The people behind Starship Farragut are at it again. First the fan-produced Star Trek spin-off came into being. I reviewed it. Then they came out with an animated version. Reviewed that, too. So when they came out with a comic, guess what? Now all they need is a novel and the requisite mediocre video game, and they’ll have the complete set. 🙂
So click on the logo below and join me in reading tonight’s entry.
story: Charles Kelso & Kail Tescar/art: Raul Quiles Jr.
I’ll get the complaint out of the way now. I don’t understand why they decided to base the comic on the cartoon rather than the live action stuff. It’s not bad, and doesn’t take away from the story, so don’t get me wrong. It’s just when I heard about a comic, I was expecting something more like this.
line art by Steve Conley, colors by me
That’s a low-res scan of a piece done for John Broghton at Baltimore Comic-Con by pro artist Steve Conley, with colors done by a two bit fan with Paint Shop Pro who needed the color practice. (You can see the original here, but I just wanted to show off. That was hosted at my ImageShack account. I should put one up at deviantART, but I’ll probably forget. :P) Just pretend Captain Carter’s wearing a nightshirt. 😛 The point is that this looks like comic art, although light on detailing, and resembles the actors, like any other Star Trek comic (legalities aside), while the webcomic looks like the animated show. (Which also resembles the actors, but as drawn by Filmation.)
Because it's not Star Trek without technobabble.
Storywise, once you get pass the plot devices, it’s a decent story. Not perfect, but good enough for a spot in the Showcase. It puts the crew in an interesting situation typical of the Star Trek Universe, but is handled as the Farragut crew would handle it. I say again that had J.J. Abrams used his own crew rather than some alternate universe version of the classic cast, there would be less detractors of the movie. In this case, it’s a tale of lost loved ones returning from the dead (sans Black Lantern rings), suspicious natures that come from just being in the Star Trek Universe (where this story usually means someone is out to get our heroes), and the question of how to handle a situation that threatens the crew.
I liked the twist ending, even if the explanation was not forthcoming as to who the aliens are or why they did what they did (read the comic), but I was more interested in the “b” plot (seeing as the title was “Dearly Departed”), the way both Tacket and Prescott view the situation, and the ways they choose to get out of it. I’m actually of two minds in this situation. Based on the resolution of the “a” plot, I would have liked to have seen Tacket (the commanding officer in this story) come out on top. Alternately, however, the fact that neither is proven right doesn’t do the story any harm. It wasn’t about which one was right. It was about the differences in both characters perspectives, Tacket’s more scientific approach versus Prescott’s “chief of security” point of view, and how they would handle the situation. I could easily hear the actors voices (Michael Bednar and Paul R. Seiber) in my head debating things, and that works for me. This was an interesting study of both mindsets, and neither viewpoint is treated as stupid. Tacket’s solution only proves to be the right way to handle it because of what we, the readers, know and not because Prescott is treated as a militaristic jackass (unlike way too many other stories I could mention).
You know he paid for this at the next poker game.
Spoiler: On the other hand, I do wonder about Prescott’s decision to leave the ship with nobody able to talk him out of it. I rather enjoy his character on the show, and if this is the comic’s way of telling why he left, I’ll miss him in future stories. If not, it’s the same questionable decision as the New Voyages episode that has Chekov die in a story set prior to the movies. :End Spoiler
Overall, while I would like to see some improvements in future issues, it was still a good read that I can recommend, hence being a “Saturday Night Showcase” entry, but mostly to fans of Star Trek and the other Starship Farragut projects, which I happen to be. I would just send them to the shows first.
BW Media Spotlight 
OK, look, folks. I’m going to allow the Farragut staff a chance to respond to Richard’s comment out of courtesy and fair & equal time, and allow a response to their response for the same reasons. However, this was a review of the online comic, and is not meant to be a Farragut-bashing thread. (See also my reviews of the live-action and animated version.) This is the second time in months someone has posted something to this review taking a shot at the staff, and this one isn’t even connected to the review so I would ordinarily be in my rights to take it down. I’m not, in order to make a point.
Saturday Night Showcase is supposed to be my dedicated positive piece of the week so I know there’s at least one. You’re welcome to disagree with my Showcase choices and state the reason why. I have no problem with differing opinions, and I am open to people suggesting other online shows, comics, and story-driven games (do those exist outside of MMOs?) to look into for Showcase inductance. However, I do NOT want or need a flame war on this site directed at anyone. I will close comments on this page if I have to.
This is not a Star Trek site and I am merely an observer, not a member of the community. Farragut has its own blog, go yell at them there (although I hope you’ll be decent to them and actually listen to his responses) or take it to a Star Trek fan forum. I am not aware of what they’re doing behind the scenes, what Vic Mingola is doing or not doing, or what egos are or aren’t flaring at the Farragut Films studio, since I am not connected to either. I just review the finished product and I don’t need rumors and one-sides perspectives (well, except for mine 😀 ) mucking up my site.
Again, Farragut Films is allowed to respond to comments and I will allow the original poster to respond, but if this gets out of hand I WILL close comments to this article, permanently if I must. Debate is allowed but I do want to keep things lite and fun here at the Spotlight, even when I’m ranting about stuff myself. Please extend the same perspective.
Thank you.
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Richard, you need to tone it down a notch. Right now you are at 11′ on the dial. The only complaints I have ever heard about the good people at Farragut is from you, and your comments make you and the Ajax team look bad. If you can’t behave in a mature and civilized fashion, perhaps you should walk away from the fan film community. No one is asking you to stay, and your constant negativity is not welcome on the boards.
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This is Richard Wells with the Ajax team. I am sorry to see this has spread to your forum as well but I did not make those comments. Either there is someone who doesn’t realize his comments are being attributed to me or someone is using my name in order to stir up further problems.
I would appreciate if someone from Farragut would contact me either with the email entered here or with the contact page on starshipajax.com and let’s work together to stop the bickering and end this once and for all.
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This is Michael from Farragut Films. I can tell you I don’t know who is posting. I have a suspicion, but nothing concrete. But I can assure everyone, it is NOT coming from anyone within the Farragut Films family. This is definitely an outsider. I simply wish all the negative posts be removed.
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I wish all this negative stuff could be removed as well.
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Agreed. This post was not made by anyone from Farragut or Ajax so they had no business posting it in the first place. I think someone is trying to start a conflict between the Farragut team and the Ajax team.
Michael, I apologize for your production somehow getting drug into our conflict. I don’t see the connection, someone deciding to film with you instead of with us doesn’t imply you had anything to do with the decision.
If anyone sees any other post about this topic pop up anywhere at all please contact me through the Ajax website so I can deal with it.
Thank You
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Thanks Richard, And Merry Christmas to you and your family.
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OK, here’s what I’ve decided. The “drama” comes to a happy conclusion so I’ll leave this up here because I don’t really like taking down comments. Free speech and all that, even though this may be more a case of libel/slander. I’m not aware of the situation. Point to this as a bad example if you have to.
However, I AM closing comments on this article before this happens again. And if anyone tries to pull this stunt on the other two Farragut articles (the show and the cartoon) I WILL pull it off immediately and quite possibly ban the perpetrator if I can figure out how. This will NOT happen again!
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