IDW is doing a Star Trek comic sequel to The Motion Picture
Star Trek The Motion Picture is one of the most interesting concepts, and poorly executed films in the history of the franchise. Originally conceived as a sequel series to the original series, the concept was changed to that of a film and a lot of the actors and elements from that series were reworked to fit the film.
It helped get Star Trek noticed once again, roughly 10 years after the show went off the air, but it didn’t resonate like many had hoped it would. Visually it was a masterpiece but the story and writing were clunky at best.
Yet, despite that, it does have an aura around it. Now, IDW wants to capitalize on that aura and continue the adventure of the film into a direct comic sequel. It has to be asked, does a film with a weak story deserve a comic-based sequel?
Star Trek The Motion PIcture’s “sequel” is unnecessary
Now, everyone will quickly jump to the “The Motion Picture already has a sequel; it’s called the Wrath of Khan” and you’d be right, but wrong. Wrath of Khan is the second film in the franchise and continues the overall narrative of the franchise. Correct.
It does not, however, continue the immediate story that ended with The Motion Picture. Years have passed between the first and second films, and this sequel comic appears to want to fill in that gap between the first and second films.
Yet, it’s not a gap that really needs to be told. Sometimes people just don’t do anything worth telling, and that’s ok. Moreover, if there was a story to be told that worked after the first film, it would’ve been the basis of the second film. Not Wrath of Khan.
Letting comic writers make stories like the Motion Picture sequels no longer is an empty affair, as these are now considered canon by the franchise, and when it comes to canon, the less you try to shoehorn in between properties, the better we’re all off.
Stop trying to make content off of what was, and start doing some new stuff. Otherwise, you’re going to burn out the fandom permanently. More so than you already did.