The Seeds of Light Are Sown

Star Trek/Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds tpb
DC/IDW
Creators: Mike Johnson, Angel Hernandez, Mark Roberts, Andworld Design, Chris Cerasi, Sarah Gaydos, Jim Chadwick and Michael McCalister
Release date: September 2017

This book is a sequel to Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War which brings these two franchises together.

Permanently.

You see, it begins with the end of the DC Universe. (Spoilers if you didn't read that first volume.)

The first series takes place an unspecified amount of time after the events depicted in "The Blackest Night" crossover event from DC Comics. Nekron arises once again, and having learned from his past mistakes, the first thing he does this time is take out Kyle "Ion" Rayner, the person able to harness the energies of all the rings of the emotional spectrum at once. With Rayner out of the way, everyone else seems pretty helpless to stop the embodiment of entropy from claiming much of the DCU.

In a last-ditch effort to salvage what he can, the last remaining Guardian of the Universe, Ganthet, takes six power rings — blue, violet, yellow, orange, indigo and red — and uses them to open a rift into a parallel universe. All surviving ring-bearers are also shunted into this parallel reality — Sinestro, Carol Ferris, Larfleeze, Atrocitus, Saint Walker, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Killowog.

The new reality they find themselves in is the 23rd century that contains the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon and Romulan empires and the U.S.S. Enterprise — the contemporary versions from the J.J. Abrams film reboot, if that matters to you. All of the ring bearers are now stuck in this new reality.

Oh, and Nekron is there, too.

But that's the first volume of this tale, which I certainly encourage you to read. There isn't a lot of material in volume two to catch new readers up to speed. But the first volume is worth the time if you have any interest in either franchise.

This second volume picks up some time after the events in the first book, and there have been some changes in the meantime. Scotty is able to help Starfleet reverse engineer the various power rings — up to a point. Starfleet security personal now have white rings as standard issue gear — rings capable of generating personal force fields and firing phaser-like power beams. As for the original ring-slingers? They have some problems to deal with in this new reality. All of their rings were supercharged during Ganthet's shunting them off to their new reality, but even a supercharged ring eventually can run out of juice. Since no power batteries were brought with them from the DCU, none of them have a way to recharge, no matter what color of the spectrum they represent. That's where this story begins.

The various surviving DCU refugees are finding their places in this new reality. Hal and Carol now serve alongside the crew of the Enterprise. Saint Walker, Guy, John and Killowog are also working with Starfleet. Sinestro has become emperor of the Klingon empire. Larfleeze had a short alliance with the Romulans — all of Larfleeze's alliances seem to be short-lived — but in this new series, he is seeking other things to claim as his own. And Atrocitus had a brief alliance with the Gorn, but he abandons them when they prove less than useful helping him find a new way to charge his red ring.

The inclusion of all the other related Lantern characters adds to the drama of both stories, but Sinestro and Hal take center stage in this second volume. Sinestro's use of fear plays nicely against the dynamics of the Klingon empire for a time, but he's not content to simply sit and rule a portion of the universe. Meanwhile, Hal craves the importance of being out in space with the Federation's flagship crew, but he and Kirk — especially the Chris Pine version of Kirk — are so similar that they can't help but like each other any more than they can help butting heads over who's giving the orders.

I confess, the ultimate solution to the power needs of the various Lanterns' rings seems a bit of a stretch to a longtime Trek fan. A previously unknown race is discovered, one that Starfleet might have run across before if they truly existed in this reality. The introduction of another individual familiar to Trek fans also seems like a bit of a stretch here. But having pointed out both of those plot contrivances, this is still a solid, enjoyable read if you're looking for a fun adventure and are willing to simply accept a few twists at face value.

Turn The Key And Unlock Greatness

Locke & Key Vols. 1-6
IDW Publishing
Joe Hill, writer
Gabriel Rodriguez, artist

Finishing a really good book or series is always a bittersweet event. There's the joy of having experienced the story, the satisfaction of having completed the journey to its end. But if you really enjoyed the book, connected with the characters, then there's also a bit of sadness that their story is over and there will be no more.

That's how I felt after finishing the entire Locke & Key series at long last. I borrowed the first three volumes from my local library. You can read what I thought of those volumes here and here. But in short, I liked them enough that after the third volume, I decided to just buy the series, which I did after doing a little bargain hunting. But then, due to the craziness of life putting me quite behind on my reading, it has taken me a while to get back to the series.

Because of that delay, I decided to re-read the first three volumes. I still remembered the basic story of the Locke children — Tyler, Kinsey and Bode — and how they came to stay at their ancestral home, Keyhouse, in Lovecraft, Maine. But I wanted to refresh my mind on all of the details of the story before beginning the second half of their journey.

The highest recommendation I can give Locke & Key is that I did connect with the characters. I did enjoy the ride they took me on. And I can look forward to re-reading favorite parts again. After all, I just re-read the first three volumes of Locke & Key for this pass through, and I enjoyed them just as much the second time through as I did the first time. This is definitely a series I intend to read again at some point.

You may have figured out by this point that I am not going to share any story specifics. There are plenty of early story and set-up details in my earlier reviews of the first three volumes if you want to know more about the series before trying it. I don't want to spoil anything more for anyone who might be coming to the series fresh, like I did. But I will share one more personal reaction to Locke & Key.

As I started the sixth book, I realized I was uneasy. A number of characters die along the way; would anyone make it out of this story intact? This is a horror story, after all, and it might not end well for any of the characters. I haven't spoiled the ending by sharing that detail; I haven't told you if my fears were realized or not. But what that sentence does reveal is that this horror story scared me. It left me with a sense of dread for the characters and their fates. How often does that happen that a scary story really scares you in the reading of it?

