ARCHIE GIANT COMICS COLLECTION - I've been reading a little off an on over the last week. About halfway through it.
STAR TREK: ROMULANS: PAWNS OF WAR by John Byrne - JB is a genius of classic Trek. Here he gives the background leading up to the key classic Trek episode "The Balance of Terror", plus an adaptation of said episode, as seen from the Romulan side of events, followed by the aftermath of those events. The origin of the Romulan/Klingon alliance is explained, how they shared technology between those two empires, working in references to "The Trouble With Tribbles", "The Corbomite Maneuver", "The Enterprise Incident", and knitting all the background events together and filling in the details. Klingons Kor and Koloth play a big part in the alliance. A certain unnamed Starfleet Commodore formerly known only as 'Number One' from the pilot episode "The Cage" (a.k.a. "The Menagerie") shows up later in the story, and even the Organians from "Errand of Mercy" appear. There is a shift in power on Romulus after the events of "Balance of Terror" (thanks to the Klingons' machinations) that eventually results in the Praetor being succeeded by Gaius, the son of the unnamed Romulan Commander seen in "Balance of Terror" (the better for the Klingons to instigate war between the Romulans and the Federation, with Gaius seeking revenge on Kirk for his father's death in confrontation with the Enterprise), as well as an internal plot on Kronos to overthrow the Klingon emperor. All very well thought-out and satisfying by way of connecting the background history of ST, as the writers of the original television screenplays weren't working from some master plan, but merely constructing stand-alone episodes as they went along.
STAR TREK: CREW by John Byrne - In a series of individual stories, JB follows the career of Number One, from cadet assigned to the shakedown cruise of the Constitution-class starship NX-0001 (which will eventually be christened Enterprise) to her eventual return to the ship as a Starfleet Lieutenant under its original Captain, Robert April. She's obviously one of Byrne's favorite characters from the original series. Chris Pike shows up (as First Officer to Captain April) in the last story as well. One of the stories here is a sequel of sorts to an earlier Byrne ST miniseries, STAR TREK: ASSIGNMENT EARTH (which itself is a sequel to TOS episode of the same name featuring Robert Lansing as Gary Seven, agent of mysterious alien masters assigned to Earth in the 1960s). I'll be reading that one next.
STAR TREK: ROMULANS: PAWNS OF WAR by John Byrne - JB is a genius of classic Trek. Here he gives the background leading up to the key classic Trek episode "The Balance of Terror", plus an adaptation of said episode, as seen from the Romulan side of events, followed by the aftermath of those events. The origin of the Romulan/Klingon alliance is explained, how they shared technology between those two empires, working in references to "The Trouble With Tribbles", "The Corbomite Maneuver", "The Enterprise Incident", and knitting all the background events together and filling in the details. Klingons Kor and Koloth play a big part in the alliance. A certain unnamed Starfleet Commodore formerly known only as 'Number One' from the pilot episode "The Cage" (a.k.a. "The Menagerie") shows up later in the story, and even the Organians from "Errand of Mercy" appear. There is a shift in power on Romulus after the events of "Balance of Terror" (thanks to the Klingons' machinations) that eventually results in the Praetor being succeeded by Gaius, the son of the unnamed Romulan Commander seen in "Balance of Terror" (the better for the Klingons to instigate war between the Romulans and the Federation, with Gaius seeking revenge on Kirk for his father's death in confrontation with the Enterprise), as well as an internal plot on Kronos to overthrow the Klingon emperor. All very well thought-out and satisfying by way of connecting the background history of ST, as the writers of the original television screenplays weren't working from some master plan, but merely constructing stand-alone episodes as they went along.
STAR TREK: CREW by John Byrne - In a series of individual stories, JB follows the career of Number One, from cadet assigned to the shakedown cruise of the Constitution-class starship NX-0001 (which will eventually be christened Enterprise) to her eventual return to the ship as a Starfleet Lieutenant under its original Captain, Robert April. She's obviously one of Byrne's favorite characters from the original series. Chris Pike shows up (as First Officer to Captain April) in the last story as well. One of the stories here is a sequel of sorts to an earlier Byrne ST miniseries, STAR TREK: ASSIGNMENT EARTH (which itself is a sequel to TOS episode of the same name featuring Robert Lansing as Gary Seven, agent of mysterious alien masters assigned to Earth in the 1960s). I'll be reading that one next.
in putting these beloved characters through the wringer, and before it's all over the living will envy the dead. You might even say he's taking pity on Betty in allowing her a mercy exit, sparing her from (as they used to say on BATMAN '66) ..."The WORST is Yet To Come!" Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if by the time it's all over, Archie is the last man standing.
