Star Trek: Discovery - Aftermath (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

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Title: Star Trek: Discovery - Aftermath
Authors: Kirsten Beyer & Mike Johnson
Artists: Tony Shasteen & Angel Hernandez
Release Date: April 14, 2020


Synopsis: After the disappearance of the U.S.S. Discovery, Captain Pike and Chancellor L'Rell seek to forge a peace treaty between the Federation and the Klingons. But when a new enemy threatens to sabotage the negotiations, Spock must reclaim his place in Starfleet to save his friends and prevent the outbreak of a new war!

Plus, a special short story featuring Saru! Soon after the events on Q'onoS, the Discovery receives a distress call from someone from Tilly's past. It's up to Commander Saru to lead the crew against this sinister alien threat in his first mission as acting captain!

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Review: I recently caught up on Star Trek: Discovery and really enjoyed the second season. Of course I had to look up what tie-in material I had missed. This graphic novel combines two stories into one volume: Aftermath and Captain Saru.

The Captain Saru story takes place while the Discovery is being repaired before the crew is assigned a new captain. Saru commands a skeleton crew as they rescue another Starfleet vessel that Tilly just happens to be on. It's a fun short mission with Orions as the antagonist. The opening really confused me about blueberries. I'd give this story a 4/5.

The main and first story in this volume chronologically takes place after Captain Saru. It follows the Enterprise after the conclusion of the second season. It does one of the things I love the most about ancillary Star Trek fiction. It brings characters and ideas from all different eras together. Kor from TOS is seen right next to the Klingons introduced in Discovery. We even get to see Kor use a bat'leth. L'Rell and Spock working together was great to see. I like their dynamic. Amanda (Spock's mom) is also featured and she was one of my favorite parts of the second season so I loved seeing more of her. Captain Pike eating Klingon food is wonderful. It really makes me want a show featuring the Enterprise with Captain Pike, Number One, and Spock! I give this story a 4/5.

I really enjoyed both of the stories in this volume. The blending of different aesthetics from the different Star Trek eras is done so well. I give this graphic novel a 4/5. If you enjoyed the second season of Star Trek: Discovery, you'll like this book.


--PAUL

The Orville Season 1.5: New Beginnings (comic) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Dark Horse Books via Edelweiss. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: The Orville Season 1.5: New Beginnings
Author: David A. Goodman
Illustrators: David Cabeza & Michael Atiyeh
Upcoming Release Date: February 18, 2020


Synopsis: The crew of the Orville continue their space explorations, encountering new alien civilizations and confronting old enemies in these stories by Executive Producer David A. Goodman!

Picking up where season one of Seth MacFarlane's space adventure TV series leaves off, this volume contains four episodic chapters.

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Review: The Orville is Seth McFarlane's comedy sci-fi tv show reminiscent of Star Trek. This graphic novel compiles two story arcs that take place between season 1 and 2 of the show. 

The first story finds Ed and Gordon on their way to a conference when they receive a distress beacon from a hundred year old vessel. They get shot down and end up stuck on a desert planet. Meanwhile, on the Orville some romance may be starting to blossom. I found this story entertaining. It felt very much like a story that would be in an episode. I would give this story a 3.5/5. 

The second story focuses on a group of xenoanthropologists about to enter Krill space. Someone from John's past comes into play. I found the details of Krill religious beliefs interesting. I give this story a 4/5. 

Overall, I thought this graphic novel is great ancillary material. It feels just like the show. The content also directly connects to plot points in the show. This is a great example of tie-in material. I give this whole book a 4/5.  


--PAUL

Star Trek: Manifest Destiny Issue #1 (comic) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors/IDW Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Star Trek: Manifest Destiny #1
Author: Mike Johnson and Mike Parrott
Illustrator: Angel Hernandez
Recent Release Date: April 20, 2016

Synopsis: This all-new adventure is set at the edge of explored space, as Captain Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise come face to face with a new Klingon threat... with the fate of the galaxy at stake.

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Review: I like how ensemble-y this new Enterprise cast is often written. The art in this comic is so lifelike. The characters look just like their actors. 

This story starts with the Enterprise crew during a usual Starfleet mission, which is cool to see this crew having. 

The Klingons are pretty badass. I really enjoyed this first issue, but I don't know if the whole arc will be able to live up to it. I give this issue a 5/5. 


--PAUL

Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors and IDW Publishing in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War
Author: Mike Johnson
Illustrator: Angel Hernandez
Upcoming Release Date: March 29, 2016


Synopsis: Two iconic franchises collide for this blockbuster crossover event! The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise meets the Green Lantern Corps for the first time in an all-new adventure that spans the cosmos! Kirk and Spock make a most unusual discovery on a lost world... igniting events that will change the fate of empires!