If you've never read Locke & Key but you like a good scary story, then check this series out. You don't have to be only a horror fan to appreciate this story, though. Anyone who loves a good story, a gripping drama that unfolds slowly and pulls you in deeper with every page, will find something to enjoy with Locke & Key. Do yourself a favor and seek it out. I haven't heard from anyone who has read this book and didn't like it. That alone seems like high praise!

It's Cold. So Cold. But A Great Read, Too.

WinterWorld trade (2011)
IDW Publishing
Chuck Dixon, writer
Jorge Zaffino, artist

I missed this story when it was originally serialized in 1988 by Eclipse Comics. I didn't even know it existed. But the story of the two main characters in this trade — Scully and Wynn — is being continued in a new series published by IDW and again written by series creator Chuck Dixon. Actually, I don't know for certain if their story is being continued or rebooted, as often happens in comics. But just in case it is the former, I wanted to catch up by first reading the initial adventure.

The first time I heard of WinterWorld was in the solicitations for the new version several months ago. The two characters exist in the far future when much of the planet is covered in snow and ice and every day is a struggle to survive. The descriptive copy made me curious about the series, largely because it reminded me of a great novel I had just recently read — Gordon R. Dickson's Wolf and Iron.

The Wolf and Iron novel takes place in an equally bleak future, this time caused by economic collapse and the subsequent fall of civilization. One man is trying to make his way across what used to be the United States never knowing if each new settlement will bring trade or death in the new lawless, violent reality.
In WinterWorld, the exact date and cause of the condition of the world is not disclosed. But much like an amalgamation of a couple characters from Wolf and Iron, lead character Scully is a trader making his way across the frozen landscape in a modified tractor. Using goods and equipment found in long abandoned shopping malls buried under the snow, Scully visits settlement after settlement, trading and making a life for himself and his companion, a badger named RahRah.

That is, until he comes upon the settlement where Wynn is being held. The backwards residents treat the young girl like property, but even that isn't enough to make Scully stick his neck out until the denizens of this settlement try to rob him. Wynn helps Scully and RahRah escape, which in turn leads them to take her in and care for her, even after slavers capture the pair.

In addition to the original three-issue WinterWorld series, this trade also collects a previously unpublished sequel titled WinterSea, continuing the adventures of Scully and Wynn.

Chuck Dixon provides a seat-of-the-pants adventure tale pitting two people against the worst their world and its inhabitants can throw at them. Jorge Zaffino's black and white art provides the perfect gritty visuals to bring Dixon's characters to life. I'm curious to see if the new version of the title lives up to this first collection despite there being a new art team working with Dixon to bring the current series to life.

Pricey, Oh So Pricey, But Still Good

Star Trek: New Visions No. 2: "Time's Echo"
IDW Publishing
John Byrne, writer and photomontage assembler

This is another modern photonovel dreamed up and brought to reality by John Byrne using existing footage and stills from the original "Star Trek" series to create a brand new adventure of the Enterprise crew. Byrne has proven in a number of past comics under the IDW Trek banner that he gets these characters and their respective voices. So far, he has completed three of these photonovel projects and each one feels just like a lost episode of the popular sci-fi series.

This issue finds the Enterprise crew summoned to investigate a 1,000-year-old distress call apparently made by James T. Kirk himself. That story is engaging enough by itself, if a bit predictable in places, but this second regular issue of New Visions also includes a small backup story that gives an in-story reason for the departure of Yoeman Janice Rand from the series.

I wish these volumes didn't carry such a hefty price tag. The first, trial photonovel, "Strange New Worlds," solicited as a special Star Trek Annual, along with each of these first two New Visions issues have carried a suggested retail price of $7.99 for 48 square-bound pages and heavier cardstock covers. I image at least a portion of that price includes some royalties for the use of the stock images, and I also imagine the creation of these volumes is pretty labor intensive, selecting and cropping all of the various raw images into a cohesive narrative. I get all that. And I am enjoying the finished products quite a bit so far. But $8 for these books still seems a little steep for most people's budgets, so I don't know how long this series will be able to continue.

They Reeled Me In; I'm Hooked!

Locke & Key Vols. 2 & 3: Head Games/Crown of Shadows hardcovers
IDW Publishing
Joe Hill, writer
Gabriel Rodriguez, artist

I've previously talked about finally trying the first volume in this series and very much enjoying it. That first volume held a great deal of peril for the Locke family — dad Rendell, mom Nina, uncle Duncan and children Tyler, Kinsey and Bode. After a home invasion on the west coast, the family moved to Lovecraft, Maine, and the Locke family home, a mysterious old house with many mysterious doors, even more mysterious keys, and no small amount of secrets. The Locke children were just beginning to scratch the surface of the house's secrets when one of the home invaders followed them east to their new home.

The second volume in this excellent horror series opens where the first volume left off, but quickly expands the threat beyond the Locke family to many other residents of Lovecraft. Events in the first volume gave a restless spirit a great deal of freedom of movement about both the Locke household and the town of Lovecraft. But as someone who had roamed the town before, "Zack" runs into a few people who recognize him from his previous life as "Dodge." Then it's just a matter of turning them into pawns in his search for one particular key or eliminating the threat they possess in a more final manner.

While "Zack" makes friends with the Locke children in hopes of finding the elusive Omega Key, Bode stumbles across another key in the house that doesn't seem to fit into any of the door locks. This puzzles the youngster until a conversation with his Uncle Duncan reveals something strange — what appears to be a keyhole at the base of Duncan's head!

The discovery of the Head Key reveals a number of new surprises for the Locke family; unfortunately, they share that secret with their new friend, "Zack," who steals the Head Key and uses it for his own purposes, much as he does with the previously discovered Anywhere, Gender and Ghost keys.

