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Our Trek Comics editor Patrick Hayes returns with a review of this month’s issue of New Visions, IDW Publishing’s Star Trek photobook comic series.
Five images selected and created by John Byrne comprise this issue’s frontpiece: a bullet-like ship silently sits in space, Captain James T. Kirk look concerned as he sees something before him, Gary Seven concentrates on an unseen object, the Enterprise flies forward leaving an unusual visual wake, and Spock attempts to meld with Ambassador Xahd as Scotty watches.
Some good teases featuring a former guest star and a new alien species.
Standing before the Guardian of Forever, Kirk has made an unusual request of the entity which tells him, “But what you wish to attempt is impossible for one man.” Kirk responds as he dives into the portal, “I know. That’s why I need to recruit a very special ally!”
The scene moves to Earth, 1971, as Gary Seven ends his conversation with a vacationing Roberta Lincoln and Kirk enters through the office’s transportation device. The captain reveals that he travelled via the Guardian, which causes some obvious distress to Seven, and that he needs Supervisor 194’s assistance.
Ten days previously the Enterprise received the Dhoraxi ambassador, Xahd. The Federation had been at war with this species, but hostilities have ended. Kirk does something on Page 7 that he shouldn’t have, though it does allow him an opportunity to save a large group of individuals with Seven’s help.
This story by John Byrne provides an excellent outing to focus on Kirk and allow Gary Seven to guest star. I’ve always enjoyed Gary Seven and seeing him team-up with Kirk was great. I liked how Kirk gave him a few headaches (Pages 4 and 14), and the sequence that occurs on 23 and 24 gives Kirk some nice heroic moments, with 28 having him in full action mode.
Seven gets some nice lines, with my favorites being with the new character introduced on Page 20. This character might be a little over the top for some, but this is exactly the type of character I would expect to see on a 1960s television show. Though he didn’t resemble the actor, I heard Ken Curtis’ voice whenever this individual spoke.
The aliens in this issue had a cool way of speaking and a unique way of attacking others. I’d be more than welcome to seeing them in a future issue.
There’s a second tale titled “4860.2” which follows the events on the Enterprise after Kirk does that “something” on Page 7. If readers weren’t feeling any love for the rest of the crew in the first installment, this ten paged story has Scotty, Spock, and Mister Kyle getting some good moments.
Page 37 has one character demonstrating a famous ability that’s always fantastic to see. The final two pages place a terrific period on an individual’s contributions, with the final page having one character speaking another’s famous phrase for just the right humorous effect.
Also included is a three page preview of the next issue’s “The Survival Equation.” It features the return of Sherry Jackson’s character, still wearing her William Theiss costume. Take all my money now, Mr. Byrne.
John Byrne chooses images from the series’ episodes, manipulates them, and creates several new characters and settings. A good example of an expanded setting is the first panel which features the Guardian and Kirk in their iconic poses, with two-thirds of the panel shows the crumbling structure that once housed/protected the device.
Page 19 has a very familiar look for Trek fans, but Byrne tweaks it just enough, as the set dressers would have done in the 1960s, to make it appropriately fit the story. And the final two pages would have blown an entire episode’s budget for its design and depth.
The Dhoraxi have a really cool look. They would have been difficult to create in the ’60s due to their slender bodies and the unique look of their appendages. I initially had some concerns about the characters’ movement, but some dialogue on Page 6 successfully addresses this and made them all the more creepy. I really like what was demonstrated at the bottom of Page 22, which was a trait beyond films until the 1990s, making this inclusion in a 1960s’ show all the cooler. Their ships have a neat appearance that completely fits with the Dhoraxi’s nature.
The new character that is introduced on 20 cracked me up with every close-up. I’m of the generation where these types of characters were common in all forms of entertainment and I can’t suppress a smile every time I look at this individual.
Kirk and his crew look terrific, as they always do, with stand out images being Kirk in the fourth panel on 16, Spock on 37, Scotty at the bottom of 5 (Love the outfit!), and McCoy on 6. Getting to see these characters in new stories is always great, but having Robert Lansing run around with Kirk was awesome. My favorite images of him are on 4, 14, and 30: his poses and expressions perfectly match the dialogue. The individual that appears on the final pages was a delightfully unexpected treat.
Guardian speak, dialogue, the series’ introduction, opening titles and credits, Beta Five’s voice, sounds, and a shriek are used by John Byrne to tell his story. I always like when a letterer uses a different font for characters that shouldn’t sound like normal human beings, and the Guardian and Beta Five have subtle changes to differentiate them.
