NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: MARS

  ** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review**

Are you ready to blast off on a space adventure to Mars?  National Geographic's six-part television series MARS immerses you into a realistic representation of a futuristic mission to the red planet.  Academy Award-winning producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard merge a sci-fi drama with an educational documentary by interspersing interviews with real life astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other space experts within a scripted fictional story about a journey to Mars. It's really well done!

If you missed watching MARS when it first aired on the National Geographic Channel last year, the series is now available to purchase on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Download.  This show filled with incredibly informative segments about astronomy and space travel as well as a suspense filled adventurous tale really captured my family's imagination and was very entertaining to view.  Plus the home video edition also includes features such as a bonus episode (Before Mars: A Prequel), a behind-the-scenes documentary (Making Mars), and interviews with the cast and crew.

What would life be like on the first human colony on the fourth planet from the sun?  It would obviously be much different than life is here on Earth. Ask your kids what they think it would be like, share with them this informative fact sheet, and have some fun giving them a chance to fill out the form below where they can list what they would pack for their adventure.





Watch MARS together as a family and compare the astronauts experience in the show to what your kids though it would be like.  Since we saw the show, my kids have been interested in going outside to gaze for Mars in the night sky through a telescope and have wanted to learn more about how someone can actually become an astronaut.  If this National Geographic television series sparks the same interest about space travel in your kids as it has mine, you'll want to visit, makemarshome.com, which allows people to see if they have what it takes to be an astronaut for a Mars mission through an interactive online experience.

The television series, based upon the book How We'll Live On Mars (2015) by Stephen Petranek, tells the story of a multi-national effort to send astronauts to explore Mars set in 2037.  It revolves around the crew of the Daedalus, which includes mission commander Ben Sawyer (American), systems engineer Hana Seung (American), physician Amelie Durand (French), roboticist Robert Foucault (Nigerian), geochemist Javier Delgado (Spanish), and geologist Marta Kamen (Russian), who will be the first people to set foot on Mars.  As they engage in their adventure, viewers are shown flashbacks of the characters preparing for the mission from four years before lift off.  Interview segments with actual modern day experts are also incorporated into the fictional story explaining how today's technology will be utilized or enhanced to make such a mission feasible in the future.

In the first episode, as the Daedalus prepares to land on Mars a critical system on the space ship malfunctions.  Attempting to avert a disaster, the mission commander is critically injured.  While Commander Sawyer's efforts get his crew's boots on the ground, they find themselves 75 kilometers away from where automated rockets from Earth had previously dropped supplies waiting for them.  How will they survive with limited resources and no easy way to get to their planned landing site where all their vital supplies are stored?  And how do they treat Sawyer's serious injuries when the closest hospital is more than 200 million kilometers away?  You'll have to start watching to find out!  Be aware though that there are life and death situations impacting the crew of the Daedalus so parents should take some discretion about whether the show is suitable for their children to watch based upon that.  It was fine for my 8 year old twins to watch but every child is unique.

If you want to learn even more about Mars, National Geographic has also published a companion book to the television series.  MARS -- OUR FUTURE ON THE RED PLANET is a wonderful 288 page hardcover book filled with 200 color illustrations and photographs.  The book combines science, technology, photography, and art to illuminate how Mars is the next frontier in space exploration.

Thanks to National Geographic you can now explore Mars without the hassle of traveling a million miles to get there.  Let MARS spark your family's imagination and curiosity about space exploration, science, and technology.

 
For more information about the television series, visit: channel.nationalgeographic.com/mars

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir "Spots On!" DVD

 A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free & one to giveaway

 My kids have become big fans of the animated television show Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir which features the adventures of two teen-aged super heroes with European flair. When the treacherous Hawk Moth uses his evil energy to transform the citizens of Paris into super villains, only Lady Bug and Cat Noir can save the day!  With the help of their magical Kwamis, this duo teams up to outwit Hawk Moth and keep their city safe.  These super heroes biggest challenge though may not be battling evil doers though but rather graduating high school.  It has to be hard to juggle schoolwork, friends and family while growing up when every day is a super-powered adventure.

On August 30, 2016 Shout! Factory is releasing six episodes on DVD from the first season of the TV series which is currently being broadcast by Nickelodeon on Sundays at Noon.  Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir "Spots On!" will include the episodes The Evillustrator, Rogercop, Dark Cupid, Horrificator, Darkblade and The Mime.  Additionally, the DVD includes a miniature comic book featuring a Lady Bug and Cat Noir adventure in print.