Both volumes 2 and 3 of this series give insights into the history of "Zack" and his previous life as "Dodge," growing up alongside Rendell Locke and some of the now-adult residents of Lovecraft. And while the current Locke children do not know it yet, they are obviously in a race with "Zack" to see who will first find and unlock the secrets of the Omega Key.

After reading half of this series in borrowed hardcover volumes from the library, I am hooked enough that I again went in search of affordable copies to buy and own the series. As luck would have it, I came across a new, slipcase edition of all six Locke & Key volumes in trade paperback format, and decided to go ahead and order the series for myself. At $60, it carries a hefty price tag, but that's cheaper than buying each volume separately likely would have been. And based on what I've read so far, well worth the investment!

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Keeping Up With Family Traditions

Locke & Key Vol. 1 hardcover: Welcome to Lovecraft (2008)
IDW Publishing
Joe Hill, writer
Gabriel Rodriguez, artist

This book has been around for a while, but it wasn't even on my radar when it debuted in 2008. I'd later heard some good things about the title without ever learning much about the plot beyond the fact that it was a horror series. That I'd already kind of suspected from the subtitle of the first story arc.

I enjoy horror movies — not gore-fests, mind you, but really good scary, suspenseful pieces — but I've read a few horror comics that just didn't seem to work. That generalized rule only made it better when I happened to find a comic horror series that I felt genuinely DID work. Sorrow from Image Comics, Skinwalker from Oni Press and Rachel Rising from Abstract Studios would be some examples of some good, scary comics stories I've tried and really enjoyed. But they continue to be the exception, not the rule, from my own experience.

Enter a friend of my wife's from her college days, Todd. She thought he and I shared some broad interests in sci-fi, television and comics, and introduced me to him through his blog several years ago. One of the comics that he talked up quite a bit was Locke & Key, which I learned from him was a series of limited series — six of them to date with a seventh in the works. Based on how much Todd liked the series and talked it up, I finally added it to my list of things to try at some point. For several more years, however, there was always something I wanted more or could get a little cheaper when placing orders or going shopping.

That is, until I decided to start getting serious about getting some of my books, especially things I was trying out to see how much interest I'd really have, from the library instead of the store.

Well, I recently asked our local librarian — a very nice lady named Charlotte — to request the first Locke & Key trade via interlibrary loan, and she came through with the hardcover version of the book. Man, am I glad I finally tried this series! I have to say, this first volume is so good, I was tempted to just buy an entire set of trades to read the rest. I like it that much. Well, that is until I did some quick web-surfing and found that bargain hunting this series would take a while. There are plenty of the books for sale, but most of them carry a pretty hefty price tag, even for used copies. So, I've decided to stick with the library for now, but if future volumes continue to be this good, I may be tempted to start looking to buy again.

The story starts out on the west coast where the Locke family lives. There's the father, Rendell Locke, a high school guidance counselor; his wife, Nina; and their three children, Tyler, Kinsey and Bode. Tyler and Kinsey are high-schoolers; Bode is in elementary school. But after Mr. Locke is killed during a home invasion, the family packs up and moves to the Locke family home, currently occupied by the kids' Uncle Duncan, in Lovecraft, Maine.

That family home is a sprawling structure with a rather large number of rooms and doors, many of them with their own keys — hence the second half of the series' title. Hints are dropped along the way that the house may have a supernatural aspect. Rendell and Duncan have long told the children about their own childhood in Lovecraft and the fantastical adventures they shared there, doorways that led to far-away places and mystical lands. The two adult brothers tell the stories as remembered play, but the stories have the air of more truth just beneath the surface.

Bode is the first of the next generation of Locke children to uncover some of the property's secrets. First, he finds a locked well house with a rather unusual echo. Shortly afterward, while exploring the house itself, Bode makes another discovery: "I found a secret door and when you go thru you turn into a gowst. It's fun to be a ded persin," he writes for a school project.

Before long, other family members discover strange things about their new home. But before they can learn much, they must contend with another danger: the young man who killed Rendell Locke has escaped from prison and is making his way across the country, tracking the family's movements east.

Joe Hill has crafted a very engaging narrative with characters a reader can connect with easily. This feels like a satisfying chunk of story while still being Hill's opening salvo only. There is still much more to learn from the Locke house, and I fear, much more for this family to endure.

And Gabriel Rodriguez's artwork is clear and easy to follow. Despite some of the graphic violence in the story itself, Rodriguez does not illustrate too much gore. He doesn't shy away from showing the violence at times, but I never had an issue with feeling like the depictions were overly graphic.

In case you couldn't tell already, I say give this book a try if you haven't already!

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Side note: It wasn't planned this way, but Locke & Key makes for a nice Halloween week post. But just in case the spookiness in this title isn't enough to put you in the Halloween mood, then check out this Monster Pin Up Girls kickstarter project I came across last week. There's still time to back the project, so give it a look.

Well Done, Good Sirs

Star Trek Special: Flesh and Stone
IDW Publishing
Scott and David Tipton, writers
Sharp Brothers, artists

 
I don't have a whole lot to say about this "Star Trek" one-shot, but wanted to take a post to extend my kudos to the creative team all around for not taking the easy way out with this story. Of course, why even do the darn thing if you're not planning to "do it right."

This was solicited as a "Star Trek" special that incorporated all of the doctors from every incarnation of Trek television program ever aired. (Technically, they didn't include Dr. Mark Piper from the second Original Series pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," or Dr. Philip Boyce from the first Original Series pilot, "The Cage," but since neither of those gentlemen appeared for more than one episode, I have no problem with glossing over them.)

I fully expected the special to take place in the era that would allow the easiest access to the most Trek doctors. The "Next Generation," "Deep Space 9" and "Voyager" television programs all happened around the same time frame, so Drs. Beverly Crusher and Katherine Pulaski (TNG) were contemporaries of Dr. Julian Bashir (DS9) and the Emergency Medical Hologram program that gained sentience while serving on the lost Voyager.

