Previous Reviews: #1 – #16 | #17 – #19 | 20

Well, no need for spoilers anymore. Star Trek Into Darkness has come and gone – and in the process riled up the fandom both in good and bad ways. I think with regard to some of the backlash (and obvious plotholes), moving forward the Ongoing Series is determined to address what we saw in INTD, especially the aftermath. To go a step further, IDW itself has plotted as part of its course for 2014 to bring together a whole new mini-comic series starring the villain of INTD. Yeah, I think we all want SOME explanation for him.

For now, I will catch up on the comics 21 through 26, which amounts to three different stories (episodes, however you view them).

#21 – #23: After Darkness

Ho boy. If there is to be a title for this storyline, simply put, it’s PON FARR. Which given the title on the cover, you might feel you’ve been a little misled. The truth is, we don’t get a lot of after INTD talk, just some Kirk making his position known and off the Enterprise goes on her five-year mission. Then it’s all half-naked Spock, enraged and punching holes in the walls of his cabin. Not that this Spock fan is complaining… until I actually had to. *sigh*

But let me back track first. We actually get some good insight here into Vulcans, because it seems their biological instincts, prerogatives, what-have-you are tied to their homeworld, or at least the fluctuation of them is linked to Vulcan. However, Nero destroyed that planet and now we see just how its destruction affects what is left of the race in ways which were not expected. Spock goes through pon farr long before his time and so his shipmates hurry him back to New Vulcan for help. Apparently Spock never told Uhura about Pon Farr or the fact he had a mate ready for him when it was his time.

And guess what? T’Pring survived!

There is no Stonn in this rendition or displeased T’Pring, and in fact the mood is very somber. Spock’s brethren fear the worst for Spock and it happens: he literally loses his mind and regresses to a violent state which makes him run off into the wilderness of the volcanically active planet to live among the other Vulcans who have fallen off the Surak wagon. Still with me? Yes, it’s like a mashup of that Sarpeidon episode and Amok Time. And Spock, with the glowing red eyes, is freaking scary.

Kirk, being Kirk, doesn’t want to lose his friend. Nor does Uhura want to lose her lover. They try to reason with Spock (who’s crazy, mind you, and violent), and when that doesn’t work they figure out a way to fix all the Vulcans who have lost their way.

I’ll be upfront with you: while I thought addressing the pon farr as it related to the loss of Vulcan was smart and interesting, some of it just felt against the grain. I can’t explain it better than that. Maybe because it was so different than how I perceived the pon farr issue might be done.

There was a solid foundation established for Spock and Uhura’s relationship, but even I felt jilted on Uhura’s behalf. Considering that he supposedly loves her, values and respects her, he didn’t once mention that he might have to one day leave to be bonded to another person? Wow. Spock. No words.

Anyway, comic #23 leaves us the way it began – with more vague, out of context hints about what could be going on between Section 31 and Klingons, etc etc. We can’t possibly make sense of them yet, and it’s actually annoying. We have to wait out a filler comic, which is…

#25: Untitled – BUT GORNS, Y’ALL!

That’s right. GORNS. One minute it’s Klingons and then it’s green lizard-like people. I will say one thing for the AOS universe: the artists/concept designers do an awesome job of “rebooting” the image of some of Star Trek’s most iconic races. First the Klingons and their bling, and now Gorn people who bring on the badassery but still act like the intelligent sentient race they are. So what if they look like the monsters from Doom who want to rip your head off with their pointy teeth?

The thing I love about Star Trek is it doesn’t fear to break down a misconception. The Gorn may look like monsters but the party Kirk and crew encounter are, surprise surprise, peaceful. You know that old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”? That applies here. The humans on the colony-planet are the ones attacking the Gorn, who only want to settle and live out a new way of life. This must be a story to remind us that Marcus was the wolf in sheep’s clothing and the Klingons the intended victims. Despite what we may often tell ourselves, a bad guy isn’t always bad and a good guy isn’t always good. That lesson I can get behind – so this comic, in my opinion, was a worthy filler.

#25 – #26: The Khitomer Conflict

Now it’s time to see what all those vague hints and out-of-context scenes were about. As I said just a sentence or two ago, it’s the Klingons who are the intended victims of a dastardly plot. And we all know how Klingons react to someone trying to pick a fight with them.

Yeah.

The gist of these two comics is to lead us halfway through a bigger story, where Section 31 is working alongside the Romulans to decimate the Klingon empire. I say “halfway” because 26 ends on a cliffhanger, so I expect November and December comics to finish off what 25 and 26 began. Of course, this wouldn’t be true Star Trek if Captain Kirk wasn’t somehow in the middle of a burgeoning intergalactic war. The (second) best part in the first comic is when Bones says he knows Jim feels responsible for what happened on the Klingon homeworld but really, Jim, how smart is it to be out here searching for Klingons?

My sentiments exactly, Bones.

I won’t say much about the politics going on here because it’s all pretty obvious that what Marcus started has yet to be stopped.

But I can talk about Sulu’s sister. :D

LOL. That’s right: new awesome little sister to add to the crew. I’m not sure if Jim made a serious mistake here in recruiting her (as Sulu believes) or if it’s the best mistake he’ll have ever made. Only time will tell. And by the way, the writers are hinting at Chekov being enamored with Sulu’s sister. Is this a shout-out to Sulu/Chekov fans? I think so.

On another awesome note, Kirk’s security officers are getting more competent with every comic. They kick ass and take names, woot!

Yet there’s a downside, though some of you may not think it much of one. Carol Marcus, along with Kirk, that gets taken hostage by the Klingons and she doesn’t seem to be there for any reason other than for Jim to worry about her. I’m beginning to fear this is a springboard for that romance we all know is coming. If it’s inevitable, then the least these writers could do is make her character strong and interesting. She doesn’t have to be compromised for the sake of a love story, does she? They didn’t do that with Uhura.

I guess only time will tell in this regard too.

…Thoughts on any of this or what the future will bring with regard to the comics or AOS itself? I’m up for discussion!

Related Posts:

• Star Trek Ongoing Comics (20): Thoughts and Discussion – from May 19, 2013
• Star Trek Ongoing Comics (17-19): Thoughts and Discussion [And An Announcement] – from April 10, 2013
• Star Trek Ongoing Comics (1-16): Thoughts and Discussion – from March 16, 2013