Saturday, April 18, 2009

Today's pulse-pounding, senses-shattering, action-packed Star Trek page:


Possibly my favorite single issue of all the ones I'm going to scan for this: Star Trek Annual #2 (DC Comics, 1991, and this may have been the second Annual #2 from DC!) "Starfleet Academy" Written by Peter David, art by James W. Fry (this page) and Curt Swan, inks by Arne Starr.

Young James T. Kirk goes off to Starfleet Academy (duh.) but he's a far cry from the captain we know--and probably, quite a bit different than the hothead the new movie appears to be delivering. This Kirk is all business, studying like mad, humorless, rule-bound, and the stick up his ass is pure dilithium. As in, unbendable. Why, he doesn't even have time for girls!

Yeah, that'll last. Callbacks to classic episodes abound, with appearances by Carol Marcus, Finnegan and Ruth from "Shore Leave," Commodore Decker from "The Doomsday Machine," and Kirk's roommate, a slacker with a photographic memory, Gary Mitchell. By the end of the issue, Kirk isn't the womanizing Starfleet cowboy he would be, but he's on his way.

This might be my favorite Peter David Star Trek story. Trust me and buy it, it shouldn't be too hard to find.

1 comment:

Sleestak said...

"Pulse-Pounding"? I'll say! That's a field of Quadro-Triticale, the star of the most exciting Trek episode ever!