Star Trek 1344: The Enterprise Experiment, Part 5

1344. The Enterprise Experiment, Part 5

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: Year Four - The Enterprise Experiment #5, IDW Comics, August 2008

CREATORS: D.C. Fontana and Derek Chester (writers), Gordon Purcell (artist)

STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last issue)

PLOT: Spock mentally accesses the Preserver technology, but causes it to self-destruct. While the Klingons track that explosion, the Enterprise follows Spock's downloaded directions into the galactic rim. There, they meet the Organians who are withdrawing from galactic affairs to protect he Preservers' technology until a special time is reached, one in which Arex's people will play a role. The Klingon fleet attacks the Enterprise, but they are rebuffed by Stafleet ships led by Admiral Nogura. Two days later, as part of a Nogura-Romulan agreement that includes their withdrawal from the border, the Romulans sell cloaking technology to the Klingons in exchange for a great number of warships, leaving the Klingons unable to wage immediate war.

CONTINUITY: See previous issues (Arex, Female Romulan Commander, Tal, Kor, Preserver obelisk). Sarek is in the obligatory "family issues" flashback; it occurs after his appearance in issue #2 and also features to site of Spock's almost-wedding (Amok Time). Spock reveals the Preservers created the Galactic Barrier (Where No Man Has Gone Before). The story takes place in Gorn space (Arena). The Organians (Errand of Mercy) explain why they decided to end their interference. The Organians and the Metrons (Arena) were once at war. A priority message is received from Admiral Nogura (The Motion Picture). Koloth (The Trouble with Tribbles) appears as a friend of Kor's (Blood Oath). The Romulans give the Klingons cloaking technology here.

DIVERGENCES: See previous issues (Organian Treaty). Admiral Nogura looks nothing like he did in the DC Comics series (he is apparently the Starfleet officer who made a deal with the Romulans in the previous issue).

PANEL OF THE DAY - Doctor Doom's time machine makes an unexpected cameo.
REVIEW: A rather talky finale, it is nonetheless incredibly ambitious. And perhaps it tries to do too much, tying a rather alarming number of elements from Star Trek lore together. Suddenly, the Preservers, Organians and Metrons all have a shared history. It makes sense, but at one point it starts to become a bit heavy on the references. The epilogue with no less than 4 named villains having a talk is a less forgivable, even though it ties together, ever so loosely, the whole of the mini-series. And is Nogura a member of Section 31? The writers leave a lot of plot threads dangling for another Year Four story (presumably) such as Arex's destiny and Starfleet's corruption. The Enterprise Experiment does a good job of connecting the political realities of TOS and the movies, I just wonder if it really needed to be done via infodump. Sadly, the Kirk-Kor rematch is little more than establishing shots of the two fleets throwing spittle around. A little action would have gone a long way here.