Star Trek: Gold Key Archives, Volume 1
Hardcover | Kindle
Story by Dick Wood
Art by Nevio Zaccara and Alberto Giolitti
IDW Publishing
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Cover Price: $29.99

The first Star Trek comics began publication under the Poughkeepsie, NY-based Gold Key Comics (which at one point or another in time held the comic license to nearly every popular show on television, from The Avengers to Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) in July 1967, three months after the television show’s debut season ended. Since it was never a ratings bonanza, Star Trek had to rely on support from fans and critics in order to stay on the air and the exploitation of the property in multi-media aided the cause immeasurably.

The Gold Key comic proved to be a hit with readers, ultimately running for 61 issues – a 62nd issue was planned but went unpublished – and helping to establish Star Trek as a viable property outside of the cathode ray box. Subsequent titles in the franchise would be released by Marvel, DC, and currently IDW Publishing. In Star Trek: Gold Key Archives Volume 1, IDW, which has owned the Trek comics license since November 2006, reprints the first six issues of the Gold Key run that were released from July 1967 to December 1969 and presents them in a single full-color hardcover volume, complete with the original photo covers.

We’re back again with an exclusive first look at a bunch of covers courtesy of our friends at Dark Horse comics. First we have the regular cover for Amalia’s Blade #1 by Michael Dialynas as well as a variant cover by Guy Davis. Then we’ve got two series that wrap up in April with their fourth issues — The Answer! #4 by Mike Norton and The Black Beetle: No Way Out #4 by Francesco Francavilla.

Then we’ve got covers for four collections hitting stores in June. Check out The Victories, Volume 1 by Michael Avon Oeming, collecting the five issue superhero/sci-fi adventure miniseries. Next we have the first volume of The Original Daredevil Archives collecting the first four issues of the golden age classic. Then there’s Forbidden World Archives, Volume 2, collecting the weird and wonderful anthology of science fiction and supernatural fantasy. Finally, there’s the next in the long line of Dark Horse’s Creepy Archives, Volume 16 featuring work by Alex Toth, Wally Wood, Neal Adams, Bernie Wrightson, and Richard Corben.

All this and more can be had, and all you have to do is pre-order them with your friendly neighborhood comic book dispenser.

Now, check these covers out right here after the jump.