1331. A Matter of DatesPUBLICATION: Star Trek: The Next Generation - Intelligence Gathering #2, IDW Comics, February 2008
CREATORS: Scott Tipton and David Tipton (writers), David Messina (artist)
STARDATE: 45934.7 (follows the last issue)
PLOT: A joint construction venture on Votar VII between the posh Rigelians and the Kaylar workforce suffers from labor disputes and the Enterprise-D is called in to mediate before the Cardassians intervene and steal the planet from under the Federation's nose. Picard puts Worf in charge and the Klingon is told by the Rigelians that the Kaylar are holding a dam at ransom. The Kaylar are opposed to Starfleet butting in. At an impasse, Worf tries to liberate the dam, but there learns the Kaylar had no intention of destroying it. Picard gives Worf a pep talk about finding his own way, and Worf goes back to the Rigelians who have been lying to him and threatens to take all future contracts to others. The Rigelians come clean and the dispute over contracts is quickly resolved.
CONTINUITY: Ro Laren appears. Worf works on his diplomatic skills, prefiguring his role as Ambassador at the end of What We Leave Behind.
DIVERGENCES: None.
PANEL OF THE DAY - Windows are overrated.
REVIEW: Picard has a thousand people to choose from, including himself, and he picks Worf to head a labor mediation? And Worf picks Ro Laren as his second-in-command? That's not using your best people to do the job, is it? Maybe Picard felt Worf would be better accepted by the Kaylar barbarians, but that still doesn't mean he shouldn't supervise negotiations. He is instead recast as a Yoda figure, very strange. Ro is essentially wasted, not bringing anything to the story beyond a bouncing board for Worf (and I suppose, the only character with less tact than Worf, so he really is on his own). Worf does find his own way, but it doesn't feel all that "Worfian". I'm further disappointed by this series because while it all seems to take place in the same relatively large stardate window the Tiptons were able to find, they don't have any kind of arc. There's a broad "information gathering" theme to the stories, but are otherwise one-offs. I suppose limited engagements (mini-series) are easier to market than ongoing series, but this feels more like the latter.
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