10Previous Reviews: #1 – #16 | #17 – #19
(comics #13 and #14 are still available for download, see above post)
I read the Ongoing comic #20 about a week again and I’d like to talk about it here before #21 comes out, for the sole fact I am fairly certain #21 may deal with the aftermath of Into Darkness.
I’ve made a decision not to post about my reaction to the new movie on my journal because it’s still heavily in flux. I will say I enjoyed the second showing of Into Darkness a lot more because I didn’t go in with any expectations like I did the first time around. I was also greatly pleased with the performances by the actors/actresses.
#20: Sulu and Chekov
These were the last two of the Bridge crew members to be given backstories. I have to say, it’s very apt that Sulu and Chekov’s stories were shown as interwined in this because we naturally see them as a pair of good friends. Though according to the comic they met for the first time on the Enterprise during the Nero Incident, their paths through the Academy somewhat paralleled each other. Sulu was on the verge of joining an “elite” group of cadets, who were actually just rich kids with power and influence to get themselves into high-ranking positions through nepotism (yes, even Starfleet was susceptible to that!). In the end our heroic and morally sound Sulu made the wise choice and decided they weren’t worth the sacrifice of his honor.
Chekov on the other hand wasn’t trying to get in good with that group – he was trying to survive them. Because he was so young to be in Starfleet, he was bullied. Ironically it’s our lovable James T. Kirk who put a stop to Chekov’s plan for revenge on those bullies by advising him to be the better man. How did Kirk even know Chekov at the Academy? That’s because Pavel was the little genius Jim enticed to create the subroutine in the Kobayashi Maru. Surprise! LOL.
This comic ties nicely to the first Bridge scene in Star Trek 2009, and it also allows us to see that though both Chekov and Sulu had some personal struggles through the Academy, they were definitely the ones who deserved to be on that Bridge. :)
I won’t make use of the dual comment threads as before to separate out potential spoilers. Just be aware if you haven’t seen Into Darkness, you might want to approach any comments below with caution!
Related Posts:
- Star Trek Ongoing Comics (21 – 26): Thoughts and Discussion – from October 27, 2013
- Star Trek Ongoing Comics (17-19): Thoughts and Discussion [And An Announcement] – from April 10, 2013
- Star Trek Ongoing Comics (1-16): Thoughts and Discussion – from March 16, 2013
Ah, well, I’m not in flux. I loved the movie. I love both movies. I’m an old fan since age 13 (1973) and was a purist. The old series totally imprinted on me. And yet…I adore these characters, and all the actors and their choices for the characters. This new alternate universe works for me quite well on so many levels. It also allows me to have no TOS expectations which may, in fact, enhance my movie viewing experience. But I also think the movies pay tribute and honor TOS very much. So for me it just has everything going for it. If I were to look hard for something to criticize it would be only that I prefer less action, more character. But that’s my preference with every blockbuster. I can accept it as long as I get new Trek.
I agree very much with this comment – although my age is not the same, I still have a lot of the original/TNG background that I can easily accept the differences between old Trek and nu! I, too, would love more character development on screen, but good long running character development is not going to happen in the depth I want in a 2 hour action movie. Still I was pleased with it. I know so many people we unhappy with Cumberbatch, but I was pretty alright with that too. I would say he overacted in some areas, but I can imagine Khan’s character as being overdramatic anyway. I mean believing and KNOWING that you really are better than everyone else would give anybody a superiority complex.
I don’t see how anyone could be unhappy with Cumberbatch. He rocked!
Fwiw, don’t go over to ONTD. I’ve had to read their ST posts with a grain of salt and a lot of emotional distance due to the backlash of hatred. However they do generally have good news updates, so I try not to read the comments unless it’s something I must know more about.
Yeah, I’m not into reading any “bashing” of the new movie. Just like even though I will always have reservations about how JJ uses Uhura, I don’t want to read people saying things like “wtf she needs to die already!” If I felt anything like that, I probably shouldn’t be in this fandom!
Ditto!! I was actually cracking up over the Spock/Kirk/Uhura “fight” in the ship. I actually liked how Uhura seemed to understand just how important Jim is to Spock. And vice versa.
Giving credit where credit is due, Into Darkness played on a LOT of pairings, and did it well. Even Kirk/Scotty. LOL.
I don’t think TOS expectations is something JJ even knows the meaning of, lol. He probably goes, “Okay if Roddenberry did it this way, how can we flip that?” Creative people are more about what they can make that adheres to their vision and no one else’s. I agree with the less action. :)
I liked this comic too – nice for Chulu shippers too!
Agreed!