I know my kids will be delighted to view this new DVD and read the included comic book!  To share their enthusiasm with our A Geek Daddy blog readers and social media followers, Shout! Factory has provided a Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir "Spots On!" DVD to giveaway. Retweet our contest tweet below to throw your name in the hat for a chance to be randomly picked to win.

Follow @GeekDad248 & RT before 9/2/16 for chance to win the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir "Spots On!" DVD pic.twitter.com/QdKbDfy368

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) August 28, 2016

To be eligible for this giveaway you must follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet our original contest tweet embedded above before September 1, 2016 @ 11:59 pm EST.  Must be a US  resident over the age of 18 to participate. No P.O. Boxes allowed for delivery of the prize.  One entry per person and winner will be selected from all eligible entries. Shout! Factory will be responsible for the delivery of the prize to the selected winner. By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog. A Geek Daddy is providing this giveaway contest as a benefit to our readers and social media followers and has not been financially compensated for this promotion.

Beginning August 30th, you can purchase the DVD from the Shout! Factory online store or pick it up at retailers throughout the United States and Canada  including Best Buy, Toys R Us, and Walmart.  For more information about the show, visit miraculousladybug.com

Miraculous Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir

If you are looking for a super hero themed story that isn't dominated by male characters than Miraculous Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir may be a show you want to check out.  The adventures of teenage girl Marinette as the hero known as "Ladybug" provide for super fun in this animated TV series that has been wildly successful on Nickelodeon and is now being released on DVD beginning May 3, 2016 by Shout! Kids.  Both my seven year old daughter and son really enjoy watching the Paris-based adventures of Ladybug and Cat Noir so A Geek Daddy is sharing my kids enjoyment of the show with a C'est Magnifique giveaway courtesy of Shout! Kids. We're giving away a Miraculous Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir DVD.

UPDATE: Congrats to Tamara R from Elverta, California who won our giveaway.

Follow @Geekdad248 & RT for chance to win a MIRACULOUS TALES OF LADYBUG & CAT NOIR dvd courtesy of @ShoutFactory #ad pic.twitter.com/qxDPfn0e0y

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) April 29, 2016

To be eligible for this giveaway you must follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet our original contest tweet which is embedded above before May 6, 2016 @ 11:59 pm EST.  Must be a US  resident over the age of 18 to participate.  One entry per person and we'll randomly select someone from all eligible entries to receive a Miraculous Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir DVD featuring the first seven episodes broadcast on Nickelodeon.

Marinette and Adrien, two seemingly normal kids live what appears to be an ordinary teen life.  But when the evil Hawk Moth threatens their beloved city of Paris, they transform into the superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir using super powers gained with the help of their magical friends.  Hawk Moth is using his evil energy to transform normal people into super villains, so our two heroes need to use all their skills to defeat him.

Becoming Ladybug is a complicated process for Marinette.  First, she needs a "Kwami" which is a tiny magical creature.  She also needs a "Miraculous" which is a magical accessory.  Combining the two transforms Marinette into a super hero, but her Ladybug powers only work for a limited time!

It is a good think that she gets a little help from her super hero sidekick, Cat Noir, even though she insists she doesn't need his help.  If only she knew Cat Noir's true identity -- Adrien, her school crush.  It will take a lot -- friendship, teamwork, and skill -- to outwit Hawk Moth.  Will Ladybug & Cat Noir be able to balance their double lives and keep Paris safe?  Will they ever find out each other's true identity? Until then there is a whole city of baddies to defeat...SPOTS ON, CLAWS OUT!

The Miraculous Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir DVD includes the television episodes "The Bubbler," "Mr. Pigeon," "Stormy Weather," "Timebreaker," "Copycat," "The Pharoah," and "Lady Wifi."  It also contains bonus features including cast and crew interviews, episode animatics, and a sing-along. CLICK HERE for information on how you can purchase this Shout! Kids DVD.



Disclaimer & Rules / FTC Notice:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but Shout! Factory is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize. By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion. A Geek Daddy Blog hosted this contest and blog post based upon Shout! Factory providing the prize to the selected winner. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. Must be a US resident over 18 years old.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this giveaway as a benefit to our readers. Information for this post was provided by Shout! Factory. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation for publishing this post but did receive one of the prizes for personal use.

