Counting the days until "Star Trek” arrives in theaters in May? So is IDW Publishing. As it enters its third year of publishing "Star Trek” comics, IDW is releasing "Star Trek: Countdown,” an official lead-in to the film.
The first issue of the four-issue miniseries was released in comic book stores last week.
"Star Trek: Countdown” is written by Mike Johnson and Tim Jones from a plot by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the screenwriters for the new "Trek” movie.
The film, directed by J.J. Abrams, features a young new cast portraying classic "Trek” characters such as Capt. Kirk, Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock.
"Countdown” serves as a prequel and bridges the gap between the last "Trek movie” — 2002’s "Star Trek: Nemesis,” which featured the "Star Trek: The Next Generation” cast — and the new film.
"It’s our way of passing the baton from the ‘Next Generation’ characters and their movies to the new film,” Orci said in a press release announcing the new comic.
How the story ties into both films isn’t clear, since the "Next Generation” movies occur after the original adventures of Kirk and his comrades.
What is known is that the comic book introduces Nero, the Romulan villain played by Eric Bana in the new movie, and that the movie involves time travel.