The problem would be including Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy from the original series. McCoy is shown briefly in the first episode of "The Next Generation" hitching a ride aboard the latest version of the Enterprise, but he is at that time an honorary admiral and 137 years old. I expected the main medical problem that brings together the other contemporary docs in this story would force that team to turn to some notes or case files left behind from the now-deceased McCoy.

That's close to what happens, but these guys not only found an even better way to incorporate McCoy into the medical mystery threatening the entire Federation, but they also used that clever ploy to include Dr. Phlox, the ship's physician from "Enterprise," the "Star Trek" prequel, which I had completely forgotten about when anticipating this one-shot. (Slams his forehead with the heel of his hand while saying, "D'oh!") No, I'm not going to tell you how the Tiptons and Sharps pulled it off; I'll just say again that I was pleasantly surprised by their solution and encourage you to read the issue for yourselves. It's not like you have to invest in a 20-issue epic to find out.

My only complaint, and its a minor one, with the issue is once the medical mystery is solved, there is still a bit of detective work left to do, the final resolution of which feels a bit rushed — particularly a single sequence of panels near the end where a button is pushed. One can assume what happened from the artwork, and maybe this was a production error or something, but there is no dialogue in the panel where the button is pushed or labels on the buttons or anything else to directly clue readers in to what is being done by the pushing of that button. Again, I can make a pretty good assumption from the next panels, but some more visual direction would have been nice.

Overall, a good issue though, and one I recommend to fans of Trek.

OK, I'll Bite

Star Trek 35
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Tony Shasteen, artist

This issue is the first of a six-part story arc called "The Q Gambit," and I was nervous going into this issue. For starters, this would be the longest story arc so far attempted by this incarnation of Star Trek; most arcs were smaller two-issues tales, with an occasional four-issue miniseries tied to the two J.J. Abrams movies. Did this story really need to be six issues long?

And an even more basic questions was, should this story even be told at all? I like the character of Q, first introduced in "The Next Generation" continuity of "Star Trek," but a little Q goes a long way. He is a character that very easily could be overused or used incorrectly. Do we really need to impose him on the rebooted Trek universe, and if so, why at such an early point in time, as we humans measure it?

This creative team does an excellent job in this first installment answering those exact questions: why is Q in the rebooted universe and why is he showing up earlier in that universe than he did in the reality that preceded it?

It all goes back to the Trek fact that Vulcans live much longer than humans, and that Spock is still around and kicking during much of "The Next Generation" time span. Spock appeared in a number of TNG episodes, so it is canon that Spock and Q are contemporaries. I don't recall an instance where the two characters met in any TNG episode — or even in any of the licensed novels based on the Trek universe. But Spock and Q do meet and have a philosophical debate in the Alien Voices production of Star Trek: Spock Vs. Q. I'm not entirely sure if that audio-drama is considered canon or not, but as contemporaries, it is possible that Spock and Q could have met, even if said meeting has yet to be depicted.

So this series starts out in the original TNG continuity with Q popping onto the Enterprise to speak with now-Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard about their mutual acquaintance, Spock, in the aftermath of the events told in the first Abrams Trek film. To any of the contemporary people of the original Trek universe, Spock is presumed dead after he went back into the past in that film because he never returns to that timeline. But Q, being omniscient, knows all about the new timeline created by Spock's actions, along with the fact that Spock is alive and well in that altered timeline. Also, Q knows of some universe-ending event that will destroy that altered timeline. Q's visit to the Enterprise is to let Picard know that the Spock Picard knows is alive and well, but not for long, and to ask Picard's advice on whether or not he — Q — should intervene in this universe-ending event that threatens that other timeline. Picard, of course, comes down on the side of Q not interfering with any natural order of events, and Q, naturally, takes that as a challenge to do exactly what he wants anyway.

Thus, Q thrusts himself into the altered Trek timeline for perfectly valid reasons, at least as far as Q is concerned. And I would have to agree that his actions herein are quite consistent with his established character.

Mike Johnson is a regular on the IDW Trek titles and handles his duties with the usual spot-on characterizations and intelligent, griping writing that this series is known for. Tony Shasteen is a newcomer to the IDW Trek franchise and is praised in the back of the book in the newly launched letters page for his ability to capture the likenesses of the actors who portray the Trek characters on both big and small screens. The art on this Star Trek Ongoing series has been mostly good from the beginning with a variety of artists handling the illustration chores and handing in mostly good character likenesses. Shasteen's art in this issue seems a bit darker than is typical for this series; everyone's faces, clothing and backgrounds have a lot more shadowing than readers are used to. That in and of itself isn't a bad thing, but I wouldn't want to see the palette permanently shifted to such a degree when Trek is known for its generally positive, brighter future than other science fiction franchises portray. Some of Shasteen's panels also seem to sport pretty stiff characters as if he is relying too much on photo reference to capture those likenesses. Not every panel suffers in this way, but some that particuarly seem to scream for action do depict stiff figures at odd angles. It was enough to pull me out of the story a time or two.

Mostly though, I feel this story is in capable hands, and I'm anxious to see it play out over the next five issues.

I Remember Those ...

Star Trek Annual 2013
IDW Publishing
John Byrne, writer

John Byrne has done a number of great Star Trek projects for IDW since they acquired the license to produce comics for the franchise. This latest creation takes the original series' second pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," and crafts a sequel as if it is just another episode of the original television run of "Star Trek." Rather than illustrations by Byrne or another comic artist, however, this annual makes use of still footage from the original shows with word balloons added to make a fotonovel.

In the book, a mysterious signal draws the crew of the Enterprise back to Delta Vega, a lonely planet at the edge of our galaxy where the starship lost two of its crew on an early voyage. Byrne does a good job of capturing the voices and the feel of the original science-fiction classic, so that this annual reads just like a natural epilogue to the original episode.

