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“Star Trek/Green Lantern” #1 Shoots for the Stars [Review]

By | July 9th, 2015
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Cross-publisher miniseries don’t have the best track record, but DC has recently been far more willing to let certain characters out of their grasp (like “Djanjo Unchained” crossing over with Zorro, or Batman and the Green Hornet getting to relive their TV crossover in print). IDW, home of the “Star Trek” license, was given one of DC’s most prized toys to play around with in this miniseries, so where does “Star Trek/Green Lantern” fall in the crossover pecking order? Read our spoiler-free review to find out.

Written by Mike Johnson
Illustrated by Angel Hernandez

Two iconic franchises collide for the blockbuster crossover event of 2015! The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise meets the Green Lantern Corps for the first time in an all-new adventure that spans the cosmos! Don’t miss the thrilling first chapter of THE SPECTRUM WAR, as Kirk and Spock make a most unusual discovery on a lost world… igniting events that will change the fate of empires!

A month or so ago, I interviewed Mike Johnson about this book, and as I was preparing for it, I couldn’t get over how perfectly matched these two properties felt: both have a core group that act as the focal point of a massively large cast of characters, both have roots on Earth, but more frequently spend time in space, and both are on the side of good, but are frequently seen as intruders or fascists by those who interpret their role differently.

In this first issue, the Star Trek side of the title gets far more action. A good chunk of the issue is spent getting readers familiar with the Enterprise crew from the J.J. Abrams movies, but Johnson does a really commendable job of not just being an exposition machine. We get to see them interact together, and through their interactions, glean knowledge about how they operate. The two franchises get tied together through a classic bit of Trek storytelling – examining an unknown planet – and despite looking very much like the Pine/Quinto cast, the tone of the issue feels far more like the original television series.

In fact, I would argue that the ties to the modern cinematic universe represent the weakest part of the book. If you’re picking up this book, I don’t think the selling point of it is that you recognize Simon Pegg and Harold from Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle in the illustrations. Angel Hernandez does a really impressive job of capturing the looks of the various actors, but it is counterproductive to the other work he is doing. By focusing the look so clearly on photo-realism, it makes characters like Hal Jordan, who have no on-screen counterpart in this universe, need to conform to looking like a real dude, instead of looking like a comic character. Take a look at Gabriel Rodriguez’s cover – everyone is still identifiable, and he doesn’t get hung up on doing the most realistic Zoe Saldana possible.

The emphasis on the cinematic look also extends to Hernandez’s panel construction and layouts. This is not as fluid a book as I would like, especially because high speed space action is so perfectly suited for comics, and this, at times, feels more like very, very fancy storyboards. Hernandez is obviously quite a talented draftsman, but his storytelling leaves a little to be desired.

The Lantern mythos gets a fair amount of play in a way that is really fun and interesting. Because the Enterprise crew are coming into contact with the various rings, sans ring bearers (for the most part), it is fun to see them attempt to understand what these things in their possession are. The rings are supposed to be the most powerful weapons in the universe, and the book does a nice job treating them as such.

What also helps to raise the stakes is the presence of Ganthet. To go into his role is moving a little too deep into spoiler territory, but having the most famous and relatable Guardian present goes a long way. It both shows that the threat is a serious one and shows the reader that this is more than just dropping Hal Jordan onto the Enterprise – this is a true collaborative story. In his limited dialogue, Ganthet is written better than he has been for some time in “Green Lantern,” and Johnson similarly nails Hal’s (again, limited) dialogue.

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It is towards the end of the issue that the properties really start to mesh, with the various rings attempting to find new hosts, which leads us to my favorite page of the book. Johnson chooses the characters cleverly that are displayed in a four panel grid, each being chosen by a ring. I do have a minor gripe with the page, as Alejandro Sanchez doesn’t do a definitive enough job in showing if a certain ring is yellow or orange. Both the glow of the ring and the dialogue box are somewhat indecisive – I think it is yellow – and if he’s going to be coloring a book that features all the various lantern corps, he’s got to make sure that he’s using the most vibrant, pure version of each color.

Overall, the first issue did everything it was supposed to do – it gave a reason for these characters to interact, it established a world that felt applicable to both franchises, and it gave a story that is interesting and worth continuing. More than anything else, this book left me wanting more Green Lantern presence, which is a good thing in the long run – there was plenty of Lantern mythos, without spoiling too much actual interaction. Hopefully, in future installments, Hernandez can loosen up his style a little, because there is literally no limit to where this book can go – it’s already reached the final frontier.

Final Verdict: 6.9 – A masterfully plotted story, somewhat stiffly penciled – but one that practically demands a return for issue #2.


Brian Salvatore

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

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