Countdown to Darkness Review

In our previous entry we reviewed the exclusive variant cover for Countdown to Darkness – The Enterprise Edition. We wanted to keep the review of the limited edition cover and the content of the comic separate so you can avoid the spoilers if you wish to. 
We must say a big thank you to UK Conventions Limited for providing two copies of the Enterprise Edition for our competition and are pleased to announce that Vincent Ian Peter Kent and Graham Adams are our winners and shall be receiving a copy each.

You can buy your own copy via the Enterprise Edition website.

Admiral, there be Spoilers here:

I must admit, I’m was a bit nervous about reading a prequel comic. I didn’t read the Countdown comics in the run up to the ’09 movie choosing to wait until after. When I did it greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the film, plus helped tie up some loose ends and questions that niggle at an old Trekkie.

Already with this next film I’m starting to form my own story line, looking for clues in the pictures and story arcs that we have seen.

What I like about this comic is that Roberto Orci has taken the helm alongside Mike Johnson in writing the story. There’s something reassuring knowing that the writers have given some horizontal thought to the movies story and kindly shared it with us.

So we start with Spock having a flashback, you know the one, the one where Vulcan gets destroyed and you wake up screaming colourful metaphors at Nero. The only difference between mine and your flashback and Spock’s, we don’t wake up to find Uhura at the end of the bed.

Cue gratuitous sketches of Spock in just his Calvin’s. Rock out with your Spock out!

Turn page – oh, Kirk with his man pecks on show too. Today is a good day to sleep semi-naked in space.
There is some dialogue that accompanies those two scenes but who cares!?

Ok down to business. The Enterprise arrives at a planet called Phaedus (ctrl c/v + memory alpha = nothing)

Kirk: I’m bored, lets go and play with the natives
Spock: No, Prime Directive, illogical, first contact, pre warp, naughty

Then they find something weird emanating from the planet. So I’m thinking Iconian Gateway, or the Caretakers great uncle’s cousin? They just gotta beam down now right?

They can’t beam down because that wouldn’t be as fun so they pack up a shuttle with Kirk, Spock, Sulu and …. and…Ok, it’s a redshirt but I’m pretty sure he has a name! I think it’s Cupcake! You can’t kill Cupcake!

All of a sudden, giant lightsabers bash the shuttlecraft (don’t believe eh? Go get a copy and look, it happens) and Sulu lands the shuttlecraft like a drunken Betazoid.

They are surrounded by cross dressing insectoids who also have great pecks. There will be a flex-off any minute.

Now I’m not sure what my favourite twist is at the end, is it that the aliens have a classic 23rd century Prime Universe Tricorder? (the one Dax gets orgasmic over) or that Robert April, first Captain of the Enterprise is the one who gave it to them!?
– I did actually jump out of my chair when he was revealed.

So I’m glad I have read this ahead of the film. As of yet I can’t quite piece it together with what I know from the movie and that’s a good thing. I am confident this and the other comics will add to my enjoyment and understanding of the movie.

But why is it that even though we have seen Spock in a certain death situation from the trailers, we know he will be ok and are more worried about Cupcakes chances of survival?