The Good: Limited quality, Cardstock, Image diversity, Some decent images
The Bad: Cost/Value, Does not capture full history, Use of publicity shots.
The Basics: With nine cards focusing on Seven Of Nine, Rittenhouse delivers a surprisingly decent Legends Of Star Trek trading card set!
Perhaps one of the most interesting concepts - and most problematic releases - in the Star Trek trading card line would have to be Rittenhouse Archives' Legends Of Star Trek trading card set. When it was originally pitched to dealers and fans, it was going to be a continuing collection of limited edition nine-card sets that focused on the characters that were truly legendary in the Star Trek universe. It looked like it would be a collection that would assemble a super crew of StarFleet characters. Sadly, it has become a collection that highlights every principle character to appear on Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Those who follow my many Star Trek franchise reviews know that when Star Trek: Voyager became ratings plagued and desperate enough, they turned to sex appeal to try to sell the show. That was with the character of Seven Of Nine. Now, as the Legends Of Star Trek trading card set appears to have lost direction, Rittenhouse Archives reaches in that same desperate direction, releasing the "Legends Of Seven Of Nine" along with other popular Star Trek women, Jadzia Dax (reviewed here!) and Subcommander T'Pol.
Basics/Set Composition
The Legends Of Star Trek set is a series of cards produced by Rittenhouse Archives and released on average twice a year over the last five years. The "Legends Of Seven Of Nine" set is the fourteenth in the ever-expanding series that is released in nine card, limited edition increments. There are no bonus cards in this set, they come as complete sets of nine cards sealed in a cellophane package. There are three things that make these sets truly special: cardstock, an individual limited edition number, and the images on the cards. The cardstock is a 20pt. (thicker than usual) cardstock with the standard UV resistant coating that all quality trading cards come with these days. To illustrate the truly limited nature of the Legends Of Star Trek cards, every set is strictly limited to 1701 sets and the L9 card (visible at the back of the cellophane pack) is foil stamped with an individual number for the specific "Legends Of" set. So, for example, my personal set is number 0440/1701! This is where it helps to have a dealer that you are loyal to; dealers were able to order all of the same limited edition collector's numbers each time, so every time I get an order in, they are the same limited edition numbers and I - and my customers - are assembling sets with matching numbers, which will presumably hold the value of the overall series better in the long run.
Finally, the Legends Of Star Trek series is characterized by wonderful, uncommon images that are not the typical shots that have been on 8x10s, t-shirts and collector's plates before. Instead, these cards capitalize on big rare images, vivid color contrast and cards that are uncluttered by pesky text! These cards are for the fans who know the accomplishments of their heroes! No need to write about them, the images speak for themselves!
Common Cards
Generally, the "Legends Of Seven Of Nine" set skirts the original concept by including multiple publicity shots of Seven. This is a nine-card Legends Of Star Trek set that features eighteen images each of Seven Of Nine from throughout the four seasons of Star Trek: Voyager that she was on. Rittenhouse Archives appears to have put a decent amount of thought and care into the "Legend Of Seven Of Nine" set. With eighteen images, three fronts and two backs are obvious publicity shots. Generally these are all right and not just because Seven Of Nine is a busty woman in a catsuit. Indeed, Rittenhouse Archives seems to be determined not to exploit her chest as much as virtually every other card distributor, as most of the images are cropped above the bustline. Rittenhouse wisely teases fans with the first image (almost a full body shot), then makes the set far more substantial.
Fortunately, not all of the images are unimaginative. Outside the obvious publicity shots, there is a decent mix of images of Seven Of Nine that are posed and in action. They captured her from the holodeck experience in "The Killing Game," as well as from the dream sequences in "Unimatrix Zero." As well, she appears as her Borgified self as well as smiling, serious and neutral. Fans of the wrestling crossover episode "Tsunkatse" will be pleased to note that there are two images of Seven Of Nine from that episode (it does seem to be a favorite of the folks at Rittenhouse Archives).
Perhaps what makes "The Legends Of Seven Of Nine" such an overall decent set is as I sit here contemplating it, I cannot imagine what other images they might have included. All of the essential outfits are here! This truly is the definitive set for fans of Seven Of Nine!
Overall
Despite my general distaste at the direction Star Trek: Voyager went when they brought Seven Of Nine aboard, I have to admit that Rittenhouse Archives made a surprisingly substantive set focusing on Seven of Nine for the Legends Of Star Trek release. The shots are tasteful (perhaps too tasteful for my liking, and the preferences of the target demographic for Seven Of Nine) and everything necessary is captured here. It is worth tracking down for any fan of Star Trek: Voyager, Seven Of Nine, or actress Jeri Ryan.
One suspects in the future, the Legends Of Star Trek sets will be sold in the secondary market almost exclusively as entire series collections, but fans who love Seven Of Nine will likely be unable to find this set in the future, as they are already being gobbled up!
This set culls images from:
Star Trek: Voyager Season 4
Star Trek: Voyager Season 5
Star Trek: Voyager Season 6
Star Trek: Voyager Season 7
For other Star Trek: Voyager trading card sets, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Season 1 Series 1
Season 1 Series 2
Season 2
Star Trek: Voyager Profiles
Closer To Home
Women Of Star Trek: Voyager HoloFEX
The Complete Star Trek: Voyager
The Legends Of Star Trek: Captain Kathryn Janeway
7/10
For other trading card reviews, please visit my Trading Card Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2013, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Hi.
ReplyDeleteAt first I was horrified when Jeri Ryan came to Voyager. I thought "ok, they are so desperate now that they had to go search for a hot babe to put some spice on the show". I really thought it didn't need that even though I love the Borg, always did.
But I must admit, it didn't turn out the way I thought it would be. Seven of Nine was smart, rebelious, and more interresting and complex as a character than I thought she would initially be.
It even made me even appreciate the actress more then when I saw her on Boston Public !
Grumble . . . Seven Of Nine was brought in for sex appeal. End of story. Grumble.
DeleteThanks for reading and thanks for the comment! :)