Star Trek 1223: Leviathan, Part One

1223. Leviathan, Part One

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: Voyager #11, Marvel Comics, November 1997

CREATORS: Laurie S. Sutton (writer), Jesus Redondo and Sergio Melia (artists)

STARDATE: 50672.1 (follows the last issue)

PLOT: As the temporal anomaly closes, Voyager encounters the friendly Elessian fleet heading for yet another distress call. Voyager joins in and all ships are trapped by the tendrils of a massive asymmetrical ship dubbed "Leviathan". Janeway and her away team beam some kilometers from the ship's core protected by a dampening field, and they find themselves in a jungle environment fighting savage Jem'Hadar. Escaping into another habitat, they meet friendly, healthy Vidiians. Machines then come to collect them and bring them to their proper habitat, but since it has not been built yet, they are instead brought to a command center where the ship's A.I. reveals it has been collecting samples through the galaxy for thousands of years, and there is, of course, no escape...

CONTINUITY: The romance brewing between Tom and B'Elanna is hinted at (Blood Fever). The Leviathan's collection includes Jem'Hadar before they were addicted to ketracel-white (indicating there was such a time), and pre-phage Vidiians.

DIVERGENCES: None.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Good question
REVIEW: Once the redundant first page is out of the way (a recap after the inside cover's recap?), Sutton actually offers a pretty good issue! Gone is her overwrought narration, and she lets her premise and the art do the hyperbole for her. The Leviathan has an old school TOS feel about it - a giant spaceship, a sentient computer, hints of the Preservers - and the few species we meet inside have interesting links to Trek continuity. I like the mystery and scope of it, and Redondo has fun with the grand concepts he's been asked to draw. There are also some nice personal bits between Tom and B'Elanna in here, as these two were only just starting to explore the feelings between them, providing rare characterization for this title.