The new Star Trek film is only one day away from its official release in theaters, and if you’re not already familiar with Trek you have a little bit of catching up to do. Luckily, not too much though, because this film, directed by JJ Abrams, is a prequel AND it’s a reboot of the franchise, so no matter what, you won’t be lost.

But, for those of you who want to gear up for the film and also get acquainted with some of the new film’s supplemental material, here’s some ideas and information for you.

When Worlds Collide: Spock Confronts the Ultimate Challenge

This 6-page mini-comic book appeared in a recent issue of Wired magazine and deals with a story from Spock’s childhood. When Worlds Collide begins with Spock Prime (the elder Spock, the role Leonard Nimoy plays in the upcoming film) thinking back to his young and the various obstacles he faced that lead him to his career with the Federation. The comic is written by Star Trek scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, with art by Paul Pope. You can read the entire comic for free over at Wired right now.

Star Trek: Countdown Prequel Comic Book

Star Trek: Countdown is a four-issue limited comic book series, now complied into one trade paperback, which serves as a prequel to the upcoming film. The series ties into Star Trek by introducing us to Nero, a simple Romulan miner who loses everything and blames the Federation for it (played by Eric Bana in the film). We see how his plot for revenge involves the Federation and what his previous attempts at vengeance were. What’s really nice about the comic is that it takes place in the Star Trek: The Next Generation timeline, so we get to see some of our favorite characters from that series. The story was plotted by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and was written by Mike Johnson and Tim Jones, with art by David Messina.

Star Trek: The Original Series

If you’ve never watched the original Star Trek television series from the 1960s, don’t panic. You’ll be able to follow the new movie just fine without any previous Trek knowledge. But, if you know a little about the series or want to start on it now, show’s original three seasons are out on DVD, with Season 1 recently released on Blu-ray with enhanced special effects aimed at today’s audiences. It would have been great had Paramount released their The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series before the new Trek movie, and I have a feeling that might have been their original intention, but somehow the date slipped. The Best Of DVD will be released on May 12, so if you’re not going to see the new movie on opening weekend, there’s still time for you to get this and watch it beforehand. But, if you have access to the episodes from previously releases, here’s the episodes to watch, since they all deal with the same elements as those in the new movie.

– The City On the Edge Of Forever – time travel
– The Trouble With Tribbles – Klingons
– Balance Of Terror – Romulans
– Amok Time – Vulcan culture

Also, in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” there’s scenes on Delta Vega, which is where Kirk gets marooned in the new movie.

Star Trek: The Animated Series

This animated series that aired on television in 1973-74 continued the voyages of the starship Enterprise after the original series. Most of the original cast members returned to do voice work and the show ran for 22 half-hour episodes. In the time-travel episode “Yesteryear,” Spock travels to his childhood past — which is a part of his life that we will see in the new Star Trek. Spock’s pet makes an appearance in this one. The series is now out on DVD.

Star Trek: The Original Movies

The original Star Trek cast made six movies together (with some of them appearing in the seventh film Generations, along with The Next Generation cast). Most people seem to think that the even numbered films are the best ones and I’d agree. But, to gear up for the new movie those of you with limited time should definitely watch Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Not only is it the best of the films, it’s one of the best scifi movies ever and is at the top of my top 10 favorite films of all time. Also, it deals with the no-win scenario test “Kobayashi Maru.” The test is one that Kirk and crew took while at Starfleet Academy and it’s featured in the new movie, which takes place in part at the Academy and we finally see Kirk play out the scenario. Have a little more time? Then head right to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, my second favorite Trek movie. This film has scenes on Rura Penthe, where new Trek villain was imprisoned, though reports are coming in now that these scenes were cut (but will probably be on the DVD release).

Well, that’s in for my round-up of stuff to help you gear up for the eleventh Star Trek film. Have fun!