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Review: I am a big fan of Star Trek. I grew up watching Voyager and I am very familiar with all things Trek. I've read some of the reboot film comics, but I haven't kept up with them. Green Lantern on the other hand, I know very little about. I've seen the film. I know some of the history of the Corp, but I am definitely just a casual consumer when it comes to Green Lantern. 

In this graphic novel, your really only need to be a casual consumer of either franchise. Anything that needs to be explained is explained. Obviously, you'll enjoy it more the more familiar you are with either franchise. 

The rings from the Green Lantern universe make their way into the Star Trek world. With them, comes some characters as well. When the rings arrive, they find new bearers. Many of the Enterprise crew get rings that match their personalities. Unfortunately, so do villains. General Klang the Klingon makes an appearance. There are also appearances from the classic Star Trek races Gorn and Romulan. 

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this comic. It is done really well. It's a fun, high energy story with great characters. I give this graphic novel a 4/5. If they continue this crossover series, I want to read the next volume! My favorite image was Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, sitting in the Captain's Chair of the Enterprise.   


--PAUL

Galaxy Quest: The Journey Continues (graphic novel) - Paul's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from IDW Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Galaxy Quest - The Journey Continues
Author:  Erik Burnham
Illustrator: Nacho Arranz
Recent Release Date: August 6, 2015

Synopsis: Once upon a time, a troupe of has-been actors that starred on an old sci-fi show were enlisted by an alien race to save them from an intergalactic tyrant. Despite being way out of their depth, the cast somehow managed to save the aliens and stay alive... but their actions in outer space may have had dire consequences for another world. The cast of Galaxy Quest have enjoyed a career resurgence since returning from their intergalactic adventure, but all that is about to be interrupted by Qint, an alien with a very surprising ax to grind against Jason Nesmith and the crew of the NSEA Protector!

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Review: Galaxy Quest is one of my favorite Star Trek movies. Yes, that was a joke. But it really captured so much about Star Trek from the fandom to the cheesiness to the heart and the sci-fi. Galaxy Quest is a great movie and this comic follows those characters. 

Outside of our own soloar system, there were consequences when the Omega 13 was activated. Those consequences have finally found their way back to the crew of the NSEA Protector or rather the actors playing those characters.

Just as the movie did, this comic plays with a lot of sci-fi (and specifically Star Trek) tropes and cliches. They're all done in a fun self-referential way. 

This is a fun story, but I didn't think the characters looked all that much like their movie counterparts. I recommend this to fans of Galaxy Quest, especially those familiar with Star Trek. I give this graphic novel a 3.5/5.   


--PAUL

Star Trek: Ongoing, Volume 9: The Q Gambit (graphic novel) - Paul's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors/IDW Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Star Trek: Ongoing, Volume 9: The Q Gambit
Writer: Mike Johnson
Artist: Tony Shasteen
Upcoming Release Date: April 14, 2015


Synopsis: The crew of the new Star Trek film franchise encounters the classic villain Q for the first time in this galaxy-spanning adventure developed in association with screenwriter/producer Roberto Orci! The mischievous Q sends James T. Kirk on a quest that will see the Enterprise joining forces with familiar faces from Star Trek lore.

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Review: This graphic novel blends the new Star Trek films with the old canon TNG/DS9. I always enjoyed the Q episodes of TNG and Voyager. I enjoyed seeing Jean-Luc again, this time talking to Q about alternate timelines. 

Pretty much every DS9 character makes an appearance in this book. Terok Nor is not Deep Space Nine. I enjoyed all the cameos. 

The classic Star Trek idea of a no-win scenario is brought up yet again. I give this graphic novel a 3.5/5. It is a fun read for fans of EVERYTHING Star Trek. New fans unfamiliar with the older television shows will not get all the references. 


--PAUL

Star Trek: Kahn (graphic novel) - Paul's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors/IDW Publishing on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Star Trek: Kahn
Contributors:  Mike Johnson, Claudia Balboni
Publication Date: June 3, 2014


Synopsis: Witness the shocking origin of Khan Noonien Singh from his earliest years through his rise to power during the epic Eugenics Wars! Behold the events that led to his escape from Earth aboard the Botany Bay! Learn the truth behind his re-awakening by Admiral Marcus and Section 31! It's the origin of Star Trek's greatest villain!

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Review: The graphic novels that have accompanied the recent Star Trek reboot movies have been pretty good. They've shown behind the scenes action and expanded on the movie characters' stories. They also take time to reference the rest of the Star Trek universe, especially past series. 

This graphic novel expands on the Kahn character we meet in the second reboot Star Trek movie, Into Darkness. It's really interesting to compare this graphic novel to the original series episode involving Kahn and the second original movie. 

I give this graphic novel a 4/5 and recommend it to fans of Star Trek, both the new and old. 


