Published Oct 9, 2020
Hero Collector Debuts New Ships, Books at NYCC
Plus, watch their full panel, now online!
New York Comic-Con has gone digital this year, with a host of Metaverse panels for fans to watch online. Hero Collector took the opportunity to host its own, and made a wealth of Star Trek announcements in a conversation between their Brand Manager Chris Thompson and Editorial Manager Ben Robinson. You can watch the full panel here, but we’ve assembled a convenient round-up below…
A SPECIAL SHIP FOR NYCC METAVERSE – A GOLDEN ENTERPRISE
XL Special – U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D (Gold)
A special release for the NYCC Metaverse, limited to 1000 copies worldwide, this 22cm model of the Enterprise-D has been cast in incredible detail and plated in 18-carat gold. It would fit right next to the “little ships” on display in Picard’s cabinet in Star Trek: First Contact –?but we don’t advise you break it, no matter how angry the Borg make you.
NEW COLLECTION FOR NEW STAR TREK SHOWS – PICARD, DISCOVERY, AND MORE
Ben announced that the Star Trek: Discovery Starships Collection would be ending at #33 –?but only to pass the torch to a new collection, set to begin its voyage in April 2021! Designed at the same scale as its predecessor, to keep your collections compatible, this new series will feature detailed replicas of ships from Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds – everything a modern Trek fan could ask for!
The first four ships in this new collection were also announced at the panel, all from Picard: the signature La Sirena, the U.S.S. Zheng-He that Riker led into action (spoilers!), the modern update to the classic Romulan Bird-of-Prey, and Seven of Nine’s Fenris Ranger ship.
Register your interest for the new collection on the Hero Collector website.
NEW SHIPS IN THE STAR TREK: DISCOVERY STARSHIPS COLLECTION
#30 – Section 31 Shiva-Class
Sleek, deadly, and advanced, the mysterious starships fielded by Section 31 have been given names at last, as part of Hero Collector's Star Trek: Discovery Starships Collection! The secretive Starfleet agency named their classified vessels after divine warriors –?this 2-nacelled design was dubbed the "Shiva-class", after the Hindu destroyer-god.
#31 – Klingon Batlh-Class
An escort vessel employed by the Great Houses of the Klingon Empire, and named for the Klingon concept of honor, the Batlh-class spearheaded the assault on the U.S.S. Shenzou – and the Federation as a whole – in the Battle at the Binary Stars. The Batlh-class’ distinctive, doughty design features an elongated hull with a raised spine, and twinned warp nacelles flanking its rounded bow.
#32 – Section 31 Hou Yi-Class
Named for the mythological Chinese archer who shot down the sun, the medium-sized, four-nacelled Hou Yi-class was a starship developed in secret to pursue Section 31’s shadowy goals. It was deployed by the rogue artificial intelligence Control to attack the U.S.S. Discovery and U.S.S. Enterprise, near the planet Xahea.
STAR TREK: THE OFFICIAL STARSHIPS COLLECTION UNVEILS NEW SPECIALS AND XLs
Special #25 – Son’a Collector Ship
The Son'a Collector Ship – or “The Injector” – was key to the plans of the narcissistic Son’a in Star Trek: Insurrection, designed to harvest the metaphysic radiation of an entire planet… regardless of the cost to its inhabitants. Fortunately, Jean-Luc Picard was on hand to sabotage the massive, elegantly fluted vessel. Hero Collector reconstructed this ship with the help of designer John Eaves, as its original render had long-since been lost.
XL #23 – U.S.S. Enterprise (Star Trek 2009)
Star Trek returned to the big screen in 2009, with J.J. Abrams’ blockbuster hit film, and everything got an update – including Matt Jefferies’ classic design for the Starship Enterprise. This new interpretation had a sleeker, more muscular look than the ‘60s original – a “hot rod”, as Abrams’ requested.
Ben also announced the next ship to get the XL treatment – the Delta Flyer, the shuttle cobbled together by the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager. It’s the smallest starship yet in Hero Collector’s biggest starship collection!
STAR TREK ONLINE: THE STARSHIPS COLLECTION EXTENDED TO 20 SHIPS
This figurine collection reproduces the original ships created for Star Trek Online, the massively multiplayer video game based on Star Trek. Next up is the Federation’s Pathfinder-Class Science Vessel, but Ben confirmed that the series will continue past ten ships – with #11 being the formidable Avenger-Class Battlecruiser!
#7 –?Federation Pathfinder-Class Science Vessel
A long-range science vessel available to Starfleet players in Star Trek Online, the Pathfinder-class was developed as part of Operation Delta Rising, to serve a new generation of explorers and scientists. Inspired by the Intrepid-class of the late 24th century, it combines robust scientific equipment with impressive speed and extended mission endurance.
NEW BOX SET OF STAR TREK: SHUTTLECRAFT
#7 – Docking Shuttle, Captain's Yacht Calypso, Cyrano Jones' Spacematic, Type-9A Shuttlecraft
A true deep dive into Star Trek designs, this box set includes replicas of four little-seen shuttlecraft – and one that never appeared on-screen at all! These shuttles are each accompanied by an "Okudagram" schematic, created by Star Trek and NASA graphic designer Mike Okuda.
The Captain’s Yacht “Calypso”, which docked beneath the saucer section of the Enterprise-D, TNG’s Docking Shuttle, built by Dan Curry from a broken GoBot foot, Cyrano Jones’ “Spacematic” shuttle, which made a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance in "Trials And Tribble-ations," and the Type-9A cargo shuttle – which made its debut in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual.
A Timeline Through the Star Trek Universe
NEW STAR TREK BOOKS – SHIPYARDS, MANUALS, DESIGNERS, AND MORE
Hero Collector’s range of Star Trek books continued to grow at NYCC! Ben Robinson announced two new volumes of Star Trek: Shipyards for early 2021, both of which will focus on the Delta Quadrant to cover the huge variety of starships that appeared in Star Trek: Voyager. The Illustrated Handbooks – beautifully-illustrated technical manuals, packed with color artwork – covered Voyager earlier this year, and will see a new volume at the beginning of next year, dedicated to Deep Space Nine.
Also highlighted were wholly new lines of books – Hero Collector’s Nerdsearch is a series of hardback, 40-page puzzle books for adult fans of pop culture, offering double-page illustrations of classic scenes from Emmy-winning cartoonist Glenn Dakin. The twist? They’re all wrong. You’ll have to muster all your Trek knowledge to nitpick your way to victory in Star Trek: Quibbles with Tribbles!
Out in time for Christmas will be Star Trek Cocktails: A Stellar Companion, featuring 40 cocktails inspired by the characters of Star Trek – from Sisko’s Sazerac (he’s from New Orleans, after all) to an Earl Grey Martini for Jean-Luc Picard. It’s packed with mixing advice and fun illustrations, the perfect guide to festive drinks.
Star Trek Voyager: A Celebration is the definitive retrospective for that amazing series, featuring 30 interviews with principle cast members, insight from writers, details from designers, and more. Ben described it as "a convention in a book" – perfect for those of us who've found conventions a little thin on the ground, this year.
Finally, Mr. Spock's Little Book of Mindfulness offers a much-needed injection of Vulcan wisdom – a humorous, illustrated guide to living your life with all the logic and objectivity of Mr. Spock itself. Plus, you can share its lessons of philosophy with mugs, t-shirts and prints featuring Glenn Dakin’s brilliant cartoons.