Star Trek 1021: The Lesson

1021. The Lesson

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: The Next Generation #19, DC Comics, May 1991

CREATORS: Michael Jan Friedman (writer), Peter Krause and Pablo Marcos (artists)

STARDATE: 44270.1 (between Family and Brothers)

PLOT: It's Beverly's birthday and she's feeling blue, so Deanna takes her on a hiking trip on the holodeck where she learns to feel alive. Riker gives a talk in class and gets pwned by Wesley. And Worf answers some email and tells his ward to pursue the girl of his dreams.

CONTINUITY: Jeremy Aster (The Bonding) sends Worf a video message. If it's Crusher's birthday, then it's October 13th - a Thursday (Conundrum).

DIVERGENCES: If this had actually followed Family, it would have made back-to-back R&R episodes.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Worf doesn't seem to want to share Jeremy with Emily.
REVIEW: With this issue, we jump into Season 4 with a new penciller on board. Peter Krause is ok. Certainly not as expressive as Marcos - stiff even - and it seems to me that the TNG ladies haven't yet looked beautiful. He can communicate a variety of emotions, but his "camera work" is all over the place. As for the three short vignettes: I'm glad to see someone remembers Jeremy Aster even if I don't care about the character; Riker's lesson was educational, but a little dull; and Beverly's hiking adventure ended just the way I expected. I LIKE issues like these that provide character moments over SF plots, but the series is at a point where we need a little epic (is that an oxymoron?).