BIG HERO 6 animated television series coming to DisneyXD cable channel in 2017

I can honestly say that Walt Disney Animation Studio's 2014 animated motion picture BIG HERO 6 is one of my son's favorite movies and he has anxiously been awaiting news about a possible sequel ever since we went to see it at the theater.  He has all the action figure toys representing the film's cast, has spent numerous hours playing as BIG HERO 6's primary characters Baymax and Hiro characters on the Disney Infinity video game, and has watched the movie over and over again more times than I can count on the dvd we've added to our home video library.  So I find myself with mixed news to share with the boy after receiving an announcement from Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer at Disney Channels Worldwide regarding the future of Big Hero 6 which has a bit of bad news but also plenty of good news for fans of the movie and its characters.

Starting with the bad news first -- it appears there won't be a sequel arriving in movie theaters for BIG HERO 6 in the foreseeable future and maybe not at all.  The good news though is that the adventures of Baymax, Hiro and their aspiring superhero team as the cable channel Disney XD has begun production on a BIG HERO 6 animated television series for kids, tweens and families based upon the Academy Award-winning movie which was based upon a Marvel comic book of the same name.

"Our colleagues at Walt Disney Animation Studios have created a brilliant world, inspired  by Marvel, with vivid, unique characters," Gary Marsh said in his announcement. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to further develop these characters into a world class animated series -- full of fun, action and the kind of endearing storytelling that only Mark McCorkle, Bob Schooley  -- and Baymax -- can deliver."

Emmy Award-winning producers McCorkle and Schooley, creators and executive producers for the Disney Channel's globally successful "Kim Possible" series hope to create another popular hit as executive producers for the BIG HERO 6 animated series on DisneyXD.  Produced by Disney Television Animation, this new series picks up immediately following the events in the feature film, and continues the adventures and friendship of 14-year-old tech genius Hiro and his compassionate, cutting-edge robot Baymax. Alongside Hiro and Baymax on their journey are control freak Wasabi, scientist Honey Lemon, fanboy Fred and no-nonsense Go Go, who together form the legendary superhero team, Big Hero 6. As the new prodigy at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, Hiro now faces daunting academic challenges and the social trials of being the little man on campus. Off campus, the stakes are raised for the high-tech heroes as they must protect their city from an array of scientifically enhanced villains.

While my son is going to be bummed that there isn't a sequel coming to the movie theater, I'm pretty sure he is going to be delighted by this new television series and looking forward to being able to enjoy continuing adventures of the Big Hero 6 team.

LEGO Star Wars: The Resistance Rises

The other day it was announced that the cable channel Disney XD, which has programming with a focus towards tweens, teens and young adults, was launching a new animated series called THE FREEMAKER ADVENTURES this summer which would combine zany LEGO adventures with the Star Wars universe.  LEGO, Star Wars and Disney XD aren't limiting their creative juices to just that project though!  To wet viewers appetites for the upcoming new show, a series of LEGO Star Wars of short mini-episodes titled LEGO Star Wars: The Resistance will be featured on Disney XD leading up to the premiere of The Freemaker Adventures.  These mini-episodes will chronicle the adventures of Han Solo, Poe Dameron, C3P0, Finn, Rey, and other characters from The Force Awakens shortly before the events of Star Wars: Episode VII in the goofy and wacky manner that LEGO animated shows have a reputation for.

Disney XD broadcast its first LEGO Star Wars: The Resistance mini-episode on February 15th titled "Poe to the Rescue" and promised more are on their way to TV.  In this first story, pilot Poe Dameron, with the help of C3P0 and BB-8, devise a plan to rescue one of the Resistance's most important leaders, Admiral Ackbar, from Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, and the military forces of the First Order.  Fans of previous LEGO Star Wars shows like Yoda Chronicles and Droid Tales will find these min-episodes are filled with the same tongue-in-cheek humor and slap stick comedy that have made those past series so popular.

If you've missed "Poe to the Rescue" when it has been on television, Disney XD has been kind enough to also post the mini-episode on YouTube.  Check it out!

New LEGO Star Wars animated television series coming to Disney XD this summer

LEGO has a nice track record of creating whimsical Star Wars themed television adventures for Cartoon Network (Yoda Chronicles) and the Disney Channel (Droid Tales) that our whole family is fond of.  So we were really excited to find out that the Disney XD cable network will be debuting a brand new LEGO Star Wars themed animated television series this summer.  Stay tuned for more info as the show gets closer to its premiere but for now here is the official announcement about "LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures" that A Geek Daddy received from Disney:

LEGO Star Wars: THE FREEMAKER ADVENTURES IS COMING  TO DISNEY XD THIS SUMMER
"LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures" is an all-new animated television series scheduled to debut this summer on Disney XD in the U.S. The fun-filled adventure comedy series will introduce all-new heroes and villains in exciting adventures with many familiar Star Wars characters.