The idea for fotonovels is not a new one. In fact, the original run of "Star Trek" had an even dozen episodes turned into popular fotonovels in the late 1970s. I know that because I own several of them, but even if I didn't, this annual contains a brief history of the fotonovel concept by Cliff Biggers of Comic Shop News and Newsarama.

I don't know that a casual fan of the new movies will care much for this "blast from the past," but any longtime fan of the franchise will appreciate this Star Trek Annual, and I heartily recommend it!

Now That's An Identity Crisis

Star Trek 21-23
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Erfan Fajar, artist

These three issues represent what is best about this ongoing comic series set in the rebooted Trek movie universe -- it's acknowledgement of what has gone before in the previous incarnation of the series without slavishly adhering to every single detail of that canon. What we get here is a rehash of the events of the original series episode "Amok Time," and yet, this is a brand new, fresh story that takes the ideas introduced in that episode and creates a brand new tapestry from them.

The story arc presented here is called "After Darkness" and is meant to follow immediately after the events of the latest Trek film, "Star Trek Into Darkness." But the arc picks up threads from both films to create a story that affects the Enterprise crew right now and also introduces a longer-term subplot that will affect the entire universe in the future.

The bulk of the issues deal with the Enterprise being sidetracked to the New Vulcan colony when Spock begins feeling the effects of Pon Farr, a Vulcan mating ritual that affects males every seven years beginning in puberty. Spock naturally assumed his human half dulled the effects of Pon Farr in his own system as he has never before dealt with the madness that accompanies the symptoms.

Instead of getting better, however, Spock seems to grow worse, losing more and more of his emotional control upon arriving at the New Vulcan colony. The crew learns that since the colony was founded, several Vulcans have fallen to the uncontrollable effects of Pon Farr and have wandered off into the wilderness of their new planet. Once gone, they are referred to as "sasaud," Vulcan for vanished. Naturally, the Enterprise crew refuses to abandon Cmdr. Spock and manages to find a solution to the new Pon Farr problem, and writer Mike Johnson does a wonderful job of making both the problem and the eventual solution seem scientifically plausible.

As for the longer term subplot introduced here for future development, after the events of "Into Darkness," Captain Kirk has been declared a public enemy of the Klingon race for his unprovoked invasion of their space. While the Klingons prepare for war with the Federation, the remnants of the mysterious Section 31 division of Starfleet from the film conspire with the Romulan Empire to hold off the Klingons. Of course, both the Section 31 members and the Romulans are already plotting to betray this fledgling alliance for their own goals.

This is a very good story that also sets in motion some future developments. In fact, my only complaint is the return of something I didn't understand the first time it surfaced in this series: the apparent common knowledge of the existence of "old Spock" in this new rebooted reality. Again, my understanding from the first film is that three people know of the existence of "old Spock": Jim Kirk, whose life "old Spock" saves; Montgomery Scott, who meets "old Spock" when he and Kirk come to the lithium cracking station Scott is stationed at; and current Spock at the end of that first film. Every time "old Spock" meets one of these three people, he cautions them about not revealing who he really is. Yet, here, for a second time in this comic series, the existence of "old Spock" is discussed generally among the crew of the Enterprise as if it is common knowledge. But then, I guess I have to let go of my belief that this is an error; "old Spock" also made a cameo appearance in "Into Darkness" and in that scene, Kirk contacts him and speaks to him openly on the bridge of the Enterprise where anyone on the bridge can overhear. I guess that must mean that the existence of "old Spock" in this universe and the fact that to him, all of this has happened before, must be common knowledge, at the very least, to those aboard the Enterprise.

This Was A Missed Opportunity

Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness 1-4
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson and Roberto Orci, writers
David Messina, artist

Let me start by saying that this was a good story within the ongoing IDW Star Trek series. Let me also say up front that the film this series leads into, "Star Trek Into Darkness," was good, and I very much enjoyed it.

Neither of those statements changes the fact that the film did have a few issues here and there, and that this comic series doesn't lead into the film as smoothly as its predecessor did.

Back in 2009, IDW published a four-issue prequel comic to the J.J. Abrams Trek reboot called Star Trek: Countdown. This series told in detail how Ambassador Spock's plan to use the "red matter" to save the Romulan homeworld from its sun going supernova went awry, and how Spock incurred the wrath of Romulan miner Nero and his crew, the sole surviving Romulans in the universe. Those events were recapped in the film as flashbacks when "old" Spock and "new" Kirk first meet, so no movie-goer could feel they didn't get a full story. But for comics fans, this was a fleshed-out portrayal of those events, a bonus, if you will.

Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness was supposed to do the same type of thing for the 2009 film's sequel. It does flesh out ideas discussed in the film, but no action in the comic series directly leads to actions on the screen this time around. That was a little disappointing, especially when the opening scenes of the new film could use a little fleshing out.

For instance, why was the Enterprise underwater to observe the alien culture at the opening of the film? The Enterprise has always been portrayed as an orbiting starship not designed to enter an atmosphere. In fact, any time the Enterprise has entered a planet's atmosphere in the past, it is a sign of very real distress. An orbiting starship wouldn't risk exposure to a pre-space flight civilization like one submerged in its oceans would. In fact, how did the Enterprise get into the ocean in the first place if taking her out of the ocean was such a risk?

Also from the opening scenes, why does Kirk take a scroll from these aliens, an action that sets up the chase scene to follow? Sure that scene provides most of the film's lighter moments, which are needed to offset the darker tone of the bulk of the film, but we are never given a reason why Kirk would risk exposure to take the scroll, especially when he so quickly abandons his find at the end of the chase.

