There are a lot of comics out there but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week, we boldly go where no one has gone before: IDW Publishing’s “Star Trek: Year Five.”
Who’s This By?
Usually this section is pretty easy to get through, focusing on two to four creators working on a specific book, but with “Star Trek: Year Five” we have a slew of writers and artists having worked on this 18 issue run. Wanting to treat this as if they were writing the fifth season of Star Trek, IDW has hired a ‘writer’s room’ to help create and execute these new stories. Allowing new writers to jump on to cover new story arcs as they progress, this series has been in the very capable hands of Jackson Lanzing (“Joyride”), Collin Kelly (“Hacktivist”), Brandon M. Easton (“Civil War II”), Jody Houser (“Star Wars: Thrawn”), and Jim McCann (“What If? House of M”). One of the coolest things about this set of writers is that they have all worked in comics and in screen-writing. Brining these specific talents to the table for writing a comic based on a beloved t.v. series was absolutely the way to go and it shows with every single issue.
Knowing that a broad team of artists would be needed to keep up with the demands of so many new stories under various writers, this book has also employed thirteen artists to create the illustrations and color this series. While this list is too long to give everyone the praise they deserve, illustrators Stephen Thompson, Martin Coccolo, Silvia Califano, Maria Keane, Kieran McKeown, Angel Hernández, and J.K. Woodward have brought Star Trek back to life by beautifully re-creating the likenesses of the original actors, creating new heroes and villains, and transporting fans to the 23rd Century as Gene Roddenberry originally envisioned it. The work these artists have put out across the covers and the interior pages can not be understated. It is all absolutely gorgeous and wonderful to look over.
And of course, the colorists on this book are equal heroes. Charlie Kirchoff, Fran Gamboa, Thomas Deer, Sebastian Cheng, John-Paul Bove, and Thomas Drew. Just like the illustrations, the color work on this series has been nothing short of stellar. The style and palettes of the original series are resurrected and elevated. The return to form is welcome, and this is, without a doubt, the most beautiful a TOS-era comic has ever looked. These artists have worked across the comic book industry and the work speaks for itself. Stunning throughout. All fans should rejoice just from how great it looks, let alone the exciting and wonderful stories told within.
What’s This All About?
As any fan knows, the original Star Trek was meant to chronicle the entire five year mission exploring deep space that Starfleet had barely begun to reach. However, we never saw the end of this initial mission. The series was canceled after season three in 1969, and the early 70s gave us the animated series, which served as a stand in for season four, but was also short-lived. For nearly a decade, fans had to wait to get any further adventures of Kirk and Co. until the first movie was released in 1979. This new series is meant to fill in the gaps showing what occurred during the final year before the crew of the Enterprise returned to Earth before returning for further adventures in their later years.
So, Why Should I Read This?
This series begins to fill in some of the major gaps in canon and continuity that were abandoned for over fifty years. This is the type of series that could have just been created with no real weight behind it, meant to cash in solely on the fact that the original series ended prematurely. But, with a writing team like this, that knows the ins and outs of all things Trek, fans are treated to a series they deserve, and have earned.
Continued belowIf my praise of the creators wasn’t clear enough, the stories they are creating for “Star Trek: Year Five” are exciting, scary, though-provoking, and still have the charm and humor found in all things Trek. If you’re like me, you love the emotional and intellectual side of Star Trek, but it has to have that thin layer of cheese, otherwise it gets taken far too seriously. Take it seriously as the wonderful piece of sci-fi that it is, but you still have to have fun with it. That’s what this series does.
Every story arc is impressive and does right by the franchise. Trekkies new and old will find something to like. I’ve been a full-on Trekkie for 31 of my nearly 35 years and the last few years have seen some of the best “Star Trek” comics to date and this series is a huge part of that. Many fall flat, not fully grasping what makes this universe so beloved, but it’s all done right here. It’s faithful to the source material and makes some bold choices without losing touch with its roots. Everything an OG fan could ask for.
How Can You Read It?
As of today, there are 18 issues out for “Star Trek: Year Five.” While many, many stories could be told within this year long time period, it looks like this was always meant to be a limited engagement, but no end has been announced yet. It seems like IDW and the creators working on the book are treating it as they would a season of the original television series, so packing too many issues and stories into the canon seems to go against their intent. As of now the series has been solicited through issue #20, 21 if you include the Valentine’s Day Special. If collected editions are your thing, the first two trade paperbacks are currently available with volume 3 releasing this May. Volume 3 will include up to issue #19. “Star Trek: Year Five” is available anywhere you buy comics.
