If you’re a big Trek fan like me, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Illyrian Enigma #1 from IDW Publishing will help you make it to Season Two of Strange New Worlds.
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS #1
Writers: Kristin Beyer and Mike Johnson
Artist: Megan Levens
Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff
Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Editor: Heather Antos
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover price: $3.99
Release Date: December 21, 2022
SOLICITATION: Journey to new reaches in this exclusive comic tie-in set between seasons one and two of fan-favorite Paramount+ series Strange New Worlds! With Una accused of unlawful genetic modification by Starfleet, Captain Pike sets out in search of evidence that could prove her innocence. From the mighty pens of Trek duo Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson (Picard—Stargazer, Discovery—Adventures in the 32nd Century, Light of Kahless, and more!) with art by Megan Levens (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Star Trek: The Mirror War—Troi).
I have to say it—I absolutely LOVED the first season of Strange New Worlds! It was reminiscent of Classic Trek in so many ways while still moving the franchise forward! It ended with a cliffhanger. Number One, Una, was revealed to have genetic changes outlawed by the Federation. She was arrested… and that’s where they left us!
If you haven’t seen those episodes, I encourage you to do so, but I think you’ll get enough of the story as it is recapped to understand what’s happening.
The rest of the crew is back (even Pike’s hair!), and the ship has been sent on a new mission in an attempt to distract them from Una’s loss. Like that would ever work!
I do have to say that this show took a HUGE gamble by recasting Captain Pike. I mean, he knows his own future, grim as it is. One of the things that makes him so enjoyable as a character is that he continues to perform his duties even knowing what awaits him. I honestly don’t know if I could do that!
The rest of the cast is a mix of previously seen and new crewmembers. I never thought anyone could make Spock as accessible as Leonard Nimoy, but that new guy has chops! The new Uhura is also great, and Doctor M’Benga’s new actor is cool. Then, too, I like Nurse Chapel and the newbies like Ortegas. They were very smartly put together.
The comic does an excellent job of picking up right where the show left off. The dialogue is so well done that I actually hear the actors’ voices when the characters speak!
The new mission takes the Enterprise near a world the Illyrians can be found, so Pike thinks they “can still say hello.”
Of course, things don’t go as planned (do they ever?), and the ship’s crew finds themselves in a bind of sorts until Number One can be freed. Yikes!
The writers do a great job of touching on the high and low points of that first season, including the loss of a crewmember I was particularly fond of. They all are consistent with the characters we see on Paramount Plus, so they really make the transition from the small screen to the comics a very easy one.
When one is dealing with an established franchise, it’s critical to breathe life into the characters, as this series has already done. It’s also very important to get the likenesses down, as they say, so Captain Pike actually resembles the actor who plays him, Anson Mount. That’s also true of the rest of the crew, and the arts meets that need very, very well.
The trick is to also not make the characters appear wooden and too “still,” as they say. They need to move about the ship and other locales as natural as possible in a comic.
Of course, Star Trek is much more of a drama than an action-oriented program, so the movements have to keep us “engaged” as they discuss important plot points. The art in this comic is excellent in taking us along as they warp through all that Treknobabble.
My Thursday mornings are always great—if I have new Trek to watch! Right now, I’m thankful to see new episodes of Prodigy for a few more weeks. Then there’s a big gap until the final season of Picard launches in mid-February.
This comic is so well done that it will fill those blank spaces on Thursdays (and other days) as my need for Trek comes calling.
Can I just say that I don’t care about Pike’s hair at all? I have no idea what hairstyles will look like in the future—hey, I can’t even tell what’s popular now! I do greatly appreciate Mr. Mount’s bringing Pike to life, as it were, so I’d be happy if he were as bald as Picard!
I can’t wait for the next issue! Highly recommended!
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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds #1
This comic is so well done that it will fill those blank spaces on Thursdays (and other days) as my need for Trek comes calling.
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Writing10
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Art9
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Coloring8
Wayne Hall creates the Wayne's Comics Podcast. He’s interviewed Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, John Layman, Kyle Higgins, Phil Hester, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, David Petersen, Christos Gage, Mike Grell, and Matt Kindt. On this site each week, he writes his "Comics Portal" column (general comics comments and previews) and reviews comics.