“Yesterday’s” Comic> Star Trek: Early Voyages #10

Darn party crashers!

Star Trek: Early Voyages #10

Marvel/Paramount Comics (November, 1997)

“The Fallen” part 1

WRITERS: Ian Edginton & Dan Abnett

PENCILER: Michael Collins

INKER: Greg Adams

COLORIST: Matt Webb

LETTERER: Janice Chiang

EDITOR: Bobbie Chase

The Enterprise comes to the aid of a colony victimized by the Tholians deciding to expand their territory again, and they don’t care who they shoot to get it. They get lucky and take down a Chakuun ship, the same Tholian attack group that attacked Gabrielle’s colony when she was a child and killed her family members there. After their victory the Enterprise returns to Earth to affect repairs and prepare for the next attempt. While home Gabrielle comes to grips with the situation, scolding her nephews after they play a game based on the battle, but when she calms down she explains what happened to their parents. Meanwhile, Pike tries to reconnect with his father after Kaaj’s little trick but it doesn’t go too well and Number One’s attempt to help doesn’t. While that goes on Mia takes Spock on a trip around New York and Mohindas tries to play matchmaker between Mia and Joe, which doesn’t quite go as she hoped but better than Pike and his dad. The issue ends as Pike leads a fleet against the next attempt but as the medical team heads down to the colony to help the survivors the Chakuun show up, only this time there’s more than one.

What they got right: This has potential to be a good character arc for Gabrielle, the ship’s nurse and one of the regular characters. The Chakuun also makes for a good threat while keeping the Tholians a vague external threat as they were when Kirk’s crew actually met them some time later. They’re an alien race annexed by the Tholians and turned into their expansion team, which does tell us a bit more about them. We also get more history for Pike.

What they got wrong: Pike didn’t tell his dad about Kaaj’s trap, even when they finally met on Earth? It could just be me but I would have liked to have seen a hint of at least potential reconciliation between them and Pike never did get to ask him for advice on dealing with the Chakuun.

Recommendation: It’s starting out to be a good story. Hopefully it concludes that way so I can recommend it.