Star Trek: The Mirror War: Troi #1 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR - TROI No. 1, September 2022

Turning the recently concluded Mirror War mini-series spotlight upon Deanna Troi and the supposedly dramatic course of events which lead to her becoming the much-feared Inquisitor aboard the I.S.S. Enterprise, “this one-shot set in the Mirror Universe of The Next Generation” probably didn’t please as many fans of the science fiction franchise as perhaps its publishers hoped it would. In fact, Marieke Nijkamp’s backstory arguably doesn’t make all that much sense, as the Betazed Administrator appears to double-cross everyone, including her planet’s population, apparently just to show Jean-Luc Picard that her murderous obsession with power would make her a useful ally for his “ruthless ambition.”

Admittedly, the fact the cold-hearted killer is perfectly happy to personally disintegrate her closest confidant, Lwesi, after the ill-fated advisor is ordered to take “charge of our Plan B” by infiltrating the Stargazer’s Cargo Bay Two, certainly shows the extent to which the mass-manipulator will stoop to attain the potent mix of “triumph, vengeance, [and] power” which she so greatly desires. But having repeatedly demonstrated such disloyalty, treachery and duplicity to the bald Terran Empire officer, including an attempt to have her world’s dissidents assassinate him, it seems rather unconvincing anyone would see such an untrustworthy person as being an essential piece of their own grand scheme for domination.

Furthermore, there are so many twists and turns to the Dutch author’s twenty-page plot, that by the end of the comic some within its audience may well be completely confused as to just which attacks upon Picard and his crew were planned by the titular character, and what was merely unexpected happenstance. It certainly seems likely that one of the Stargazer’s crewmen telling his captain that Lwesi and her handful of rebel fighters were actually in need of the Empire’s help came as much as a surprise to the Betazoid leader as it did Jean-Luc; “Are all your officers so weak to be easily control--” 

Setting aside such quibbles as to its narrative, Megan Levens’ layouts for Issue One of “Star Trek: The Mirror War – Troi” certainly bring some enjoyable phaser-fights to eye-catching life whenever the book requires them. Indeed, there’s a palpable sense of dynamic action to the “Buffyverse” illustrator’s pencils when she first depicts the insurgents enthusiastically blazing away at their planet’s ‘honoured guests’, which helps carry any perusing bibliophile through some of the script’s more mundane, dialogue-heavy sequences.

The regular cover art to "STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR - Troi #1 by Megan Levens & Charlie Kirchoff

Star Trek: The Mirror War #8 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR No. 8, August 2022

Seemingly set to show the I.S.S Enterprise and its blood-thirsty bridge crew attempt a suicidal charge at the formidably fortified Cardassia Prime, Scott and David Tipton’s script for Issue Eight of “Star Trek: The Mirror War” twists and turns like the deadly eel larvae Captain Terrell fatally encountered whilst exploring the wind-ravaged planet of Ceti Alpha V. Indeed, it’s arguably rare to find such a wonderfully winding plot as the one penned by this book’s brothers as William T. Riker confounds all his doubters by not only besting the Stargazer’s former captain, but by also overthrowing Emperor Quinn in his very throne room within the space of a few panels; “Yes. I’m just now receiving word of some upset back at the palace.”

Of course, first and foremost of these shocks is just how quickly the one-time privateer overcomes Jean-Luc Picard to become the Galaxy-class starship’s new skipper. As the android Data himself notes later in this publication, the vessel’s bald, vicious leader had recently become so dangerously erratic that that someone somewhen was bound to attempt to murder him. However, Riker’s successful assassination takes place so early within the twenty-page periodical that its decisive swiftness is bound to take many a perusing bibliophile by complete surprise.

