Villordsutch reviews the final issue of IDW’s Star Trek Into Darkness prequel Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness…
“The lead up to this Spring’s Star Trek Into Darkness continues here, in this official prequel mini-series overseen by writer/producer Roberto Orci. Captain Kirk and his crew will face an all-new adversary that threatens the future of the entire Federation. Don’t miss this exclusive all-new story that sets the stage for the upcoming blockbuster movie!“
We come to the final part of our prologue to Star Trek: Darkness. This last issue waves us off with an increased anticipation for the film and shows us the dark wave echoing through the core of Starfleet’s morals.
If you’ve kept up with the story so far you’ll know that Captain April had activated a deep-routed command hidden in the recesses of the Enterprise’s main computer which has locked all crew members off the Bridge and taken the ship elsewhere.
This episode – and I say episode as it does feel like a Trek episode – we see the crew take back the ship just before April attempts to trade it with an old Trek foe. The epilogue of this chapter is around quarter of the actual comic, bringing into the light the Prime Directive and the harm it can bring down on some planets and the people that live on them. The final panel showing us the name John Harrison brought an evil smirk to my face.
Mike Johnson (Fringe, DC Universe) closes the story by leaving you wanting to see the film – just what this comic series set out to do. The art by David Messina (Star Trek: Nero, Sally Potter) again gives us clean looking work but sometimes the faces of the characters lose their likeness, although this isn’t all of the time. The surrounding art of the panels is great and looks good with subtle additions which are only spotted on a second or third read.
I’ve enjoyed reading Countdown to Darkness and am looking forward to what the film will bring us. Thanks Mike and David (oh and overseer Roberto), and I look forward to the next Trek introduction series.
Villordsutch – Follow me on Twitter.
Originally published April 9, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
