Many Happy Returns!

No, we haven't forgotten. 

So Happy Birthday Star Trek. Forty-seven years ago today the very first episode of The Original Series aired and now-household names were born. 

Thanks Gene for your creation and here's our own mini-tribute to this landmark event in TV history with the first spoken words by a certain Mr Shatner as Captain James Tiberius Kirk. Who could've known we'd still be talking, writing, blogging, vlogging, audio-novelling, online gaming etc etc after so long - and even making the odd blockbuster movie still (take that one, Dr Who)?

But perhaps we should now start asking what 50 years will have for us - September 8th 2016 is but three years away...

The Second Edition: EagleMoss Goes to the Movies

The headline is probably a little extravagant but with their second issue of the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection, EagleMoss have turned back the clock to the '70's and '80's with the refit movie Enterprise.

I'll tell you now that this is my all-time favourite variant of the USS Enterprise from any movie, series or online gaming experience. The original design is a classic but this took it that little step further and succeeded by improving on its TV predecessor. Indeed, you can even see parts of it in the design of the JJ Abrams alternative universe starship in his movies which shows how significant a development it was.

So down to business and after the first issue's flight with NCC-1701-D, where could they go with this edition? The answer is that it's exactly, page for page the same format as that magazine but that's the whole point. This is, essentially, a reference tool that sits alongside the model which is the main feature here.

But let's look at the magazine for starters this time. Focusing on the refit Constitution Class there is only, The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock for onscreen material so once the initial specs page is turned, it's straight into a history of the ship following the five year mission.

Now the information is very brief here, keeping to fairly basic information about the 18 month refit although there is mention of the change in the style of the warp core from horizontal to vertical as well as the total redesign of virtually every system aboard. Significantly there are no comparison pictures which might have been welcomed to more recent additions to the fan base but clearly the intention here is to remain 100% attentive to the subject in hand. Given the short period of time the refitted NCC-1701 was in service, the operational history is short, running to just about four paragraphs which are essentially plot synopses of the first three classic movies. 

For the more ardent fan there will be little, if anything new here although the mention of the colour changing deflector dish raised a smile - there are more than a few times where the reason given for the gold or blue hue is ignored including within pictures in this issue! I think it might be worth EagleMoss just paying a little more attention to the content as inconsistencies in such a small volume will be picked up on very quickly. 

The choice of the drydock sequence in The Motion Picture as a classic scene is a good choice as it provides those first glimpses of the new ship and would get reused in The Wrath of Khan. While again, short, there is a good sense this is written by a fan who does love this moment and everything it stood for. Seeing this ship reborn after such a long absence was an important moment to Star Trek fans and it didn't disappoint. 

The piece on examining the exterior changes is necessary but, once more, it's nothing new to seasoned fans - a lot of the detail was of course added because of the move to the movie screen and a significantly bigger budget - and an eight year jump in technology of course.

What really makes this issue worth the read are the background sections. In the first edition the designing and filming articles were great and here is no different. It's a shame there's not more detail on the aborted Phase II project but at least we can see the transitions from TV to movie version of the Enterprise on the page as well as understand a little about the thought process that went into updating such an iconic vessel. 

Most of the sketches have been seen before but they are all excellently presented here and that's certainly a winning factor with the magazine - presentation is absolutely spot on. In fact the filming section even has a couple of images that I'd never seen before and was the best section of all. It is all very high-level in it's analysis of the ship and it's lifespan but it's incredible to learn how long it took to build the model, how much it cost for the late 1970's, how hard it was to film and just what level of detail was expected for the task in hand. Great read, well produced there.

Closing off with some classic moments and anecdotes raised a smile in this issue and I don't think you can quibble over the choices made in any way; Mutara Nebula and Genesis Planet. No need to say more.

So the model. Well, I'm actually a little disappointed. I asked for a second opinion from an online associate and his comment was that it looked "unfinished" and I'm inclined to agree. The Enterprise-D was a great model and very well detailed all over. Here, the saucer (metal) is well finished and painted with colouring of the thrusters and bridge sections. However, the plastic secondary hull and nacelles feel a little bit cheap. There is detail of windows and pendants but the torpedo tubes are unpainted (see right) and the shuttlebay seems undistinguished from the rest of the hull. While this has been done from original CBS-owned material I'm once again wondering on the accuracy. Could we compare to these fabled documents in the future perhaps?