Told in the whimsically-charged style that audiences have come to expect from LEGO Star Wars entertainment, the series stars the Freemakers, a family of scavengers who build and sell starships from the scoured debris of space battles strewn throughout the galaxy. When their youngest discovers a natural connection with the Force through an ancient artifact - the Kyber Saber – his world is turned upside down, and he and his family are thrown into an epic struggle against the Empire to restore peace and freedom to the galaxy. Throughout their adventures, the Freemakers explore new worlds, meet new and familiar characters, and learn the true value of what it means to be a family.

"We are very excited to launch for the first time a TV series with Disney XD," said Jill Wilfert, vice president, licensing & entertainment at the LEGO Group. "The creative team behind 'The Freemaker Adventures' is extremely talented, and the series is a great testament to our longstanding and successful partnership with Lucasfilm and Disney. The show masterfully combines the rich heritage of storytelling, great characters, action and adventure in a galaxy far, far away with the creativity, imagination and humor that only LEGO Star Wars can deliver. We are sure fans young and old are going to love the show."

"With 'The Freemaker Adventures' we are thrilled to bring all new stories to life that could only be realized in the LEGO Star Wars universe," said Carrie Beck, vice president, animation development at Lucasfilm. "We are embarking on an unprecedented collaboration that will allow us to extend the narrative experience of the Star Wars saga with the same playful spirit that’s always made LEGO Star Wars so much fun to watch. We are so thankful to have such great partners in the LEGO Group, Disney XD and series developers Bill Motz and Bob Roth."

Turbo F.A.S.T. Television Series Activity Sheets & DVD Giveaway

I remember the weekend before TURBO hit theaters back in 2013 we were making the hour drive to visit my parents and every few miles along our route on the highway we'd see these huge promotional ads on billboards featuring the racing snails from the movie that got my son excited every time we drove past one.  That hooked our family into going to see the film the next weekend and my son's been a huge fan of the movie and its characters ever since.  So he was pretty bummed to find out from friends at school that Turbo and his racing snail friends have their own animated television series that he couldn't watch because we don't subscribe to Netflix.  I'm sure my son's going to be really thrilled when I surprise him with the first season of Turbo F.A.S.T. when it is released on dvd and via digital download on June 2, 2015.

Thanks to our friends at Fox Home Entertainment our family is receiving the Turbo F.A.S.T. dvd package features the 26 episodes of the Netflix televison show's first season to view. That's 9 hours of fantastic snail racing action!  We're not leaving our A Geek Daddy blog readers out in the cold though! Fox Home Entertainment has provided us some fun Turbo F.A.S.T. themed activity sheets to share plus one lucky blog reader will win a Turbo F.A.S.T. dvd/digital download prize pack of their very own.



Race your kids to see who can race through the maze first. That snail is fast!



These word puzzles are a nice way to pass the time. Print this out for a rainy day or for a long card ride.



Build your own paper creation of Turbo the racing snail. Download then print out these activity sheets for best clarity and quality.

For a chance to win Turbo F.A.S.T. you must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit one or all of the following entry methods to earn up to 3 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday June 7, 2015:

Congrats to Ray from Toledo who won the Turbo F.A.S.T. dvd collection!

E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address. Email subject line should be TURBO FAST. (1 Entry)

Visit our Facebook page and on the contest post share who your favorite member of the F.A.S.T team is. (2 Entries)

All valid entries will be assigned a number in the order they are received and one number will be  selected to determine the winner using random.org.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

"Turbo Fast" Season One
Start your engines... and rev up the fun! From DreamWorks Animation, creators of the hit movie Turbo, comes the high-speed animated series that takes comedy, action and excitement to the extreme. Join the world's fastest snail and his Fast Action Stunt Team as they put their elite skills to the test against all- new opponents on and off the track. It's a Turbo-charged collection of heart-racing thrills!

For more information, visit teamturbofast.com



DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but Fox Home Entertainment is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive a review DVD for the blog and the prize that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.

AMC Hypes BREAKING BAD Spin-off TV Series with Comic Book

Cable network AMC is hyping its new Breaking Bad spin-off television series Better Call Saul with an online comic book. Set in 2002, Better Call Saul focuses on the life of small-time lawyer Saul Goodman (played by Bob Odenkirk) six years before his appearance on Breaking Bad, though events during and after the original series will also be explored in the show.  The comic book features a story that ties together the new television series with Breaking Bad.  It also wraps up with a two page short at the end that has Saul imagining a TV commercial for his law practice portraying him as a super hero defending people from evil police officers. The online comic book,  Better Call Saul: Client Development, was written by Jenn Carroll and Gordon Smith with art by Steve Ellis.

