885. RetrospectPUBLICATION: 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.
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