857. Stand-Off!PUBLICATION: Star Trek #35, DC Comics, February 1987
CREATORS: Len Wein (writer), Gray Morrow (artist)
STARDATE: 8907.5 (follows the last issue)
PLOT: Having run into a squadron of Romulan ships while chasing after an Andorian plague carrier, Kirk and Excelsior maneuver diplomatically. Eventually, one of the Romulan ships goes berzerk with plague, though its commander manages to disintegrate the Andorian. The squadron commander agrees to let Kirk help and their ships race after the infected one. Meanwhile, Starfleet sends someone to get Excelsior back and arrest Kirk...
CONTINUITY: Dr. M'Benga actually appears. So does the Klingon bird-of-prey in Excelsior's hold. The virus is attacking Spock's brain in a way that undoes the mindmeld he had with his Mirror self, in effect regressing him to his ST III/IV condition. Janice Rand is working at Starfleet Command (ST IV). It's suggested that Kirk's incursion across the Neutral Zone is why the crew is recalled to Earth to face charges after all. Captain Styles is asked to bring back Excelsior, he does so aboard the USS Saratoga (ST IV, with its same captain).
DIVERGENCES: The USS Saratoga is pictured as an Excelsior-class. It should be Miranda-class.
PANEL OF THE DAY - What's the best thing about this Romulan? The moustache or the helmet?
REVIEW: Gray Morrow's art is pretty great, and he's surprisingly effective at drawing spaceship battles. However, there's one strategy that doesn't quite come off. What's that bit with the bird-of-prey? Neither the art nor the writing make that clear. Seeing as it's what made the Romulans want to talk to Kirk rather than blow him out of the sky, I think it's a pretty important point. Can you understand it?
Beyond that, you can clearly see Star Trek IV coming, and it's fun to see Wein scrambled to get the pieces back in position for the movie. I must say he's doing a good job of it.
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