The Mirror War: Data comic covers, blurb, and art teases

IDW's TNG mirror universe comic series The Mirror War(ad) is due to get its first character focused one shot in Data(ad), details of which have been announced in IDW's latest round of solicitations. Taking a break from the main eight-issue run, December will bring the first of four one-shot side-steps in the year long comic event. The Mirror War: Data takes on a different creative team to the core series, with Celeste Bronfman writing and Roberta Ingranata providing artwork. Here's the blurb for the book:

The spotlight turns to Data in this one-shot set in the Mirror Universe of The Next Generation! Expand upon the world of The Mirror War!

 Data and Barclay’s relationship has been strained since Barclay returned from the Prime universe. When Barclay becomes preoccupied with revenge, Data determines to help him right past wrongs so that the human can return to peak operating efficiency. Can the two put aside their differences and work together?

The comic will be offered in three covers, all featuring Data and Barclay. There's the A cover(ad), also by Roberta Ingranata, the B cover(ad) by Ejiwa "Edge" Ebenebe, or a more elusive retail incentive cover by Tom Ralston. Continue below to check them all out.

IDW The Mirror War comic updates

IDW 's big Star Trek event for the next year or so is The Mirror War(ad), the latest entry in their occasional mostly-TNG based mirror universe continuity, and their latest round of solicitations, other cover releases, and some artist teases, give us a few hints of where that series is going. Continue below to check out new covers and art:

The latest announced issue, The Mirror War #2(ad), is due out in November, and will be written by David and Scott Tipton, with art by Gavin Smith (as is the whole main series in this year-long event). Here's the blurb, noting an appearance by "The Obnoxious Okona":

Return to the Mirror Universe of The Next Generation with this brand-new series from writers David & Scott Tipton! 

When one of Picard’s secret supply caches is raided by “The Obnoxious Okona”—putting an obstacle in the way of the crew getting to Faundori—the Captain vows revenge. Meanwhile, Worf remains on their trail…

The book will be offered in three different covers, and all three have already been revealed, with more characters due to appear identified from the artwork. 

The A cover(ad) by J.K. Woodward prominently features Worf, alongside a Klingon Bird of Prey, La Forge, Beverly and Wesley Crusher, and a Cardassian. The B cover(ad) by Amanda Madriaga meanwhile brings us Benjamin Sisko and Ro Laren. Ro is also prominent on Mark Alvarado rarer retailer incentive variant cover.

Star Trek Magazine is reborn, as Star Trek Explorer

Titan Magazine's long-running Star Trek Magazine is getting a relaunch, with this October bringing us issue #1 of the new Star Trek Explorer. Check out the details of that first issue, and other Titan Publishing Star Trek releases, below:

Star Trek Explorer: The Official Magazine(ad)  is set to feature interviews, behind the scenes coverage, and new fiction content. Here's the blurb for the first issue:

STAR TREK EXPLORER THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE LAUNCHES A NEW ERA OF BELOVED SHOW! Featuring exclusive interviews with the cast and crew of Star Trek series as well as behind-the-scenes content you won't find anywhere else! This new magazine will also feature Star Trek exclusive fiction! Plus much more!

The covers for the first issue suggest an emphasis on interviews with the Discovery cast and crew for this issue, alongside a Kirk-focused "mini-magazine", a "Star Trek 101" explainer feature, and the promised "exclusive fiction". The previous Star Trek Magazine has before featured Star Trek Online based short stories, and excerpts form Star Trek novels; will this new format continue those sort of things, or maybe offer so some completely new short stories from different corners of the Trekverse? The only clue is that Disco-era Captain Pike is used to illustrate the new fiction tag on the cover (alongside "all-new magazine" and "new features" mind you).

The book will be offered in two covers, either the regular edition(ad) featuring Burnham in an EV suit, of the Previews exclusive edition(ad) using Tim Anderson's TOS art from the 50 Artists 50 Years collection(ad).

Book bits: Final Coda cover revealed, new blurb, other novel updates, and Star Trek Online short story collection

The final cover for the Coda trilogy(ad) has been revealed, as has a new blurb from the series, and a surprise Star Trek Online short story collection. Continue below for more on these, and all the latest Star Trek prose updates.