While certainly a fun part of the movie, this entire opening sequence is poorly explained or justified beyond moving the action toward the bulk of the film. A prequel comic series could have explained any or all of these silly questions.

Instead, this mini takes the Enterprise crew to survey the planet Phaedus IV and check in on another pre-space flight culture. Once there, however, the crew finds the aliens much more advanced than they should be. Debating the rightness or wrongness of the Federation's Prime Directive of non-interference quickly takes center stage as the Enterprise crew discovers that both the Klingons and Federation members are arming different factions in a planetwide civil war. Debating the Prime Directive is a topic in many classic "Trek" episodes, and humans and Klingons fighting through proxies on primitive planets is also a frequent theme of the series. Other nice touches in this comic series include familiar names from past incarnations of the show such as Capt. Robert April, Harry Mudd and Klingon Commander Kor.

As I said, it's a good comic, and the film is good, too. But the comic could have been so much more and helped the film out of a tight spot or two, as well.

Dark Reflections

Star Trek 15-16
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Erfan Fajar, Hendri Prasetyo and Miralti Firmansyah, artists

After a couple completely original tales, we're back to exploring concepts from the original series as they now exist in the rebooted movie universe for this two-parter called "Mirrored." But Johnson takes a different twist this time out as the "events" in these two issues may not actually have occurred; they are presented as mere hypotheticals.

The first issue opens with McCoy and Scotty in the mess hall. Scotty is trying to explain the concept of alternate universes and timelines to the good doctor, who is just not getting it. I find it interesting that this entire discussion is prompted by McCoy's inability to understand how "old Spock" changed the timeline he was familiar with by his actions in the 2009 movie, resulting in this rebooted universe. I didn't realize that the timeline being altered and the existence of "old Spock" was common knowledge. Kirk knows because he met "old Spock" face to face. I guess Scotty knows because he was there when Kirk met "old Spock" in the film. And Spock met his older, alternate timeline self at the end of the 2009 film. I wouldn't expect anyone else to know about the changes in the timeline, and I wouldn't expect the three who do to talk openly about them. In fact, "old Spock" warns both Kirk and Spock against that very thing.

Setting that aside however, this entire storyline is Scotty and McCoy talking about anything that ever could happen has happened somewhere in the cosmos of infinite alternate realities. McCoy confesses that the idea of an infinite number of alternate realities doesn't bother him so much as the smaller concept of an infinite number of variations of himself out there in all of those possible alternate universes. Scotty acknowledges that McCoy has a fair point, mentioning the possibility of universes where each of them has followed different career paths, one in particular where Scotty might've been a poet.

McCoy jokingly responds with, "Now that's a terrifying concept."

And Scotty replies, "Oh, come on, Doctor, surely that's not the worst timeline you can imagine?"

And from that germ, we see a nightmare alternate universe scenario play out.

In the original series episode, "Mirror, Mirror," a freak transporter accident during an ion storm transports Kirk, Scotty, McCoy and Uhura to an alternate reality where their counterparts are members of an imperial fleet bent on conquering the known universe, as opposed to the United Federation of Planets' more benign purpose of exploration and outreach. The Enterprise crew members in this alternate universe are vicious, advancing in rank through assassination and betrayal. Almost all of the subsequent Trek franchises have returned to the Mirror Universe concept either in televised episodes or novelizations. So it was only natural that this incarnation of Star Trek would revisit the concept. But in almost all of those other instances, someone from one universe actually crosses over and interacts with the people of the other. Sometimes our folks go to the Mirror Universe; sometimes someone from there comes here.

What is different this time out is there is no direct interaction between universes. We are merely given a glimpse into a more aggressive, malicious, imperialistic version of the familiar characters we know. And things here progress in a drastically different way than they did in the original series episode.

As far as the art in these two issues, this new art team does a good job. Comics based on live-action properties often put an emphasis on making the characters in the book genuinely look like the actors who play the roles on screen; this title is no exception. The few references to "old Spock" Leonard Nimoy in this issue are joined by "appearances" by James Doohan and DeForest Kelley, the original actors to portray Scotty and McCoy, respectively. Oddly enough, the likenesses of the classic actors are more spot-on than the likenesses of the newer actors filling the Trek roles. But even the newer guys' likenesses aren't bad. What variations exist could be written off to the slightly different appearance of someone having lived a much rougher life.

All in all, two very well done issues of a series I am enjoying a great deal!

A Being Of Few Words

Star Trek 14
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Stephen Molnar, artist

The large majority of stories from this series are two-issue arcs, but this one and the last issue are done-in-one tales, each focusing on one of the lesser-knowns from the rebooted film universe. This time out we get a nice look at the back story and motivations of Keenser, the diminutive alien Kirk stumbles across on Delta Vega when he first meets Montgomery Scott.

It turns out that despite Keenser's small stature when compared with Scott and his other shipmates aboard the Enterprise, he is unusually tall for his species. Fitting in is a recurring theme for this issue, and while there is much played for comic effect, the character is still treated with respect and given much more depth than time constraints allowed in the film.

All in all, another fine comic expanding on the rebooted film Trek universe. It's well worth checking out.

All Hail The Red Shirts!

Star Trek 13
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Stephen Molnar, artist

This is a fun little done-in-one issue of IDW's ongoing Star Trek comic that takes the Trek conceit of a red shirt being a death knell for low level crew members and dispels it handily for this new incarnation. The premise of the story is a letter home recorded by Hendorff, the crew member introduced in the 2009 movie first as the lead cadet in the bar fight against Jim Kirk in Iowa and later seen as a security crew member aboard the Enterprise when Kirk and Scotty beam aboard the ship from Delta Vega.

