1221. Dead ZonePUBLICATION: Star Trek: Voyager #9, Marvel Comics, July 1997
CREATORS: Dan Abnett and Ian Edginton (writers), Terry Pallot and Al Milgrom (artists)
STARDATE: 51126.3 (between Unity and Darkling)
PLOT: Following a distress signal, Voyager enters a zone of null space that quickly drains ships' energy. There, the raft cabal rules, a collection of bandits who have banded together and take what they need from others trapped in the anomaly to survive. They soon attack Voyager, and while an injured B'Elanna defends against the intruders, Tuvok manually sends a torpedo to the raft to blow up its fuel reservoir and have Voyager ride the shockwave out of null space.
CONTINUITY: The raft cabal includes Kazon.
DIVERGENCES: B'Elanna's name is misspelled on the cover. Voyager would encounter a similar dead zone in The Void (itself kinda based on the TAS episode The Time Trap); of course, no mention of this adventure is made.
PANEL OF THE DAY - Voyager makes friends.
REVIEW: A classic Voyager plot featuring a spatial anomaly and bandits, which has the virtue of having been written before Voyager actually did that episode. There's a good mix of problem-solving and action, and though Pallot and Milgrom's likenesses are slightly stiff, their aliens and outer space action are pretty cool. I do question the rushed ending in which Tuvok and Janeway only assume that the raft is largely deserted and their victims somehow make it out of null space safe and sound. Overall, Abnett and Edginton do with Voyager what they've done with TOS and TNG in Star Trek Unlimited - produce a fun story that fits the show's aesthetic.
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