Star Trek 1113: Prophets and Losses

1113. Prophets and Losses

PUBLICATION: Deep Space Nine/Star Trek: The Next Generation #1 (part 1), DC Comics/Malibu Comics, December 1994

CREATORS: Michael Jan Friedman and Mike W. Barr (writers), Gordon Purcell and Terry Pallot (artists)

STARDATE: 47268.4 (between Dark Page and Attached; between Melora and Rules of Acquisition)

PLOT: The Enterprise-D has ferried some high-ranking officers to Deep Space 9 so they can visit the Gamma Quadrant. Their runabout disappears in the wormhole however and Picard is put in charge of the investigation. This doesn't make the Bajorans happy as unrest and meteorological instability mount and fundamentalists say they've been abandonned by the Prophets. They feel safer with Sisko heading the team. An unauthorized entry on the station then leads Odo and Worf to a party of Cardassians...

CONTINUITY: The Enterprise was last at DS9 in Birthright. Odo recognizes the family resemblance between Deanna and Lwaxana (which he met in The Forsaken). Crusher sees Dax and remembers Odan (The Host) despite the deep dissimilarities in make-up the Trill have undergone. Sisko is still uneasy about working with Picard (Emissary). Vedek Bareil appears here, not long after his appearance in The Siege.

DIVERGENCES: Troi has "trouble" reading Ferengi emotions, when it's been established Betazoids can't read them at all. Ro Laren probably shouldn't be aboard the Enterprise-D at this point (though according to the comic series, she is). The two crews working together like this creates some slight problems with every TNG guest appearance since (Defiant, Way of the Warrior, the DS9 II books).

PANEL OF THE DAY - Worse than Cardassians, worse than Klingons.
REVIEW: First off, let me say that Purcell's art is great in this. The likenesses are excellent (both the people and the environments) and the characters expressive (great eyes). Good-looking stuff. The first chapter of this crossover is basically just a chance to meet all the regulars (except Jake) and have them interact. Geordi catches Quark's crooked dabo tables, Bashir puts the moves on Beverly, O'Brien is wistful about his time on the Enterprise, stuff like that. The comic also makes sure to use the DS9 setting to its fullest potential, and that means including Bajoran religion and politics, Cardassians, and Rom and Morn. Plus, Ensign Ro comes home to roost. That should be interesting. A strong, character-driven intro.

Christmas Eve

Have a good one!

Star Trek 1112: Game, Set and Match!

1112. Game, Set and Match!

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Modala Imperative #4, DC Comics, October 1991

CREATORS: Peter David (writer), Pablo Marcos (artist)

STARDATE: 44398.7 (follows the last issue)

PLOT: The Ferengi have captured everyone except Spock who melds with Troi through a wall and allows her to nerve pinch her captors before they undress her. The Modalan leaders (official and dissident) are taken out to be shot, and at least agree on one thing - better to die than live as slaves. Picard offers a deal. If the DaiMon can defeat him at "Ferengi Challenge Cubes", he gets the Enterprise. If not, he loses the planet. These cubes provide a psychic assault each participant must withstand. The Ferengi is cheating thanks to an implant, but Spock telepathically bolsters Picard so he can win. The Ferengi leave just as the Enterprise arrives from its decoy mission, and Modala finds more stability in its reunified leaders.

CONTINUITY: See previous issues (Modala, McCoy, Selar). O'Brien makes an appearance. There's a reference to the Vulcan Death Grip (The Enterprise Incident).

DIVERGENCES: See previous issues (freighter-shuttle, Spock). Riker speaks to an admiral in a decidedly non-Starfleet uniform. The stardates make it appear like Data's Day happened during this adventure.