Hendorff is answering a message from his parents in which they relate the death of a family friend killed while serving aboard another starship. Hendorff's parents are concerned by this death and the rumors they've heard about how dangerous it can be to be a red shirt aboard a starship. Hendorff relates some of the Enterprise crew's recent missions in brief detail (missions are classified, you know), explaining that while danger is part of the job, he is serving aboard a fine ship with a fine crew who watch out for each other. A few scenes from the original series that saw red-shirted away team members die are included in the snippets Hendorff relates to his parents, but in each snippet, things are changed in this reality so that the aforementioned red shirt does NOT die.

A truly fun read from a consistently good book. Kudos all around!

... And Grow And Grow

Star Trek 11-12
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Claudia Balboni, artist

We've talked before about how this title is presenting new movie-universe versions of familiar "Star Trek" TOS episodes and how the differences between the two timelines are growing, and these two issues offer no exception. Fan-favorite episode "The Trouble With Tribbles" gets remade here as "The Truth About Tribbles."

In the classic version, the Enterprise responds to a priority distress call, rushing quickly to Deep Space Station K-7. Once there, they are "ordered" to guard grain samples from possible Klingon saboteurs. Lt. Uhura acquires a single tribble while taking part in shore leave on the station, and the tribbles' natural tendency to reproduce at an alarming rate threatens to bring disaster to the station and the startship, but the furry little creatures also expose a Klingon spy.

In this new version of events, there is no space station. Instead, the Enterprise is ordered to explore the Iota Germinorum system, and finds a Klingon bird of prey there, well outside normal Klingon space, a treaty violation. Before warping away, the Klingons deliver a garbled message about "dire threats" and "executions." The Enterprise crew beams down to the fourth planet in the system, apparently the home planet of the tribbles, which are a new species to the Federation members. All of them anyway, except one, which offers a nice nod back to events from J.J. Abrams' 2009 Trek reboot film.

Upon beaming down to Iota Germinorum IV, the crew finds the tribbles, their natural predators and a number of Klingon bombs. Kirk assigns Scotty and Chekov to disarm the bombs when the tribbles' aforementioned rapid reproduction starts to threaten the away team. To add to the crew's troubles, they soon learn that tribbles are also threatening to overrun the population back on Earth. It quickly becomes a race against breeding to save both planets.

Fun stuff!

The Saga Continues

John Byrne's Next Men (Volume 2) 1-9 (or issues 31-39 if you continue with the original numbering)
and Next Men: Aftermath 40-44
IDW Publishing
John Byrne, writer and artist
***mature content warning***

Last time, we talked about a creator-owned series from Dark Horse Comics titled John Byrne's Next Men, which ran for 31 issues (0-30) in the mid-1990s. I wasn't aware of the series when it debuted, instead learning of it later and tracking down the full run in back issues and trade. But then I put off reading the series for a while. That delay proved to work to my advantage as the initial run of the title ended on a cliffhanger that would not be resolved until the past couple years.

Byrne had promised readers that he had an ending in mind for the science fiction tale centered around five exceptional young people -- Jasmine, Nathan, Bethany, Jack and Danny -- who were grown and raised in a controlled lab environment, and the special government agent, Tony Murcheson, who worked alongside them. But it took 15 years for the next chapter of their story to finally see print.

John Byrne's Next Men  volume 2, No. 1, debuted from IDW in December 2010. While the cover clearly is marked "#1," another box next to the cover logo has a small number "3" inserted before the "1" -- a nod to the first volume of the series to let unfamiliar readers know that this was really issue No. 31.

In that first volume of JBNM, our heroes had been subjected on more than one occasion to alternate realities that would ultimately prove to be a ruse meant to deceive one or more of them. The Next Men and Murcheson were also no strangers to the concept of time travel. The conclusion of Byrne's series relies heavily on both those concepts. Various members of the team find themselves in prehistoric jungles, amid Roman centurions, deposited in the middle of America's Civil War or captured by Nazi concentration camp guards, not to mention a number of varying future scenarios. Either individually or in small groups, the protagonists of our story seem to just get their bearings when they are whisked away yet again. In some of these adventures, the Next Men's true history remains intact, and they continue to try to thwart the machinations of Sen. Aldus Hilltop and the evil Sathanas. But in other realities, the heroes seem to have lost their identities completely.

As with all of the best stories, the seeds of the final resolution were planted long ago in the pages of the first volume of this series. Seemingly random, new characters turn out later to be familiar faces. The internal logic of the story is maintained while arriving at an ending that seems both fitting and rewarding. Just when I thought Byrne had forgotten a particular plot thread or off-hand comment by a character I wanted explained, there was the explanation. And most of the explanations, while not what I was anticipating, were nonetheless, rational for the context.

In case it hasn't been obvious enough yet, I recommend John Byrne's Next Men to anyone who hasn't tried it. I might not have endorsed the tale as strongly without this new conclusion, as it can be very disheartening to have a good story stopped in the middle. But this conclusion makes this tale well worth a read.

The Divergences Begin To Grow

Star Trek Ongoing 9-10
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Stephen Molinar, artist
Roberto Orci, creative consultant

Previous issues of this series set in the rebooted "Star Trek" film universe have given readers mostly familiar retellings of adventures from the original television show. For instance, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" is the original series' second pilot episode wherein a crew member and close friend of Captain Kirk's mysteriously develops god-like powers and tries to take over the starship. An entire character critical to the plot of the original series episode was completely removed for the comic version set in the rebooted universe, but much of the rest of story plays out the same. Another story arc from the comic is based on the episode "The Galileo Seven," and similarly, events unfold in the comic a bit differently than in the television episode, but the overall story progresses much the same.

These two issues of the comic series, however, present a drastically different version of the original series episode "The Return of the Archons." And beginning with these two issues, advanced solicitation information began playing up the fact that this series is not only considered canon within the rebooted movie universe, but the comic series is being created with input and oversight from Roberto Orci, connected with the film franchise.

