Saturday 23 May 2020

Star Trek comics updates: IDW releases resume from June

IDW have released their latest solicitations, for August release, with just one new Star Trek title on the cards. Meanwhile regular releases are set to resume from June (following the recent Covid induced pause), with rescheduling of already announced titles filling up the schedules towards the end of the year already. Continue below for an update on all IDW's Star Trek series.

So first up, let's check out the newly announced book. The final issue in the latest DS9 miniseries, Too Long a Sacrifice has officially been announced. Issue four continues with the same creative team of writers Scott and David Tipton, and artist Greg Scott. Here's the blurb:
Everyone is a suspect on a space station one murder away from plunging into total chaos. Constable Odo has a suspect in his sights, but there's one final piece to this dark puzzle that will change everything he thought he knew-not to mention life on Deep Space Nine-forever. Don't miss the shocking conclusion to this space noir from David & Scott Tipton (Star Trek: Mirror Broken, Star Trek: The Q Conflict) and Greg Scott (Gotham Central, The X-Files)!
The book will be available in three covers, either the A cover by Ricardo Drumond, a B photo cover, or a retail incentive by J.K Woodward. So far only the photo cover has been released.

I suspect an August release for this issue might slip. IDW and Previews are currently listing different release dates for some issues, but both agree the series will now start in July. Which at a monthly release would see the series run from July to October. Here are the dates currently in circulation:
I think it's fair to say we should expect some updates to these release schedules still!

Meanwhile Amazon's listing for the omnibus for the series has been updated: They've switched cover art, with Ricardo Drumond's cover art for issue one now being used. This is currently still expected to arrived in December.

In other news from the series, several of the creators from the series recently took part in a WonderCon virtual panel on Star Trek comics, which is up on YouTube. This discussion included some chat about Too Long a Season, including a fun little slideshow from JK Woodward where he showed some of his cover art for the series. That including this amazing mock-up of an all out pulp novel version of his issue two cover. Somewhat toned down, this is what prompted the switch the the cool pulp style cover treatment the series is now using:


Woodward also shared some unused concepts. Here are other possibilities for issue one:


And an alternate issue two design:


Meanwhile in the 23rd century... There are no new issues for the TOS Year Five series in these latest solicitations, and with the shape of releases forming for this series, I expect we won't see new issues announced for a little while yet. IDW and Previews are again not listing the same dates for issues at the moment, but it seems clear the series will resume in June on a monthly basis, with already announced issues taking us up to October.
Writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly also took part in that WonderCon virtual panel and revealed some details of what is to come, including the shifting focus of the Year Five series as it enters its second year:
The first year of the comics, up to issue twelve, is coming back to the Federation. And then the second half of the series, from thirteen to twenty-five, is going to be entirely inside the Federation, and we're going to get a chance to go to Andoria, and Tellar, and Proxima, and Earth, and really see these things through the lens of the original series, which we never got a chance to do.
Brandon Easton meanwhile revealed his forthcoming storylines in the series will explore Carol and David Marcus, and later a storyline for Spock. Check out the whole panel for lots of Star Trek comics chat and behind the scenes insights.

One further little update from the series comes from colourist Charlie Kirchoff, who shared the cover art for issue fourteen, sans titles, on Twitter:



There are a few more releases also affected by shifting schedules:

Finally, something to brighten up your day: Artist Derek Charm has shared on Twitter some of his beautiful artwork from the Kelvin timeline Starfleet Academy series. He notes:
Came across a bunch of backgrounds from our Starfleet Academy series from 2017. It was my first *serious* comic and I thought it would be fun to fully render the backgrounds in every panel. It never happened again lol





Order links for mentioned books:
DS9Too Long a Sacrifice, by David and Scott Tipton, and artist Greg Scott.
TOSYear Five, by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly (#11, #12, #13, #14) and Jody Houser (#15), and artists Stephen Thompson (#11, #12), Angel Hernandez (#13, #14), and Silvia Califano (#15).
TOS: Hell's Mirror, by J.M. DeMatteis, and artist Matthew Dow Smith.
TOS: Debt of Honor, by Chris Claremont. and artist Adam Hughes.
Picard: Countdown omnibus, by Mike Johnson and Kirsten Beyer, and artist: Angel Hernandez.
TNG: Mirror Universe Collection, by Scott and David Tipton, and artists JK Woodward, Angel Hernandez, and Carlos Nieto.
Kelvin: Starfleet Academy, by Mike Johnson and Ryan Parrott, and artist Derek Charm.

To keep track of all the latest Star Trek comic releases, hit the comics button on my 2020 schedule page. You can also find reading lists for several Star Trek comic series on my Trek Collective Lists site.

Find Star Trek comics, toys, statues, and collectibles at TFAW.com!



1 comment:

Matt Gilbert said...

Hi. Please consider getting in touch with Rich Handley (Star Trek Graphic Novel Collection Editor) soon - he needs to get the word out to as many Star Trek fans as possible if there's a hope of seeing the Collection get a final extension to 160 volumes and collecting every Star Trek comic! This chance to collect everything likely won't come again. You can email Rich at handleyr.hasslein@gmail.com

Find Star Trek comics, toys, statues, and collectibles at TFAW.com!