Non-fiction books covers and previews: Starships, Grudge, Nerd Search, and design

A new batch of covers and preview pages has been released for forthcoming Star Trek non-fiction books, spanning cat-based whimsy and a game book to starship catalogues and behind the scenes design. Continue below to check out all the latest.

First a newly announced book from Eaglemoss: Hero Collector and Penguin Random House is the latest in the Star Trek: Shipyards(ad) series, which aims to catalogue all the starships of the Star Trek universe. Star Trek: Shipyards - Alpha Quadrant and Major Races: Lysian to Zibalian(ad) will be the second of two books dedicated to the various aliens of the Alpha Quadran, following Acamarian to Ktarian(ad), and is set for release in April next year. 

Here's the new cover, featuring a wide variety of alien ships spanning the franchise, and a blurb which notes a few more of the featured species and starships:

Lower Decks Tom Paris plate is REAL. Plus behind the scenes art from the series.

In perhaps the most meta big of Star Trek merchandising ever, the Tom Paris commemorative plate seen in the new Lower Decks trailer is to become a real product! Continue below for more details of this, plus some other Lower Decks merchandise and behind the scenes updates:

But first. Behold!

IDW mirror universe comic updates

IDW and their artists have announced new mirror universe comic details for both the new Mirror War series starting later this year, and other releases. Continue below for the latest.

Following the announcement of the TNG mega-series The Mirror War back in May IDW have been a bit quiet on actual release dates for the series, but the new solicitations for October releases have now pinned issue #1 down to a release that month. There's also been an update in the creative team, with Gavin Smith now filling art duties on the series. As previously announced, Scott and David Tipton will be writing.

The series also seems to have been rebranded slightly, referred to simply as Star Trek: The Mirror War, rather than being under the TNG banner specifically. Here's the blurb for Star Trek: The Mirror War #1:

Return to the Mirror Universe of The Next Generation with this brand-new series from writers David & Scott Tipton, where familiar faces and exciting new surprises await around every corner!

To conquer the Mirror Universe, Captain Picard must first seize control of the ship-building planet of Faundori! The only problem? Faundori is inside Klingon-Cardassian Alliance territory…

The book will be offered in three different covers, with the main one painted by J.K Woodward. IDW have released previews of this with the full cover treatment and the art only:

Novel news: New Coda cover and blurb, and Shadows Have Offended excerpts

The next cover for the Coda trilogy has been revealed, along with a new blurb for the series. Continue below to check out those updates, plus excerpts from the recently released TNG novel Shadows Have Offended.

This autumn the Coda trilogy(ad) will bring together the heroes of the Star Trek novel continuity from the last couple of decades, in a "Temporal Apocalypse", which is presumably their final adventure, as their timeline has been shunted into an alternate timeline by the events of Picard painting a very different future for the prime timeline. The second book in that trilogy is James Swallow's The Ashes of Tomorrow(ad), and the cover has now been revealed for that, which has a bit of a DS9 focus, with the new Starfleet-built replacement Deep Space 9, and Captain Dax's slipstream-ship the USS Aventine.

New trailers for Prodigy and Lower Decks, reveal new ship, characters, and more

At the Comic Con @ Home panel today the creators and cast of both Prodigy and Lower Decks shared lots of new details of the forthcoming seasons of both animated Star Trek shows. Continue below for the latest, including the first look at the Prodigy starship, and trailers for both shows. 

So first up, here's the first teaser trailer for Prodigy, which gives us a little set up and a lot of teases for the sexy new ship that will feature in the series (also available geolocked on YouTube if you prefer to the square cropped Instagram below):

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Star Trek on Paramount+ (@startrekonpplus)

Forbidden Planet expand their pin collection with ships, combadges, and more

UK based Forbidden Planet have expanded their offerings of pins under their Forbidden Planet Originals collection, with new designs based on ships, combadges and insignia, and other iconography from across Trek; even some rare TAS merchandise! Continue below to check out what they've come up with.

The newest announced pins include a series of starship designs, presented as top-down monotone plans of each of the featured hero ships. These enamel pins so far include La Sirena from Picard(ad), the USS Enterprise-D from TNG(ad), the USS Enterprise from TOS(ad), USS Voyager from Voyager(ad), and USS Defiant from DS9(ad). Each is about 3cm tall, and expected to ship in October.

Star Trek Online introduces more Discovery ships and Voyager concept design

Star Trek Online have added several new ships to the game recently, including 32nd and 23rd century designs from Discovery, plus a concept art version of an advanced Oberth class that Voyager almost was. Continue below to check them all out.

First up, from the 32nd century fleet is the Courage class, one of the vertically oriented designs seen in the far future.

Funko TOS Pop vinyl figure previews and T-shirts

Funko launched their new range of TOS Pop! vinyl figures this month, and to celebrate their arrival they have released some new photos of most of the figurines, plus a collection of T-shirts featuring Funko style artwork. Continue below to check them out:

These are the first looks at the actual figures rather than renderings. Two of the assortment are retailer exclusives. Including the Gorn, which is available from Target(ad).

