamond Select Toys have announced details of exclusive action figures available this summer at the San Diego Comic Convention. Five figures, expanding DST's Wrath of Kahn range will be available, four exclusive to retailers and a fifth obtainable for free once you have collected the other four. The figures are:

-Dr. McCoy, from New Force Comics
-Scotty, from Action Figure Express
-Chekov, from Toy Rocket
-Sulu, from DST

And the exclusive will be a battle damaged Kahn variant "Genesis Kahn".

Read the original announcement here.

Pike returns... maybe... some day

Well this barely counts as news but it excites me so I shall post it. Given IDW's TOS and TNG only club policy, I was curious, do the adventures of the USS Enterprise under Captain Pike count as TOS? It does technically of course, but is it something IDW might work on? So I asked at IDW's message boards. And IDW editor Chris Ryall got back with this response: "That would count as TOS, yes... which means there's a definite chance to see some Pike at some point."

I am very happy to hear that, I love "The Cage", and Marvel's Early Voyages series are by far my favourite comics. Here's hoping that point isn't to far away.

Fearful Symmetry delayed

Jeff Ayers has revealed on his Voyages of Imagination website that the next DS9 relaunch novel, Leanna Morrow's Fearful Symmetry, has been delayed. The novel was originally due to be released in April and was then pushed back to August it currently has no new release date scheduled.

Sky's the Limit update

Jeff Ayers has updated his Voyages of Imagination website with some new details on the TNG anniversary anthology The Sky's the Limit. One story "Now You See Her...", by Fred Bronson has been dropped due to other commitments from the author. The complete list, with chronological placements is now:

-"Meet With Triumph and Disaster", by Michael Schuster and Steve Mollmann (set before Encounter at Farpoint)

-"Acts of Compassion", by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore (set in season One)

-"Redshirt", by Richard C. White (set in season Two)

-"Among the Clouds", by Scott Pearson (set in season Three)

-"Thinking of You", by Greg Cox (set in season Five)

-"Turncoats", by Susan Shwartz (set in season Six)

-"Ordinary Days", by James Swallow (set in season Seven)

-"'Twould Ring the Bells of Heaven", by Amy Sisson (set between All Good Things... and Generations)

-"Friends With the Sparrows", by Christopher L. Bennett (set between Generations and First Contact)

-"Suicide Note", by Geoff Trowbridge (set between First Contact and Insurrection)

-"Four Lights", by Keith R.A. DeCandido (set between Insurrection and Nemesis)

-"Til Death", by Bob Ingersoll and Thomas A. Zahler (set between Insurrection and Nemesis)

-"On the Spot", by David A. McIntee (set during the Nemesis epilogue)

-"Trust Yourself When All Men Doubt You", by Michael Schuster and Steve Mollmann (set during the Nemesis epilogue)

Blood Will Tell issue 2 preview

IDW have updated their art preview page with pages from issue two, "Beneath the Skin". The five page preview has previously been seen in a Newsarama article, complete with a commentary from the series writers Scott and David Tipton (here). This preview does include this new cover by Joe Corroney:

A sketch variation of his previously released cover, also looks like this cover in colour will be available with or without titles just like the first issue.

Manga title and other bits from Amazon

Amazon have got a few new interesting Star Trek updates.

There page for Star Trek: The Manga 2 has been updated to include the book specific title "Kakan Ni Shinkou".

And they have listings for collections of IDWs efforts with The Space Between listed as avialble from September and Klingons: Blood Will Tell in November.

Enterprise Gold...

The rumour has been bouncing around a week or two and now there's pictorial confirmation. Diamond Select Toys have made a golden version of there USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) model...

Weird, it's intended for the Japanese market and there are only a few hundred apparently. Photo and information from this thread at Art Asylum's message boards.

That's four versions of this ship so far by the way, Standard TOS, "The Cage", "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and Gold.

