Your Crew to Command: Timelines

Good news, good news - we're getting a new Star Trek game!

From the team that have developed and recently released Game of Thrones (Disruptor Beam) onto Facebook, Timelines looks set to satisfy the fan-base of every series in one, massive online hit. Second good point is that we can actually play as characters we recognise and know!

While Star Trek Online takes players beyond the end of Nemesis, Timelines will effectively allow a mix and match system from across all the different pieces of the franchise. Put Kirk in command with Dax at sciences and Worf running tactical - surely every fan's dream and perhaps one of the cons of Online. Add into that the ability to visit new planets, dangerous encounters and make tactical decisions and it's got us clammering to play it right now (bless hype, it really does blow things up to a whole new level so we can get critically disappointed).

Announced as a strategy, role-playing game it won't just be available to play on your PC but also your tablet which will more than likely draw a larger audience than Online gets at the moment due to the platform flexibility. Based on what we're being told so far (which isn't much) we're going to see huge storylines in which you'll be able to make decisions to impact the outcomes. Sounds fairly standard if you ask me. Said CEO of Disruptor Beam Jon Radoff in an interview regarding the imminent project: 

“Star Trek: Timelines will encompass all of these concepts, allowing you to explore the vastness of space along with your friends — letting you live out the ‘where no man has gone before’ mantra we all love — but will also allow you to make decisions that impact your future, your friends, and even the fate of the galaxy.”

Available initially at no cost, there will be a ton of in game purchases to ramp up your ship (a la Online and multiple other games) which will drain the wallet of many a hardcore fan looking to get involved. It's a big gamble digitizing your favourites and allowing them all to interact - but then risk is our business as someone once said. Taking the chance could make this a brilliant experience from start to finish.

From the perspective of the crew creation this is absolutely what many people will have wanted to do for years and will now be truly able to realise. The challenge for Disruptor Beam will be in keeping it interesting and immersive, developing exciting missions for your crew to complete and also making the stats of the characters believable. Also there's no mention of whether or not we'll be given the choice of Prime or JJ Kirk - I can see the conflicts now....

Considering the head start that Star Trek Online has with the gaming market it will be a hard battle for Timelines to win but it will provide some variety into the mix. A contrasting game to Online would make it a draw for fans, focusing more on moral dilemmas and clever situations rather than load torpedoes and blast everything in sight which, for me has led to to stay away from the Online universe thus far (although I am up for being persuaded otherwise).

For those of you who are now chomping at the bit, why not drop over to the official site here where you can follow the project on Facebook (also available on Twitter) as well as register with the potential to be involved with the beta testing of this amazing concept. Without question this will be the place to find out all the latest updates as and when they happen.

Now this announcement also made me think of something I've never ever done - pick my dream crew. So, for the first time ever I thought I'd put it down on screen. I've picked out a range of positions more in line with The Next Generation than anything else. Should raise some opinions (plus a couple of extras). Why I've never done this before I'll never know - maybe I've been in denial. Some fairly obvious choices in here with a few that will raise the odd temperature.

More detail on the upcoming game, Star Trek: Timelines, can be found in this interview with Jon Radoff on VentureBeat and this shorter article on startrek.com.

You can also view the announcement trailer right here... So what do you think? Is this the right way to encourage gamers into the Star Trek fold? Why not add your comments below!

The Legend Began...Again

April 6th 2009 was the day that Star Trek fans had waited for since the closing credits of These are the Voyages in 2005.

For the first time in four years there would be new Star Trek to watch, produced and directed by Lost creator JJ Abrams - and it would be on the big screen. How could this not be good?

The 2009 movie was the ultimate game-changer in the franchise. Taking the original series crew, messing up the timeline a little bit and effectively starting from scratch with a little help from Leonard Nimoy just to remind us all that it was still Star Trek in a way. Just.

It split fans clear in two with no Neutral Zone to sit in. You loved it or you hated it. It had rebuilt the franchise or it had destroyed it overnight. As the box office receipts show (and the recent IMDB comparisons of the movies), it was no failure and we all flocked to the cinemas to experience this rebirth of an apparently flagging sci-fi epic. 

Not only has it been that long since the reboot kicked off but we've also had a sequel in that time, several graphic novel tie-ins, TV series rumours linked to it, models, figures and even a so-so game on XBox and the like.But have my opinions - or yours changed over the last five years? Have we welcomed this re-envisioning more warmly now? Did we always? Or do we still view it with the same distain and prefer to watch Threshold and Shades of Gray on endless loop?

