769. Furlough to FuryPUBLICATION: Star Trek #40, Gold Key Comics, September 1976
CREATORS: Unknown (writer), Alden McWilliams (artist)
STARDATE: 19:25.9 - Doesn't quite follow the last issue, since both occur on Earth.
PLOT: The Enterprise has to stop at Earth for repairs giving everyone except the workaholic Spock some shore leave. Kirk goes with McCoy to meet his xenobiologist daughter who is a friend to animals and an enemy of men in uniforms (something picked up by her mother). During the night out, a giant telepathic bear breaks out and she and Kirk try to talk it down a tower, but it falls to its death. Meanwhile, Scotty encounters a former Enterprise security officer who was once suspected of stealing a priceless gem and thrown out of Starfleet. A suspicious Scotty finds out this Red Garvin wants to get back to the ship to take his loot from his hiding place and leave a bomb to get revenge on Kirk. Somehow, Scotty's thoughts are relayed to the dying beast, alerting Kirk in time to Red's scheme, and so he manages to stop him before Spock is blown up.
CONTINUITY: None.
DIVERGENCES: McCoy's daughter appears, but her name is Barbara, as opposed to the animated series' (and novels') Joanna. Different characters entirely?
PANEL OF THE DAY - Narrator, don't quit your day job.
REVIEW: McWilliams' likenesses aren't very good (sometimes causing the colorist to make mistakes about who wears what shirt), but his Barbara McCoy is sassy and sexy in a 60s kind of way. His architecture is fairly good, and he fills his rooms nicely (sometimes with photo referenced fashion models, it seems). And while the story has an interesting structure, it tries too hard at times to be funny or clever... and really isn't. Man, the jokes are lame. And so is the whole telepathic bear device. Really, I'd have been happy with Scotty hanging out with old friends telling tales, and Kirk's sexual tension with McCoy's daughter. The plot just gets in the way of what's actually interesting.
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