The long-lived Star Trek franchise is exploring “Strange New Worlds!”
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
According to a news release from IDW Publishing, the current home for Star Trek in comics, the newest (and yet, in some ways, the “oldest”) incarnation of the franchise is coming to your local comics shop!
A paragraph in that news release tells what’s happening:
In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds–-The Ilyrian Enigma, Commander Una Chin-Riley—first officer and helmsman of the U.S.S. Enterprise— stands accused of unlawful genetic modification by Starfleet. Sparing no time, Captain Pike and his crew set out in search of evidence to prove her innocence!
This four-issue mini-series was written by Mike Johnson and drawn by Megan Levens.
Senior Editor Heather Antos had this to say about the book and the show that it is spinning out from:
“When Strange New Worlds came out, we knew that the show was something special. We’re thrilled to bring in Kirsten and Mike’s expertise from behind the scenes, as well as an artistic duo who captures the warmth and whimsy of this universe as effortlessly as Megan and Charlie, to explore even stranger new worlds in comics.”
Johnson is a very experienced Trek writer in the comics, and I had the privilege of interviewing him for my podcast some time back. I’m glad he’s still scripting Trek!
WHAT ABOUT ‘STRANGE NEW WORLDS?’
It’s important to know that Star Trek is experiencing something of a revival on the Paramount + streaming network.
Strange New Worlds is one of several franchise shows on the network, with rumors circulating that there may be more being made even as we speak!
This particular series struck gold when the people in charge decided to go back to Star Trek’s roots on many levels. It’s kind of the New Teen Titans of that franchise.
What I mean by that is the comic has developed an amazing mix of old and new characters. We see updated versions of Captain Pike, his Number One, Spock, Uhura, Chapel, and M’Benga. Alongside them are new characters La’an Noonien-Singh, Erica Ortegas, and Hemmer. They are taking the starship Enterprise on adventures we haven’t seen before. And many fans are eating it up!
This all takes place before Captain Kirk and his “original” version of Star Trek. Interestingly, Pike (including his oft-discussed hair) have really attracted the attention of fans because he knows what his future is, and it’s not going to be pretty!
I honestly feared for this show! I mean, the same starship we keep seeing, the Enterprise? Characters we know and love being reinterpreted by new actors? It could have exploded in our faces! Luckily, it turned out better than many of us fans dreamed it could be!
In an era where longer, multi-part storylines rule the day, Strange New Worlds is mixing extended arcs about the crew with tales that provide a lot of closure each week. Trek fans get all kinds of storytelling these days, from Discovery’s season-long tales to these shorter stories.
I’m particularly interested in the coming crossover with Strange New Worlds and the animated show Lower Decks, which recently visited the Deep Space Nine station.
What’s not to enjoy? And the second season is already underway!
‘TREK’ COMICS ARE ALSO GOING NEW PLACES
I breathlessly awaited this Strange New Worlds mini-series and found it maintains the tone of the TV show. Sure enough, this is the first of many of them to warp into local shops.
IDW is also re-launching the Trek comics with a new “number one.”
At last year’s San Diego Comic Con, word came out that Star Trek #1 was going to unite characters from across the galaxy when it arrived in October.
My all-time favorite fictional character, Captain Ben Sisko, is now captaining a new starship, the U.S.S. Theseus, with some familiar faces on board. Data and Dr. Beverly Crusher from Next Generation are there, and also an Andorian named Sato and a Vulcan called T’Lir.
Trek has often encountered characters with god-like powers and abilities, but someone is killing them in spite of their strengths. Sisko, who joined with the Prophets in the Deep Space Nine show’s conclusion, has a tough job ahead of him!
I have a feeling that Trek’s comics are going to keep challenging fans and others with new journeys! Antos said about the new series: “Star Trek has always been about telling stories of a better future, of hope for humanity, something this world needs now more than ever before… bigger and bolder than any Star Trek series has gone before.”
I’m particularly interested to see the Trek comics continuing to rise up to meet the challenge of telling stories that match and surpass what the franchise is doing on the small screen. It’s a terrific time to be a Trek fan, particularly one who enjoys the franchise’s comics!
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