From my point of view when I saw it I was excited, impressed and tinged with disappointment all in one go. There was no doubt that seeing the Enterprise back on the screen was the best thing in years to happen to the franchise. The music if nothing else adds such an ambiance to the movie, echoing the classic films and series - and I do listen to it a lot. It's one of the the best Star Trek soundtracks of any of the movies hands down but that's not all. Prime Spock was great, the crew were brilliant realisations of the original generation, the effects were stunning and it was a great action/adventure movie. 

That was the problem. It was an action/adventure movie and five years on I still have that issue as many fans do. It's wonderful escapism watching Chris Pine run across a frozen wasteland away from some huge CGI monster about to eat him whole, seeing the Enterprise under construction in that Star Wars homage shot or marvel at the opening sequence on the Kelvin as Thor Chris Hemsworth bids farewell to his wife and newborn son. Trouble is that the human element seems to have gone walkies. True it's updated for the more media-savvy and information-snapshot desiring modern audience but they were never going to make up the majority of the people seeing Star Trek at the flicks or buying it on DVD. 

Now five years on I do like it. A lot more than I used to. It's a spectacle of a movie that I now think does a lot of things right. When I saw it originally it was difficult to believe that these were the same characters because of the huge leap in technology and production since those three seasons in the 1960's. It was a visual marvel at every step that brought a faltering franchise into the present. It had to be updated to survive and that's what JJ Abrams movie does whether we like it or not. So Scotty was a little overused as comedy relief, Bones was sidelined for Uhura and the ships were a big departure from what we were used to (although still at least recognisable) but this is what Star Trek has now become. 

Abrams destruction of Romulus and Vulcan pointed to the fact we had to prepared to change and the constants that we knew from the Roddenberry-founded shows had to be adapted, altered and rethought to appeal. It is once again a sci-fi power to be reckoned with after the wildly varying standards that pervaded Enterprise over a decade ago. Updating meant there had to be sacrifices and they came no bigger than the oblieration of those two key worlds. Star Trek had become cuddly, familiar and we'd been used to watching rerun after rerun or sticking that old DVD in for 45 minutes of escapism. Abrams went for the jugular; no holds barred and Into Darkness went further than that with colossal ships, Pike dead and Khan. But that's for another day.

I had reservations over the whole Starfleet Academy set up early in the movie and Kirk's rise to captaincy is meteoric if nothing else. Fortunately that second point does get addressed in sorts during the sequel but with hindsight you can see that this is just a way to start fresh and bring the familiar crew together - something we were never privvy to in The Original Series. It's a moment we've seen in books and suggested many times over the years but someone finally had the guts to turn those rumours and suggestions into reality. It paid off and the box office receipts prove that, at least in 2009 it was all looking good. The academy is a great twist on establishing the regulars here. We watch them grow (at velocity) and forge their relationships. It's a very clear beginning, a jump point that welcomes new audiences who may never have seen the show and just like the actors or Abrams' work while ensuring that the established fans get their fix in the way that JJ wants us to.

Times change, people change and this is a new interpretation that means, if nothing else, survival. Star Trek into Darkness won't be the last we see of this crew I am certain but after that is still open for guesses. Five years on from Kirk and co's return we're still waiting to see the first encounter of their five year mission. 

In the future 2009's movie will be seen as the turning point for the franchise; the moment we realised that it could feel young again, fresh and with another 50 years of life. While I was never a total hater I had reservations but now I'm more than happy to embrace this movie as part of the Star Trek franchise, giving it a boost and providing a new, exciting edge to familiarity. Star Trek has tried, many times, to push the boundaries and in a big way, the JJ movie was pushing the boundaries of what we deemed "acceptable" within Star Trek itself. The show was always about testing the waters and here it tested the fans; it tried our understanding and beliefs on a larger scale than perhaps Roddenberry did with many of the original episodes - and it tested our loyalty. For that I now respect the movie. Star Trek was all about differences and 2009 was that in spoonfuls.

I firmly believe it's time to accept this as a firm part of the franchise and look forward to 2016. In fact, just to celebrate the fifth anniversary it's time to stick it into the DVD player one more time.

Two Little Ships, Spherical Defiance!

Both Mark and I feel we were born a few generations too late and missed out, on gadgets, collectibles, trinkets and general Star Trek memorabilia... 

How wrong were we! Since JJ Abrams' latest reboot, we have noticed a (small) resurgence in all things Trek; even from days yonder!