 CLICK HERE to read Better Call Saul: Client Development.

The all-new "Better Call Saul: Client Development" online comic follows Mike Ehrmantraut and Saul Goodman as they work to root out the truth about Saul’s newest client, revealing exactly what took place between when Jimmy In-N-Out gets arrested as Heisenberg and the moment Saul confronts Walter White in his chemistry classroom. As a bonus, the Better Call Saul comic also includes an exclusive two-page short that reimagines Saul as a superhero, rescuing a client from the clutches of evil police officers.

Better Call Saul debuts on Sunday February 8, 2015 at 10pm (ET/PT) following the midseason premiere of THE WALKING DEAD on AMC.

Star Trek Stories Continue Between Movies in the Pages of Comic Books

Star Trek is riding a wave of popularity again after the success of its two most recent feature films that rebooted the franchise, STAR TREK (2009) and STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (2013).  Yet while the franchise was supported for years by television shows to build a foundation of stories and characters...in addition to the original series that started the adventure which ran from 1966 - 1969 there continuously was a Star Trek series airing on television from 1987 through 2005 starting with The Next Generation and ending with Enterprise...there hasn't been a Star Trek show on television in nearly a decade.  So without a television series to serve as a bridge between movies for character and plot developments, comic books have taken on that role to provide a continuation of Star Trek adventures for fans to enjoy.

So I've wondered if the events that took place in the 2009 STAR TREK movie totally rebooted the franchise essentially wiping the slate clean of all the franchise's existing canon and starting everything over from scratch.  Does that mean the stories from the original 1960's era series, The Next Generation (1987-1994), Deep Space Nine (1993-1999) and Voyager (1995-2001) plus the movies that were released between 1979 and 2002 now officially never transpired when it comes to Star Trek lore?!  For example, we saw in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS how they recreated the story and plot around the nemesis Khan and switched around Kirk from Spock in who sacrifices their lives for the good of the crew from what took place in 1982's The Wrath of Khan movie. Well I have an answer now after recently reading the graphic novel STAR TREK: The Q Gambit which collects issues 35-40 of IDW Publishing ongoing monthly comic book serial that follows the new adventures of James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise following the events of the 2009 motion picture.  "The Q Gambit" is the ninth volume that collects these issues in a graphic novel format where you can read a bundled story arc rather than going through and separately buying a comic book each month.

The story begins with Captain Jean Luc Picard aboard the Enterprise mourning the news that Spock had recently sacrificed himself by flying an experimental ship into an energy wave to avoid it destroying the planets of the Federation in the same way it wiped out the Romulan Empire as occurred in 2009's STAR TREK movie.  Nothing has has changed from the "original Star Trek" timeline as far as they know Spock died saving the universe and the cast of characters from THE NEXT GENERATION is moving forward as if their past wasn't altered in any way by the events, like the planet Vulcan being destroyed, that took place in the recent movies. Picard's long-time adversary the omnipotent being called Q (on a side note I've always wondered if Q and Wesley Crusher are the same person - has anyone else ever thought that?) materializes in front of him.  Q shares some news with Picard in this comic book story that defines the whole Star Trek franchise from here on out and explains how the old Star Trek and new Star Trek can both exist simultaneously. Q tells Picard that Spock isn't dead but rather was transported to another timeline in a parallel dimension. Voila - there you have it!  The events in the movies are a separate dimension that is similar yet different from the one of previous Star Trek lore!  So in the 2009 movie Spock went back in time but not in his own timeline.  Having watched the Star Trek tv series and movies from elementary school through college this revelation just made me so much more comfortable with the whole reboot of the franchise.

Picard urges Q not to interfere with this alternate timeline as the character fades away.  You just know that Q is heading to the Star Trek movie universe as Picard yells out "Q! No!" 

We are taken to a scene where the alternate timeline Enterprise with Kirk, Spock and crew have just arrived at a previously unexplored star system.  Suddenly, they receive a distress call from a Federation supply ship that is being attacked by Klingons. The Enterprise heads to provide aid to the civilian ship called the Smallwood when they become ensnared in a trap with five Klingon war ships circling them on the attack.  Uhura exclaims "Smallwood! no way in Japanese that would be KOBAYASHI!"  The name of the unwinnible test simulation Kirk cheated on at the Star Fleet Academy to win.  The Enterprise is then blown up by the Klingons.

