Star Trek 885: Retrospect

885. Retrospect

PUBLICATION: Star Trek Annual #3, DC Comics, 1988

CREATORS: Peter David (writer), Curt Swan and Ricardo Villagran (artists)

STARDATE: Various. Framing sequence between #37 and #39 of current series. Flashbacks: Scotty's childhood and teen years; when Scotty was accepted into the Academy; a few weeks after Who Mourns for Adonais?; prior to the Enterprise's ST I refit; between ST I and II; and between ST II and III.

PLOT: Scotty's wife, Glynnis Campbell, has died, and in a series of further and further regressing flashbacks, we discover how they met, fell in love, split up when he joined Starfleet, got back together after her first failed marriage and split up again. In fact, we learn here that she was the love of Scotty's life.

CONTINUITY: We're shown Peter Preston's funeral (ST II). His sister Dannan is featured in the ST II novelization. Both Prestons are also shown as kids. Scotty's wife is the one who likes the moustache.

DIVERGENCES: There is also a Voyager episode called Retrospect. Saavik is drawn as Robin Curtis. Glynnis should be a red head on the cover.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Scotty's wee wife
REVIEW: Though Glynnis Campbell isn't much of a character, you can't help but care about Scotty in this. David has an interesting approach to his flashbacks, making us discover this untold tale in reverse order, things becoming clearer as we read along. It's rather moving in its way, and Curt Swan's art is very much up to the challenge of showing a relationship story with a minimum of action (though there is one fight scene, two if you count a pretty fun fencing sequence between Kirk and Sulu). It's a quiet tale, and probably the only installment of Star Trek with a splash page of Highland dancing.

Comments

Dan said…
Whoa. Nice micromini-kilt, Scotty. Given the wee length of that thing, and his energetic highland fling, I sure hope that Scotty's wearing more under the micromini-kilt than what they say most Scotsmen do.
Chet said…
This is one of my all-time favorite Star Trek stories. The comics have meen much-maligned over the years, but DC's Trek tried especially hard to stay within the bounds of established continuity while fleshing-out the characters in new directions with fresh, exciting storytelling. Mike Barr and Peter David were among the best. As far as retconning Scotty a wife? Sulu all of a sudden had a grown daughter...
For the second time, Saavik being drawn as Robin Curtis - the better Saavik- is counted as a divergence. As she, in essence, outnumbers Allie in terms of films-appeared-in, is she not the logical choice?
Siskoid said…
By this point, the divergence is in the comics. She was pictured as Allie there, and then suddenly (or randomly) became Robin.
Ah! That's what I get for reading through in reverse order...