1004. Serafin's SurvivorsPUBLICATION: Star Trek: The Next Generation #5, DC Comics, February 1990
CREATORS: Michael Jan Friedman (writer), Pablo Marcos (artist)
STARDATE: 43201.8 (between The Bonding and Booby Trap)
PLOT: The Enterprise-D is at Serafin's Planet to rescue the survivors of what is basically a leper colony as the planet is collapsing in on itself. Among the survivors is Geordi's old flame Dahlia, by now no doubt disfigured by illness. When they are beamed up, however, the survivors are all in better than excellent condition, claiming to have been healed by the radiation leaking from the planet. Troi is certain they are hiding something of a violent nature, alienating Geordi who has picked up where he left off with Dahlia...
CONTINUITY: None.
DIVERGENCES: Geordi had a hot girlfriend?! Troi's acrobatics workout is slightly suspect.
PANEL OF THE DAY - Extras pointing at the ship's resident freaks.
REVIEW: So now we jump about a year in continuity since the last issue! Part of the problem of publishing a comic series while the tv series is still being broadcast. I wonder how Friedman will be able to build subplots while skipping around like that (comics move at about half the rate of the tv series, 12 issues vs. 26 episodes a year). Perhaps he won't. Though McRobb is in a scene, the TNG comics read like they're meant to be read between episodes, with simple, two-issue plots and character driven scenes that fill in arc details (like Beverly having her first heart to heart with her son since she came back to the Enterprise). I would of course like the comic to have longer and more meaningful threads, but I also realize the limits imposed by the license. As for this particular plot, it's run of the mill stuff, but the resolution isn't spelled out. It could be a number of things, from aliens having replaced the colonists, to illegal Genesis Planet rejuvenations. We'll see just who Geordi's been kissing tomorrow.
Comments