Messina Blood Will Tell previews

I recently (thanks to TrekMovie.com) found David Messina's blog which includes this cool new cover for the last issue of IDW's Klingons: Blood Will Tell miniseries:

And this bit of internal artwork from a future issue of the series, check out Messina's blog for a step by step break down of how this one was made:

The third issue of Blood Will Tell is out (a bit later than it's scheduled June) next week.

Retro wave 2

Toy News International have a press release for the second wave of Diamond Select Toys' retro TOS figures. I can't find anything about them from DST's own site so here's what TNI have to say about them:

A Diamond Select Release! Featuring the return of the 1970’s style retro cloth figures, this follow-up release contains the impeccably logical Mr. Spock and one of the rarest figures from the original release, the Andorian soldier! Utilizing the original sculpts, these reproductions…
- measure approximately 9” tall
- feature classic cloth uniforms and accessories
- comes in retro-style packaging

The first wave is out next month consisting of Kirk and a Klingon.

Sisko bust

Diamond Select Toys have annouced details of the third in their Star Trek: Icons busts line, Captain Sisko, due November:

An Art Asylum Design! The third piece in the Star Trek: Icons line is none other than Captain Benjamin Sisko! Whether investigating the Gamma Quadrant or playing baseball in the Holosuites, now you can add the intrepid commander of Deep Space Nine to your collection. Sculpted by Bill Mancuso and limited to 1,701 pieces, each bust features a hand-numbered base with matching window box and Certificate of Authenticity.

Star Trek.com gets animated

StarTrek.com have done some major updating of their coverage of the Animated Series, giving it equal status to any other Star Trek TV series. Characters, species, settings and everything else has been integrated into the official websites information section and new articles by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin detail the series from in-universe perspective and the behind the scenes view.

My favourite new addition is a page for the animated series version of Chekov... who did not appear in the series, but now has his very own TAS style portrait.

The Omega Glory remastered

StarTrek.com have updated their comparison gallery and added a preview video for the next remastered episode "The Omega Glory".

DST Mego figure packaging

In their latest E-Spectrum email newsletter Diamond Select Toys have been showing off the packaging for their retro figures coming next month. Here's how they describe them:

Now that the first assortment of Star Trek Retro Cloth Figures is nearing its July release date, set your phasers to “stunning” and check out this retro-inspired packaging! Based on the original packaging style debuted in the mid 70’s, these 8 inch classics are sure to bring back the fondest of memories for Star Trek fans worldwide!

This new clamshell style packaging features a hinged opening. Perfect for collectors that want to display the figure in the package but still want the option of taking them out. More details on the summer release and detailed information on this exciting line from DST is coming soon.

IDW September

IDW have posted their September solicitations, including the first issue of Aliens Spotlight which was previously reported to be starting in November, which means IDW will be continuing with two Trek titles a month! This first issue is the Gorn one and sounds frightfully good:

In the vast Star Trek universe, many diverse alien races abound, and now they finally get their due! Presenting a series of one-shots, each by a different creative team and featuring a different Star Trek alien race. In the debut issue, the spotlight shines on the Gorn, courtesy of the Klingons: Blood Will Tell team of Scott & David Tipton and artist David Messina. After their shuttlecraft crash-lands on an uncharted planet, Captain Terrell and Commander Chekov calculate that their odds of survival are somewhat decreased when they find themselves facing off against an army of Gorn warriors. Zach Howard (Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between) provides covers for the entire series, and this issue's artist, David Messina, contributes a variant cover, too.

The Tipton's and Messina are doing an amazing job on Blood Will Tell, I'm very excited about this issue. The other comic out in september is issue three of Star Trek: Year Four:

Captain James T. Kirk becomes suspicious of his crew after returning from the devastated colony on Phi-11. Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy try to reassure him that nothing's wrong—unless Kirk's two most trusted friends are in on the plot, too. What has infected the crew, and how—and who's left to help Kirk regain control of the ship? The Original Crew's return to comic book greatness continues here with this standalone tale written by David Tischman (Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between) and illustrated by Steve Conley, with an additional cover by Joe Corroney.

And finally the official announcement of the The Space Between omnibus edition:

In the first collection of this special miniseries, travel to Tigan-7, Kandom 9, uncharted space, and more—each leading the dedicated crew of the Starship U.S.S. Enterprise into unexpected adventures. If you enjoyed watching Star Trek: The Next Generation on television, get ready for the comics adventure you've been waiting for.

I've complained about plot holes in The Space Between, but never the less it's a good series, should be worth getting the omnibus if you haven’t bothered with the individual issues. Interesting how the blurb cites Kandom 9, as did the blurb for the second comic which actually featured the planet Rajatha Prime. It also appears the omnibus will be using cover art from issue five of the miniseries.

Slings and Arrows covers

eBooks editor Keith R.A. DeCandido has released Mike Collins' cover artwork for the TNG "First Contact" prequel miniseries Slings and Arrows:

Book 1: A Sea of Troubles by J. Steven York & Christina F. York

Book 2: The Oppressor's Wrong by Phaedra M. Weldon

Book 3: The Insolence of Office by William Leisner

Book 4: That Sleep of Death by Terri Osborne

Book 5: A Weary Life by Robert Greenberger

Book 6: Enterprises of Great Pitch and Moment by Keith R.A. DeCandido

See the original report at KRAD's Inaccurate Guide to Life, discuss the covers at the Trek BSS, and for full details on the miniseries see this earlier report.

Official fan fiction...

CBS have licensed fanlib.com to produce an official Star Trek fan fiction competition. A story will be written in parts over the next few weeks with entries being voted off and judged by Trek writer editor and consultant Andre Bormanis.