Kirk finds himself on the bridge of the Enterprise as Q sits in the Captain's Chair clapping.  He congratulates the crew on seeing through his illusion of replicating the Kobayashi scenario but tells Kirk that people can't cheat their way through every obstacle they face.  Q than tells Kirk he is going to present the crew of the Enterprise with a true no-win scenario and see how they handle it.

The Enterprise finds itself approaching a space station...the one from the television series DEEP SPACE NINE (1993-1999).  Q has transported the Enterprise to yet another parallel timeline/dimension where the Dominion has won the war the Federation had won in the television series.  The Enterprise is boarded by the Dominion's warriors, a genetically-bred for fighting race known as the Jem "Hadar.  They are taken prisoner and begin interacting with the characters from Deep Space Nine who are obviously in different circumstances then the ones from the television program.  Is this an unwinnable scenario for the crew of the Enterprise?

I'm not going to spoil the rest of the story by giving the outcome, though hint hint there is a STAR TREK 3 movie coming out in the not too distant future, so you'll have to read Star Trek Ongoing Volume 9: The Q Gambit which is being published on March 24, 2015 to find out how this drama concludes.  I will say it was nice seeing a story arc involved the characters from The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine television shows interacting with those from the new movies.  Other than Q, and brief cameo by Jean Luc Picard, the focus of the story is primarily a Deep Space Nine plot just saying so any The Next Generation fans who pick up the graphic novel aren't expecting more.  I really enjoyed the read myself and appreciated how it gave an explanation that binds together the differing aspects of the Star Trek franchise we've witnessed since the movies came out.

STAR TREK - VOLUME NINE: THE Q GAMBIT

The crew of the new Star Trek film franchise encounters the classic Trek villain Q for the first time in this galaxy-spanning adventure developed in association with screenwriter/producer Roberto Orci!

The mischievous Q sends James T. Kirk on a quest that will see the Enterprise joining forces with familiar faces from Star Trek lore, in “The Q Gambit!”

For more information about STAR TREK comic books, visit idwpublishing.com/product-category/star-trek

Join me for a Star Wars Twitter Party

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias Inc. and its advertiser.

A GEEK DADDY is going to be co-hosting a #STARWARS Twitter Party on Friday, October 3, 2014 at 8p EST to chat about the debut of the new animated television show Disney's Star Wars Rebels and a special Walmart DVD release of the tv special that is starting off the series.  Please join me for the #SparkRebellion Twitter Party where we'll be discussing all thing Star Wars new, old and in between, as well as giving you the chance to win prizes!

You're not going to want to miss this Friday Night Twitter Party!  I am very excited to be sharing Star Wars memories and talking about the new Disney's Star Wars  Rebels DVD and toy line.  The DVD releases on October 3rd and a full line of Star Wars Rebels toys will be available at Walmart.  Some of the toys that my kids and I are most excited about are the Star Wars Rebels Millennium Falcon, Inquisitor Lightsaber, and Rebels Command Star Destroyer.

DATE: Friday, October 3, 2014 

TIME: 8:00 - 9:00 pm EST

EARLY BIRD RSVP PRIZE: 1 - $50 Walmart Gift Card

PARTY PRIZES:  5 - $100 Walmart Gift Cards

HOSTS:  @Geekdad248 , @DoDomesticDad , @outnumberedmama , @MommaDandDaBoyz , @tsue1136

RULES:  #SparkRebellion Twitter Party Rules

RSVP & PARTY GRID:  #SparkRebellion Twitter Party Page

How To Participate In A Twitter Party on SoFabChats!

TIP: How to join a Twitter Party – sign in! Before party starts, click on the green “Sign In On Twitter” bar at the top of the page!

TIP: Who to follow at a Twitter Party? Follow the Party Team by clicking on the Twitter handle links on the RSVP page!

TIP: Want to win Twitter Party prizes? RSVP by clicking on RSVP button before you join the party, follow everyone on the Party Team, and tweet with the party hashtag during the party to be eligible!

TIP: How to win the Early Bird prize? Watch for chance to share a tweet when you RSVP for chance to win!

TIP: Special deals and brand coupons? Keep that option checked when you RSVP for the party!

TIP: New to Twitter parties? Watch your column and Party Team tweet columns – they are slower paced and easier to follow!

TIP: Where to find Twitter Parties? Check out the SoFabChats Twitter Party Calendar to find more fun parties to attend!