1093. Cry HavocPUBLICATION: Star Trek: The Next Generation #75, DC Comics, September 1995
CREATORS: Michael Jan Friedman (writer), Gordon Purcell and Terry Pallot (artists)
STARDATE: 48275.8 (follows the last issue)
PLOT: While the bulk of the Tholians are captured, the Rikers, Data and their new Tholian ally Nethrax use their ship to enter Tholian ship and find the bird-of-prey commandeered by Rogue Borg. The Tholians aboard the Enterprise break out and hold hostages, including Kyle Riker's fiancée, threatening to kill them if they don't get their ship back. Worf and his forces put down the insurrection without loss of life. Meanwhile, Riker and co. defeat and commandeer the bird-of-prey and return it to Federation space where all is explained: Seems the Taj landed on the Rogue Borg planet with its crew dead or dying. Rogue Rogue Borg decided to take the ship and go out hunting for Tholians who, according to their data, used to have some kind of biological hive mind. Perhaps it could be used to rid the rogues of an individuality they didn't want. They started attacking Tholian outposts, but never managed to successfully assimilate a member of the race. Though war with the Tholians is averted, Kyle Riker's fiancée breaks off the engagement, claiming to be traumatized by the hostage incident. She's lying - she just doesn't want to get between Kyle and his son. A little Counselor Troi magic and it's all fixed.
CONTINUITY: See previous issues (Tholians, Gowron, Kyle Riker, Rogue Borg). The Borg modified the Taj for transwarp flight the same way the Enterprise was in Descent. Hugh's society is doing well despite the recent aberration.
DIVERGENCES: See previous issues (Tholian appearance). I'm surprised someone can punch a crystalline Tholian in the face and not break his hand. The Starfleet spacesuits don't match those of First Contact in the least.
PANEL OF THE DAY - Bane Borg
REVIEW: War & Madness ends in a double-sized issue, and while there's room for a lot more action, it's still a mild disappointment. I guess I don't respond well to having the plot revealed in expository flashback. Once we find the true villains (the Rogue Borg), there's no time to get to know them. They're so quickly taken care of, that they might as well be a spacetime anomaly of the week. No time to make us care. I could say the same of Kyle Riker's fiancée, whom we hardly got to know in the previous issues. She gets sizable scenes here, but how can she rise above the status of cipher in the space of a single issue after spending the last four as set dressing? The Tholians DO get their due, however. They're fun to draw and take part in a lot of the action, on both sides. We find out about their biology, their attitudes and their difficulty with lying. It's too bad the TNG series is so close to cancellation, I would have liked to see these guys appear a few more times.
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