767. One of Our Captains Is Missing!PUBLICATION: Star Trek #38, Gold Key Comics, July 1976
CREATORS: Unknown (writer), Alden McWilliams (artist)
STARDATE: 19:29:13 - Follows the last issue (Season 3).
PLOT: Kirk is replaced by Captain Zarlo and his moustache to go on an undercover mission. A couple disguises later, he finds himself in the jungles of the planet Mobia where Klingons are rumored to be arming the peaceful Sweet People who can project their thoughts as pictures. Kirk is caught by a the Klingons and brought before the Sweet Chief, whom he tries to convince of the Klingons' bad faith. Kirk fights both a Sweetie and a Klingon before the crew of the Enterprise convinces Zarlo to go and rescue the captain. Good thing too, because a Klingon ship was about to incinerate the jungle. With Kirk coming out on top, he brokers peace between the Sweet People and the Mobians.
CONTINUITY: The Klingons are pulling a "Private Little War" again, and under McWilliams' pen, they finally look like their TOS selves (their ships too).
DIVERGENCES: Kirk's black hair.
PANEL OF THE DAY - Comics Code Violation!
REVIEW: Well, Alberto Giolitti is gone, and so is his classic illustrative style. Alden McWilliams pencils some dynamic action scenes with bold close-ups (especially of hands, he's good at hands), but really doesn't have the likenesses right yet. Most characters look too short and stocky. His McCoy and Scotty need to lose weight, and his Sulu is an elfin waif. At least he seems to have watched the show. As for the story, it's not really original or anything, and I do wish they'd spent more time with the crew-Zarlo conflict (his log is pretty funny), but the appearance of the Klingons makes it believably Trek. Yes, it's the same premise as A Private Little War, but that was a pretty good premise, right?
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