Tag: Borg

No Capes, No Problem! 5 Non-Superhero Comics

  Think you’re old to read superhero comics? You want something else out of literary escapes besides or instead of costumed heroes? Here are 5 of my favorite non-superhero genre series that gripped me in 2012 and wouldn’t let go.

The Walking Dead #100 courtesy Image/Skybound Comics
The Walking Dead #100 courtesy Image/Skybound Comics

  The Walking Dead This year it was time to stop just surviving and start living. One beloved survivor is on longer living in the larger world. The Walking Dead #100 ended with one of the most gripping, sick and painful moments of the year as “Lucielle” changed the survivors forever. I almost hope the television series doesn’t last long enough for me to have to watch that moment again. 100 issues and this series is just as provacative and powerful as ever.

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 courtesy IDW Publishing
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 courtesy IDW Publishing

  Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 The Time Lord (along with Amy and Rory) beamed aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise at a time when Federation worlds are under attack from Cybermen working with the Borg. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Doctor must find a way to work together to save the Federation. The creative team captures the spirit of each franchise and demonstrates how each character would react, relate, bond and clash with each other.

The Massive #6 courtesy Dark Horse Comics
The Massive #6 courtesy Dark Horse Comics

  The Massive How do you remain a conversationist when you world you hoped to save has gone to hell? How do you remain a pacifist when you must dodge ruthless pirates to get food and supplies you must have to survive. Welcome to  a new world where cities have sank, economies have tanked and civilization is crumbling. The crew of the Kapital sail the oceans in search of their friends on their sister ship, the Massive, and for necessary supplies in order to stay alive. Brian Wood has created a thrilling morality tale while building a dangerous new world that serves a a cautionary tale for humanity.

  Manhattan Projects Jonathan Hickman’s gripping story of twisted history and weird science shocked and challenged me with every new issue. Building the atomic bomb was nothing compared to the staggering creations of this government think tank.

 

Fatale #1 cover courtesy Image Comics
Fatale #1 cover courtesy Image Comics

Fatale Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’s mixed crime noir with supernatural horror in two tales of a woman who may be immortal and the men who die for her. The second arc just wrapped. An actor crosses Josephine’s path and all hell runs wild in 1970’s Hollywood with killer cults.

Teen romance, horror, crime, western? Visit your local comic book shop in 2013 and ask for a book to fit your genre tastes!

By Editor

Top 5 Comic Books for 11/14/12

All New X-Men #1 courtesy Marvel

All-New X-Men #1 The original five X-Men are yanked from the past into the Marvel Now – and they don’t like what they see! How will the young Scott, Jean, Bobby, Hank and Warren react to seeing how their lives and Professor X’s dream went so horribly wrong?

Batman #14 The Joker is back with the vengeance! Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo managed to make the ultimate villain even creepier and horrifying! What has the Joker done to Batman’s oldest ally?

Fantastic Four #1 Marvel’s First Family relaunches into the Marvel Now. Matt Fraction and Mark Bagley send Reed, Susan, Johnny, Ben and the kids on the ultimate vacation through time and space.

Saga #7 The beautiful and disturbing sci-fi hit begins a new storyline. Two lovers from warring alien races fell in love, had a baby and became targets of a the most sinister hunters in the galaxy. What will the family find in the darkest corners of uncharted space?

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation 2 #7  Which is the greater evil: Borg or Cybermen? Doctor Who and Captain Picard’s new friendship is tested as they try to stop the threat to the Federation. In this chapter the Time Lord travels back to Starfleet’s greatest defeat in order to save the future!

By Editor

Top Comic Book Picks for 11/7/12

Daredevil: End of Days #2 courtesy Marvel

Daredevil End of Days #2 The final story of The Man Without Fear? Last issue delivered two shocking deaths. Four powerhouse creators crafted some of the most brutal images ever in a book. I could almost feel the punches! What will Bendis and Mack do in this issue? What does Matt Murdock’s dying last word mean?

Iron Man #1 Deadly tech is on the black market. Tony Stark suits up in brand new armor to get it back before Extemis becomes a terrorist weapon. Kieron Gillen and Greg Land launch a brand new series propelling Iron Man into the Marvel Now.

Manhattan Projects #7 A top-secret Cold War era meeting that brought the Americans and Russians up against the mad scientists of the Manhattan Projects! Jonathan Hickman’s epic of weird science and twisted history will entertain and warp your brain!

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Hive #2 Captain Picard faces a new enemy so fearsome he may consider an alliance with – the Borg? Star Trek Television/Movie Producer Brannon Braga co-creates this brand new adventure.

X-Factor #246 A behind the scenes, day in the life at X-Factor Investigations! Peter David puts Pip the Troll in the spotlight. This could compete with the Doop-centric issue of Wolverine and the X-Men as the most hilarious and unique issue of the year!

Top 5 Comic Book Picks 10/24/12

Astonishing X-Men #55 courtesy Marvel

Astonishing X-Men #55 The villainess who blew up Logan, mindwarped the team and enslaved Karma has given the X-Men a mission impossible in Madripoor! Innocent people are caught in the crossfire of Hatchitech weapons around the globe. Will the team sacrifice Karma to stop Hatchi?

Batman Incorporated #4 Move over Batman and Robin, here comes Wingman and Redbird?! What is the Dark Knight’s connection to these new crusaders? Talia Al Ghul escalates her plot to Damian.