Next month begins the Coda trilogy, a series which will bring together the heroes of the Star Trek novel continuity of pre-Picard reset in a "Temporal Apocalypse" mega event. The cover for the final book in the trilogy, David Mack's Oblivion's Gate(ad), which will close the story in November, has finally been revealed, and stars the USS Defiant, seemingly beginning to vanish from reality!

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:

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.

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.

Star Trek novels: New Picard post-season one novel announced, plus Coda and Living Memory previews

A few Star Trek novel news items have turned up lately, including a little something from the Coda trilogy, and previews of the newest TOS novel, Living Memory. But most excitingly, there is news of the first Star Trek novel scheduled for 2022, and the first non-prequel Picard novel!

Coming in April 2022 from Una McCormack is Second Self(ad), a new Picard novel which centers on Raffi, and unlike the three Picard novels so far(ad), which have filled in the backstory for characters in the series in prequel settings, this new book is set after the events of the first season. 

The blurb therefore might be mildly spoilery for where we are come the start of the second season, as it suggests where some characters are beyond simply flying off away on La Sirena:

A thrilling untold adventure based on the acclaimed Star Trek: Picard TV series!

Following the explosive events seen in season one of Star Trek: Picard, Raffi Musiker finds herself torn between returning to her old life as a Starfleet Intelligence officer or something a little more tame—teaching at the Academy, perhaps. The decision is made for her though when a message from an old contact—a Romulan spy—is received, asking for immediate aid. With the help of Cristobal Rios and Dr. Agnes Jurati, and assistance from Jean-Luc Picard, Raffi decides to take on this critical mission—and quickly learns that past sins never stay buried. Finding the truth will be complicated, and deadly….

IDW return to TNG's mirror universe in The Mirror War

IDW have announced a big new comics project set to start later this year. After a little while away from the mirror universe they are returning in 13-issue year-long event, Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Mirror War.

Following up on the previous three TNG mirror miniseries Mirror Broken(ad), Through the Mirror(ad), and Terra Incognita(ad), the series will begin with an issue zero one-shot in September, with an eight-issue miniseries to follow. That will be interspersed with tie-in character-focused specials, the first of which will focus on Data and release in December. IDW promise that:

the 13-part saga will chart Mirror Picard’s path of conquest across all of the Mirror Universe, stoking the wrath of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance along the way.

The series will be written by Scott and David Tipton, who previously wrote all the preceding TNG mirror comics (and many other IDW Trek titles). The #0 issue will be illustrated by Carlos Neto, who also worked on several of the previous TNG mirror books. Here's how IDW describe that issue:

...a new story of “Mirror Picard” as he’s summoned to Earth to face the wrath of his emperor, deftly weaving threads from past Mirror Universe tales in a way entertaining to newcomers and the initiated alike.

UPDATE: IDW's August solicitations, in which The Mirror War #0 is the only Star Trek release (rather than September?), include this blurb as well:

Get caught up with the Mirror Enterprise-D before its crew—helmed by Jean-Luc Picard—faces new threats and challenges in the upcoming Mirror War event!

Following the failure of the attempt to steal ships from the Prime Universe, Picard and the Mirror Crew are called back to Earth to report to the Emperor personally… so long as they can survive the trip!   

This issue will be offered in three different covers; either cover A by Carlos Nieto, Cover B by Ejiwa “Edge” Ebenebe, or a retail incentive cover by Bex Glendining. IDW have released the A cover so far:

IDW Year Five comic previews and art

IDW have recently released details of their July releases, which include just one new Star Trek comic, the epilogue to soon to be concluded TOS: Year Five maxiseries. Continue below for details of that, more Year Five art, and other Star Trek comics updates.

Year Five #25: Experienced in Loss(ad), will be a bumper-size epilogue to the series, which will be written by all the writers from the series: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Jody Houser, Brandon Easton, Jim McCann, and Paul Cornell. They are joined by almost all of the series' artists: Angel Hernandez, Silvia Califano, Stephen Thompson, and Christopher Jones. Here's the solicitation blurb:

The five-year mission may be over, but now it’s time for the next adventure to begin. Join the crew of the Enterprise for the end of an old chapter and the beginning of a new.  This special, oversized epilogue from the entire Year Five writing team bridges the gap between the end of the five-year mission and the beginning of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

As usual, the book will be offered in two different covers. The main one, not yet revealed, will be by Stephen Thompson, whil J.J. Lendl provided the rarer retail incentive cover, which has been previewed:

Year Five covers and updates, and other Star Trek comics news

IDW have released their June released, which include two Star Trek titles. Continue below for the details of those, and other Star Trek comic updates.