I will give the creators top marks however on ensuring that the nacelles and saucer are all aligned. Too many times have there been models made where everything is at odd angles and really distracts from the product. I'd also suggest you get a spot of superglue on the stand base to keep the clear arm in place. The model sits well but does stay quite loose so be warned if it's going to be moved as mine has done several repeat performances of it's dying moments from The Search for Spock.

With that in mind my comments on the "minor" hull detailing might seem harsh but I'm concerned that EagleMoss are billing this as being an accurate collection then seem to have a slight misstep. Of course it could be that we were given such a great model last time because of the quality of reference materials available and the different times in Star Trek history they herald from - different times, different methods, different results and that's how I'll look at it for the next few weeks at least. The Bird of Prey and the NX-01 should highlight if my hypothesis there is correct.

Sadly the price of the magazine goes up next issue to £9.99. It's been great value at £1.99 for the first issue and £5.99 for this issue (although I was undercharged at WH Smiths at £5.40 for some reason). I'm not sure if I can justify this cost twice a month for a very basic magazine and a model that could be of varying quality. I look forward to EagleMoss proving me wrong as I do hope this series is an absolute runaway success. I don't believe for a second that this will be the last issue I buy but they might not be consecutive releases.

On a further note, taking a look at the packaging that the second issue arrived provided some more information on the future of this publication. While the next 28 issues have had their contents confirmed there are a couple of ships that we can definitely say will also be in the range at some point -the Enterprise-B, the Steamrunner Class from First Contact, the Fesarius from The Corbomite Maneuver, the Delta Flyer from Voyager and the Cardassian Hideki Class ship. Truly a great line up with more to be revealed (hopefully) sooner rather than later!

So, thanks EagleMoss for  what promises to be a great collection and two superb starter editions and models. Quality will be the key her to retaining the collectors. The magazine is a nice addition but it's all about the ships here and let's not forget that. We might grumble at the 18 pages of average, repeated info (for the most part) but never before has such a detailed collection been promised or attempted. "A" for effort.

Here's to issue 3 and the Klingons - good thing you didn't start with three really iconic ship designs....!

The second edition of the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection is available now and you can find out more by visiting the official website.

Star Trek: The Original Series - The Shocks of Adversity

The Enterprise ends up catching a lift this month as Kirk and crew deal with The Shocks of Adversity. 

It's one of the more unusual stories I've encountered in the Simon and Schuster range and is the first to effectively be a "bottle" story with most of the action taking place on board the ship with only an initial away mission giving the crew a breath of Class M air. As usual, beware because I might just allow a few spoilers to slip in...

First though, let's do a bit of scene setting. As the ship navigates the fourth year of it's five year mission, an encounter with an apparently hostile alien race stirred up with a case of mistaken identity means that the Enterprise is severely damaged and left stranded light years from a Starfleet repair yard. Begrudgingly Kirk accepts aid from a ship from the Goeg Domain, a group of aligned worlds and races, who agree to tow the starship to their facility for the necessary repairs. All seems simple enough but give it a few chapters and then things really start to heat up.

William Leisner is not a Star Trek author I am so far familiar with but his style is distinctly different to everything I've encountered before with The Original Series. It seems, well, smoother. The narrative flows well and there appears to be much more depth to the story which did mean I was keeping track of events very closely. The central "guest" aliens here are the Goeg Domain and their enemy the Taarpi. It's a story that does seem to draw some parallels with current conflicts in the Middle East as well as events which occurred some 70 years ago in Europe. While this is very subtly done it draws on something that perhaps other Star Trek novels have failed to deliver on - the ability to hint at real world events within the story. 

Going back to Roddenberry himself this was one of the things that pervaded the 1960's show and a prime example is A Private Little War of course. Here those parallels are underplayed to the crisis facing an increasingly powerless Kirk as his ship receives unwanted but necessary assistance far from home.

One thing that becomes evident is that you do need to understand the Goeg Domain pretty quickly here. The shame of it is that while I enjoyed the story all I could think of when reading anything to do with this new people was "Xindi". Effectively the Domain is set up in something similar which in itself was a slight alteration of the Dominion but I could have done with Leisner perhaps signposting a little more clearly which strand of the Domain characters were from more often. Indeed, there is a scene where some survivors are rescued and it took me a while to recall, find and read back what race they were and its significance to the tale.

It's a great concept and it does all work to the conclusion however there is a sense very early on that you know where this might be leading. Indeed, once the Enterprise is coupled to the 814 - the Goeg vessel, it's the ONLY thing you think about. Each page becomes a step closer the inevitable and it doesn't disappoint.