Bradford Exchange's Transporter Figurine Collection

Bradford Exchange have revealed their latest Star Trek sculpture collection, and have come up with quite a creative format. The "To Boldly Go" Transporter Figurine Collection(ad) will offer up all the main TOS crew on a transporter pad. Each figurine is partially molded in transparent glittery resin, standing on a clear transporter pad base, so when combined with the transporter room display base, which lights up, you get a nice transporter effect. This is brought to life further with sound effects from the transporter base. Continue below to check out the series.

BlueBrixx to launch huge Star Trek construction toy range

Germany construction toy company BlueBrixx have announced they have secured the license to produce Star Trek building sets, and have already revealed no less than seventeen different sets in the planning stages, spanning ships at various scales, and full scale props! The range so far includes designs based on TOS, TNG, DS9, and Voyager subjects. Continue below to check out what they've got coming. 

BlueBrixx are currently in development on these sets, so most of the images they have released are of digital prototype models, which are still subject to refinements before the final releases. For anyone who has ever tried to built Star Trek ships in Lego or similar building block systems, you will know the spindly gravity-defying arrangements of saucers and nacelles are not the easiest thing to pull off in brick form. Never the less, most of these prototypes look very impressive already. 

The flagship releases of the announced sets so far are two big starship display models. The USS Enterprise-D set will be 1953 pieces, and has managed to translate the organic rounded shapes of the D impressively well out of building blocks.

Eaglemoss ship updates: Concept Defiant, XL Oberth, latest Picard and STO ships, and full Borg Cube advent calendar contents revealed!

Eaglemoss: Hero Collector have recently announced several new starships in their various Star Trek starship model collections, including more ships from Picard and Star Trek Online, their latest XL sized release, plus full details of what you'll find inside the Borg Cube advent calendar. Continue below to check out all of those. But first...

The latest model in the line of bonus releases from the original Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection is the latest in the sub-series of models based on concept art designs(ad). In this case an early alternate look for what would become the USS Defiant(ad) by James Martin, which as seen on this new model was first known as the USS Valiant. Looks like a neat model!

Original TOS phaser and other Trek treasures up for auction

This week Heritage Auctions are running their Entertainment & Music Memorabilia Signature Auction, which includes a number of original production props and artwork from various Star Trek sources. I've previously reported on the huge selection of beautiful Star Trek matte paintings in the auction, so today will have a look at some of the other items, which include some interesting bits from TOS and TNG.

Perhaps the highlight of the entire auction is an extremely rare TOS phaser hero prop. Heritage Auctions have provided a great set of photos of what will surely be of great interest to prop enthusiasts - You'll need deep pockets if you fancy getting it yourself, as this single phaser starts bidding at an astonishing $100,000!

Next Star Trek movie finds its director and writers

The next Star Trek movie has a new director (again) and writers (again)! Deadline report Paramount have signed up Matt Shakman to direct a script by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet.

According to Deadline, getting Shakman is a coup", as he is in much demand following success directing every episode (and executive producing all but one) of Marvel's WandaVision. His other credits include directing and producing numerous episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Great, and lots of other TV directing jobs.

Geneva Robertson-Dworet also has Marvel roots, having written Captain Marvel, and before that the 2018 Tomb Raider movie. Lindsey Beer doesn't have much made yet, but has written for several projects in development, including a number co-writing with Robertson-Dworet: Another Marvel story, Silver Sable, part of Sony's Spiderverse, and a couple of movies in Paramount's G.I. Joe and co universe, Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light and M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand, whose co-writers also include another trek scribe, Michael Chabon.

Playmates Toys returns to Star Trek with universe-spanning releases starting in 2022

Playmates Toys are returning to Star Trek! The company that has twice before produced extensive range of Star Trek toys are back on board thanks to to Star Trek Prodigy opening Trek up younger audiences. Playmates will start producing toys for that series alongside Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, and the rest of Trek TV and movies, from next year. 

As announced on StarTrek.com, their license spans "action figures, vehicles and ships, role play and other toy categories for all Star Trek properties". The announcement also promises "Playmates will bring to the Star Trek Universe are its attention to brand detail, authentic portrait sculpting, and new product innovations it plans to introduce to its forthcoming Star Trek collections."

There's also this teaser images, which with a little enhancement gives us the first glimpse of six action figures on the way. Continue below to have a look!

Lower Decks season 2 teaser, plus cool season 1 production art

Paramount+ have released a new teaser video to mark the one-month countdown to the start of season two of Lower Decks. It's only a few seconds long, but packs in LOADS of fun easter eggs in typical Lower Decks style. Plus continue below for a look at some very cool season one production art.