This could be a review about the craftsmanship, quality, aesthetics and value for money. But, we don't want to do just that. Sure, there's a hundred and one web pages out there that claim to be the bees knees on reviews about the facts, but where's the opinion? We pride ourselves on giving a true-to-life account of all our Trek goings on.

Make it so?

First up, I'd like to talk about the Sphere, which is a thing of beauty. Not only will it bounce if I drop it, it can also be used as a tennis ball! The only Eaglemoss Star Trek model that holds rights to that claim. Joking aside though, as a subscriber, it is one of my favourites. I like the not so subtle green tints to it, simple yet effective. Although simple in construction, the surface has plenty of detail to keep a Borg fan quite content. Well, content to be happy flying it around the living room making sound effects... Just wait until I get my Borg Cube!!

In Eaglemoss' defence, Borg starships are so intricate and detailed on the surface, it is virtually impossible to reproduce this intricacy on a budget. After reading through the magazine, which also contains the usual amount of fascinating not-so-known facts, that was exactly what John Eaves wanted when designing a follow up from our beloved Cube. When instructed to undertake this venture (indeed a radical departure from his previous creation - the Enterprise E), producer Rick Berman "felt that the surface detail should look really irregular, with no mathematical patterns". It also appears the instruction was given so as not to look too much like Star Wars' Death Star, success! 

Many fans should also remember the Sphere's many appearances from Voyager, however as the meticulous researchers we are, we are a little disappointed with the list of the Sphere's key appearances on both the magazine AND Memory Alpha! The episodes Dark Frontier and Endgame are quite correctly listed... but aren't we forgetting something? Child's Play anyone? Who are we to fly in the face of the official records...

Mark on the other hand feels that something is missing. After having a 20 minute discussion on the subject and nearly watching a Voyager episode to confirm this (any excuse really), I have to admit he may be right. It appears that an 'aperture' is missing. Not something that really bothers me, it's not like my Voyager model would fit inside it anyway, but Mark feels that it is worth mentioning.

So getting into the swing of this reviewing I have had a 'good look' at the Defiant, as per my instructions from Mark. My-oh-my that is one sexy starship. Not since the days of the Oberth class science cruiser have we seen such a radical departure from the norm. The first departure from the tapered nacelles in cannon Trek history. Or as Captain Sisko would have it: 

"Officially, it's an escort vessel. Unofficially, the Defiant's warship, nothing more, nothing less"

So what about the model? My first impression was, 'looks nice, bigger than I was expecting, but I can clearly see it's the Defiant'. On further examination I can see that a lot of detail is missing when compared to the actual CGI version. For example, the impulse engines... These on the model are simply holes in the aft of the ship, whereas on the images, they're clearly not. Then there's the blue tint to the hull plating, not present on many images (or on some, not as defined). The underside deserves some of our eagle-eyed focus, as in various images I've noticed two lights behind the large warhead, presumably running lights - the model seems to neglect them entirely. Maybe a model design limitation? I suppose the various discrepancies could be explained away with the fact that there were, technically, TWO Defiant ships (USS Defiant NX-74205, USS Sao Paulo NCC-75633). In addition, presumably there were many CGI versions produced throughout Deep Space Nine. With all mass-produced models, they can only work with what they've got.

My main concern (besides the usual stand issues that seem to plague this collection), is the 'anti-matter' warhead on the fore section - I appreciate that in the series this was a (never used) 'last resort' torpedo, therefore not completely nor fully attached to the main hull. But on the model it feels... well... like you could very easily snap it off and never get it back on? My good friend Mark is ashamed to admit he has dropped his once or twice, and reassures me it is the first 'piece' he checks for structural integrity!

If by now you've examined, or even overlooked these little snags, you're now onto the accompanying literature, with some very absorbing facts and figures pertaining to this little 'escort vessel'. One truly interesting piece being the early draft of First Contact. Ira Steven Behr objecting to the Defiant being destroyed, arguing it would cause problems for the Deep Space Nine writers, a fact I was not aware of until this magazine.

I imagine that this is going to be a common theme throughout the collection, how much time and detail can go into a mass produced item? Does this affect people's opinion of it? The obvious gripe here is their claim to have these models directly referenced from CGI, fresh from the CBS archives.

Looking at comments on Facebook, a lot of people are concerned with the lack of detail, but this doesn't seem to sway their decision to purchase more ships. Well it certainly hasn't affected my decision, in fact I'm currently looking to sell my other half to make way for my expanding collection.