June will see just one new Star Trek comic, the finale of the magnificent TOS: Year Five series. As with the rest of the three-part story, issue twenty-four is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, with art by Stephen Thompson. Here's the blurb:

Their journey has taken them to the edge of the known universe and beyond. They’ve faced down impossible odds, conquered incredible enemies, and now, here in the shadow of home, their mission will come to an end... and nothing will ever be the same. The crew of the Enterprise will put it all on the line in the grand finale of Star Trek: Year Five from showrunners Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly (Gotham City Garage, Green Arrow) and artist Stephen Thompson (Satellite Falling, Die Hard: Year One).

As usual the book will be offered in two different covers, with the main by Thompson as well, and a more elusive retail incentive cover by JJ Lendl. So far just the latter has been revealed:

Two quirky new Star Trek books from Robb Pearlman

There's no let up in the new Star Trek book announcements this month! Two more newly revealed books are both by Robb Pearlman - Who has previously given us quirky Trek books including Body by Starfleet: A Fitness Guide(ad), Redshirt's Little Book of Doom(ad), and Fun with Kirk and Spock(ad) - These latest books will be giving us some Starfleet inspiration, and the world according to Grudge the cat. Continue below to check them out.

The first Star Trek book from publisher Smart Pop (which Pearlman is also Editor in Chief of), Starfleet Is... Celebrating the Federation's Ideals(ad), is coming in September, and presents imagery from across the franchise with simple captions of what Starfleet stands for. Here's the cover and blurb:

Four more Eaglemoss books expand the Shipyards, Designing Starships, Celebration, and Nerd Search series

The Star Trek publishers are a busy bunch lately, as here are yet more new Star Trek books to look forward to this year! This latest selection of four newly announced books all come form Eaglemoss and Penguin Random House, but each offer a very different sort of book. Continue below to see what's coming.

First up, an interesting development in the increasingly vast "encyclopedia of starships" Star Trek Shipyards(ad) series: Eaglemoss will be creating a second edition of the Starfleet Ships 2294 - The Future volume(ad) in this series, to add in the new ships from Picard and Discovery season three. 

Book bits: New TOS and TNG novel covers, new children's book, and another starships book!

Lots of new Star Trek books and new book covers to look at today! Including a brand new children's book, another volume in the Star Trek Shipyards series, and new novel covers.

Note both the new novel covers below are marked as being potentially not final in Simon and Schuster Online Catalog. First up, behold the new cover for the next TNG novel, Shadows Have Offended(ad). This will be the first Star Trek novel from Cassandra Rose Clarke, and is due in July:

Star Trek novel updates: First Coda blurbs, details of next DS9 novel, and audiobook covers

More Star Trek novel news! Following the recent reveal of the 2021 line-up of Star Trek novels, Simon and Schuster have now updated their Online Catalog with blurbs for the books coming towards the end of the year, including the first details of the Coda trilogy. Continue below for all the details.

The Coda trilogy is set to tie-up the reality of the Star Trek litverse which has been told over the last couple of decades, but was alas shunted into an alternate timeline by the new canon events of Picard. All three of the new blurbs start with the following intro, which confirms we are getting one last enormous TNG/DS9/Titan/Aventine crossover:

The crews of Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Ezri Dax, and William Riker unite to prevent a cosmic-level apocalypse—only to find that some fates really are inevitable.

Book 1: Moments Asunder(ad), by Dayton Ward kicks off the trilogy in September:

REALITY ITSELF IS UNDER ATTACK.

The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy begins when the unexpected arrival of an old friend triggers a desperate mission to avert a fast-spreading temporal disaster.

James Swallow continues in October with Book 2: The Ashes of Tomorrow(ad):

THE FUTURE IS AT WAR WITH THE PAST.

The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy continues as friends become foes, the Temporal Apocalypse accelerates, and the catastrophe’s true cause is revealed.

And David Mack closes the trilogy in November with Book 3: Oblivion's Gate(ad):

THEIR MOST DAUNTING MISSION WILL BE THEIR FINEST HOUR.

The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy comes to a shattering conclusion as the Temporal Apocalypse forces Starfleet’s greatest heroes to make the greatest sacrifices of their lives.