Similarly as well-written though is how this comic’s sizeable cast outwardly rally around their commander to ensure his plans for interplanetary domination reach fruition with minimal fuss. Unlike under Picard’s fiery ‘my might is right’ regime, William provides his crew with plenty of lucrative opportunities to help buy their loyalty, such as Geordi La Forge being offered the administration of the ship-building sphere, Faundori, in return for his unwavering allegiance. Furthermore, Riker’s also not adverse to promoting potentially dangerous opponents into roles which are currently advantageous to him, or even risk the venomous wrath of an ever-jealous Deanna Troi by offering physical favours to the likes of Elizabeth Shelby.

Working hand-in-hand with so devious a tale of traitors and treacherous turncoats are artist Gavin Smith and colourist Charlie Kirchoff. This dynamic duo’s ability to present the destruction of the Klingon Empire’s main fleet is an absolute joy to behold, as is the way they manage to bring a distinct personality to so many of this comic’s considerable cast through facial expressions and body movements.

Writers: Scott & David Tipton, Artist: Gavin Smith, and Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Star Trek: The Mirror War #7 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR No. 7, July 2022

Positively packed with scintillating spaceship action, just the sort of edge-of-seat political intrigues one would expect from the deadly Mirror Universe, and the increasingly zealous aggression of the maniacal Jean-Luc Picard, Scott and David Tipton’s narrative for Issue Seven of “Star Trek: The Mirror War” masterfully manipulates all the very best elements of Gene Roddenberry’s franchise into a veritable rollercoaster of a comic book ride. Sure, it’s somewhat hard to cheer on a cold-blooded killer who is perfectly capable of flushing his former friend out into the airless void once ‘the Outrageous Okona’ has evidently outlived his usefulness. Yet considering the duplicitous nature of the I.S.S. Enterprise-D’s senior officers, it’s arguably difficult for anyone upon the Galaxy-class starship’s bridge to legitimately cast aspersions against another.

Furthermore, when the sense-shattering shenanigans of a story are this good, it probably doesn’t matter who wins or loses, especially as its evident that despite the selfish motivation of the bald, goatee-bearded captain, he is fighting for the very survival of the Terran Empire against the overwhelming odds of an extra-terrestrial aggressor; “I want every vessel in my armada ready to deal death to the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance in hours, not days. I’m altering the plan. Crippling this Cardassian rabble is no longer enough.”

Perhaps this publication’s biggest asset, however, is in the attention to detail of its considerably sized cast as opposed to the blockbuster space battles. Picard’s descent into a berserker-fury unsurprisingly captures most of the ‘spotlight’. But there’s still plenty of double-dealing to enjoy with the likes of Riker, Troi, La Forge and Crusher unwisely deciding that now is precisely the right time to eliminate Jean-Luc and claim the captain’s chair for themselves. These vying perfidious personalities really are extremely well-penned and contain some nice touches, such as Geordi’s greed making him hesitant at ruining such a successful command, and Miles O’Brien’s evident irritation at not being addressed by Data as “Captain” whilst he’s in charge of the I.S.S. Defiant.

Equally as engrossing as the script though must be Gavin Smith’s layouts and Charlie Kirchoff’s colours. The artistic team do a first-rate job in depicting the sheer grandeur of two antagonistic armadas beating the hell out of each other with “full volleys of photon torpedoes and focused phaser spreads.” Plus, there’s a plethora of proficiently pencilled human touches dotted throughout the interior-set panels, like Beverley scowling at Picard as she tends to her badly injured son, and ‘Captain Brahms’ horror when her attempt to commandeer the Enterprise fails miserably.

Writers: Scott & David Tipton, Artist: Gavin Smith, and Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Star Trek: The Mirror War: Sisko #1 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR: SISKO No. 1, June 2022

Expanding “upon the world of The Mirror War” with a reasonably interesting investigation into an illegal Cardassian weapons deal on the intergalactic Black Market, there’s certainly nothing wrong with Danny Lore’s writing for this twenty-page spotlight upon Benjamin Lafayette Sisko. But whilst Intendant Kira Nerys’ “favourite toy” certainly gets involved in a short-lived fistfight with a band of miscreants and subsequent space-battle against Kaarak Tyr’s small fleet of ships, there’s disappointingly never really a moment where the titular character appears to be in jeopardy. Not even when he raises his voice to his Bajoran mistress as no other slave has ever done before; “You appreciate how fond I am of you, Benjamin Sisko. So you must not have meant to speak to me like that.”