Get in, Ensign. We're going to Season 2. Stream new episodes of #StarTrekLowerDecks starting August 12. pic.twitter.com/9rxYYIIdKd

— Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) July 12, 2021

Star Trek: Year Five finale begins, with #22, Ithaca, part 1. Preview and artwork.

Last week began Ithaca, the final story in IDW's Star Trek: Year Five(ad) comic series. Issue twenty-two(ad) of the series is the first of a three-part finale written by Jackson Lanzig and Collin Kelly and artists Stephen Thompson and Elisabetta D'Amico, and offers both the start of an exciting explosive end to the series, and some impactful emotional moments. Continue below to check out the covers, a five-page preview, and some impressive behind the scenes artwork.

As usual for the series, the book is offered in two covers, either the main one(ad), which is also by Stephen Thompson (coloured by Charlie Kirchoff), or the rarer retail incentive cover(ad) by JJ Lendl, this time leaning into the Greek mythology references of the story. Check them out:

The Motion Picture director's edition getting a 4K upgrade, plus latest TOS movie and TV bluray releases

Paramount have got some real treats in store for TOS fans and physical media peeps, with new releases of the TOS movies on the way, and the complete TV series. But the biggest most exciting news is...

Two decades after The Motion Picture got a significant facelift in the form of The Director's Edition DVD(ad) release - In which director Robert Wise re-edited the film, including adding several new visual effects shots - Paramount have finally taking the plunge to do the work all over again and produce a 4K release of this much improved version of the movie!

Paramount are expecting the restoration project to take 6-8 months, and the end product will be a 4K Ultra HD release with Dolby Vision high dynamic range and a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The final product will initially be available exclusively on Paramount+(ad) (one hopes and assumes home media releases will follow in due course).

The restoration will be undertaken by the original team who worked with the late Robert Wise before; producer David C. Fein, restoration supervisor Mike Matessino, and visual effects supervisor Daren R. Dochterman,

Star Trek non-fiction books update: Shipyards, Nerd Search, Grudge the cat, and cookbook

Several publishers have announced new Star Trek non-fiction books recently, or updated covers and descriptions for books already known about. Continue below for the latest books on a diverse range of subjects spanning starships, cats, cookery, and puzzles!

First up, Eaglemoss: Hero Collector and Penguin Random House have revealed a new cover and updated title for the first of Alpha Quadrant alien ship books in the Star Trek Shipyards(ad) series, which is now known as Alpha Quadrant and Major Races: Acamarian to Ktarian(ad). Ben Robinson is listed as editor.

More images of the huge Playmobil USS Enterprise playset

A couple of weeks ago we got our first look at the huge Playmobil USS Enterprise playset(ad) coming later this year. Now a few more images have been released, along with higher quality versions of the first batch of images, so continue below for a closer look.

The meter-long model of the ship includes built in bridge and engineering playsets ready to house the Playmobil figures of all the main TOS characters included, plus app-controlled light and sound features. It also comes with a display stand, or alternatively a hanging kit to allow it to be suspended. One of the new images gives us a much clearer look at this feature, which given the size of model, looks impressively minimalistic!

Year Five #21: The Raptor's Wings part 2 cover, excerpt, and behind the scenes. Plus other Year Five updates

Last week brought us issue twenty-one(ad) of IDW's Star Trek: Year Five(ad) comic series, which was part two of the Vulcan time travel story The Raptor's Wings. Continue below for a five-page preview from that book, plus some behind the scenes art, and other updates from the Year Five series.

The Raptor's Wings was written by Brandon Easton, with art by Silvia Califano and colour from DC Alonso. As usual for the series, you can find it in two covers, either the main one(ad) by Stephen Thompson (coloured by Charlie Kirchoff), or the rarer retail incentive cover(ad) by JJ Lendl, in retro travel poster style. Check them out, plus the preview pages from the book:

Star Trek novel news: First Coda cover, and audiobook updates

Exciting times Star Trek novel readers, the first cover for this year's mega-crossover event, the Coda trilogy, has been released. Continue below to check it out, and for some other Star Trek novel updates.

The Coda trilogy(ad) will feature the crews under Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Ezri Dax, and William Riker dealing with a "Temporal Apocalypse" in the Star Trek books continuity readers will know well from the last couple of decades of Star Trek novels, which Picard has now rendered an alternate timeline (or maybe after this apocalypse, more linked in some way?). Dayton Ward's Moments Asunder(ad) kicks off the series, and as we can now see, the cover features the USS Enterprise-E swooping into action. 

Hallmark reveals Klingon Bird of Prey to join this year's Star Trek Keepsake decorations

Hallmark have revealed a new addition to their range of Star Trek Keepsake Christmas decorations this year, in the form of a convention exclusive ornament. With the Klingon Bird of Prey joining the line-up, this makes 2021 a two-starship year for Hallmark, who have already announced La Sirena from Picard, alongside TOS figures that make up the rest of this years range. Continue below to check out the latest preview images of them all.