Review: Star Trek #5

“Operation: Annihilate Part 1”

This issue is a vast improvement over the banality of issuenumber 4.  Where issue 4 wassafe, issue 5 explores some details that proved to be risky and surprising.

The book starts with a young Kirk, fresh off of crashing hisfather’s car into the quarry as seen in the movie, being scolded for doingso.  The art failed here becausethere could have been an excellent visual shift of young Kirk against the fieldof stars and older Kirk against a field of stars—on the view screen behind himwhile he commands the NCC-1701. When we see the border of the viewer, we lose the magic of thetransition.  Check the book onpages three and four to see what I mean.

The Enterprisefollows a Denevan ship in an attempt to rescue it from a collision course witha sun.  The crew aboard the Denevanship doesn’t want to be saved, and the vessel collides into the star.  Kirk and an away crew investigate theplanet (in a scene which reminded me of the film Serenity), and one of the crew falls under alien attack.

An interesting surprise that was hinted at in the beginningof the book finishes this issue, and it makes for a good plot point for readers.  Longtime Trek fans will enjoy the plot that’s reminiscent of anepisode of classic Trek.  And the pacing builds to a freneticpace like the 2009 movie.

For those jumping in to this comic, the art styling andstorylines are based on the 2009 Star Trekmovie.  That’s not bad at all.  I just wanted to lessen the shock ofthose expecting a Shatner version of Kirk.

While this won’t convert someone who isn’t a Trek fan, it will appease regular fans/readers.  

Score: 3/5

Writer: Mike Johnson

Art: Joe Corroney

Colors: John Rauch

Letterer: Neil Uyetake

IDW Comics

$3.99

Release Date: 1/18/12