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So it used to be that DC or Marvel or whoever owned the rights to produce Star Trek comics would do a “tie-in” whenever a new movie came out — essentially, telling the movie in the comic book. Yes, I agree, I’d rather see the movie, too. In any case, for whatever reason (probably because the license was between owners at the time) an adaption of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was never produced.
So, in proving the adage that it is indeed never too late to close the barn door, even after the horse has escaped, found bliss, gotten its groove on with a nice lady horse and been long since turned to glue, IDW is “fixing an oversight from 1982*” and producing a three-issue adaption of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
I’m sure there are a lot of non-Trek fans who want to see the eleventh Star Trek film (y’know, the “sexy” one). Give Star Trek II a chance. It’s, okay, early eighties, and the special effects aren’t up-to-par with Abram’s vision, but it’s a solid story, not overly preachy, and there’s a lot of action. Also, Star Trek XI borrowed heavily from Star Trek II — the Kobyashi Maru, the no-win scenario, the slimey things crawling into people’s orifices.
Anyway, here’s a preview of the comic:
* 27 *years* later!
Cross posted to my blog (because I'm a whore like that).
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
It's very hard to draw comic books with characters based on real people, the artist usually works from a photo or movie still with one (1) bland expression to choose from.
I think the CSI graphic novels are especially lifeless and boring (could be the source material tho), everyone looks like they are wearing halloween-masks of the people they are supposed to look like, with awkwardly angled necks if they're drawn in any other position than standing, with bland facial expressions that don't match the attitude of the accompanying speech bubble (again, maybe CSI is a bad example because every character is a soulless automaton, constantly cracking cynical jokes no one laughs at (I think "LA Law" was the first show to do that thing with the constant, deadpan, non-reciprocal joking (correct me if I'm wrong))).
Also, most comic books adapted from movies/TV feel like you are watching the feature in 32x fast-forward, due to the absence of music and the excluded filler stuff between scenes.
That said, I think they got Alley and Shatner close enough for jazz, and it would be nice to see the twok-action in panel form. Syke!
Registered: Aug 1999
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I don't really care for the way they set the shot up. In the film, Kirk enters in silhouette and walks the contour of the bridge while Saavik stands at attention like a cadet review.
Here he sort of stands over her while she chills on the floor. Seems out of character that she wouldn't be at attention when he's giving his performance review.
Registered: Jul 2006
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To be fair, the staging and ink work looks sloppy, but I rather like the colouring. Of course it's hardly fair to judge a book by just one page and compared to the quality of other "tie-in" books I've seen, this seems to rank near the high end of average. Have a look at some of the early B5 graphic novels and see what I mean.
posted
Regarding the setup of the shots, the scribblers should be entitled some artistic license. If every panel was based pixel for pixel on a screencap, what would be the point? Major events will be recognizable, of course, but film sequence composition and static image composition can have differing needs.
Compare for instance with the alternative panel layout, taking into account relative star drift.
Registered: Aug 1999
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What is the point anyway? They'd be better off screencapping the whole thing if there will be no new information.
I mean, there's great potential for this- showing how Kahn took over the Reliant and Regula One, maybe some additional background between Savik and spock, that edited scene with Kirk and Sulu talking about his pending command of the Excelsior, etc.
I'd buy it if it had those things.
One thing that no one in comics manages to do well is the ships- very often that subtle curve of the saucer is lost and the perspective usually looks terrible- and TWOK is such a ship-intensive movie...
Hey! It would be really cool to see the movie from only the inside of the Enterprise- the Mutara Nebula confrontation would be just like an old submarine movie that way.
But methinks it will surely suck and will lack all creativity- mainly due to Paramount's retrictions which have bound writer's hands in the past.
P.S., Nim, you're a sadist. Funny as hell but your foul attempts to besmirch the beauty that was Kirstie Alley (circa ST:TWOK) will not stand!
Though you could paste the "new" Kirk's head on there and have an infant standing in for Savik... Maybe just an embryo.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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Not only does it suck ass- the hack artist drew KBOPs attacking in the Kobayshai Maru simulation. You'd think they would have at least referenced the damn movie...
Registered: Aug 2002
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-------------------- I have plenty of experience in biology. I bought a Tamagotchi in 1998... And... it's still alive.
Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Nim: It's very hard to draw comic books with characters based on real people, the artist usually works from a photo or movie still with one (1) bland expression to choose from.
Unacceptable, sir. It's simple laziness. ImageGoogle the actor, or buy the movie on DVD and freeze-frame. You've got all the reference you need. Same goes with the ships. I could find a dozen cool angles on any ship from any of the movies in about 15 minutes.
And a lack of reference on the actor doesn't make bad anatomy ok.
I know that time is a factor and they may have all of a day to squat out these pages. But I feel like being crabby since I don't get to draw and paint nearly as much as I'd like to anymore.