PANEL OF THE DAY - I know they say Betazoids can't read Ferengi, but I think Troi can just about feel the lust.
REVIEW: A couple of cool bits make the comic worth it. There's Picard stopping the Ferengi in their tracks with the words "Let's deal". And there's Spock's neat trick in giving Troi the "touch". In the end, though Spock is the big hero, the badass is still Picard. That's good, because for a TNG comic, it was really more about the surviving TOS guys. In the end, there's a real merger between the two, quite literally in fact. A fun and hopeful ending that makes the second mini-series much better than the first. Hey, and there's even a poker scene at the end. Lame joke there, but that still says "TNG".

Cat of the Geek #41: Christmas Cat

Name: Christmas Cat
Stomping Grounds: Icelandic legend
Side: Evil
Breed: Corrupted Icelandic Shorthair
Cat Powers: According to the legend, unless you get at least one new garment to wear for Christmas you "get caught by the Christmas Cat". Man eater.
Skills: Eat 10, Sleep 2, Mischief 10, Wit 2, Sense Fashion (not to be confused with Fashion Sense) 8
Cat Weaknesses: The reason you got socks again this year.
A relevant poem as translated by Viggi: The Christmas Cat

Star Trek 1111: Prior Claim

1111. Prior Claim

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Modala Imperative #3, DC Comics, August 1991

CREATORS: Peter David (writer), Pablo Marcos (artist)

STARDATE: 44397.7 (follows the last issue)

PLOT: Riker and the Enterprise-D realize that the Ferengi attack on the freighter, though real, was just a decoy to get them away from Modala. The planet's dissidents attack the Ferengi and in the ensuing skirmish, Troi and McCoy are captured. Picard and Spock join the rebels and plan their rescue. Though they manage to get inside the government building via the sewers, the Ferengi are waiting for them with guns to the prisoners' heads...

CONTINUITY: See previous issues (Modala, McCoy). The Ferengi are aware of the events of Ménage à Troi.

DIVERGENCES: See previous issues (freighter-shuttle, Spock). The cargo the freighter is carrying is depended on by millions of people, yet the ship is just the size of a shuttle!

PANEL OF THE DAY - Ferengi sure know how to posture.
REVIEW: So now the plot kicks into high gear (not a bad way to structure the story, with all the character stuff up front, so that you never have a laxly plotted issue). Not that the plot is anything amazing, but it does the job. Dynamic art, feuding factions, sneaky Ferengi, and McCoy getting all the best lines. I don't think I approve of how rude Riker is being to the freighter crew, but then he's just been tricked into not getting "screentime" with the guest stars.

Secrets of Africa Revealed

Maybe they got lost in the tall brush?

Star Trek 1110: Lies and Legends!

1110. Lies and Legends!

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Modala Imperative #2, DC Comics, September 1991

CREATORS: Peter David (writer), Pablo Marcos (artist)

STARDATE: 44396.0 - 44396.2 (follows the last issue)

PLOT: While the Enterprise stays on course for Modala, Spock and McCoy charm the crew. When they reach the planet, the ships gets a distress call from the freighter that brought Spock and goes to help, leaving an away team (including Picard and the guest-stars) at the celebrations, celebrations that are interrupted by Ferengi looking to collect on a deal made with the fascists 100 years ago - weapons for the planet!

CONTINUITY: See previous issue (Modala, McCoy). Spock's wife is mentioned (this must be Saavik as per Vulcan's Heart, though the novel was published 8 years after the comic). Dr. Selar (The Schizoid Man) puts in an appearance. Selar's grandfather served on the lost USS Intrepid (The Immunity Factor).

DIVERGENCES: See previous issue (freighter-shuttle, Spock). The Ferengi fighter is of a design never seen before nor after.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Being Vulcan means awkward hugs.
REVIEW: The Enterprise doesn't reach Modala until page 19. The way Peter David is celebrating Star Trek's 25th Anniversary is to basically have the TNG cast indulge in a little hero worship with Spock and McCoy. It's not quite as funny as the first issue, but there are still some great bits, like Data and Spock's mental game of 3D chess (and musical duet), and McCoy admitting Spock's is favorite captain. It's a more mature relationship, but still once full of quips and barbs. The Ferengi stuff is just a pretext, really.