Star Trek 895: The Return!

895. The Return!

PUBLICATION: Star Trek v.2 #1, DC Comics, October 1989

CREATORS: Peter David (writer), James W. Fry and Arne Starr (artists)

STARDATE: Unknown (after ST V)

PLOT: The Enterprise-A's refit is completed and its first mission is to answer a distress call from a Nasgul ship under attack by one of its own. The sole pilot, Argus, has been declared an enemy of the Church and after being offered political asylum, the "Salla" (a sort of pharaoh) pronounces him dead... and he dies! Kirk is next. Back on Earth, the Klingon ambassador declares the Empire has put a price on Kirk's head...

CONTINUITY: Recurring characters introduced include the demon-like hottie M'yra and transporter chief Sara Tuchinsky. The Klingon ambassador and the Federation president are right out of ST V.

DIVERGENCES: None.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Brainiac 5 in Starfleet
REVIEW: Right away, this series feels different from those that have gone before. A lot of that is due to the artwork. James Fry gives it a dynamic comic book look, kind of like a poor man's Mark Bagley. His faces aren't always strong, but everyone is recognizable and his aliens and ships are distinctive. Larger panels and fewer caption boxes make the storytelling more modern than previous attempts. Star Trek Volume 2 also uses a more vibrant coloring process, which is often messy, but generally helps. David introduces a few new characters very quickly, including a new love interest for Sulu, but in scenes with the regulars. Hopefully, it will keep them out of the "small people" ghetto Bryce, Konom and Bearclaw sometimes were trapped in. They've got interesting looks, which is enough to pique interest in a first appearance. The plot is almost secondary, so we'll see next issue. Nice comic touches throughout as well. David doesn't overdo it.