Villordsutch reviews Star Trek: The Next Generation: Through the Mirror #1…
SEE ALSO: Check out the preview for Through the Mirror #1 here
Last year’s Mirror Broken from the Tipton brothers and one of my all-time favourite Star Trek artists J.K. Woodward was a brutal slice of Trek. As with all ‘Mirror’ stories the Trek lore is thrown mostly out of the airlock, allowing the writers act like Pit Ponies as they’re set free into unkempt pastures, with the ability to make our heroes into their villains. Now less than six months later along comes the follow-up to that series, titled “Through the Mirror”, and it comes two intertwined stories and two separate artists to boot.
Worf and two Lieutenants – from his security team – arrive at the main mining facility on Naia IV, a high value location for the Federation due to its available resources. The Away Team are informed of a suspicious amount of said resources mysteriously disappearing from the mining facility, and with that Worf and his team begin to investigate. It’s not long before our Chief of Security spots Lt. Jones, who should be in Engineering on the Enterprise, currently walking around the facility with a suddenly-grown a goatee beard. After cornering him, Lt. Jones manages to transport away with Riker and LaForge; both however are not the shipmates Worf would instantly recognise.
Our second story takes place in the Mirror Universe in which we discover that a Bolian Smuggler, under torture from an Agony Booth, has revealed that Emperor Spock is alive. With this news worrying Picard, his right-hand Android sets about locating this very dangerous fly in the Captains ointment.
It’s an interesting start with this new series opener, to have both opening stories introduced in one issue. Both opening tales are linked, though separated by months (plus another universe); the clues are there, but normally you would have expected Trek Prime #1, Mirror Trek #2 or vice versa. Instead, as said, the Tiptons and the editing team are meshing both as one, which if being honest is a brave thing to do. If people are turning up for more of the Mirror Saga, wanting J.K. Woodward and the Tipton’s alone, they’re not going to get it here.
Myself as a Trek comic book fan I’m more than happy to roll with this. I’ve stated on numerous occasions I’d like to see different artists in the Star Trek comic universe; here I’m getting to see the art and colours of Marcus To and Brittany Peer and I like what is being delivered. Then as we flip to the Mirror Universe J.K. Woodward’s art is the perfect cherry on top of the cake.
This is an interesting opening to hopefully a great Star Trek series. There’s a seed of a mystery already planted here and we’ve just got to hope that it blooms magnificently.
Rating: 7/10
