Star Trek Collecting

So, as some of you might be aware, I have a rather extensive collection of Star Trek memorabilia.

When I collect something, I tend to be a completist. So it's somewhat surprising that I've never accumulated a complete run of the Gold Key Star Trek comics. I have every other Star Trek comic ever published -- from Marvel, DC, Malibu, Marvel (again), Wildstorm, Tokyopop and IDW. But I'd never completed my collction of Gold Key, which published Trek comics between 1967 & 1979. I had a partial run: issues 39-61 -- the first 38 issues were collected in 4 trades back in the '70's, so when I started collecting Trek comics back in the '80's, I bought the trades, and never got around to augmenting my collection with the original issues.

Until last week, when I purchased a complete, 61-issue run at a very attractive price on eBay. They arrived on my doorstep on Friday. I spent all afternoon Sunday placing them in mylar protective sleeves, choosing the better of the ones that were duplicated (the dupes of 39-61 will go up on eBay as soon as I get around to it.)

I then spent several more hours going through much of the rest of the comic collection, replacing bags that had become tattered over the years, and basically making it as presentable as I could. It was a good day!

With this acquisition, I now have complete runs of Star Trek comics, books, Playmates action figures... there's no room to put any more stuff!

(no subject)

furr_a_bruin comments:
"I have the 4 Gold Key collections... and only kept them as an example of what NOT to bother with in my fannish zeal. Those things are awful! *shudder*

I hope some of the other series were better...."

I started this as a response to his comment, but it grew so big I decided to spin it off as a separate post.

The Gold Key issues actually got better later in the run, but they're nothing to write home about. If you're interested, I have a spare set of 39-61 that I'm trying to find a good home for... ;-)

Marvel published 18 issues in 1980-1981. As they had exclusively licensed Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the range of these comics was very limited. The first 3 issues were an adaptation of TMP. The next 2 featured an encounter between the Enterprise and a haunted house in space. After that, they got REALLY shitty. OK, these are as bad as the Gold Key line. Forget 'em.

The first DC run (1983-1988; 56 monthly issues +3 annuals, +2 movie adaptations) has some excellent stories. Many fans seem to dislike Tom Sutton's art in those issues, but I think it works beautifully.

The second DC series (1989-1996; 80 monthly issues +6 annuals, +3 movie adaptations, +several specials & 1-shots) is less satisfying. However, the graphic novel "Debt of Honor," released in 1992, is widely regarded as the finest Star Trek comic ever. DC simultaneously put out TNG comics in similar numbers. Nothing stands out as memorable from that line.

Malibu had the "Deep Space Nine" license, and were putting out 2 or more comics a month for almost 3 years. Alas, I don't remember much of anything that they put out. Weird!

Paramount pulled the comic licenses from DC & Malibu at the end of 1995, and made a big deal of partnering with Marvel for an expansive program that kicked off in September, 1996. Because of Marvel's financial woes (they went bankrupt in 1997, IIRC) it ran less than 2 years... The line was spotty; some series were great ("Starfleet Academy," "Early Voyages.") Others meh ("Voyager.") The highlight of the Marvel/Paramount partnership was the "Telepathy War" crossover in September/October 1997. That's worth looking up.

Wildstorm followed Marvel/Paramount, holding the license for a couple of years (200-2001.) They published a numver of 4-issue miniseries and 1-shots. The highlights of their brief line were 2 hardcover TNG graphic novels: "The Gorn Crisis" by Kevin J Anderson & Rebecca Moesta, and "Forgiveness" by David Brin. Both well-written, with beautiful art.

Tokyopop has done 3 volumes of Star Trek manga, each containing 4 or 5 stories by a variety of writers and artists. I've liked a few stories in each volume, but nothing has really stood out as essential.

IDW has the current license. Their model is to put out a bunch of 5- or 6-issue miniseries in monthly installments, then quickly repackage it as a trade paperback. They started putting out Trek comics in 2007, with a disappointing TNG miniseries, "The Space Between," followed by a brilliant Klingon-centric TOS mini, "Blood Will Tell." Other highlights have been "Alien Spotlight" (each issue a stand-alone, focusing on a different alien race from Star Trek) and two "Star Trek: Year Four" minis. The second, co-written by DC Fontana, was quite good.

So, in a long-winded answer to your simple question: There have been many lackluster Star Trek comic books over the years. There have also been many really good Trek comics.

If you're interested in sampling the older stuff, there is a DVD-rom available that contains everything published from 1967-2001 (Gold Key through Wildstorm) available at a very reasonable price from Amazon.