Did you know you can now join up with us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter or even +1 us on Google+? If you didn't why not drop over there.

You can also look back through all of our Eaglemoss posts by clicking right HERE now!

The Fall: The Poisoned Chalice is a Cup of Excellence

Damn you James Swallow. Damn you all the way to the Archanis system.

It took a while for The Poisoned Chalice to arrive and after the ups and downs of the first three novels in The Fall quintology I was expecting something of a loss of power here, a hiccup, the stumble, the filler.

Well I'm sorry but that just ain't the case but be warned, we might have some SPOILERS ahead so just watch out.

So why am I all Damn You James Swallow? Because I couldn't put this book down. Now unless +Carl Thomson can say otherwise with Peaceable Kingdoms which I myself have yet to read, this is the jewel in the crown as far as I'm concerned. While we've been adding question upon question through the preceding novels it seems as though we're finally getting payoff here.

Split into three clear narratives around the continuing story concerning the assassination of the UFP President Naniette Bacco and the troubles of Andoria, it could be construed that this would put a strain on the novel as a whole. Instead it only enhances the story. Riker, now promoted for a whole bunch of secret hush hush reasons to Admiral tackles the conspiracies on Earth which harks back to The Next Generation's Conspiracy and perhaps moreso Deep Space Nine's Homefront and Paradise Lost. Then there's Commander Vale heading off on her own little adventure on the Nova Class USS Lionheart and a third strand that's taking Tuvok and Nog off on another tangent. Talk about packing out a story, this has it all.

Swallow has mastered all of the characters from the off. Riker is perfected and shows the resilience that we saw back in The Best of Both Worlds when realising it's down to him to sort out this god awful mess on Earth as well as start to unravel the mystery as to just who is pulling the strings and what all the fragments mean when they come together. Having Riker finally captaining his own ship was one thing but taking the step up to a desk job is another - and the question that hangs is whether or not it'll be as short as Kirk's stint. He does seem capable in this new role if not 100% at home to begin with and his interactions with Deanna, just as they were in that career conversation in The Best of Both Worlds are quite telling about his thoughts on the change in rank.

Swallow does well to maintain the interest in this line of the story and it could have become quite plodding but by dropping little asides and constantly questioning both Riker's and those around him in their actions there's always something to think about. Of the three strands this is probably the most important but not the most interesting as the stories off-world have much more of a punch. Riker in some ways is the chessmaster here. moving his pieces into play against a devious enemy. Of course a big difference in Riker now besides the rank is that he has both a wife and daughter (Deanna and Natasha) who make appearances. We see perhaps a little wisening in the admiral as it's not just about him anymore, the safety of his family is also at stake as he investigates the assassination.

Vale's story on the medical USS Lionheart has some brilliantly realised characters especially her first officer, Commander Atia and the chief medical officer who is less than human - or bipedal for that matter. While they are a good group of Guest Starrings it's the destination that proves the intrigue and when that's revealed we get to see a different aspect to the arc that's been driving this story forward. For a character I'm not very familiar with I understood her very quickly and there are certainly shades of Riker dripped into her personality as she investigates some less than reputable goings on. Anyone else who read this think they could get a few novels out of the crew of the Lionheart?

As we've discussed, so far in The Fall we've had beginnings and middles and here it seems the crew of the Titan are intergalactic caretakers sweeping up all the rubbish from across the quadrant. At times the story dives into secrecy, espionage and off-the-record meetings where those in question are in danger just from being in the same place through to all-action special operations territory that I would more imagine between the cover of a Tom Clancy novel. 

That Tuvok/Nog thread which also brings back the much underused Tom Riker (why no third episode huh?!) and is fairly key in understanding what has been happening while Admiral Riker is seeking the why aspect. The one directive they have grows and morphs as events unfold increasingly making you more unsettled as things turn out to be less than straightforward or legal. Placing such upstanding characters as Nog and Tuvok in this situation is a great move as both are men of very high standards and morals. As their story expands we can see how there are choices that have to be made and we can see to which side of the line they fall. Admittedly it's a fairly thick line  that could probably be seen from the International Space Station.

Associating with a group of mercenaries the scenes on board their suped-up transport ship are something akin to Aliens or Predator with lots of macho bonding and suggestions of ruthless, cutthroat individuals of a less than admirable past. It is a bit cliched but then in such instances these days it's very hard not to be.

