Star Trek 1201: Judgment Day

1201. Judgment Day

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #1, Marvel Comics, November 1996

CREATORS: Howard Weinstein (writer), Tom Grindberg and Al Milgrom (artists)

STARDATE: 49236.3 (between Accession and The Sons of Mogh)

PLOT: Jem'Hadar come out of the Wormhole pursuing Amaralans. Both sides disable each other while a third force somehow draws Deep Space Nine through the Wormhole. The Defiant next arrives, and the crew interrogates the survivors, and finds out where the station went. Unfortunately, residual radiation makes the Wormhole uncrossable. Sisko then visits Bajor where a prophecy of apocalypse sparks riots. On DS9, somewhere in the Gamma Quadrant, O'Brien wonders if he can make it home...

CONTINUITY: Notable appearance by the Jem'Hadar, Kai Winn and Keiko and Molly O'Brien.

DIVERGENCES: None.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Understatement of the year
REVIEW: I wasn't enthusiastic about this new iteration of the DS9 series when I saw the creative team. I've been a big critic of Weinstein's work on other Trek comics, and Milgrom brings harsh inks to Grindberg's often ugly pencils. Sometimes the art takes on an almost slick, European look, but not often. As for the story, it creates a fair mystery, along with new if lackluster alien races. (Again, I can't help but think better art could have made that a spectacular opening.) The stuff on Bajor is uncharacteristically dull, with DS9's big rioting Bajorans cliché and a Kai Winn that lacks her usual duplicity. Could have been any character. In fact, none of the characters are especially well drawn. Whatever the Jem'Hadar are afraid of, it better be good.