Star Trek Kelvin Era Comics Return in IDW Classic Collection in November

Star Trek turns 60 this year, and much of its longevity comes from reinventing itself. Star Trek: The Next Generation rebooted the original concept. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pushed the franchise’s boundaries. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds explores its past, and Star Trek: Lower Decks works as both homage and satire. There’s a Trek series for nearly everyone. IDW Publishing’s comic line has been revisiting fan-favorite eras too, and one of the best is getting a new edition in November.

IDW is publishing Star Trek: The Kelvin Era as part of its Classic Collections line. The book covers the alternate universe created in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot. Its compact format makes it easy to carry, and it costs 13.99. It also packs in a lot of stories: the comic adaptation of the Star Trek movie, its prequel Countdown, and a miniseries about the villain Nero.

The timing works. A decade has passed since the Kelvin era ended with Star Trek Beyond, and all three Kelvin-era movies are now streaming on Peacock. The collection also recalls the era that helped put Star Trek back on the map.

‘Star Trek: The Kelvin Era’ adds more depth to the 2009 reboot

The Kelvin Era takes its name from the opening sequence of Star Trek (2009), which centers on the U.S.S. Kelvin. During a routine mission, the Kelvin comes under attack from the Narada, a high-tech Romulan vessel from an alternate reality. The crew evacuates while the ship rams the Narada and disables it. The maneuver costs the life of the Kelvin‘s captain, George Kirk.

So the movie opens with the death of Jim Kirk’s father, and the aftermath sets the universe on a very different course. The Kelvin Era collection builds on that opening by filling in the story of the Narada and its captain, Nero.

As the film progresses, a young Kirk, played by Chris Pine, meets Spock from the “prime” Star Trek universe, who was also pulled into the Kelvin timeline. Star Trek: Countdown shows Spock’s mission in detail, including his attempt to save Romulus from a massive supernova. It also reveals where his high-tech ship, the “Jellyfish,” came from. Geordi LaForge of Star Trek: The Next Generation built it.

The Nero miniseries takes a similar approach. It follows Nero’s descent into madness and his escape from a Klingon prison after the Narada was damaged. It also fleshes out a villain who was thinly drawn in the film.

The Kelvin Era helped revitalize ‘Star Trek’

Star Trek: The Kelvin Era shows the effort IDW and Paramount put into selling Star Trek to a new generation. Before the 2009 movie, the franchise was in limbo after the lukewarm reception to Star Trek: Enterprise. The last theatrical film, Star Trek: Nemesis, met with disdain from fans and critics alike. Abrams managed to deliver a crowd-pleaser, and IDW later published an ongoing series that explored the Kelvinverse between the sequels.

The collection also features the creative talents of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. They wrote the screenplay for Star Trek and served as executive producers. Kurtzman kept shaping the franchise long after the Kelvin trilogy ended. In 2017, Paramount turned to him to launch a new wave of Star Trek series.

Star Trek: The Kelvin Era is worth reading if you love the Kelvin movies, want a Trek fix after Strange New Worlds, or want to see why Abrams’ vision won so many fans.

Star Trek: The Kelvin Era – IDW Classic Collections releases on Nov. 17.

Source: Polygon