It’s time to return to the so-called Kelvin Timeline of Star Trek in this new comic book series, set several months after the events of Star Trek Beyond. But can it race up to Warp Factor 9, or does Sulu leave the parking brake on again? We review Star Trek: Boldly Go #1.
James T. Kirk takes over command of the USS Endeavour, and initially it’s an uneasy adjustment for both him and the crew. Thankfully, his good friends Bones and Chekov are on board too, although Bones has problems of his own since he’s taken a demotion to serve on the ship and can’t do things his own way. Meanwhile, Spock spends time bonding with his father on New Vulcan, where Uhura has been welcomed into the family. As for Scotty, he’s back at Starfleet Academy on Earth, teaching the disrespectful cadets.
Sulu, having become first officer aboard the USS Concord, is learning the ropes aboard the deep space science vessel. However, when the Concord comes across an unidentified ship which transmits a message more akin to an angry machine than a recognisable language, that’s when trouble begins. The message is relayed to Uhura to translate, while, aboard the Endeavour, Kirk races to the coordinates of the Concord and finds it’s been destroyed.
As for the message, it’s a chilling one which Star Trek fans know all too well…
I was initially skeptical about this. I’m not a fan of the term Kelvin Timeline, and while I’ve found the new films generally quite good, they still haven’t quite cemented their place in my heart like all of the other versions of Star Trek. I’m more Trekaholic than Trekkie or Trekker, so I’m biased and difficult to please.
With all of that said… this was really, really good. And I couldn’t be happier.
Star Trek comic books have a long but mixed history, but when they’ve been at their best they’ve been a perfect extension of the movies and shows, presenting the characters so accurately that you can easily imagine the actors saying the dialogue. That’s what’s on display here. After a slightly unconvincing first couple of pages, as usual it’s Bones who sells it. From his irascible attitude to Spock, Sarek and Uhura’s heartfelt moments, it all feels right.
As you would hope, the artwork compliments the story smoothly, conveying the moods of the characters in every facial expression and providing an accurate presentation of the Star Trek universe. As for the story itself, if it’s really going where it seems to be then fans could be in for quite a ride and this could be as good as any movie.
In short, if you’re a Star Trek fan then you’ll love Star Trek: Boldly Go #1… and if you’re not, then this may just be enough to make you one.
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