--PAUL

Redshirts by John Scalzi (audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton) - Paul's Review

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Title: Redshirts
Author: John Scalzi
Year Published: 2012

Narrator: Wil Wheaton
Audiobook Length: 7 hours 41 minutes

My Pre-Reading of Redshirts

Synopsis: Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It's a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship's Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn't be better...until Andrew begins to pick up on the facts that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces; (2) the ship's captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues' understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is...and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

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Review: This was soooooo much more than I expected it to be. I thought it would just be a fun simple satire of the redshirts from Star Trek: The Original Series, but it is so much more. Not to be too spoilery, but this book tackles topics of existentialism and is super meta. I was surprised how much it made me think. Between listening to the chapters, I was thinking about so many things. 

The "meta"ness of this book is amazing. There are so many levels that it will make your head explode. Scalzi did an excellent job putting this book and the concept together. I loved the explanation for each character. They all had their place. 

There were so many specific Star Trek episodes that were referenced or indirectly referenced that I got the nostalgic chills for. I'm sure they were even more references place by Scalzi that I didn't get. You don't have to be that familiar with Star Trek though. 

The three codas at the end of this novel have a completely different feel to the rest of the novel. When listening to the audiobook, the story ended and I still had two hours left. There were so many emotions felt by me during the codas. I related to each of them in a different way. 

This book was entertaining, funny, and thought provoking. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it. Wil Wheaton's narration is also excellent. I give this book and its audiobook a 5/5. 


--PAUL

Redshirts by John Scalzi (audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton) - Paul's Pre-Reading

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Title: Redshirts
Author: John Scalzi
Year Published: 2012

Narrator: Wil Wheaton
Audiobook Length: 7 hours 41 minutes

Synopsis: Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It's a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship's Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn't be better...until Andrew begins to pick up on the facts that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces; (2) the ship's captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues' understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is...and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

Why?:  I've heard great things about this novel. FX is currently developing a tv series and I want to make sure to read (or listen to) this book before that happens. Also, it's Star Trek. And I am quite the nerd. Also, Wil Wheaton narrated this audiobook. I really liked how he narrated Ready Player One. 

Expectations: I'm expecting a fun satire of Star Trek focusing on the redshirts who always end up dead on away missions. I'm sure there will be a lot of light hearted making fun of Star Trek. 

Judging a book by its cover:  The cover is simple: a redshirt. It reminds me of the TOS uniforms, which it is supposed to. 


--PAUL

Star Trek: The John Byrne Collection - Paul's Review

**I was provided an ecopy of the first chapter in this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

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Title: Star Trek: The John Byrne Collection
Author: John Byrne
Year Published: 2013

Upcoming Release Date: Tuesday June 4, 2013

Synopsis: Comics legend John Byrne has taken on 4 Star Trek titles, and they are all collected here, in one oversized hardcover collection. "Assignment Earth" recounts the adventures of interstellar agent Gary Seven, "Crew" recounts a tale from the very beginnings of the United Federation of Planets, "Leonard McCoy: Frontier Doctor" is a collection of tales from the member of the Frontier Medics Program, and mystery, intrigue, and war abound in "Romulans."

Review: I was provided the first chapter of this graphic novel collection. It takes place during the TOS era and shows some behind-the-scenes action in Romulan space. I liked that it showed more about the cloaking devices that were so prevalent in TOS. The Klingons were cool to see as well. 

I'll give this one chapter a 3/5 and I look forward to checking out the graphic novel when it is released.  

-PAUL

Star Trek: TNG Hive - Paul's Review

***I received an ecopy of this book from Diamond Book Distributors via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

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Title: Star Trek: The Next Generation - Hive
Author: Brannon Braga
Year Published: 2013

Release Date: March 12, 2013 

Synopsis: In the distant future the entire galaxy has been completely assimilated by Borg and its king... Locutus! The only hope lies in the past, in the hands of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise - as Picard faces off against the Borg collective in one final, terrifying, and definitive encounter!

Review: I was only provided with the first 3 issues of this comic series, so bear this in mind as I continue my review. 

This comic just did not pull me in. I enjoyed the references to the Star Trek Expanded Universe, such as Riker on the Titan with Tuvok. I enjoyed some characters from the television series reappearing. But, there was nothing new with the story. The Borg has been so overplayed. The aliens in this comic are very similar to Species 8472 from Star Trek: Voyager. I didn't really like how they magically brought Data back. Too much was happening that didn't make sense to me. 

I do realize I didn't get to the end of this comic and I'm sure the ending will be interesting as all the pieces of the story come together, but I didn't enjoy it enough to go out and purchase the fourth volume immediately. Maybe if I notice it at the comic book store. 

I will give what I read of this graphic novel a 2.5/5.

-PAUL