In fact, despite much of this comic’s narrative focusing upon just how fragile life is for a Terran Privateer living within the borders of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, the worst fate that ever seems likely to befall Sisko is that he’s snatched away from the side of Terok Nor’s former Chief of Security and simply sent back to its mines. Such a fate is clearly a ghastly one and is something which is shown to play upon the “abrasive” human’s mind within this comic. However, considering that this book starts off by emphasising just how fearless Benjamin has become, as well as how easily he can outwit his mistress’s political opponents, even a temporary non-canon breaking spell back drilling for minerals at a rock face seems extremely unlikely.

What Lore’s plot for “Star Trek: The Mirror War – Sisko” does provide though is a straightforward romp through the alternative dimension’s criminal underworld, and an intriguing insight into just how cold-hearted a manipulator this incarnation of the captain can be in order to ensure the success of his mission. As with so many of this parallel world’s cast, it is debatably all too easy for a bibliophile to forget that its inhabitants are not the steadfast heroes depicted within the prime universe, and resultantly this publication can repeatedly catch them out by having its ‘central protagonist’ behave in an unexpected manner - such as him making it clear to Tesaks Reyes that he has knowingly ruined the half-human’s life by convincing the black marketeer to betray his Cardassian father.

Just as proficient as this comic’s penmanship is its pencilling by Hendry Prasetya, which does a stellar job in bringing its script to life. All the television programme’s actors are easily recognisable in their various roles, with the artist’s illustrations of Avery Brooks and Nana Visitor arguably ‘stealing the show’. In addition, the freelancer manages to imbue Sisko with the steely edge such a ruthless scoundrel would need to survive the duplicitous life Nerys’ current lover maintains, and even projects a palpable air of sexual chemistry between the two whenever they’re in the same scene together.

Writer: Danny Lore, Artist: Hendry Prasetya and Colorist: DC Alonso

Star Trek: The Mirror War #6 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR No. 6, May 2022

Managing to quite wonderfully instil into its readership the sheer scale of Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s freshly forged invasion force, Scott and David Tipton’s storyline for Issue Six of “Star Trek: The Mirror War” is arguably a tour-de-force as to how utterly ruthless the former I.S.S. Stargazer’s commander is in this alternative reality. Admittedly, the comic’s narrative does imbue some semblance of ‘softness’ to the bald-headed leader’s temperament when it comes to his relationship with the handsome freebooter Thadiun Okona. Yet even the Terran officer’s piratical partner-in-crime meets a decidedly sticky end at the hands of his former friend once he has outlived his usefulness and subsequently become an increasingly irritating thorn in his side; “I am going to Cardassia Prime. And onward to glory. You are stepping outside.”

In addition, this twenty-page periodical’s plot makes it abundantly clear that Picard finally has both the resources and firepower to make his personal path to the emperor’s throne a very real possibility. Such grandeur really is extremely well portrayed, not only by having various members of the I.S.S. Enterprise-D’s bridge crew co-ordinating attacks aboard their own newly built starships. But by Jean-Luc’s unqualified success causing him some logistical problems in docking and disembarking all his stolen loot at his planetary base.

Furthermore, the two writers do a cracking job in presenting just how frustrating the captain’s triumphs are becoming for his hated enemies – both outside and within the Terran Empire. Worf’s violent physical abuse of his underlings, most notably the insidious Garak, is unsurprising. However, the real treat comes when Admirals Nechayev and Savar are forced to ‘play nice’ with Picard and grant him “the additional personnel you requested” for fear of his mighty armada adding a victory over their weakening kingdom to his list of already sizeable accomplishments.