The Archons from the title of the episode and the comic arc refers to the crew of the Federation starship Archon, which disappeared near Beta III 100 years in the past. In the episode, the Enterprise is on a mission to discover what happened to that crew. In the comic, the very existence of the Archon is believed to be just a rumor told to cadets at Starfleet Academy, and Kirk, coincidentally finding his crew in the vicinity of Beta III, decides to snoop a little to satisfy his own curiosity. What the crew finds on Beta III in the comic is very similar to the conditions from the television show, but the source of those conditions and the Enterprise crew's response to them is very different. Both a prologue, which seems to have little connection at first to the overall story presented in these two issues, and an epilogue, which is the direct result of the events in these issues, seem to point to a clandestine group within Starfleet Command. That is a plot point which may or may not play a factor in the upcoming sequel to the first J.J. Abrams Trek film.

A Fun Little Romp With The Promise Of More

All-Ghouls School tpb
IDW Publishing
Marc Sumerak, writer
David Bryant, artist

This series focuses on pretty, popular and smart high school sophomore Becca Norman who, through no fault of her own, ends up with the blame in a major cheating scandal during finals. This leaves Becca with a choice: take an "F" and repeat her sophomore year beginning in the fall or attend a summer make-up term at spooky Darkmoor Academy. Darkmoor is the town's answer to a haunted house, and many monstrous rumors surround the place and its pupils.

Becca decides to try Darkmoor, reasoning that it can't be as bad as its reputation, only to learn that the campus is indeed populated by female, teenage versions of monsters. Needless to say, Becca doesn't immediately fit in, especially with the headmaster's daughter, Elle Diablo, who is quite used to reigning over the other students. Fortunately, Becca also makes a new friend, Wendy, at the school so she doesn't have to face things solo.

This was a fun read illustrated in a cartoony, whimsical style that makes me think it could easily be adapted into an animated series or feature, so if either Sumerak or Bryant are reading, get on that! The series also ends in such a way that the door is left open for more installments while still giving readers a satisfying ending. Give it a try!

Ask And Ye Shall Receive

Star Trek Ongoing 7-8
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Joe Phillips, artist

I have enjoyed most of IDW's Star Trek comics, including this run picking up from J.J. Abrams rebooted "Trek" universe film. Prior to these two issues, this title had retooled scenarios from the classic original "Star Trek" series, showing how familiar events have transpired slightly differently in this new timeline. While I have very much enjoyed these not-quite familiar tales, I dared to wish that the creators involved might also try their hands at some completely original adventures along the way.

Johnson and Phillips have expertly done just that with these two issues, crafting a tale that spins directly out of events depicted in the 2009 Abrams film. This tale, titled "Vulcan's Vengeance," was an enjoyable, completely original read that still felt true to the rebooted characters and situations, which couldn't have happened without the destruction of the planet Vulcan in the film at the hands of Nero. There were a couple of story twists involving Spock on a covert mission that didn't fool me for a minute, but the overall mystery behind the identities of the story's villains caught me completely by surprise.

Further adding to my enjoyment of this series is learning that Roberto Orci, one of the chief architects behind the reboot along with Abrams, is serving as a creative consultant on the comic series. Upcoming issues of the comic will help set up the plot for the sequel to the 2009 film, and the events depicted in these issues are considered canon for the rebooted movie continuity. That is something that almost no comics, novels or other media version of Star Trek have ever achieved before.

If you are a "Trek" fan and aren't picking these up, do yourself a favor and seek them out, either in trade or single issue form.

Justification For Shooting First And Asking Questions Later

Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes 1-6
IDW Publishing/DC Comics
Chris Roberson, writer
Jeffrey Moy, artist

It's just a given when two unrelated teams of good guys meet in the pages of some crossover comic: There will be a misunderstanding that leads them to fight before everyone involved realizes that they are all good guys and they finally join forces to defeat the real bad guys. The exact reasoning or setup behind the misunderstanding varies from story to story; some are better and some are weaker.

Bringing two completely different properties like the original crew of the starship Enterprise and the Legion of Super-Heroes seems like it should be an entertaining mash-up. Not only are each of these groups of people from different realities and genres, they are from different times, as well. The original "Star Trek" is set in the 23rd century, while the Legionnaires are from the 30th. Bringing both together involves enough manipulation that each group could be forgiven for not immediately knowing who the good guys and bad guys are in what they are being confronted with. However, I took issue with the fact that when these two teams find each other, it is clearly the Enterprise crew "throwing the first punch." Once the misunderstanding is resolved, Kirk offers an explanation for his actions, and some others might disagree, but I think the rationalization offered is out of character for Jim Kirk.

Once all of the good guys are friends and join forces, there is what might be another slight continuity gaffe in the pages of this crossover. As the two teams are attacked by an amalgamation of the Fatal Five and several menacing aliens opposed to the United Federation of Planets, Lt. Nyota Uhura from the Enterprise compares one of the combined villains to her Orion roommate from Starfleet Academy. Now the rebooted Lt. Uhura in the J.J. Abrams "Star Trek" film was shown to have an Orion roommate at the Academy, but I don't know that this is canon for the Nichelle Nichols classic version of Uhura, and it is indeed the classic versions of these Star Trek characters who appear to be in this story. Of course, there is also nothing in the classic Trek canon to contradict Uhura having an Orion roommate, so maybe that isn't a change in the Abrams film, but just the way things always were. So, I guess I'm being nit-picky with that observation.

Remove those two things, and this was a fun series throwing these two sets of characters together. The interior art by Moy is very nice. And to further bump up the art scale, covers for the series were illustrated by Phil Jimenez and longtime Legion artist Mike Grell, among others.

All in all, this was a fun series making great use of the histories from both properties to craft a new tale well worth reading.