2011 Rittenhouse Archives The Complete Star Trek: The Next Generation, Series Two 1991 – 1994 Box Break Recap and Review

2011 Rittenhouse Archives The Complete Star Trek: The Next Generation, Series Two 1991 – 1994 has been release as the companion to Series One.  While this second installment falls just short of the impact of the first release in terms of hits and inserts, it is still a well-crafted set with the same great episode cards and a fitting conclusion to The Next Generation Series.  If you purchased Series One it is a no-brainer that you should be picking up Series Two.

This set falls under our classification of trading cards.  Hobby Boxes contain 24 – 5 card packs and feature four autograph cards.

Here is a look at some of the cards we pulled from our hobby box.

Episode Base Set

 The Inner Light, front and back

 Unification Part I, Unification Part II, Time's Arrow Part I

 Time's Arrow Part II, Relics, Chain of Command Part I

 Chain of Command Part II, Tapestry, All Good Things

 Episode Card Parallels

 In Theory, A Matter of Time

 The First Duty, A Fistful of Datas, Ship In A Bottle

 Descent Part I, Gambit Part II, Genesis

 Tribute Cards

 Paul Winfield as Captain Dathon "Darmok", Graham Jarvis as Klim Dokachin "Unification"

 Tony Jay as Third Minister Campio "Cost of Living", John Franklyn-Robbins as Macias "Preemptive Strike"

U.S.S. Enterprise NC-1701-D Cards

 E15, front and back

 E18, front and back

 Best of Holodeck Cards

 A Fistful of Datas, front and back

 Hollow Pursuits, Ship In A Bottle

Autograph Cards

The backs of these cards have a clear embossed text to ensure authenticity

 Guy Vardaman as Lt. Darien Wallace in "Time Squared" (Normal Printing), Mark L. Taylor as Haritath in "The Ensigns of Command" (Normal Printing)

 Megan Cole as Noor in "The Outcast" (Limited Printing), Matt Frewer as Berlinghoff Rasmussen in "A Matter of Time" (Extremely Limited Printing)

Overall Look

The episode cards pack a lot of information.  5 photos and a complete episode synopsis.  With that much going on, these cards could become “busy” looking, but Rittenhouse has found a way to lay everything out in a clean fashion.  The Best of Holodeck insert cards are well designed but we definitely prefer the Aliens cards from Series One. Autograph cards are designed well.  Glossy parallels of the episode cards are a nice touch too.

Quality and Variety of checklist.

There is plenty here to collect.  88 episode cards and parallels, 18 Tribute Cards, 9 Best of the Holodeck cards, 9 U.S.S. Enterprise NC-1701 – D cards, 5 Star Trek Communicator Pin Cards, 50 Autograph Cards, and a James Doohan (Scotty) cut signature card limited to 50. There is a nice mix of autographs.  Inserts go deep into the actors who appeared on the show.

Do the hits hold up?

If you don’t recognize some of the names, you will recognize the faces, which helps to keep the extensive autograph list desirable. Well known actors such as Kelsey Grammer, Ashley Judd, Jonathan Frakes and Colm Meaney are the chase cards here along with the  Limited Edition Communicator Pin Cards and the James Doohan cut autos.

Will you want to collect them all? 

You should be able to pull a complete episode base card set out of a box, as we did. Set builders will chase a complete Parallel base set too.  You’ll also want all the insert cards.  For deeper pockets, there are large purchase incentives. An exclusive Brent Spiner (Dr. Soong) Autograph Card is included with orders of 3 cases.  If you buy 6 cases, you get an exclusive autograph card signed by Leonard Nimoy as Spock, in “Unification”.  If you can swing an 18 case purchase, you get an archive box from the Complete Star Trek: The Next Generation, Series Two 1991 – 1994.

Rating

 4 out of 5

2011 Rittenhouse Archives The Complete Star Trek: The Next Generation, Series Two 1991 – 1994 is a must purchase for fans of the show and those collectors who already have Series One.