1282. Enterprises of Great Pitch and MomentPUBLICATION: Star Trek: The Next Generation - Perchance to Dream #4, Wildstorm Comics, May 2000
CREATORS: Keith R.A. DeCandido (writer), Peter Pachoumis and Lucian Rizzo (artists)
STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last issue)
PLOT: Picard is placed into a trance and his various personalities (Kamin, Sarek and Locutus) are brought to the surface in order to produce a cure for the telepathic weapon taking down the crew. Even Data has succumbed and he's reliving a dream in which he destroys the Enterprise. Picard's mind does produce the cure, which is then passed on by telepaths, saving the ship from Data at the last minute. However, Picard must work with his good personalities to repress Locutus who has taken over and is willing to stop Picard's biological functions if he is not given control of the ship. Down on the planet, Damiano authorities have arrested the moralist terrorists, and given medals to the crew of the Enterprise.
CONTINUITY: See previous issues (Picard's split personalities, Ogawa, Selar, Lt. McDowell, Data's dream program). Reg Barclay appears. The characters brought forth in Picard's mindscape include Amanda Grayson reporting Spock's death (The Wrath of Khan), Kamin's daughter (The Inner Light), his own disappointed father (Family) and Gul Madred (Chain of Command). Picard plays his Ressikan flute (The Inner Light, Lessons).
DIVERGENCES: Worf apparently made Data's off switch (Datalore) common knowledge for security officers. A wise precaution, but a terrible betrayal.
PANEL OF THE DAY - Data wasn't one for massages.
REVIEW: I'm glad to see Data's dream finally figure into the story, though it's a leap to think a telepathic weapon could work on him when telepathy itself doesn't. And again, the comic is hampered by stiff, rushed art (and it had such a strong cover too) and just a little too much exposition. DeCandido is treating it like the novels he'll later write and doesn't allow the pictures to tell their part of the story. Perchance to Dream, in the end, is merely ok as a TNG mini-series. It uses a lot of continuity, but fails to add all that much to the world of Star Trek. Except maybe some of the longest titles ever.
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