Star Trek 1130: Old Wounds

1130. Old Wounds

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #3, Malibu Comics, October 1993

CREATORS: Mike W. Barr (writer), Rob Davis and Terry Pallot (artists)

STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last issue)

PLOT: Gul Trenar, the Butcher of Bajor and former commander of Terok Nor, returns to DS9 in his dying days, accompanied by his children and Bajoran wife. Odo, Quark and Kira all have bones to pick with him, as might his own family, so when he is stabbed in his sleep, Odo is put on the case (he's got an alibi for once). Eventually, the investigation leads to one of the Gul's children who was always sidelined by her father.

CONTINUITY: None.

DIVERGENCES: The idea that Trenar was born on Bajor during the Occupation and is now a dying old man isn't credible (the Occupation started only a little more than 40 years ago), as is his former command of Terok Nor overlapping with Quark's stay (Gul Dukat was in command more than 20 years earlier according to such episodes as Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night). Odo definitely came aboard while Dukat was running things (Necessary Evil) so would not have worked for Trelar, and having him taunt a captured Resistance-era Kira makes even less sense. Odo once again has the ability to take on a convincing humanoid (Cardassian) form.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Malpractice
REVIEW: Rob Davis does well for himself, with Pallot keeping the look of the book consistent coming from the Purcell-penciled issues. Barr offers an ok murder mystery, but the premise itself is distracting because it doesn't make any sense within DS9 continuity. Gul Trenar is really Gul Dukat, but a Gul Dukat with 1) a reason to be there and 2) the ability to die. The timeline's all out of whack here. It's too bad because he does get a number of details just right, such as the status of Bajoran wived in Cardassian society, Cardassian customs and spirituality, and Kira's uneasy relationship with Lady Trenar. But "buy the premise, buy the bit" and I don't buy the premise.