some of Star Trek Biggest icons, including Picard, Janeway and T’Pol teamed up…as villains? The aforementioned characters are some of the most popular franchises, and now, in a first look Star Trek: Lower Decks # 2, the young lieutenants of the Cerritos Come face to face with holographic variants of their heroes. Yet in a twist, the Starfleet legends are out to kill them.
Both Ryan North and Derek Charm have worked on other IDW Star Trek: Lower Decks comics.
IDW shared their solicitations for December and January, inclusive Star Trek: Lower Decks #2. The book will be written by Ryan North and drawn by Derek Charm, and the solicitation reads as follows:
Mariner, T’Lin, Rutherford, and Tendy have explored the mysterious U.S.S. Bonaventure and on an equally mysterious surface of an unknown world, and significantly increasing the statistical likelihood of death and injury! Finally, the crew is up to their necks in adventure. There’s the safety of the senior staff to confirm, a strange planet to escape, and an alien race that wants to learn more about mentorship… through a battle royale! Enter Jadzia Dax, Montgomery Scott, Kathyrn Janeway, T’Pol, and Jean-Luc Picard as the mentors and the Lower Deckers as the mentees. May the best student live!
The replicas of Picard, Janeway, T’Pol are described in the solicitation as “mentors” to Boimler, Mariner and company.
however, Star Trek: Lower Decks #2’s cover, by Charm, paints a more hostile picture, as the mentors and the mentees have a deep stare down.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Reinforces everything great about the franchise – while subverting it at the same time
Star Trek: Lower Decks is for fans, by fans
Star Trek: Lower Decks is a love letter to the franchise, albeit one that constantly skims its tropes, and Charm’s cover to issue two embodies this approach. Although the solicitation does not make it clear how the “mentors” were created, because some of them are long dead, it stands to reason that they are replicas or simulacra of the original. Star TrekThe original series, in particular, featured alien races that, through various means, could create powerful illusions. This trope can trace its roots all the way back to “The Cage,” Star Trek Original pilot.
Derek Charm’s cover of Star Trek: Lower Decks #2 not only sends some of Trek More goofy concepts, but also pays loving tribute to them. Every episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks Is loaded with deep cut references from across Trek 58 years of history. Casual viewers needn’t be concerned about the Easter eggs, but for long-time fans, they can greatly enhance the episode. each Star Trek Show has been referenced, even Star Trek: Enterprise And The animated serieswho are often like the “black sheep” of the franchise.
T’Pol’s appearance is a historic occasion for Star Trek comics
T’Pol was as critical to the founding of the Federation as Jonathan Archer Vulcans and humans have lived together more or less peacefully since first contact, but tensions still ran high. T’Pol helped bridge the gap between the two species, and in the process helped lay the foundation for the Federation.
Special note to fans is that Charm included T’Pol on the cover of Star Trek: Lower Decks #2. The science officer on the Captain Jonathan Archer EnterpriseT’Pol played an important role in strengthening human-Vulcan relations. Originally assigned to Enterprise To watch the upstart humans, T’Pol came to appreciate them and all their quirks and flaws. Vulcans and humans have lived together more or less peacefully since first contact, but tensions still ran high. T’Pol helped bridge the gap between the two species, and in the process helped lay the foundation for the Federation.
Star Trek: Enterprise was controversial in its time, but fandom has, much like T’Pol with humans, come to embrace it – warts and all. Later Trek Shows and movies reveal the huge legacy of Captain Archer and his crew. However, the crew of EnterpriseIncluding T’Pal, were given a short time in the comics. Enterprise Has only made one comic book appearance, in an anthology series published to coincide with Star Trek 50th anniversary. However, the inclusion of T’Pol on the cover alongside other franchise icons, such as Picard and Janeway, raises hope Enterprise May return in comic form.
Will T’Pol (and enterprise) Ever grace a comic book?
Enterprise Fans will have little time to celebrate T’Pol’s return
While fans wait for the day Archer and T’Pol grace comic book pages, Vulcan’s villainous appearance on the cover of Star Trek: Lower Decks #2 is a nice tie-over. Placing T’Pol alongside Starfleet legends such as Scotty and Jadzia Dax continues the lionization of Enterprise. The crew of the Cerritos Also spill T’Pol, and for good reason. However, they won’t have the time to celebrate with their heroes, like T’Pol, Picard and a gaggle of others Star Trek Icons try to kill them.
Star Trek: Lower Decks #2 is on sale December 18th from IDW Publishing!