Equally as enthralling as this comic’s script, however, is Gavin Smith’s artwork, which should quickly immerse any Trekkie into this reimagining of The Next Generation’s Mirror Universe. The “freelance artist” does an especially pleasing job of pencilling the various space vessels constructed to oppose the combined Klingon-Cardassian fleet, as well as the antagonistic facial expressions upon all of this mini-series’ cast members – something which genuinely helps reinforce just what a savagely barbaric domain the characters reside within.

Writers: Scott & David Tipton, Artist: Gavin Smith, and Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Star Trek: The Mirror War #5 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR No. 5, April 2022

Perhaps somewhat disconcertingly starting its story some two years after Captain Picard ingeniously ordered the I.S.S. Enterprise-D to subjugate the planet Faundora and commandeer the “planet’s formidable shipbuilding operations”, Scott and David Tipton’s narrative for Issue Five of “Star Trek: The Mirror War” still manages to grab its audience’s full attention straight from the start. In fact, in some ways it is a pity that more of this twenty-page periodical’s spotlight isn’t spent shining upon Lieutenant Commander Data’s captaincy of the I.S.S. Cronus as it bravely engages a fleet of Klingon Battlecruisers singlehandedly so as to liberate the “long-suffering colonists of Baggo Meer”.

Happily however, this comic’s action-packed narrative doesn’t stop once the android brutally mows down a plethora of warriors and captures Gorofk, son of Maaq, courtesy of William Riker subsequently being ordered to pilfer an unsuspecting Cardassian Antares-class carrier crammed full of dilithium. This pulse-pounding piece of galactic piracy really helps show just what a cunning, and utterly merciless cold-blooded killer the one-eyed commander has become in this “dark, twisted reflection” of the science fiction franchise’s universe, especially once he destroys the escort vessel Girim in order to beam aboard his prey unmolested; “I do not look forward to returning to Captain Picard with seventeen tons of rotting Dragonfruit.”

Of course, that isn’t to say that this book is simply crammed full of mindless violence either, as the collaborative writing team do an excellent job of depicting Jean-Luc’s increasing tensions with the Terran Empire’s Admiral Nechayev too. Indeed, the utter fury the bald-headed Captain resonates throughout his desperate negotiations to acquire more resources for his fledgling armada literally burn off each and every panel, to the point where his explosive rantings are equally as enthrallingly dynamic as this comic’s prolonged phaser-fight sequences.

Gavin Smith’s awesome artwork also needs to receive plenty of praise, with the freelance illustrator’s pencilling during the Cronus’ sense-shattering mission alone arguably being well-worthy of this publication’s cover price. The scene of Data crash-landing smack in the middle of the heavily-defended Klingon base aboard a refitted planetary orbital bombardment capsule is incredibly well-drawn, and aptly resonates with all the ear-splitting explosions and resultant gun-play a bibliophile might expect from such a catastrophic attack upon one of Emperor Worf’s prominent mining worlds.

Writers: Scott & David Tipton, Artist: Gavin Smith, and Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Star Trek: The Mirror War: Geordi #1 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR: GEORDI No. 1, March 2022

For those fans of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction franchise “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and actor LeVar Burton’s extremely heart-warming performance as the U.S.S. Enterprise-D’s Geordi La Forge, J. Holtham’s script for this twenty-page long one-shot is sure to prove a disconcertingly dark reading experience. In fact, it arguably isn’t until the blind, recently beaten up adolescent mercilessly sets his own parents ablaze whilst the hapless couple are fast asleep in their bed during a flashback scene, that it really strikes home just how different to the character’s televised counterpart this comic’s “permutation of the mirror universe” truly is.

For example, the Terran chief engineer is easily as cold-hearted and calculating as any of the other unscrupulous doppelgangers depicted within this parallel dimension, appearing to genuinely care very deeply for fellow officer Gwen Liu during his early days at Utopia Planitia, before unflinchingly reporting the young woman to his superiors when she plans to murder the highly dislikeable Commander Sanchez during a routine inspection of a warp engine; “Losing Sanchez would have cost the project months. A simple cost-benefit analysis.”

