918. Gods' Gauntlet Part OnePUBLICATION: Star Trek v.2 #20, DC Comics, June 1991
CREATORS: Howard Weinstein (writer), Gordon Purcell and Arne Starr (artists)
STARDATE: 8529.8 (follows the last issue)
PLOT: The Enterprise ferries an ambassador back to the planet Lerik to finalize Federation entry procedures, but it turns out he's no ambassador, just a deputy prime minister trying to get the Federation involved and save his world. Massive "natural" cataclysms have been hitting the capital city for months, and a "reversionist" faction has started rebelling on the basis that these events are caused by Lerik's god. The prime minister accepts the Enterprise's help in finding the true cause of this phenomenon before the progressive government falls. Before Spock's sensors can do the job, however, a massive storm hits and Kirk, McCoy and the two principal aliens' atoms are scattered when the storm screws with the emergency beam-out...
CONTINUITY: None.
DIVERGENCES: None.
PANEL OF THE DAY - Kirk's annual reading of the dead parrot sketch (the crew loves it)
REVIEW: Though again, Weinstein creates a bipolar political situation on a planet we've never heard of (his usual modus operandi), the story moves at a fast enough clip to remain interesting. There's some wit in the dialogue, especially the big three's, and Purcell's art is strong as usual. The guest characters are given a little more dimension than is usual in this kind of thing, and the exposition isn't over-long. Good cliffhanger too. So distinctly above average, but a little generic. Of note in the letters' page: Editor Bob Greenberger's monthly report on how things are going. Interesting for today's comic book fans who have to contend with (1) chronic lateness and (2) rising prices.
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