974. GaryPUBLICATION: Star Trek v.2 #64, DC Comics, October 1994
CREATORS: Kevin J. Ryan (writer), Rod Whigham and Arne Starr (artists)
STARDATE: Unknown (framing sequence immediately after Where No Man Has Gone Before, story during Kirk's time as a lieutenant on the USS Farragut, after he'd spent time on Tyree's planet)
PLOT: Following Gary Mitchell's death, Kirk contacts his parents and tells them a story from when they served together on the Farragut, in which he saved both his life and that of most of their landing party. The ship was sent to investigate a mayday from scientists observing the Dimoran culture. Kirk, Gary and a team are sent down to recover the science team and are almost immediately attacked with poison darts. After many skirmishes and the loss of life, Gary not only takes a dart for Kirk, but he also walks out towards the Dimorans in the open. His hunch pays off as the Dimorans reveal that their culture demands they attack the one who comes as a trickster, and embrace the one who comes openly.
CONTINUITY: Gary Mitchell is of course from Where No Man Has Gone Before. Captain Garrovick and the USS Farragut were first mentioned in Obsession. The landing party uses the old-style lasers from The Cage. The basic framework of the story (Dimorus and the poison dart save) were recounted in Where No Man Has Gone Before.
DIVERGENCES: None.
PANEL OF THE DAY - "When I'm captain, I gotta get me a guy who says this professionally."
REVIEW: This story of a major first contact snafu really isn't as strong as it ought to be. The elements are there though. A look at Lt. Kirk, his life on the Farragut, his friendship with Gary, and an untold tale pulled from continuity itself. These keep your interest, but the issue is otherwise padded with fight after fight after fight that, while highlighting Kirk's tactical mind, just come off as repetitive filler. More space might have been given, for example, to explaining how the Dimorans know about "star-walkers". And yet, the front half of the issue is already heavy with exposition. So not a well-balanced issue.
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