Star Trek Discovery novels and comic books unveiled
By Duncan Smith
Much like the comic books used to prequel the reboot Star Trek movies, Star Trek: Discovery will get its own series of comic books and novels.
In a universe as lush and full as the one in which Star Trek exists, even television series with seven-year runs can’t always tell the complete story. Star Trek spans more than 50 Terrestrial (ok, real life) years and hundreds of future years, millions of light years of space and multiple dimensions, some explored but none quite enough.
That being the case, there’s no better way to paint the whole picture and fill in the gaps than novelization, including comic books. Star Trek has always been an inviting canvas for writers, but with the approach of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek 2009 movie, this novelization became more of a necessity than an indulgence. After all, Abrams created a whole new timeline with the convergences of dimensions we were familiar with, and it had to take more than the two hours on screen to illustrate just what had happened and what was going on.
Abrams and his Bad Robot production company utilized comic books to that effect, filling in the gaps, and the comic books have continues as the reboot movies have.
Star Trek: Discovery is poised to use the same method to fill out its universe, and CBS has announced both comic books and a novel to do so.
"The novel is a prequel to Star Trek: Discovery that flashes back to when Michael Burnham was only acting first officer on the USS Shenzhou. Her time to prove herself comes when a Federation colony comes under attack from a mysterious alien aggressor. Burnham may have to defy Starfleet orders to save the lives of the colonists."
The exciting novel news isn’t simply that there is one coming, but who is writing it. David Mack, author of the fantastic Star Trek Destiny series (along with many more titles in the franchise and television writing credits to his name) will write Star Trek: Discovery – Desperate Hours.
As for the comic book, that will focus more heavily on the Klingon element of the tale.
"The Star Trek: Discovery comic book will dive into the backstories of the Klingon characters form the new series, including T’Kuvma, the leader of the Klingons who comes into conflict with Starfleet as the new series begins."
The comic book will be written by Mike Johnson, who wrote several Trek titles for IDW Entertainment (publisher of the reboot movies’ comic books).
Next: Nicholas Meyers reportedly working on Khan miniseries
We’re waiting to hear when the novel will be released, but cover art from the comic book posted on Comicbook.com has an October, 2017 date listed for issue No. 1.