The IDW series started in 2011 with little fanfare to my
memory, and despite my ‘Trekker’ status, I had no interest in it at all.
However with the release of the new movie, a friend telling me to read it and a
new arc in the comics starting at issue #21 released last week, the stars
aligned and I gave in. What followed was a nice jaunt through a series that
would be right at home next to a DVD set of The Next Generation or Deep
Space 9. Writers Mike Johnson and Ryan Parrot do a great job keeping the tone
of the characters consistent through all the current issues. The various
artists must all be given a huge tip of the hat for their unique, but similar
representations of the actors and actresses that the characters looks are based
off of.
Taking place between the 2009 movie and the most current one, Star Trek Into Darkness, the series bridges the time between with various retellings, and original stories that delve into each character.
Taking place between the 2009 movie and the most current one, Star Trek Into Darkness, the series bridges the time between with various retellings, and original stories that delve into each character.
Symbolically the very first arc in the title is a clever retelling
of the infamous ‘second’ pilot for Star Trek:
The Original Series titled “Where No
Man Has Gone Before”. After a follow-up arc for the events that happened in
the 2011 Star Trek movie, Johnson leads us in a retell of three more episodes
from the Original Series: “The Return of
the Archons” from season one.
Followed by a retelling of “The
Trouble with Tribbles” and “Mirror,
Mirror” both second season selections.
Despite being content written decades ago for television, they’re
re-written so well into the new mythos you’d think they were created there. If
you’ve never watched a TOS episode in your life, you’ll enjoy them just as much
as the person who could quote dialogue from them word-for-word.
Despite the stellar storytelling when it came to remakes
of stories, the original content is what shines the brightest. Issue 13, and
issues 17 to 20 are standalones, with a poignant look at specific characters;
Dr. McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, Scotty, and the infamous ‘Red Shirt’ curse.
Should this title stay on course for the next few years, it
will be an important factor in the new Star Trek universe, and with the
excellent skills of its writers and slew of artists it’s certainly a comic book
worth investing time into before starting on its new arc; which promises to be
no less entertaining than the movie itself.
However, if you’re short on time, or aren’t super into Star Trek there is
no better time than to dip your toe into the series than now. The basis of the
new arc is laid out very well in issue 21. Written by Mike Johnson, and art by
Erfan Fajar (a returning artist to this title) it leads us into a fallout
between the Federation and the Klingons. But if you do
decide to read the entire series, keep a box of tissues next to you for some of
the standalone issues. Look for the next issue, #22, on June 19th.
Rating
4 out of 5 Tribbles
Review by Merce Mueller