This almost inhuman betrayal of someone who willingly gave both her body and soul to La Forge is well-penned by the author, and would debatably rock any bibliophile within this book’s audience who had unconsciously been lulled into a false sense of security by believing this Geordi from an alternative reality has almost anything in common with his much more humane prime incarnation. Indeed, perhaps to emphasis this particular point and the man’s terrifying ruthlessness, Holtham actually depicts the Lieutenant Commander recalling his feelings for Liu later on in the publication when he discovers she has since died, and acknowledging that his ex-lover was simply “a weakness I had to get rid of. Burn out. Before it consumed me. Before I lost focus.”

Possibly this comic’s sole disappointment is therefore that none of this intriguing narrative actually seems to progress the mini-series’ overall plot. Admittedly, this ‘deep-dive’ into the chief engineer’s psyche is compelling enough, especially when he seems to be at the mercy of a shrouded figure who has him permanently locked inside an agoniser booth. But there have already been glimpses of the officer’s opportunistic barbarity during the main “Mirror War” title’s run, and once it is revealed the entire situation has been manufactured by Inquisitor Troi just to test La Forge’s loyalty, the entire premise debatably falls a little flat.

The regular cover art to "STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR: GEORDI" #1 by Carlos Rodriguez

Star Trek: The Mirror War #4 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR No. 4, February 2022

Opening with a delightful ‘nod’ to the classic San Francisco-based car chase which actor Steve McQueen made so famous during the 1968 thriller movie “Bullitt”, and then cramming its twenty-page long narrative with all sorts of science-fiction shenanigans, there can surely be little argument that Scott and David Tipton’s storyline for Issue Four of “Star Trek: The Mirror War” is an exciting tour-de-force set deep within the franchise's alternative twenty-fourth century time line. Indeed, fans of the fictional parallel universe will find plenty of familiar plot-points with which to enjoy this comic, such as the excruciating agony booth, the seemingly never-ending treacherous nature of the Terran Empire, Regent Worf angrily blazing away at the I.S.S. Enterprise given half the chance, and a vital ‘guest appearance’ by Benjamin Sisko and his crew from Terok Nor; “I bet we could swoop in there and do some pretty good damage to the engines of one of them and then warp out before they even notice.”

Admittedly, some of the actual ‘glue’ sticking all these pulse-pounding set-pieces together isn’t quite as convincing as perhaps this book’s American authors would have liked, with a prime example being the Klingon flagship fortuitously detecting that its galaxy-class prey had unwittingly dropped out of warp despite its helmsman previously having no idea just where in the Alpha/Beta Quadrant their human-filled target actually was. Of course, the leader of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance is ruthlessly determined to thwart Jean-Luc Picard’s plans, and is evidently utilising every probe at his command to ascertain the Enterprise’s location. But so happy a happenstance does seem a little contrived when a reader considers that their ship systems have spotted a single vessel momentarily stopping in the vastness of space, and then subsequently reached it in the blink of an eye so as to almost blast them to pieces…

Resultantly, Trekkies would probably be best advised to engage a modest ‘willing suspension of disbelief’ for this publication, and simply let Gavin Smith’s dynamic pencilling carry them through some of its more manufactured moments. In fact, this particular comic is debatably worth its cover price alone for some of the great action depicted by the Joe Kubert School graduate (and wonderfully coloured by Charlie Kirchoff), such as the aforementioned high speed race through the streets of Golden Gate City, the scaled up Negh'Var warship’s blistering attack upon the I.S.S. Enterprise, and the galaxy-class starship’s own, utterly merciless orbital bombardment of the semi-helpless planet Faundori.

