A Classic Star Trek Story Is Returning 59 Years Later in IDW’s New Release
A landmark comic returns
IDW Publishing’s February solicitations include Star Trek: Gold Key Era #1, a reprint of Gold Key’s first Star Trek comic from 1967. The edition will feature two covers, one a foil version of the original.
Star Trek enters comics
Star Trek premiered in the United States on September 8, 1966. Gold Key Comics secured the rights soon afterward, and its first tie-in issues appeared within a year of the show’s debut.
Gold Key held the license for more than a decade. Marvel, DC and IDW have also published Star Trek comics over the years.
A new outlet for fans
Gold Key’s comics gave fans more Star Trek stories when the television series was off the air. At the time, James Blish’s short story adaptations were among the few ways to revisit the show, while the first original Star Trek novels were still years away.
The early comics sometimes differed from the television series, including in uniform colors, character behavior and the Enterprise’s interior layout. The article attributes those inconsistencies to creative staff living in countries where Star Trek had not yet been shown.
Collectors and facsimile editions
Early Gold Key issues can command high prices on the secondary market, and relatively few copies have survived. Facsimile editions have become popular in recent years, reproducing notable stories and sometimes restoring original advertisements.
Publishers have also added variant and foil covers to these editions. IDW’s new release brings those features to the first Gold Key Star Trek comic.
Key points
- IDW’s Star Trek: Gold Key Era #1 reprints the 1967 comic that began the franchise’s American comic-book run.
- The new edition will include two covers, one a foil variant of the original.
- Gold Key’s comics continued offering Star Trek stories after the television series ended.
- Early Gold Key issues are sought after by collectors and can sell for high prices.