Each of the threads is not what it appears at first hand and where this novel starts is a big jump from it's somewhat foreboding conclusion. Swallow has had a lot to work with here, bringing in pieces from all three of the previous novels so that those reading out of sequence can still dive in and enjoy.

I would question once again the logic of choosing to do that and have found reading the earlier books to be key in totally understanding the narrative arc. It can be done as a one-off but I wouldn't recommend it. Reading The Poisoned Chalice before reading A Ceremony of Losses would guarantee you would be handed the outcomes to a number of surprises from the book and make going back to it irrelevant. However, perhaps it's not about seeing the "answers" if you will if you don't truly understand the question and that might be the beauty of The Fall series. Throwaway references to the other titles do make you sit up and ask what have you missed especially in regards to The Crimson Shadow which I reviewed earlier this year. There's much more to the whole Cardassian/Andorian/Tzenkethi issues than we've been told before. Not bad to still be punching out some new shockers in the closing stages of a well-formulated saga.

At the time that seemed to be the weakest link but having pounded through The Poisoned Chalice that second novel looks like it is the cornerstone of the quintology, giving much more than you expected. The way in which James Swallow funnels the three stories together means that Dayton Ward has something of a big job ahead to ensure finality to The Fall. It's a well-realised novel which focuses heavily on the characters and their motivations. All are asked to work outside what would be their usual framework - their box - and come up with on-their-feet solutions on more than one occasions. Effectively their paths are marked out when they complete their own threads but this is a journey in each case that it is necessary to understand before they make their final, decisive moves in Peacable Kingdoms.

I'm sure there are bits from David R George III, Una McCormack and David Mack's efforts that I've forgotten and will play a part in the conclusion of this superb storyline. Now the threads are passed onto the fifth author and we'll be discussing the no doubt epic and explosive novel very soon.

The Poisoned Chalice is available now from Simon and Schuster priced £6.99 ISBN 9781476722221

March Roundup - The Blagger's Top Six

Right - time for something a bit new.

We've realised it's all well and good talking about Star Trek but what's going on now? There's no way we can post every day about everything so how about a monthly blagger's post? We'll pick the top five stories from the month, why they're important and the stuff you need to know. If you like it, we'll do one in April. If not, this might be the first and the last.

Wendy Hughes

Sad news to kick off the month that the actress who portrayed Lieutenant Commander Nella Daren in The Next Generation's sixth season episode Lessons died at the age of 61 following a battle with cancer. Hughes' character was one of the few to have romantic links to Captain Picard during the show's run and was an unusually music-centric episode which brought the fabled Ressikan flute back to the table and one of two appearances for stellar cartography (although it would look massively different in Generations). 

The Ron Wilkerson (Imaginary Friend, Schisms, Lower Decks,) penned episode is well-remembered for Hughes performance as one of the few who stood up to Picard and in this case melted his heart a little bit too. Hughes' performance will of course be among those on the soon to be released season six blu-ray.

Warnog

Image from geeknation.com

Fresh from their success with Vulcan Ale in Canada, the Federation of Beer has created a new taste sensation with the introduction of Klingon Warnog. Most likely a fine brew capable of raising the voices of any warrior in the halls of Q'onoS. Now you can drink in honour of Kahless (any excuse really) and sing of the triumphs of battle with a frothing tankard in hand. Ah...I can see it now....

Anyway, back to the 21st Century and according to a press release via the UK Guardian newspaper -

"Warnog incorporates rye malt into a modern Dunkelweizen grain bill, creating a flavor profile that is both familiar and unique...Warnog's aroma is predominantly mild banana and clove produced by the German wheat yeast, supported by subtle sweet malt character from the use of Munich malt. The flavor draws heavily from the blending of the rye malt and traditional clove character, creating a very rich and unique flavor. The inclusion of wheat and caramel malts help to round out the mouthfeel of this beer, making this Dunkelweizen hearty enough to be called a Klingon Warnog."

Sounds absolutely delicious and you would expect it to be served in big vats like blood wine a la Apocalypse Rising from Deep Space Nine. Will it make it over to the UK? Something in my mind says no however if anyone over the water fancies shipping us a few barrels to sample we won't be saying no. Reason to know about this? Hell, it's beer...Star Trek beer and that's definitely not your average everyday bit of news. Whether your local Harvester or Toby Carvery will be serving this is anyone's guess but we'll stay in hope.

