REVIEW: ‘Star Trek: The Q Conflict,’ Issue #1

Now, if read my review of Star Trek v. Transformers #4 or listened to any episodes of But Why Tho? the podcast, you might know that I love crossovers. While ridiculous crossovers of completely different franchises have a special place in my heart (please give us Fast and Furious / Transformers already), intra-franchise crossovers are always the ones I am front and center for. Properties like Power Rangers, the CWverse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Digimon, and most recently Into the Spiderverse, to name a few, have these intra-franchise crossovers that have to balance tones and art styles of previous iterations with plot devices that don’t make their unlikely meeting through years or universes of separation unnecessary or unbelievable. In my eyes, that is much harder to do than just putting Dominic Toretto in Bumblebee for plot reasons even if I would go to see it. Star Trek: The Q Conflict #1 appears that it will strike this delicate blend of homage and storytelling in this crossover miniseries. 

Star Trek: The Q Conflict #1 is written by Scott Tipton and David Tipton, pencils by David Messina, inks by Elisabetta D’Amico, colors by Alexandra Alexakis and lettered by Neil Uyetake. Published by IDW Publishing, Star Trek: The Q Conflict is the long-awaited miniseries that puts the famed captains from the Star Trek franchise in the middle of another galaxy defining struggle orchestrated by one of the most infamous antagonists from the franchise, Q.

The Star Trek franchise is no stranger to intra-franchise crossovers. The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager have all had their share of time travel, mirror dimension, galactic peril, or something or other that has placed different crews on missions together. However, Star Trek: The Q Conflict will be the first time we see all four captains and their crews together in one epic struggle.

Issue one is all about the set up for this miniseries. We open on the bridge of the U.S.S Enterprise 1701-E and the crew of The Next Generation. A series of unforeseen and illogical supernovae have the crew on course for a rescue mission to prevent further loss from an unexplainable phenomenon that is causing stars in the sector to rapidly decay and go supernova. Upon further examination and the expert deduction skills of Captain Picard, it’s made known that Q, the god-like being that has plagued so many of our Starfleet captains, is at the center of this destruction.

Q makes it known that the supernovae are a result of squabbling between other god-like entities that Q is trying to teach to stay in their proper place. When Captain Picard accuses Q and the entities bickering as being no better than the destructive behavior of humanity that Q has talked down to so many time before, it gives Q an idea.

Q brings Captain Picard to the neutral ground where he meets the three entities that Q is feuding with. Q proposes that the dispute be resolved by the humans who will champion for each of them in competition. In the snap of a finger, Q brings the crews The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager to join the fray from various points in history. It is made know that Captain Janeway will represent the Metrons, Trelane the Squire of Gothos will be represented by Captain Kirk, Captain Sisko and his crew will compete on behalf of Ayelborne and the Organians, and of course Q choose Captain Picard to represent the Q Continuum.

Names ring a bell? Well, the Captains aren’t the only ones doing a crossover in these series. We also have some of the most challenging beings many of the present Starfleet captains have ever faced! While issue one doesn’t really give us anything outside of what we already knew about this series, I am still very intrigued for what is to come. Not only does this series intend to bring in the heavy hitters from Starfleet, we are also going to get the many of the most compelling antagonists to boot.

The writers’ decisions to pull our captains from specific time periods in their histories has potential for explosive dynamics. Even in the brief panels we have of the captains meeting, it is evident that Captain Sisko in his early stages of development as a captain still holds his resentment for Captain Picard, Captain Picard  is surprised to see Janeway as only a captain and not an admiral, and of course the crew of The Original Series are revered as legends from over a century ago.

In all, issue one has me wanting to go back and rewatch episodes of Star Trek from all the different series to prep for the ensuing conflict. It seems like this miniseries will be an ode to long time Star Trek fans with quips, callbacks, quality interactions and a compelling battle of greatest minds in Star Trek. Setting phasers to hype for issue two.

Star Trek: The Q Conflict #1 is available anywhere comics are sold.