The rapid-fire pace at which Star Trek: TNG — Through the Mirror is being published is going to spoil me for other Star Trek comics!

The excitement in this series has to be the most prevalent feeling a devout Next Generation fan will experience, as Scott and David Tipton have addressed a lacking need in Star Trek canon – the existence of a Mirror Next Gen tale. At last, the question has been answered: what will the enlightened crew of the Enterprise-D do when confronted with their materialistic and scheming counterparts?

I think that’s the big draw to this story. If there was a message that Gene Roddenberry wanted to manifest in this version of Star Trek, it was how advanced in character he believed the human race could become in the 24th century. The entire premise of the original Mirror Universe concept is to remind the viewing audience how backwards we were in our values, (and to an extent, how we still are). What would they do? Pit their values of guile and honour against each other.

Through the Mirror #4 rides on the coattails of that sentiment, and accomplishes a lot in a very quick amount of time. We have already been introduced to the crew of the warship ISS Enterprise in last year’s outstanding Mirror Broken tale, but that was just to get to know the characters of this ‘evil’ ship and crew and see what the differences are.

Playing by the rules, giving an enemy fair quarter — despite strategic advantage — and upholding a set of fixed values even in the face of adversity? That’s the Jean-Luc Picard we know. But enforcing loyalty through fear, ensuring his safety by playing one enemy off against the other and knowing the value of resources? Well, that’s a different Picard all together.

Even though these two men have different ambitions and personal values, they are evenly matched in both cunning and resolve. We’ve only known the latter for a short length of time, but Scott and David Tipton have written a story that makes sure we know him well.

In the first story of this issue, drawn by Carlos Nieto, we finally get to learn the ISS Enterprise captain’s master plan. We also get insight into how his crew has been able to cross the barrier between the two universes and of course, that’s related to the information undoubtedly obtained by Commander Data’s hunt for the former Emperor Spock — the main through-line of “Ripe for Plunder,” the secondary tale painted by epic talented artist J.K. Woodward.

There are a few moments in this book that really stand out. They’re minor, but they are evidence of just how much Scott and David have been able to squeeze into this book in such a fast amount of time. The first is the discovery by Mirror Barclay of just how disrespected his Federation counterpart is. The fury he evinces is so unlike the Barclay we know, yet completely understandable. It’s a very familiar detail that would resonate strongly with loyal TNG fans, and completely gains their acceptance.

The second detail is the speech patterns of Inquisitor Troi’s dialogue. Written with the same inflections and mannerisms of the Troi we know, you can almost hear the quasi-European blend of accents in your mind. It’s another aspect to this book that makes the ISS Enterprise’s crew so authentic. As a self-appointed expert on all things Deanna Troi, it’s a safe bet that this detail was not lost on me.

Finally, a minor but amusing detail: on page 16, the Mirror Riker is resting his leg as the captain declares their plan out loud. In a fit of victory, Riker raises his fists in unity. However, loyal fans will recognize the pose as what has been affectionately referred to as the “Riker Maneuver.” (If you didn’t catch that, hand in your commbadge!)

The end of the first story brings us to the face-off between the two crews that we have been waiting for – and a penultimate cliffhanger leading into the final chapter of this story. I am unsure of how the Tiptons will end this cataclysmic confrontation, but I’m damn eager to get to the issue next week and learn how!

While we are anticipating the end of the story, let’s take a look at the covers for this week’s issue.

• Cover ‘A’ is the next partition in J.K. Woodward’s glorious tapestry of work, I’ve seen this thing in its entirety and each panel is just another slice of amazing. In this one we have the two La Forges faced off with two Wesley Crushers beneath them. It’s safe to say that this is my favourite cover out of them all.
   
• Cover ‘B’ is by Carlos Nieto and shows both engineers in combat with each other. The Mirror Universe Geordi is standing over his counterpart with an enormous shoulder-mounted energy weapon. Colours are by Jason Lewis and it’s an extremely vibrant piece.
   
• The retailer-incentive ‘A’ cover is a photograph of Commander Will Riker. It’s a photo that’s taking away an artist’s work, and as you know, I’m not a fan of photo covers.
• Retailer-incentive ‘B’ comes from Peter McKinstry, a new discovery for me, and I am loving his work. As much as I enjoy this cover, I’d love to see more of his work on interiors. I certainly hope that IDW sends some more love his way!
   
• Finally, the convention-exclusive cover (not pictured) is, like the previous ones, a black and white variant on Woodward’s cover. It’ll be a challenge for some ambitious artist to apply colour to it — but I’d love to see someone take a crack at it!

All in all, this is a successful story that manages to communicate a vast amount of information in a limited number of pages — and the fact that this tale is being dished out in weekly releases makes things even better.

Still, like every other reader, I’m waiting for the memorable confrontation that is about to come. Watch for my review of Star Trek: TNG — Through the Mirror #5 next week!