Star Trek 1123: Ill Wind, Part One

1123. Ill Wind, Part One

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Ill Wind #1, DC Comics, October 1995

CREATORS: Diane Duane (writer), Deryl Skelton and Tim Tuohy (artists)

STARDATE: 47960.3 (between Preemptive Strike and All Good Things...)

PLOT: The Enterprise-D ensures the security of the 8th leg of the Centauris' Cup, a race for solar sail ships this time around a "flaring star" that produces random pressures on the sails. Before the race, the ship holds a reception in which many of the participants are seen, often talking about bribery, sabotage or murder. This is par for the course in a high profile event like this, and Picard is especially worried about the Mestral, a somewhat reckless planetary leader who insists on running the race for her people herself despite attempts made against her life. The night before the starting shot, someone puts a bomb inside a shuttle in the Enterprise's hangar deck...

CONTINUITY: The only recognizable aliens mentioned are the Ferengi, but they are not seen.

DIVERGENCES: None.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Picard actually uses the excuse "I have to go to the bathroom".
REVIEW: So Daryl Skelton, eh? Cue the usual half-finished likenesses, awkward poses, out of scale characters and ugly alien designs. I've seen worse from him, but he would not have been my first choice to pair up with novelist Diane Duane. As far as her story goes, this is merely its introduction, and she introduces a LOT of characters. There are loads of completely unheard of aliens participating in the race, each with their own agendas, laws and physical particularities, but I doubt the reader will be able to recall who's who by the next issue despite Data's fine walking catalog. If all these guys DON'T have a pay-off, then it's wasted color. Regardless, Picard and the Mestral have an interesting dynamic going. It remains that this is a very talky issue, densely packed with details and no less than two bathroom jokes and one reference to Doctor Who (unless I read that strange regeneration comment wrong). It's all rather interesting, but I do wonder if I won't get lost along the way.