Temporal Apocalypse!! Blimey. Who is the mysterious old friend, what is the nature of the disaster, how will this all mesh the litverse with the canon reality? I cannot wait to find out!

Year Five heads towards its finale in IDW's May comic releases

IDW have released their solicitations for May, which include a double dose of Year Five(ad), as the final three-part story in the series begins. Continue below for all the details of those, other updates from the series, and more comics news.

Year Five's finale, Ithaca, begins in issue 22(ad). The original creative team that began the series is returning; writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and artist Stephen Thompson. Here's the blurb:

For five years, the U.S.S. Enterprise and her crew have journeyed to the edge of the known universe, tackling impossible challenges and menacing foes along the way. But the biggest challenge of all awaits them here at home... and no matter what happens, the lives of Captain Kirk and his crew will be changed forever. The grand finale of Star Trek: Year Five begins here with a new issue from showrunners Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly (Gotham City Garage, Green Arrow) and artist Stephen Thompson (Satellite Falling, Die Hard: Year One).

The book is offered in the usual choice of two covers, with Thompson also behind the main cover, which features Kirk departing the Enterprise bridge. Alternatively the rarer retail incentive cover is by JJ Lendl, who is this time drawing on the ancient Greek theme of the title:

Next Picard novel is a Rios adventure, plus titles for the mysterious C trilogy

Some Star Trek novel news today, with lots of new details for the next Picard novel, and teasing titles for the mysterious trilogy until now only known as Untitled C. Continue below for all the latest.

First up, Simon and Schuster have released the title, author, cover, and blurb for the next Picard novel, John Jackson Miller's Rogue Elements(ad). As the cover makes clear, this book will help us get to known the captain of La Sirena, Cristóbal Rios:

Book bits: New blurbs for Discovery, TOS, and TNG novels, plus other prose updates

Simon and Schuster have released a rather exciting selection of new titles, blurbs, and other details, for forthcoming Star Trek novels, revealing some interesting sounding new books on the way, and filling out much more of the 2021 release schedule. Continue below for all the details.

First up a very promising sounding new Discovery novel from Una McCormack. Due out in May is Wonderlands, which is set to fill in the details of Michael Burnham's first year in the 32nd century waiting for Discovery to show up. 

UPDATE: Here's the cover (possibly not final per the Simon and Schuster online catalog):

And here's the blurb:

An all-new novel based upon the explosive Star Trek TV series!

In a desperate attempt to prevent the artificial intelligence known as Control from seizing crucial information that could destroy all sentient life, Commander Michael Burnham donned the “Red Angel” time-travel suit and guided the USS Discovery into the future and out of harm’s way. But something has gone terribly wrong, and Burnham has somehow arrived in a place far different from anything she could have imagined—more than nine hundred years out of her time, with Discovery nowhere to be found, and where the mysterious and cataclysmic event known as “the Burn” has utterly decimated Starfleet and, with it, the United Federation of Planets. How then can she possibly exist day-to-day in this strange place? What worlds are out there waiting to be discovered? Do any remnants of Starfleet and the Federation possibly endure? With more questions than answers, Burnham must nevertheless forge new friendships and new alliances if she hopes to survive this future long enough for the Discovery crew to find her....

Very exciting for this one; hopefully we'll get a much wider understanding of what the 32nd century is like than has so far been sketched out on-screen.

Year Five comic updates

IDW have released their solicitations for April, which include just one new Star Trek comic, the latest issue in the Year Five series. Continue below for all the details of that, and some other Year Five updates.

Issue 21 of Year Five(ad) is part two of the Vulcan/Romulan time travel story, The Raptor's Wings. The story is written by Brandon Easton, with art from Silvia Califano. Here's the blurb:

With Spock still missing, the crew of the Enterprise needs to figure out where—and when—he is if they want to save the future! Meanwhile, on Vulcan, Spock is faced with a choice that won’t only change his life, but Vulcan society as he knows it! The final voyages of the original mission continue in this episode from writer Brandon Easton (Transformers: War for Cybertron, Thundercats) and artist Silvia Califano (Star Trek: Year Five, X-Files: Case Files)

The book will be available in two different covers, and both have been previewed already. The main cover featuring Spock with the Stone of Gol, and a Vulcan and Romulan, is by Stephen Thompson, while a more elusive retail incentive cover is J.J. Lendl, the latest of their travel posters, advertising a time travel holiday to "Ancient Vulcan at Civil War".