The characters that Leisner chooses to focus on from the Goeg vessel are wonderfully written. The captain, Laspas is not two-dimensional and seems to grow as the novel progresses. In fact I found the more interesting passages of the book to focus on Laspas as well as his engineer N'Mi and also the doctor. We learn about their culture through these characters and how they fit into the structure of the Domain. Piece by piece the picture builds and we understand what is going on within this society. Leisner has even managed to create some of their mythology to help within the frame of the story and take his creations from being simple guests to significant characters in their own right - and there's even the option for a sequel dropped in their as well. Surely an opportunity not to be missed?


For the main crew each is treated well and gets a decent amount of time to play here thanks in no part to The Shocks of Adversity being heavily set on board the Enterprise and the 814. Not only that but both M'Ress and Arex from The Animated Series get in on the action for some of the time which feels a little unusual. I found myself having to reset my brain occasionally to stop it from drifting into animation and try to keep the setting in the "real" 3D world. While their appearances are not in any way necessary nor do they have any effect on the direction of the novel it's good to see their inclusion and an author not afraid to mix these two eras of Star Trek history together.

I did find myself feeling sorry for Kirk here and that's another strength to Leisner's writing. James T gets a rough deal, no two ways about it. An away mission goes slightly wrong,. his ship gets attacked and he's quickly driven into a corner with very few options to choose. For a man who doesn't favour the No Win Scenario this seems to be the nearest he gets to experiencing it first hand. He has absolutely no way to go other than trust the Goeg commander. If you're expecting a lot of action then I'd say you might be a little disappointed because while there are significant action sequences throughout which add to the intensity and discomfort that permeates the story it's much more about Star Trek's origins.

Now I did mention an away mission there and yes, there is an obligatory redshirt in the scene. This character does pop up now and again through the story as another voice in one aspect of the observations of the Goeg doctor who is paired off narratively with McCoy. He does act to balance against the more grouchy chief medical officer but even then you know he's this time's disposable cast member and it leaves only a little impact. In fact in comparison to other recent The Original Series novels McCoy is decidedly ungrouchy. Nice change to see him in a strong position with something to do which exposes a major part of the story as you will see.

Spock on the other hand seems to be a little sidelined here and it's unusual not to see him at the forefront of the action but it's probably Scotty and McCoy who get larger roles within the book due to their pairings with crew from the 814. These relationships are key in that understanding of the races in the Domain. Seeing it through the eyes of the doctor and chief engineer we see how events unfold and change through the course of the book as the reluctant partners become uneasy with each other. How Leisner has written Doohan's character here is a great reminder at how he could be a serious crew member and not a more comedy element that we are greeted with during the last two JJ Abrams outings. This is a man with priorities and a love of his ship. Using the areas of expertise of the main "narrators" gives them a way in with the Domain representatives but actually leaves you with very little new information about the Enterprise crew themselves - something I only really thought about after turning the last page.

Leisner's characterisation might not be super-brilliant but it is sufficient here where the themes, I personally feel, are of greater importance and show how far humanity has come in comparison by this point in the Star Trek future. It's much more about the situation here, the slow build-up, the reveal and the importance of the matters that are uncovered. Leisner's Goeg and Taarpi concepts are well developed and their explanation and execution Spock-logical.

The Shocks of Adversity allows us to examine the Domain and the Taarpi in detail and come to our own decisions as we go. It's also a wonderful example of how propaganda can be effective and we get to see this from all angles. I wouldn't want to spoil too much of the book but we are directed into several opinions and viewpoints along the way which are reflected in the conclusion and ensure that we are of an opinion of right and wrong by the time the encounter is complete.

Placing the crew effectively at the mercy of their hosts does take a little something away from the action and almost neuters the regulars. In a way they become the observers who nod us in the direction of events and allow the guest characters a stronger role here and that isn't a bad thing. It can be all well and good for the crew to be prominent but I've found recently where the narrative has had a slight twist (Allegiance in Exile) it's made for a great read. Kirk, Scotty and McCoy are in the front line but we learn as they do. 

The fact that the ship is at the mercy of these "allies" is portrayed through the slow feeding of information and I found this especially evident in the activities of Sulu and Chekov while they served on the 814. You can fee the unease and Leisner has done a wonderful job of crafting in just that edge of suspicion through the story. Everything seems to be just that bit too good and trusting from the off but in some ways this adds to the nature of the story because the seeds are laid so well and the powerless nature of the crew on the Enterprise seems to pass to the reader who is equally in a position unable to do anything about events.

