If there’s anything I love about reading my favourite franchise – it’s background.
IDW 20/20 — STAR TREK: TNG is part of a series of 20/20 books in which IDW Publishing is celebrating their 20th anniversary, exploring aspects of franchises twenty years prior to an incarnation.
In this case, this comic is looking at twenty years into Captain Picard’s personal history, and his time serving aboard the Stargazer, his long-time command before the Enterprise-D.
In this case, my favourite Star Trek artist J.K. Woodward is painting a story from veteran Star Trek writer Peter David, who has authored dozens of Trek novels and comics. This is a combination that I can’t ignore, and yeah, it’s a must-have for my Star Trek comic reading list.
There’s so much enhanced and canon-supportive new background in this story, and while I could save you the effort of reading this by telling you to ‘go buy it’, I think I want to really celebrate it — and isn’t fandom something to celebrate?
First of all, I have to say, seeing Picard with hair is something that isn’t just something you can do at the drop of a hat.
J.K. Woodward is probably my most favourite Trek comic artist of all time. Look, if this guy’s work is enough to sway my non-comic, non-Trekker wife to the art, then this is the stuff, people. This is like asking for a miracle to manifest itself in front of a non-believer … and the man delivers. (In my house, that’s something to celebrate.)
I love how this insight into Picard’s past shows not only the insecurity of his first captaincy, but also the loyalty that his crew had for him, despite his neophyte status. People follow people based on their personal appeal, and even though he lacked the status of the Picard we know, he still had the ability to inspire his crew.
It’s like being on the ground floor of recognizing talent when you see it.
Peter David has really tapped into this vibe. Of course, if there’s anything that David does, it’s a retro look at notable Trek figures. Let’s face it, the guy’s been around for decades. He saw the original Trek in its infancy and like any good fan, he collected not only details and fact about the characters that we all know and love, but also the nuances.
I know what Picard would do because of my fan-oriented attention to detail. Why do I love this character? Because like any other fan, I know how this character would react in given situations. Fans think like writers in trying to base judgements on past stories, previous encounters and given that David is not only a fan but a writer, the effect is accentuated and emphasized.
Readers, be prepared to breathe in astonishment at the quality of the art. Woodward’s talent is light-years ahead of most of the competition, in my book. In fact, if you look at some of his other work, it’s amazing how it seems to be associated with some of the most authentic Trek-related written work out there. Why? Because of the painted aspect of his work.
This is in itself enough of a reason to check out this book — but there’s some stuff in here that you wouldn’t know at unless you talked to the artist. Woodward put cameos in here that appealed to his personal sense of fun, and what I love about Woodward’s approach is that he’s not only a creator but also a fan.
He shares his love of the fandom with other fans, and here’s what he shared with me.
Every issue, I try to squeeze in as many cameos as I can. Sometimes they are friends, sometimes colleagues, sometimes they are Star Trek writers, artists, execs or other behind-the camera types, and sometimes they are all three.
Ben and Adam, the voices behind one of the top downloaded podcasts about Trek — ‘The Greatest Generation’ — appear on Page 10. They often mentioned their dream of appearing as extras on ‘Discovery’ for a “blown out of hull breach” death scene. I couldn’t give them ‘Discovery,’ so I gave them Stargazer. I couldn’t give them a hull breach, so I gave them shot in the back.
The second cameo really speaks to the connection that Woodward likes to make with his fellow fans.
Mohammed and Mohammed appear on Page 11 — I met them on the 2018 Star Trek cruise and their enthusiasm was so infectious, I just had to put them in the comic. Since they are both so similar in appearance, I almost couldn’t put them together at navigation and at conn, but I came up with a solution. Make big Mo a Vulcan!
The third cameo really speaks to his respect for his collaborators.
A lot of people in the Trek community likely already know Holly Amos is; she appears on Page 21. I met Holly when she was working at CBS, when she was in charge of maintaining and organizing the ‘Trek’ archives. Holly has appeared in comics before, but I believe this is the first time she appeared in a monster maroon.
How cool is this? This is more than just background story material; this is background creation material.
This is awesome stuff and really bites deeply into the fabric of the fandom.
- Cover ‘A’ is by J.K. Woodward and it’s the right cover to lead with. Woodward’s gift with likenesses in paint really stands out. It’s an amazing piece of dynamism and lends a sense of incredible realism. Also, seeing Picard with Jack Crusher imparts the reader with a real sense of their relationship. Not only does it solidify these characters in the reader’s imagination, but it also sets the right tone. This is, by far, my favorite cover.
- Cover ‘B’ is by veteran IDW penciller Gabriel Rodriguez. It’s a great image that shows Picard in command flanked by Crusher and young Beverly Howard, in her Starfleet Academy gear. There’s a true sense of solidarity and confidence in this image that speaks to the loyalty and faith the soon-to-be-married have for their captain that goes far in helping to explore their relationship.
Background is so rich and not only provides extra information to a reader, but also an extra level of fandom appreciation. It makes the experience of reading a story appealing and personally relevant. This is the type of relationship storytellers want to have with their audience and by crafting a story that looks into the fictional history of a franchise, particularly around favorite characters, they do exactly that.
This story not only entertains but becomes the audience’s story. An audience gets more invested when they have more background. It’s not only historically validating, but the time invested in learning about that history becomes a personal experience that transfers to ownership. By sharing information like this, there’s a relationship between fandom and fan that naturally develops.
But when a creator goes out of his way to include fans in the creation process, then that’s an appreciation that everyone can look at and share enjoyment. This book is personal and real. It’s built on careful attention and quality that makes for accurate and authentic storytelling in this franchise.
Get lost in the background and enjoy this book!