Writers: Scott & David Tipton, Artist: Gavin Smith, and Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Star Trek: The Mirror War #3 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR No. 3, January 2022

Literally brimming with hard-thrown fisticuffs, desperate phaser exchanges, a tensely-penned covert mission deep within enemy territory, and even the complete destruction of an entire planet, there can be little doubt that Scott and David Tipton’s script for Issue Three of “Star Trek: The Mirror War” contained plenty of pulse-pounding action with which to please the science fiction franchise’s fanbase. However, many of these high-octane set-pieces could arguably be criticised as having been included in this comic simply so its considerable cast have something to do as Jean-Luc Picard’s grand scheme to become the new leader of the dwindling Terran Empire somewhat stalls in making much in the way of overall progress.

Indeed, the seemingly nonchalant manner in which the I.S.S. Enterprise’s captain dismisses his Away Team’s failure to acquire any pure Tri-Nitrogen Chloride, Neurocine, Chloraxine and Nyocene from the Gas Mines of Kayree debatably brings into question just what motivated the power-mad skipper to dispatch Commander William Riker and Geordi La Forge to the doomed planet in the first place; “We can get by without the material we were trying to acquire from Kayree Station.”

Equally as contrived is the notion that having conveniently obtained a (Romulan) cloaking device for the Galaxy-class starship ‘off-screen’, the state-of-art vessel is still unable to sneak past an enemy listening post, due to its invisibility screen leaving a problematic “hole that runs along the belly”. This unhelpful flaw means that Picard must instead send his officers off on another dangerous assignment to temporarily knock out Nopal Trem without the Cardassians realising their device was sabotaged. But considering that the tiny station is evidently staffed by gun-toting soldiers, who ultimately capture Miles O’Brien, it’s difficult to comprehend just how Jean-Luc thought his people’s presence and interference would ever go unnoticed..?

Disappointingly, even Gavin Smith’s artwork for this particular twenty-page periodical does not appear in parts to be up to the freelancer’s usual standard - most notably when he pencils a scene concerning Troi and Barclay trying to reason with Data that the android is perfectly capable of making selfish decisions. The line work on all three of these figures’ faces appears rushed and inconsistent when compared to the illustrator’s other panels, to the point where it appears the entire sequence has either been put together in a hurry to help pad out the publication, or another artist has actually sketched them as a last minute stopgap.

Writers: Scott & David Tipton, Artist: Gavin Smith, and Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Star Trek: The Mirror War: Data #1 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR: DATA No. 1, December 2021

Packed full of bizarre contrivances and unconvincingly manufactured set-pieces, Celeste Bronfman’s narrative for this “one-shot set in the Mirror Universe of The Next Generation” arguably didn't land with fans of Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction franchise anywhere near as well as the mini-series’ central title. Indeed, apart from supposedly returning Data and Reginald Barclay to “peak operating efficiency”, it’s hard to see just how this particular twenty-page periodical progresses the year-long event’s overall storyline.

True, the comic does open with the crew of the I.S.S. Enterprise-D suddenly seeming to have acquired a Romulan cloaking device from a recent ‘off-screen’ mission, and such stealth technology will clearly be of enormous benefit to Jean-Luc Picard’s plan to become the sovereign ruler of the Terran Empire. But the lack of its acquisition’s coverage within the book is definitely one of this publication’s biggest disappointments, especially when it becomes clear that the “biological cousins of Vulcans” could actually have arranged for the Galaxy-class starship’s away team to steal the invisibility screen simply so the vessel would later blow itself up when it was activated; “Do you also believe we killed an entire ship of Romulans and risked out lives to retrieve a device we can’t use?”  

Instead, the “award winning” author pens a sedentary tale in which the Enterprise just happens to be passing Reg’s home planet, and upon which a hundred year-old mystery involving the Barclay family and Klingon treachery is just waiting to be solved by Data. This principal plot seems highly implausible, with the Lieutenant’s ancestors historically being accused of conspiracy by the Erya estate and the engineering officer’s bloodline subsequently being threatened with extermination as a result. Unsurprisingly, Noonien Soong’s creation soon discovers a bottle of Klingon bloodwine in plain view inside of Erya’s cellar, and one quick scan of the imperial network later conveniently discovers “video footage of Merliak granting the Klingons access to Solaris’ defence systems.”