To conclude though this was a good read. It's not one that will go down as a classic however it's a solid story that does have hints of other Star Trek series however it's unusual tag of the Enterprise being in a weakened position and maintaining that for some time is a great twist and shows that the ship and crew aren't as immortal and unstoppable as we might have believed on occasion in The Original Series. It's certainly a different angle to view the regulars from.

William Leisner is a solid writer who focuses more on background and events than perhaps the nature of his characters but again, this is a refreshing change as there seems to be a great deal of importance placed on the characters being representative of their TV counterparts and how close they have come to the portrayals by Shatner and co. I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that like JJ Abrams authors should write the characters in their own way. Leisner doesn't stray from the fold but a more relevant and observational tale means that we get into exploring those final frontiers with a different perspective.

Into Darkness: The Lost Blog

Going through the pictures on my phone the other day I found a clip I had totally forgotten about but now might have just a smidgen of relevance given today's DVD/blu-ray release.

It's a video of me outside the cinema before going to see Star Trek Into Darkness on opening day at midnight. See what you think and did any of these predictions manage to come true or did we just avoid them like the plague. Anyway, it's just being put out there....!

Why didn't I post it? Well it kind of got forgotten in all the excitement that surrounded the movie and became slightly irrelevant at the time. Now it's just a great chance to look back at a snapshot of time before we'd seen Into Darkness and experienced the second bite of JJ Abrams' Star Trek vision.

Of course the next question is, how does it fair on the smaller screen four months after it's cinematic opening back in May? Is it better, worse and what do the extras bring to the table? 

The Second Opinion: EagleMoss' USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D

In his first post for Some Kind of Star Trek our new contributor +Carl Thomson adds some more opinion to the new starships collection available in stores now. Time to get a chance to make a boyhood dream a reality perhaps?

Growing up with an ever growing interest and passion for sci-fi I found myself watching the adventures of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 with Captain James T Kirk and his crew, wishing as every fan does (I hope) to have been on Kirk's crew and that ship.  

When many other variations of the Star Trek franchise were launched I was as ever enthusiastic to further immerse myself in the saga - The Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine and Enterprise and found myself loving the ships. I was however, always disappointed that I never really found out there any good quality Starfleet ship models to collect. 

Nice background.... courtesy of CT

Until now! EagleMoss have just launched their Star Trek The Official Starships Collection. After seeing this advertised on television I held my breath until I could obtain that first edition. 

Now I will be a little honest here; I was not too bothered about the magazine I just wanted to complete a boyhood dream of building a collection of starships. The magazine in fairness is a good quality production filled with quality information about the ship in question, but it was the model of the Enterprise-D I sought.

I was pleased by the first experience of the model, it is quiet a weighty piece for its size and appeared to be a high quality production. I am impressed in general with the Enterprise-D and the attention to detail paid. The saucer section is well made, detailed though some discussion was had between Clive and myself on the shuttle bay doors. 

Anyone else pick up on this? Clive did right off the mark. In fact on page 10 of the magazine a picture clearly shows the doors differing in size (image right) yet on the model the doors are the same size! Moving to the secondary hull again this is of good detail showing the deflector dish and the same attention to detail as the saucer section. My only critic would be the nacelles, they could have been a little sturdier in my opinion. They do feel a little flimsy compared to the rest of this excellent scale model.

Overall I would give a 9 out of 10. The nacelles just let it down in my opinion. I am however, looking forward to building up my collection. I don't know if in these austere times I can afford every issue but I am on the look out for my favorite ships;  Voyager, Enterprise NX-01, and an Enterprise-E along with a Romulan Warbird and a Klingon Bird-of-Prey (looks like we might end up with the full collection between us! - Clive)

I'd be interested in the views of other fans out there and their opinions of the models and which ships they are looking out for.

Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection - Additional!

The first 30 issues have been announced and since then we've also discovered some extra little details....

Not only has a great little snap been posted onto their Facebook page showing some of the prototypes of the upcoming vessels (how many can you spot and name). While the majority are from the first 30 issues there's one near the front that might peak your interest. It's brown and circular; that's all I'm saying.

There's also a nice little survey for you to complete about the new EagleMoss production and why should this be so interesting? Well because as you go through it one question raises a Vulcan-esque eyebrow. 