The basic concept is Kirk vs Picard with set up concepts currently being voted on including a cryogenically frozen Kirk, the two captains meeting in the present day, an alternate timeline where Kahn is up to no good and a bit of Guardian of Forever craziness.

Find out more and enter the competition (if you’re American) here.

Plato’s Stepchildren remastered

Nothing on StarTrek.com yet, but TrekMovie.com have themselves a video preview for the remastered edition of "Plato’s Stepchildren", see it here.

Spock's Brain remastered image

StarTrek.com have updated there comparison gallery with a new image of the new ship design from the remastered version of "Spock's Brain":

The Space Between issue 6 preview

IDW have updated their previews page with five pages and covers from the final issue of The Space Between. From the five page intro it looks like the previous jumbled stories may have been worth it as the mini-series is pull together with what seems to be a Federation Starfleet conspiracy in this issue.

Covers: 1 2 3
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

This Month

Bit late, as I was away, but here is what's coming this July:

Prose:
The third in the Vanguard series, this months novel is "Reap the Whirlwind" by David Mack. This month’s eBook, from the Corps of Engineers series, is "Signs from Heaven" by Phaedra M. Weldon.

Comics:
Two comics from IDW this month, the final issue of TNG: The Space Between by David Tischman. And the third issue of Klingon: Blood Will Tell by Scott and David Tipton, this one set around the episode "A Private Little War".

Other:
A couple of things from Diamond Select Toys this month, the Kirk Statute from their Landing Party diorama (which seems to be late from last month), with Spock and McCoy to finish the set later on and the Latest repaint of their Enterprise refit model with the Wrath of Kahn Enterprise. Lots from them coming in July though. And at some point in the past few weeks the "The Cage" Enterprise was released.

This month should see the July/August, issue 133, or 6 in the US, of the Star Trek Magazine, features are to include an extended feature on "The Doomsday Machine" and on the Star Trek computer games. An excerpt from Christopher Bennett's new novel "The Buried Age". And in the UK/Australian versions a supplement on the new novel lines - Vanguard, Stargazer, New Frontier, Gorkon, CoE, Titan, and the DS9 and Voyager relaunchs - with character guides written by the authors themselves!

Related articles:
-IDW June releases.
-Joe Corroney cover for Blood Will Tell issue 3.

Tischman on Year Four

Comic Book Resources have published an interview with David Tischman on his second Star Trek miniseries for IDW, Star Trek: Year Four.

Tischman describes writing Year Four as his personnel Kobayashi Maru, and to be very different from his TNG series The Space Between. Continuing the Star Trek II analogy he explains how he loves the film and Kahn, but (as one would assume given Kahn was busy being marooned at the time) Kahn will not be appearing in Year Four, and neither will the Klingons and Romulans which he feels are a bit over used, noting IDW are already doing Klingons in the miniseries Klingons: Blood Will Tell and Romulans were used in Nemesis not long ago.

Personally I disagree about Romulans, I don't see any Romulans: Ears are Pointy miniseries announced yet and Nemesis is there first film after no less than four films featuring Klingons and involvement from the species in most of the rest. Not to worry though, they are getting an issue in IDW’s Alien Spotlight miniseries later this year. Anyway, back to interview highlights:

Getting onto the TV TOS Tischman explains "I actually have a huge fondness for the lesser-used characters, Nurse Chapel and Commander Kyle and Riley and I wish Yeoman Rand was still around for the fourth season, but she's not." Nice to see the more minor characters might get some attention whilst Kirk Spock and McCoy still get to have all the fun.

Further on Tischman explains how issue one and two are done, issue three is being done and issue four is an outline whilst the final two issues are still to be sorted. The interview, which can be seen in full here, also has the first five pages of art from issue one and covers for the first three issues, one of which is premier. The artwork is a bit flat, certainly less dynamic than what had previously been released as preview for the series (link), however it is somewhat reminiscent of the Gold Key comics which I suppose is a nice touch and it's also nice to see both Arex and M'Ress from The Animated Series getting some page time.

I've enjoyed The Space Between, but have felt the series’ major flaw is the writing which has consistently delivered plot holes in every issue. On the flip side Tischman really does master the voices of the characters and in the interview states he'd consciously put more effort into Year Four, so here's hoping he delivers. I'm looking forward to it.

Picard bust

Diamond Select Toys have officially announced the second in their Star Trek: Icons bust range, Jean-Luc Picard:

A Diamond Select Release! The second piece in the Star Trek: Icons line is none other than Captain Jean-Luc Picard! Whether investigating the Romulan Neutral Zone or solving mysteries on the Holodeck as Dixon Hill, now you can add the intrepid commander of the U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-D to young collection. Sculpted by Bill Mancuso and limited to 1,701 pieces, each bust features a hand-numbered base with matching window box and Certificate of Authenticity.

Due in October, as is the "Where no Man Has Gone Before" edition USS Enterprise model.

Bread and Circuses remastered

StarTrek.com have put up a video preview for the latest remastered episode "Bread and Circuses". They have also updated their comparison gallery with this new image which shows off the new moons added to the episode.

The comparison gallery has also been given an overhaul making it abit easier to navigate, which is nice. They have also updated their wallpapers section with some new remastered ones.

Titan mesh update

Sean Tourangeau has released more images of Ellery O’Connell's mesh for his competition winning design for the Luna class USS Titan, William T. Riker's command as featured in Pocket Books' Star Trek: Titan novel series.

For more images and to join the discussion on the design visit the thread here.

For more of Tourangeau's work check out his website and DeviantART page.