Captain America #19 The end of an era. Ed Brubaker’s final issue of the hero he revitalized. Artist Steve Epting returns for Brubaker’s final Steve Rogers story.

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #6 Can the Doctor convince Captain Picard to join forces with the Federation’s greatest enemy? Will the Time Lord shatter his new alliance with the Enterprise crew in order to defeat the Cybermen?

Wolverine MAX #1 Logan unleashed in a brand new, more mature readers only book by crime novelist Jason Starr. Is Wolverine the pawn or target of a terrorist plot in Tokyo. The X-Man gets to cut loose!

By Editor

Doctor Who Shows Captain Picard The Future

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #5 courtesy IDW Publishing

Warning: This review contains spoilers!

The unholy alliance of the Borg and Cybermen has shattered. The Federation’s greatest enemies are asking the Enterprise for help?

Can Doctor Who convince Captain Jean-Luc Picard to make the right decision that will save the Federation and entires universes?

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who Assimilation 2 #5 is a break in the action of the crossover but still every bit as enjoyable of previous chapters. You could call this a “show my yours and I’ll show you mine” chapter.

Guinan convinces Captain Picard to reveal his experience with the Borg taking us back to the classic “Best of Both Worlds” episodes giving the Time Lord context of why Picard refuses to aid the Borg. The Doctor presses on trying to convince the Captain of the greater evil.

The Doctor fails. It’s up to Amy Pond and it’s a great moment that you could just picture Karen Gillan saying on television.  Soon Captain Picard is saying the classic line “it’s bigger on the inside. How it this possible?”

A trip in the Tardis shows Picard the future of the Federation and leads to a course correction.

I commend the writers for capturing the essences of each character from each franchise. Rory, Deanna Troi and Dr. Crusher share moments that make this crossover work. The Borg and Cybermen are battling each other. This issue was a battle of wills between Captain Picard and Doctor Who. The stage is set for an incredible alien encounter for the Doctor and an epic battle with universes at stake.

By Editor

Star Trek Salute to the Redshirts

Star Trek #13 courtesy IDW Publishing

“You make me feel like I’m living in a Star Trek dream!” This week’s offerings from IDW Publishing are sure to engage Trek fans. Everyone knows the joke about the wearing red means you’ll soon be dead. Mike Johnson, Stephen Molnar and Tim Bradstreet create a special tale just for the Redshirts…and those who love them. Star Trek #13 is a new stand-alone story of life on the Enterprise told through the eyes of a redshirt.

This Redshirt’s Tale joins the previously announced Star Trek: The Next Generation: Hive limited series by veteran Trek writer/producer Brannon Braga. A future where the Borg control the galaxy the only hope is Captain Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. But how can Picard save the day when Locutus rules this dark future.

By Editor

Borg Are Back in New Star Trek Series!

Star Trek: The Next Generation: HIVE courtesy IDW Publishing

 The greatest enemy of Star Trek: The Next Generation return this week in a new comic book mini series from IDW Publishing. Veteran writer/producer Brannon Braga and Terry Matalas create Star Trek: The Next Generation- Hive.

“There’s no easy way to say it… the Borg are back. The cubes, the Queen, Locutus, and their intractable stance on resistance have reared their ugly heads once again to jeopardize the fate of our Galaxy,” said IDW.
“It’s a thrill and privilege to be writing in the Star Trek universe again,” said Braga. “This graphic medium will provide the narrative ambition and visual scope this story deserves — the final chapter in The Borg saga!”

Here’s the description from IDW: “In a distant future, where the deadly Borg have assimilated the entire Galaxy, Picard, his crew, and some unexpected allies must prove once and for all that resistance is not futile! Packed with mind-bending twists, time-jumping action, and revered, genre-defining characters, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: HIVE promises to be a must-read event for fans of the TNG’s intrepid legacy.”

The cover features fan favorite Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager and the likeness of the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) from Star Trek: First Contact.

Resistance is Futile. I will buy this.

By Editor

 

Doctor Who & Star Trek Crossover: Alliances Shatter

Cybermen and Borg attacking Federation planets. Doctor Who, Amy and Rory on board the U.S.S. Enterprise. IDW’s out of this world sci-fi crossover takes some surprising twists in this week’s new chapter.

 

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #4 courtesy IDW Publishing

The writers have been playing with the Doctor’s memories. How did he recognize Worf as a Klingon when he’s never met a Klingon? Last issue the Doctor flashed back to his encounter with Kirk and Spock back in a previous life (the fourth Doctor – Tom Baker.)

In this week’s  Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #4 the Time Lord meets the mysterious Guinan. Tipton, Tipton and Lee capture both characters perfectly. This IS how the Doctor and Guinan would act if they met. Both characters can sense the flow of time and when things are abnormal.

 

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #4 courtesy IDW Publishing

Something is definitely not right in the galaxy. The Cybermen/Borg alliance is not what it appears. The conflict takes a wicked turn giving the Federation an unlikely ally. The stage is set for a Captain Picard and Doctor Who showdown.

I’m really enjoying this series. The writers have nailed how these characters would really interact. The Doctor, Amy and Rory’s first time through a Starfleet transporter is classic. This issue delivers on character moments, action and humor. The friendly alliance between the Captain and the Doctor may be taking a twist in coming issues. I’m engaged.

By Editor

 

By Editor