All I want out of this series is to see everyone swap costumes. Is that too much to ask?
What They Say:
The epic IDW/DC Comics crossover continues Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise have returned to Earth, but discover that it isn’t the Earth they remember. And a group of Legionnaires stranded in the 23rd century find that history has changed around them. But can either team uncover what’s gone wrong in time? And what will happen when they encounter each other?
The Review:
I have to admit, the first issue of this series was a huge guilty pleasure, but I hated the price of the book. But I still ponied up for the second because the thing is just plain fun. While some are complaining about how it deals with a third reality instead of putting one group into the others reality, I think it works well since it puts them both off balance at first and dealing with something that neither is familiar with. While the first issue had the lead-up and it showed us exactly how different the Imperial Planets is from what the Legion or the Starfleet officers are used to, it also showed us how they reacted to the situation and did their best to figure out a tactical retreat, which is what most of this issue is.
The two teams are still kept from each other for the most part, but they’re becoming aware of each other and each group is learning different information along the way. The Legion side had to cope with the attack by Imperial forces within the city while trying to make sure that the time bubble wasn’t salvageable by anyone since they don’t want to create a bigger problem. They have some fun little tricks to get out of the situation and their story plays along with a bit of what the Imperial Planets is up to. It’s interesting to see how they’re sowing dissent across the galaxy by pitting various sides together. It makes sense to work the Khunds and Klingons against each other, especially as there are so many similarities. It’s a single panel, but it’s very effective. As is the mention of the larger forces out there, such as the Borg making their way into the Alpha quadrant. Little details that will likely have no bearing on the full story here, but it fleshes it out well.
While the Legion side deals with those events, the Starfleet side covers the past in better deal as they hoof it out of the military base they were on and find some cover. It’s a little less plausible than the Legion side, but it fits with the series history. While we get the usual quips and mild silliness that’s a hallmark of Star Trek, we also get a better look at the situation the crew is in as Spock figures out how far back history diverged. With my long love of alternate history stories, the idea of the Roman Empire not falling, mankind landing on the moon in the 1400’s and then being a conquering species works very well. Spock’s approach to it s straightforward and analytical and definitely makes sense, especially considering what Trek history has been like about our “near future history” and what it yet takes for us to be in the right mindset to go from conquerors and warriors to explorers.
Release Notes:
This comiXology edition of Star Trek/Legion Of Super-Heroes comes with several covers. It kicks off with the Phil Jiminez cover and follows it up with the fun Steve Lightle cover, someone whose art I haven’t seen in years. The other cover it includes is the solid pairing of Cosmic Boy and Captain Kirk together, which certainly doesn’t look as awkward as it could considering some of the costumes used during the original series run. The book contains no other extras or previews in it as the first issue did.
In Summary:
While the gimmick is obvious about pairing these two teams, they are what I think are the most ideally suited properties to be tied together. The way the two groups ended up in a third timeline works within the established fiction of each series and its heritage and they’ve been thrust into an equally interesting third timeline that I hope some consideration is being given to being explored more after this books run. There’s a lot to like here, especially if you’re a fan of both properties, but even if it’s just one side of it there will be fun to be had here. The writing is smooth, capturing the qualities of each of them well, while the artwork is slick, colorful and well laid out, making it an engaging read and just a lot of fun. Definitely a hugely recommended guilty pleasure.
Grade: B+
Readers Rating: [ratings]
