Planet X (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

 (42 customer reviews)

When it was first announced, this book seemed to me (a Trek and a X-Men fan) a terrible idea... dreamed up by the two corporations to pull in the millions of fans (and dollars) of both mega-pop-culture phenomena. Well, sure, it may be that, but it's also a lot of fun. Friedman isn't my favorite Trek writer, but his enthusiasm for both teams shows, and there's some solid character work: an intriguing spotlight on Archangel (never one of my favorite X-Men, but portrayed here with an interesting and original twist), Wolverine and Worf bonding in the holodeck, and a scene every fan has been waiting for: Picard and Xavier noting just how much the other looks like him (Patrick Stewart *should* be the frontrunner to play Professor X in any proposed X-Men movie, if there's justice in the universe!). The plot --the emergence of alien mutants-- seems almost tacked on as an excuse to get the two teams together, but that's forgiveable, the team-up is so much fun. Not one of the classic Trek...Read more

Friedman's novel brings together two pop-culture icons (the universes of Star Trek and the X-Men) seamlessly in this action-packed novel. While I think Friedman is one of the best Trek authors around (in both the comics and fiction world) this is not up there with his best work. Still, it's a fun, well-paced read, and he stays true to the characters of both universes. For fans, the Epilogue is a special treat! Perfect summer reading for Star Trek and X-Men fans. And though this is a sequel to Marvel Comics Star Trek/X-Men crossover entitled "Second Contact" you don't need to have read that to enjoy this.

I really loved this book, and read it twice. I was confused a little bit the first time I read it, but realized that it was a sequel to a comic book. I thought that it was a good adventure all around, although Mike Friedman could have used other characters instead of members from Excalibur. I would have liked to have seen Gambit, Rogue, and Psylocke there instead. All in all, it was a good read. I hope that more Marvel Comics/Star Trek crossovers come out in novel form.