It seems that there are going to be some specials produced during the series' lifetime with the first rumoured to be coming at the end of the year (and that it will be the first from the list below). The question asks if we would be interested in any the possibility of some additional volumes and notes that there are certain models already well under consideration:

1. Deep Space Nine
2. Current (JJ) Movie USS Enterprise
3. USS Vengeance 
4. Space Station K-7
5. TMP USS Enterprise in Spacedock
6. Nero's Narada

So what else could there be? I for one would love to see Starbase One, Regula One or maybe even something from The Animated Series as a special. I was a bit disappointed that Deep Space Nine might have been overlooked as it wasn't a starship but this new announcement more than makes up for that! Could this also indicate the potential to get the Star Trek Online Enterprise-F into the range? How about a battle-damaged movie-era USS Enterprise special edition? There could be some great extras to come.

Thanks also to +Aaron Darkwood who pointed me at this page from the Star Trek Starships website which shows the running order of the first 30 issues - interesting to note that there are subtle differences between the list we previously announced and these images. The Jem'Hadar bug for example is switched with the Nausicaan fighter and then totally replaced by the Romulan Valdore from Star Trek Nemesis. A second note is that the USS Reliant is marked up as the USS Majestic from Sacrifice of Angels.

Also worth pointing out that the Romulan Bird-of-Prey is the Star Trek: Enterprise version and not the one seen in Balance of Terror during The Original Series. Not what I would have expected but no doubt it'll be along later.

On that note, here's five that I'm wondering how long we'll be waiting for as part of the standard releases - you're welcome to add to this selection as a comment or suggest some more for the special editions above.

1. The Prime Universe USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (final issue surely?!)
2. USS Grissom NCC-838
3. Danube Class Runabout
4. The Phoenix
5. The Original Series Romulan Bird-of-Prey

Also don't forget that issue two is out this week and features the movie USS Enterprise. 

Further information about the The Official Starships Collection can be found at the publication website.

Star Trek The Official Starships Collection - First 30 issues Revealed!

With the first issue in the bag and the second less than a fortnight away, those lovely people over at EagleMoss have revealed which ships will be featuring in the first thirty issues of the magazine.

In my opinion there's a real range in here and some great ships that I can't wait to see. This should also help you plan out which ones are your priority buys if you're not intending on getting the full series as I've included the provisional issue dates for reference.

1. USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D
2. USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (movie refit) (5th September 2013)
   
3. Klingon Bird-of-Prey (19th September 2013)
4. Enterprise NX-01(3rd October 2013)
5. Romulan Warbird (17th October 2013)
6. USS Voyager NCC-74656 (31st October 2013)
7. Klingon K'Tinga battlecruiser (14th November 2013)
8. USS Excelsior NCC-2000 (28th November 2013)
9. USS Defiant NX-74205 (12th December 2013)
10. Borg Sphere (26th December 2013)
11. USS Reliant NCC-1864 (Miranda class) (9th January 2014)
12. Akira class (23rd January 2014)
13. Jem'hadar cruiser (6th February 2014)
14. Cardassian Galor class (20th February 2014)
15. USS Equinox NCC-72381 (6th March 2014)
16. Ferengi Marauder (20th March 2014)
    
17. USS Dauntless NX-01-A (3rd April 2014)
18. Bajoran Solar Sailor (17th April 2014)
19. USS Stargazer NCC-2893 (1st May 2014)
20. Klingon V'orcha class (15th May 2014)
21. USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E (29th May 2014)
22. Krenim Temporal Weapon Ship (12th June 2014)
23. Nebula class (26th June 2014)
24. Xindi insectoid ship (10th July 2014)
25. USS Prometheus NX-59650 (24th July 2014)
26. Tholian ship (7th August 2014)
27. Romulan Bird-of-Prey (21st August 2014)
28. Maquis Fighter (4th September 2014)
29. Jem'Hadar bug (18th September 2014)
30. Nausicaan Fighter (2nd October 2014)

A whole year and a bit planned out in starships! I'm looking forward to the Equinox, Dauntless and Prometheus models in particular as they're a bit more unusual. The Tholian Web is one of my favourite episodes so week 26 has also got a mark next to it! Odd that we aren't seeing more Enterprise's in these first 30 (only four) and some really odd additions such as the Xindi and Nausicaan vessels. 

Is there anything missing from these that you might have expected early on or is this a good range? Do you think that the Doomsday Machine or Gomtuu will be included? 

I think it'll allow EagleMoss to demonstrate how much access they have to CBS files and models with the more unexpected creations. Already this range suggests this is going to be a series well worth following either avidly or casually. Hopefully we'll be hearing more in the near future.

You can find out more about the new Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection by getting down to a decent newsagent or by visiting the website now!