Harlan Ellison City script to be a graphic novel

OK - this is BIG news. The original script for the legendary City on the Edge of Forever is getting laid down on the page. Yes, the ORIGINAL script and not the one that aired so this will be a must-have for every Star Trek fan out there as we'll get to see just what Ellison envisaged before it got into the hands of the studio. Right here's the facts bit - it'll be released in five parts which will cover more than we saw in the Hugo Award-winning hour long episode. Said Ellison in a quote I've found on Entertainment Weekly;

“For years, it has been a huge controversy,” Ellison told EW. “Which is better? My original version, as I dreamed it? Or as Roddenberry went back and had people rewrite? Now, for the first time since I had the original dream, somebody has interpreted it exactly as I dreamed it.”

The Ellison graphic novel will be published in the same month as his 80th birthday and will mark his 102nd publication in print, all of which can be viewed here. And when's it out? Try June this year.

Season Six on Blu-Ray

Fairly inevitable seeing as they've produced seasons one to five and I don't expect any prizes for guessing season seven will be following thereafter. As per usual the upgraded picture is mesmerizing and a huge leap from the original TV quality we experienced from 1987 onwards. Perhaps the bigger element here through is that, in keeping with seasons three through five, fans can pick up the movie edition of Chain of Command in box-licking HD quality to stick alongside The Best of Both Worlds, Redemption and Unification. I suspect that you've seen the trailers, read the blurb and just need to know it'll be landing in the US in June and should be crossing to the UK fairly soon afterwards.

Dropping over to TrekCore recently I spotted that the Chain of Command movie will feature commentary with the Okudas as well as Director of Photography Jonathan West and Captain Jellico himself, Ronny Cox. For those of you new to Some Kind of Star Trek we also put together a piece on the story here. Season six will feature the usual array of documentaries, bloopers and extras that have filled out and added to each of the preceding seasons.

Kind of reminds me of when they released this movie series on good old VHS back in the late 1990's. Going on this line of one movie per season I guess Gambit is the logical move for season seven as you would hope the full length version of All Good Things... will be the final installment on the full season set - but then if you're in the UK you'll remember it got released as part of the original run VHS series in it's two part format. Ugh. Bad memories.

STID deleted scenes

Ever feel like you got totally ripped off when you bought a DVD or a blu-ray? Yep, me too and it's directed straight at the release of Star Trek into Darkness where features were retailer specific and if you were in the UK, the DVD got, like, sod all bar two measly add ons. Bah. Rubbish. 

So as if to appease us all, you can now scrabble around the internet or a certain video-based website and see all the bits that didn't make the movie and ended up fluttering to the floor of Abrams editing suite (or just being clicked and moved to another file on the PC is probably the reality...).

Surprisingly there are a lot of parts removed and TrekCore have done a fantastic job of listing them all through with full transcript on this page and also this one.

In bullet points here are the removed scenes (in order of appearance)

• A longer discussion between Pike and Kirk in the admiral's office after the Nibiru mission
• Kirk entering his Captain's Log after the Nibiru incident
• Thomas Harewood calls Admiral Marcus - watch out for the original Constitution Class ship in the frame
• Kirk sees Pike get shot by Khan during the attack on Starfleet HQ
• Carol Marcus explains her plummy English accent to Kirk
• A longer discourse between Uhura and the Klingons before Khan's arrival
• Extended fight with the Klingons before Khan appears
• Scotty blags his way aboard the Vengeance
• Kirk meets the Harewoods after recovering from death

The worst bit is now that if you try and search for them it's very difficult to find any that are still lurking around. If you do, drop us a link...

Tom Hardy scared when making Nemesis

For many fans the actual nightmare was when the film got released and for a few they're still trying to purge that nightmare to this day. It seems that for the young actor he was totally out of his depth and an utter bag of nerves. I don't think this comes across on the screen and Hardy certainly hid it well. Perhaps it was the three months off booze that helped here?!

In an interview for Total Film, Hardy came into the production after all of the Enterprise scenes had been filmed and worked 17 hour days to complete his appearances in the movie. Considering where his career is now with Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Bronson and the upcoming Mad Max under his belt it's weird to think that this is really where it all started - and could have all ended looking at the reviews. 

That's our top five picks for the month of March - but we also thought it's worth just text-byting a couple of others that caught our eye...

Bubbling Under

Pine DUI charged and fined £48 - you drink, you drive, you get caught. Not great but that's the law.

Star Trek Online goes Mac - Seriously? It took this long to get over to the Apple side? Welcome to to fold iOS users...