Far more enjoyable than this wafer thin ‘whodunnit’ are Roberta Ingranata’s layouts, which do a prodigious job in depicting Bronfman’s script, especially during Inquisitor Troi’s rather tense disagreement with her Captain over whether they should activate the Romulan cloaking device before La Forge returns from some mysterious assignment in the Delta Quadrant. The Italian artist’s illustrations are also noteworthy for her attempt to occasionally give the reader an entirely different perspective of proceedings, such as Data’s almost ‘Terminator-like’ view of Erya’s armed minions when his covert reconnaissance of her holdings is discovered.

Writer: Celeste Bronfman, Artist: Roberta Ingranata, and Colorist: Valentina Pinto

Star Trek: The Mirror War #2 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR No. 2, November 2021

Featuring various short-lived interludes concerning the Klingon Regent Worf, almost the entire cast of Deep Space Nine, Ro Laren and even “the obnoxious Okona”, David and Scott Tipton’s narrative for Issue Two of “Star Trek: The Mirror War” could arguably be criticised in places for seeming a little too choppy in its storytelling. But whilst this comic’s twenty-page plot certainly does leap about quite a bit, the book’s basic premise of Captain Picard ruthlessly recovering one of his recently stolen secret supply caches still provides plenty of fun, action-packed antics both in outer space as well as planet-side. 

Indeed, Jean-Luc’s no-nonsense quest to track down the hideout of Thadiun amidst the Chandler Asteroid Belt offers this publication’s authors the perfect opportunity to showcase just how markedly different the crew of the I.S.S. Enterprise-D actually are from their small screen counter-parts in our universe. Foremost of these disconcerting dissimilarities is the increasingly tense relationship demonstrated between Riker and Troi, who despite secretly plotting to take the Galaxy-class starship’s captaincy for themselves, are quickly at one another’s throats when the Commander demands the Inquisitor to “do your job” and teach a troubled Data to process the android’s shock at being betrayed by his supposed friend Reginald Barclay.

Equally as intriguing though, is this comic’s depiction of the sovereign of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. The sudden appearance of Worf’s flagship, the Negh’Var, in orbit around Tyraeus 2 just as the Enterprise is about to depart is debatably one of this book’s many highlights, and not only shows just how powerfully brief space battles can be in this alternate 24th century timeline. But also illustrates just how prickly the bond between Barclay and Data has become, and how catastrophic such intense quarrelling can be in a life or death situation for the rest of the starship’s crew; “If you’ll just listen to me, damn it! Try rerouting around the damaged components --” 

Also adding enormously to the storytelling are Gavin Smith’s layouts, which do a simply splendid job of illustrating just how aggressively violent the Mirror Universe actually is. The likes of Picard and Riker seem to be forever snarling at their subordinates whenever the slightest happenstance goes against their wishes, and this makes even the somewhat sedentary sequences set upon the bridge positively bubble with potential volatility.

Writers: Scott & David Tipton, Artist: Gavin Smith, and Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Star Trek: The Mirror War #1 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR No. 1, October 2021

Promising a “brand-new series from writers David & Scott Tipton, where familiar faces and exciting new surprises await around every corner”, Issue One of “Star Trek: The Mirror Universe” certainly packs an incredible amount of Next Generation-flavoured action and adventure inside its twenty pages. In fact, this comic’s sense-shattering opening, which intermingles Captain Picard’s successful attempt to steal a small fortune from an intergalactic criminal with Inquisitor Troi’s somewhat seductive interrogation of Lieutenant Barclay following his return from “the newly discovered alternate universe”, is arguably faultless in its execution.

Such a pulse-pounding pace doesn’t debatably stop either, especially once Jean-Luc’s plan to steal a shipment of dilithium from a Vor’cha-class attack cruiser gets under way, and the entire I.S.S. Enterprise-D’s senior staff beam themselves directly onto the Klingon vessel’s bridge. The sheer ferocity of this shock attack is genuinely breath-taking, with the nail-biting tension of the audacious mission literally leaping off the printed page as Picard earnestly galvanises his subordinates into a frenzy of phaser-fire and frantic piratical action; “Quickly, quickly, everyone -- It won’t be long before the rest of the crew realizes what we’re doing. Data, there are over two thousand Klingons and Cardassians on this ship. You can’t kill them all yourself.”

