Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has somehow turned into the most controversial Trek show in a long time. Parts of the fandom lashed out against it, which wasn’t anywhere near warranted. The show wasn’t perfect, although few Trek shows are in their first season, but Star Trek: Starfleet Academy was cool at times. It had a diverse cast of characters, Holly Hunter was killing it every episode (and Lura Thok and Jet Reno are amazing), and there was loads of potential. However, the show was cancelled, killing any potential the series had. There is still another season, though, and IDW is giving us a new comic starring the cast of the series for a cool little Trek yarn in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy: Lost Odyssey #1.
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Written by Layne Morgan with art by Corali Espuna, this first issue takes the cadets to a barren planet for a simulated mission, but things get out of control rather quickly. One of the complaints about Starfleet Academy is that it didn’t feel like Trek. However, this first issue does everything a good Trek tale should, setting up readers for what could be a cool adventure, but it isn’t perfect.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
| Morgan sets up a cool Star Trek plot for the book | If you don’t really know the characters, this book doesn’t do a good job of introducing them |
| Espuna’s art takes its cues from the show without looking like its completely copying it | Espuna’s style isn’t the best for this kind of story, despite looking good |
This Issue Does Star Trek Very Well
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy was a better show than it gets credit for being. There are some valid complaints about the show, and one of them is the paucity of actual Star Trek stories. Part of this is streaming; streaming shows have shorter runs so that there isn’t as much chance for the little sci-fi stories that fans love. This first issue feels like the first few acts of one of those kind of episodes, and it’s really cool. This is the type of story that we should have gotten more of; it’s just a mission to another planet. If you love the characters of the show (there are definitely some of us who do), this issue isn’t going to give you much about them, and if you don’t know the characters, you still won’t after this, but it works for the most part as a sci-fi story.
A mysterious planet that suddenly throws unexpected things at the away team is the most Star Trek plot line ever, and this issue uses it well. It builds tension throughout the issue, pulling away the safeties for the cadets until they have to make their own choices. This is exactly the way that this kind of story should go. Genesis is the perspective character for this issue, and Morgan does a good job of capturing her voice. For someone who just wants a good Star Trek comic who didn’t really watch the show, this issue will give them what they want from a plot perspective, but not a character one.
Espuna’s Art Is Good but Doesn’t Always Work for This Story
Let’s not mince words – sci-fi movie/TV comic adaptations can have an art problem. It’s pretty hard to make some of these stories work in comics because not everyone is a good sci-fi artist. Star Trek comics specifically haven’t always looked great, which brings us to this book. Corali Espuna is a fine artist – her detail is good, her figure work is great, and her character acting does the job – and her style is unique. She also does a good job of keeping things on character without making it look she traced the characters.
That said, there are some problems. The page layouts are good, but one page gets confusing with what panel is supposed to come next. On top of that, you never really feel the danger of the situation through the art. That’s pretty much the biggest problem with the art, but it’s not completely Espuna’s fault – the script calls for the environment suits and the acid rain was never going to look great in comic form – but all in all, this is a good-looking issue.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy: Lost Contact #1 is the kind of story that we should have gotten more of from the show. It’s a classic Star Trek set-up, and while the whole thing isn’t perfect, it definitely works. The art is good, but there are some weaknesses to it. If you’re a fan of the show or just generally love all things Star Trek, you’ll dig this first issue.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy: Lost Contact #1 is on sale now.
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