More of Tomorrow is Yesterday

It seems "Tomorrow is Yesterday" is getting abit more attention. TrekMoive have themselves this new still (article here):

And Ain't It Cool News has this image of Enterprise slingshoting:

Which comes with an interview with the remastered team about the next few episodes which confirms the new Klingon fleet shot in "Errand of Mercy" and that the stock footage from Tomorrow is Yesterday isn't being replaced, here's hoping the film restoration process works as well on the stock footage as everything else. Original article here.

Preview for Tomorrow is Yesterday

StarTrek.com have put up a preview video for the next remasted original series episode "Tommorrow is Yesterday". And they have updated the comparison gallery with these pretty new pictures:

Using real NASA photography for the Earth shots, cool!

Corps of Engineers 2008 author hints

Keith R.A. DeCandido has announced some very unspecific details about the authorship of the three Star Trek: Corps of Engineers eBooks due for release from January to March in 2008, he said:

"One will be by an author new to COE, one will be a return engagement by an author who's written one previous COE eBook, and the third will be by someone who's written more than one COE eBook in the past."

See his original post here.

Slings and Arrows details

Pocket Books' eBooks editor Keith R.A. DeCandido has announced new details on the TNG 20th anniversary eBook miniseries Slings and Arrows. The last three books of the six book series will be published from April to June in 2008, previously announced the first three will run from October to December this year. DeCandido also provided brief summaries for each of the books:

Book 1: A Sea of Troubles will focus on Picard and Hawk. Shortly after its commissioning, the Enterprise discovers that there's a changeling infiltrator on board, and they must find it and stop it before it destroys them.

Book 2: The Oppressor's Wrong will focus on Data and Daniels. This story will take place simultaneously with DS9's "Homefront" and "Paradise Lost."

Book 3: The Insolence of Office will focus on La Forge and Troi, both of whom face major decisions. In the latter's case, it's discovering that her mother is pregnant with a child by the Tevnian Jeyel (DS9's "The Muse").

Book 4: That Sleep of Death will focus on Crusher. We'll find out just why Crusher was so cranky about the EMH in First Contact.

Book 5: A Weary Life will focus on Riker, and show him dealing with the legacy of his transporter twin, Tom, who joined the Maquis.

Book 6: Enterprises of Great Pitch and Moment will focus on Picard, as well as Sisko and Worf. This will be a full-blown TNG/DS9 crossover, as Picard is sent by the Federation President to try to convince Gowron to re-ally with the Federation.

See the original post and join the discussion here at the Trek BBS.

Preview for "Errand of Mercy"

StarTrek.com have put up a preview for the next remastered episode of The Original Series, "Errand of Mercy". It includes a very cool shot of the Klingon fleet firing on the Enterprise.

As this episode was only recently revisited in the comic ''Klingons: Blood Will Tell: Against Their Nature" it will be interesting to compare what the remastered episode does with the new effects with what the comic did.

This month

Oww look a new feature, much of this site deals with what's coming in the months ahead so I thought it might be handy to remind readers what's coming right now, so here's a run down of what should be coming in Star Trek products for the next month. Funnily enough I plan on doing this monthly:

Prose:
A reasonably busy month from Pocket Books. The last book in the Vulcan's Soul trilogy should be out in hardcover, "Epiphany" by Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwarts. This month’s eBook is from the Crops of Engineers series, "The Art of the Comeback" by Gleen Greenberg. And a new omnibus is out, Twist of Faith, collecting the first four books of Deep Space Nine stories set after What You Leave Behind. As is typical, most of these should be in shops already, as they normally get out a couple of weeks before their scheduled month.

Comics:
IDW continue there overlapping miniseries’ this month with issue of five of the TNG miniseries The Space Between, "Space Seeds" by David Tischman, and issue two of Klingons: Blood Will Tell, "Beneath the Skin" by Scott and David Tipton. Both are expected in the last week of the month.

Other:
Diamond Select Toys have their first TOS statue due this month. The Kirk figure in the landing party diorama. With Spock and McCoy to follow later in the year.

To my knowledge there are no toys or other merchandise due for release this month.

Related articles:
-Interview with Glenn Greenberg on The Art of the Comeback.