I loved the old Filmation Star Trek animated series when I was a youngster: they were campy, corny episodes and even at a tender age, I could never take them too seriously. After all, there was something missing in Shatner’s and Nimoy’s delivery. It was the same with the other actors; it was like they really weren’t into it.

I can’t say I was a Transformers fan though. The cartoon came out a lot later. I was still young, but old enough to have a teenager’s concept that contempt and sarcasm made for enlightened and mature criticism. Come on… they were metal toys, for God’s sake!

But there’s no doubt the impact this group of Hasbro toys has had on the comic world. After all, they’ve been licensed by both Marvel and presently IDW. They’ve got an appeal, that’s for sure.

But the two of them, in the same book? Yup… Star Trek vs Transformers #1 hit the shelves last week and it’s pure whimsy. That’s what it comes down to. I mean, I’m not going to hurl volumes of canonical Trek lore at anyone who wants to read this, nor am I, a die-hard Original Series fan (down to my four replica phasers, including the universal remote control!) going to criticize this book. I can’t — it’s just fine!

After all, it’s a diversion; something to pass the time and to lose ourselves in a fun game of ‘what if’? Remember when you used to have those arguments with your friends if Superman could beat Thor? Or could Chuck Norris take out Bruce Lee? Okay, well, we answered the last one in Return of the Dragon, I know, but for real?

Would 23rd Century technology affect Cybertronian circuitry? Would James T. Kirk be able to out-strategize Megatron? You know, these are questions that I don’t mind devoting a few minutes of distraction to. After all, if there’s anything I need more in life is more distraction, because sometimes, isn’t this life dull?

Written by John Barber and veteran Star Trek comics writer Mike Johnson, we get a story that does exactly that. Of course, the perverse draw for me is to see what sort of a scenario these writers concoct to meld these franchises together. The answer to that is, they don’t.

I’m serious. They literally just throw the crew of the animated series, complete with Lt. M’Ress and Arex, on a planet with a Federation dilithium mining station that’s being attacked by the Decepticons. Sure enough in about five pages, they’re both joined by the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime.

And yeah, have to love Spock’s cool tactical analysis of the situation complete with an admonition to Lt. Sulu to lower his phaser because… I can’t give the line away. Seriously, it’s better if you read it yourself and enjoy the whimsy of it all.

The best way to begin a story is to throw the characters all together into one big donnybrook of a fight. Barber and Johnson pit the crew of the Enterprise against the Decepticons right off the bat as they are called to investigate the possible incursion of a Klingon battle cruiser into Federation Space. The mining facility is under attack by what appears to be 20th Century aircraft — without pilots.

Captain Kirk and the landing party launch into the fray and we see Soundwave’s sonic blasts up against Kirk’s precise phaser fire, and the might of the USS Enterprise’s photon torpedoes, providing cover fire for the party.

Don’t even think about the explosive yield, or the the proximity of the impact to the crew members on the surface. It’s not that type of Star Trek story, remember? However, when the Decepticons and the Klingons eventually meet up – you know that it’s an alliance that will serve no good.

Philip Murphy’s renderings of the animated characters in the Filmation style does deserve a lot of serious credit though. First, drawing for the purpose of sequential storytelling is no mean feat in itself. There’s pacing, detail and visual clues that have to be incorporated to inform the reader and add to the plot. It’s a tough gig, but to do all of that in the art style of the original cartoon adds an extra level of difficulty that says volumes about this guy’s talent.

Murphy draws the original characters true to the cartoon in that I’d lay a bet it’s near impossible to distinguish between his penciling and the original cels. It’s also of note that he also creates new characters in that original style. It’s clear they picked the right guy for this job.

• Murphy provides the art for the two-part primary covers; a split image of a classic match up. Kirk, the Enterprise crew and the Autobots are on the left side of the battleground, while the opposite features the Klingons and the Decepticons facing them. It’s actually an inspired bit of artistry and I’d actually love to have the original for this piece. It’s pretty damn clever.
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• The first retailer-incentive cover is an action piece, with Lt. M’Ress facing off against a robotic giant feline: Ravage of the Decepticons, an amazing fight scene from artist Paulina Ganucheau.
   
• The second retailer-incentive cover is another excellent piece by Derek Charm. He also manages to capture the spirit of the animated series and gives us an image that could have come from the opening credits of the cartoon.

If you’re a deep Star Trek fan and you’re turned off by this cartoony combination, lighten up! Think back to your childhood — I mean, wouldn’t it be cool to see the Enterprise’s shuttlecrafts transform? Or even adapting the transporter technology to the Autobots so they can have a travel edge on their flying enemies?

It’s meant to be fun and that’s what I got from reading this. I loved the old Trek cartoons, and I can appreciate the popularity of the Transformers.

Who knows? Maybe Kirk will get to “roll out” with Optimus Prime?