Villordsutch reviews Star Trek #43…
Eurydice Part 1 of 3, The lead-up to the next STAR TREK film continues here, in an all-new adventure produced in association with Roberto Orci! Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise find themselves in uncharted space on their Five Year Mission of exploration… but a new alien threat may end their journey prematurely!
Mike Johnson has flung the Enterprise and her crew far away in uncharted space, placing them firmly way out of the reach of the Federation in this three-part opener. Very far away indeed. Delta Quadrant far away as a matter of fact. That’s right Kirk and Co. have been thrown into Janeway’s stomping ground, but a fair few decades before she and Voyager even began bothering the Kazons. The Behemoth from the last issue has not only dropped them so far out but it’s also drained the dilithium chamber completely of any power, so with only the ability to coast on impulse power they start their glacial journey towards the Alpha Quadrant; hoping to find any trace of a dilithium crystal along the way.
It’s during this journey we witness how Kirk and the crew react to the initial couple of months travelling so slowly in unknown space. Kirk’s log reports, Chekov and Irina’s friendship blossoming further as the attempt –and fail – to replicate a dilithium crystal and the relationship between Spock and Uhura are all played out in these pages. Then at the end of the second month we meet a very technologically advanced Delta Quadrant local who goes by the name of Eurydice, who on initial introductions appears to be offering her services to rescue and tow the Enterprise –at warp – to safety.
The opening chapter to this series is an interesting setup, and it’s something I’ve been wanting for some time, which is having a Star Trek story spread over three chapters and giving Mike Johnson the ability to let the characters grow, so hopefully he’ll have the opportunity to develop the story further than previous issues before. My only problem I have is why choose the Delta Quadrant!? There are a lot of Trek fans out there that will snort with disgust at this quarter of space being used. Personally I really would have picked from either the Beta or the Gamma as they are relatively unknown – to an extent – and they’ve not been in its own series for seven years.
That minor “Galaxy Quadrant” problem aside after the blast of a start with Behemoth, this slow down to allow the characters to grow is a welcome change from Mike Johnson. The art from Tony Shasteen is okay, though the odd facial deformity can be off-putting, this and occasionally the characters can looking copy and pasted on the panel rather than part of the action.
I found this opening chapter to Eurydice enjoyable and I’m interested to see what’s going to develop in the next coming issues. I’m also very grateful that we’ve be given more breathing room in the Star Trek comics to let the stories develop and expand. Eurydice Part 1 is certainly one you should be picking up when you pay a visit to you comic shop today.
Villordsutch likes his sci-fi and looks like a tubby Viking according to his children. Visit his website and follow him on Twitter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONsp_bmDYXc
Originally published March 11, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