Angry Birds - Any excuse these days huh? Oh well, it's as good as any to let them have one Star Trek appearance. It seems that they're going to be portraying the crew in a new comic.It's actually a variant of issue 34 of the main run but I'm saying nothing more...erm...ok...I had hoped that the franchise would avoid selling out in a similar way to Star Wars but I spoke way, way too soon....

Do you want to see more of our monthly news roundups? Let us know below or was there a story that we've missed from our top six?

Behind Enemy Lines: Eaglemoss Tackles Adversaries

It was always clear from the start that once you discount the multitude of Enterprise's, the Starships Collection would have to delve into non-Federation territory and particularly vessels belonging to opposing forces.

In fact, the last "title" ship was back in issue nine (USS Defiant) if you don't count the recent special on the JJ-Enterprise. Already we've had Klingons, Borg and Romulans which means that Deep Space Nine's Big Bad's are conspicuous by their absence. Not now however as Issues 13 and 14 cover two of their most prevalent enemies with the Dominion and the Cardassians. 

The Jem'Hadar battlecruiser is a heavy, heavy beast with probably the most solid feel of any ship yet to feature in the range (and I'm including issues 16 and 17 which we've already reviewed). The build quality is absolutely superb although it is slightly shiny due to the majority of the ship being made from metal. The extremities here are the plastic sections - fuel pods, cargo bay and upper ion and impulse engine (tail) sections but for once they're very, very solid. There's no wiggle or bend which is a significant improvement over the nacelles on models such as the refit Enterprise or on the USS Reliant. 

(CB)

Just be a bit careful however as it's got some nice sharp points reinforcing that these aren't toys and most definitely better placed on a shelf - preferably a high shelf away from prying fingers. While admittedly my son (he's two) has had his hands on Voyager this is one he's going nowhere near.

The colouring is excellent and having both a physical and CGI model to refer to have been a big benefit here. The thing that gets me is that on the page it's a a shade more purple than silver but  It's origins and design as something that would provide more of a threat than the smaller,  nimble Jem'Hadar fighters provides a great insight to some fairly odd designs that didn't make the grade.

The focus section talking about the development of the Dominion as the anti-Federation also reveals some fascinating information that originally a larger group of races was intended to be on a par with their Alpha Quadrant peers however time, budget and scope meant a tighter window on the Founders,  Vorta and Jem'Hadar. The images accompanying the text aren't anything new but this does seem to be building up into quite an extensive background resource to fill out the pages. 

Straight and true in all respects -
not my model then! (HA)

Given that there have been a chunk of books over the year I'm beginning to believe that there won't be much head scratching over even the more oddball issues down the line when it comes to finding relevant content. One thing through, don't dedicate a section to Neelix or Porthos.

Issue 14 adds to that Deep Space Nine universe with the Egyptian-influenced Cardassian Galor class.  Chalking up a ton of appearances through The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine it has to be classed among the more unusual designs to feature. Unfortunately mine is even more unusual with a wonky tail-fin (managed to bend this straight) and a slightly off-centre head piece which makes it look like she's looking to the right for traffic. For note the image to the left is not mine!

Coming after the metallic solidity of the Jem'Hadar battlecruiser it's a face palm moment if ever there was one. I like the ship but these two things are a real blow with not even 20 issues under their belt. It's also has only one single coloured plastic section - the main deflector on the front which is in red - and also isn't set flat in the hull. 

(CB)

That's nothing against the Eaglemoss team who have tried to recreate this as faithfully as possible. The shame is that it's not that accurate either. The hull detailing noted in the magazine around the temple-like structure is absent and the underside seems awfully plain in comparison to both the top and also the images in the magazine. Colour-wise she's also a different shade to the one in the magazine. Inconsistencies certainly reign with this one. I've included an image of my model here to show the underbelly's lack of detail - also not the off-centre head section.

If we look back, the strengths of the series have been where Eaglemoss has been able to work in metal and in big chunks. Doing fiddly nacelles and blue plastic venting is an unavoidable factor but it does detract from the good points. She's nicely balanced and, hallelujah, sits well on the stand. Maybe I should just be happy with these improvements over all the other stuff we've mentioned? I may just superglue that Warbird in place y'know and call it quits.