Even this book’s less exhilarating interludes still contain plenty to keep fans of Gene Roddenberry’s science-fiction franchise utterly enthralled, with the Tipton brothers providing the likes of Ensign Crusher and Leah Brahms with plenty of spotlight. However, it is probably the Mirror Universe’s version of Chief O’Brien who arguably steals the show, with the decidedly nervous engineer having the entire weight of the captain’s grand scheme momentarily rested upon his broad shoulders when he is ordered to re-programme the Galaxy-class starship’s transporter routines “to make sure that we can beam through the shields of that cruiser”.

Gavin Smith’s contribution to this publication can also not be overstated, with the artist’s ability to imbue all this comic’s characters with the disconcertingly sinister sneer of their violent lives making them appear both amiably familiar and dangerously foreign at the same time. Indeed, despite some of the Indianapolis-born illustrator’s noticeable visual differences with their small screen counterparts, it is hard not to associate this book’s sizeable cast with those of the television show until one of them does something distinctly unfriendly, such as Barclay threatening to have O’Brien ‘permanently’ replaced.

Writers: Scott Tipton & David Tipton, Artist: Gavin Smith, and Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Star Trek: The Mirror War #0 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR No. 0, August 2021

Starting with a thrilling infiltration of a Cardassian cargo vessel, and finishing upon the abduction of Reginald Barclay's evil doppelganger back to the Mirror Universe, it’s arguably evident straight from this twenty-page periodical’s get-go that its American authors were “absolutely thrilled” to return to the science fiction franchise’s highly popular parallel dimension. Indeed, there’s such a sense of forthright fun with this comic’s numerous capers, especially once an already frustrated Jean-Luc Picard is recalled “back to Earth to report to the Emperor personally”, that many bibliophiles were probably pre-ordering as many instalments of the planned thirteen-part event as their friendly local book store could muster.

Topping this publication’s numerous successes has to the Tipton brothers’ focus upon the Mirror Enterprise-D’s captain, and his growing resentment towards his superior officers for failing to show him the respect which he feels rightfully due. It is clear straight from this comic’s opening as the bald-headed egotist leads a raid upon a supposedly automated freighter, that the man is actually nothing more than a power-mad pirate. Yet his steadfast belief that if he ‘plays his cards right’ he could still usurp the Terran Empire’s throne for himself still makes compelling reading; “I’m taking him down. I’ll kill them all, and I’m taking him down.”

Likewise the penmanship depicting such notable Bridge Crew members such as Data and Deanna Troi proves just as entertaining, with the different character’s desires and aspirations repeatedly causing them to clash with one another – sometimes violently so. It’s hard to miss the Betazoid’s jealous glare at William Riker when the Commander appreciatively thanks the attractive Ensign Sonya Gomez for saving his life during a shoot-out, or to subsequently see the stark terror on the Inquisitor’s face when she unwisely mocks her android comrade-in-arms for missing his ‘friend’ Barclay and witnesses his cybernetically-enhanced super-strength first-hand.

Undeniably supporting all this agreeable storytelling are Carlos Nieto’s proficient pencils, which do a good job of making the comic’s considerable cast perfectly recognisable without resorting to photogenic quality portraits or well-known poses from the syndicated television series. The Spanish artist’s style really imbues the likes of Captain Picard with a dynamic, vicious athleticism which was rarely seen on the small screen, and definitely highlights that the goatee-bearded picaroon is still in his physical prime as he successfully outfights a deadly cut-throat during a sudden assassination attempt upon his life.

Writers: Scott Tipton & David Tipton, Artist: Carlos Nieto, and Colorist: DC Alonso