How about the magazine? Usual fare really but there are some great pics in here especially the opening shot on the Ship Profile section which not only reinforces the colour but also the detail missing from the underside. Interestingly we get a profile of Gul Dukat rather than the creation of the Cardassian people that you might have expected (I did) and goes some way to providing a satisfactory overview of just who he was from start to finish. At times I did warm to the character and reading this certainly refreshed my knowledge albeit in very brief form. It even brought home the fact that Deep Space Nine really is all about opposites in every respect - and not just the Mirror Universe.

Designing the Galor Class is probably one of the best behind the camera sections yet, really getting Rick Sternbach's vision and the path that led to the final model. This is not just a simple designed and built journey as its physical creation was a very detailed process, perhaps more so than actually imagining it in the first place. Watch out for the unexpected image from Voyager and when you do, try and remember what actually appeared on the screen....

CB

Rounding of this trio of our missed issue reviews is my favourite of the three which just bangs home just how many great ship designs featured in Voyager; USS Equinox.

For those in the know the Nova Class name at the least has been banded around since the early 1990s as a suggested replacement for the Galaxy Class however the ship from the Voyager two parter can trace it's origins back to the early design suggestions for a little known ship over on Deep Space Nine called the Defiant. 

The top of the primary hull is cast from metal and detailed well with windows, phaser strips, registry, the sensor array as well as the unusual recessed bridge which is one of the remnants from that pathfinder project. Turn her over and even the orbital shuttle, the Waverider has been clearly marked out. It's a great finishing detail that helps the Equinox stand out a bit more. Even the nacelles are nicely decalled and the whole thing is a pleasure to see slotted onto her stand. 

CB

So you're waiting for the grumble aren't you? Well OK, the sprue flash is still attached to the nacelles and they haven't been cleaned up very well at the joints when you look underneath but I'm almost prepared to forgive them as she's still a good display piece. Could we also have had her battle damaged perhaps as portrayed in the magazine to add that element of "realism" to the ship? Maybe that would have been time consuming so let's step away from the super nitpicking!

There's a lot of little extra facts and figures about the Equinox dotted through the magazine this time and it's a welcome surprise as this, like Dauntless in issue 17 was a one story ship that never saw another outing thus limiting the data available to fill pages. For the discerning collector I can confirm that the numbers on the lifeboat hatches DO match the ones that are featured on the plans - oh and definitely worth mentioning that the colour of the ship pictured matches the model. Full marks. 

While key appearances is a foregone conclusion before you even get to the back page I'm not sure if Voyager's journey back to the Alpha Quadrant really warranted an entry here. Admittedly the Equinox story was to give us the "what would have happened if..." notion and a comparison article would have well-rounded the story of Ransom and his crew. 

Notably now we've dropped away from talking about filming a lot of the models as a separate section, combining it instead with the building and design aspects of the story which leaves room for other "human interest" pieces if you will such as more backstory and character related material which is fleshing out the series and allowing it to explore more facets of the franchise with some relation to the vessel in question.

What really bugs me at the moment with this collection is that I truly want to be ecstatic over every single model and magazine because there's nothing like it and nothing has ever come close to getting it this right. The trouble is I always feel just a step away from perfection. I should be satisfied with the ships, the attempt to nail each one and the fact they are hand-painted, well presented, boxed and delivered. It's like being given an unopened box of Quality Street only to find that (in my case) it's 75% full of coffee creams - really happy...but not just there....
Moving away from chocolate related analogies, due to our erratic writing the next two under the spotlight will be the Bajoran Solar Sailor and the USS Stargazer due for April and here they are...

With Australia now being added to the list of countries stocking the Collection it's worth a drop by the site if you're looking to order back issues. Currently issues one through to six and nine are out of stock as well as the JJ-Enterprise. The Deep Space Nine special is now (after a long time) showing as back in stock as is the USS Excelsior which should please +Mark Thwaite who has been waiting for these for an absolute AGE.

Taking a ganders over at the Entertainment Earth site is always a good call and now they're showing images of everything up to issue 24(!) and we've included these below just to keep you all in the loop. Clearly we have to advise that these are likely to be suggested and not the final artwork. As yet there's no model image for issue 24, the Xindi ship but you can still see the cover at least.

You can subscribe to the Eaglemoss Official Starships Collection by clicking the link to the left and dropping over to their site right now - we're only 17 issues through and you don't want to get too far behind!

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Magazine covers and model images for issues 20 - 24 from Entertainment Earth

Issue 18 and 19 images from startrekstarships.com

Model shots attributed to CB (Clive) and HA (Hayley) from SKoST archive

You can also look back through all of our Eaglemoss posts by clicking right HERE