Star Trek has had many comic book incarnations over the years, so I thought I would ask, what are the best Star Trek comic book stories?
Best Star Trek comic book stories
- Thread starter The Overlord
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I haven't read a large amount of comics, but a few have stood out. There was one by Peter David, where Kirk struggles with delivering a eulogy for a crew member who got killed on a landing party. From the Early Voyages series, about Captain Pike, there were a couple of issues that establish characters we had never seen before, got me to like them, and then threw the Enterprise crew into the disastrous Rigel mission that haunts Pike throughout the Cage...and left me haunted, too: "Our Dearest Blood."
There have been some terrific standouts from Diane Duane writing for DC TOS volume 1. Kirk humors two alien races that want to lay down their credentials as conquerors by capturing Kirk and his ship; and Kirk generously re-directs them and helps them with their culture and status issues. I can't remember the name of the story, but it was a fun and funny two parter. Then there was a single issue story, also by Duane, which shows McCoy dealing with the death/loss of Spock. Technically the story is placed after Spock has been "found", but it was such a thoughtful story that I felt transcended that technicality; I knew what it was intending in spirit.
The Mirror Universe revisit in the DC series also had a lot of great ideas, really making the most of what was lost in TSFS movie and playing with some of the dramatic potential. Certainly this particular story has been reprinted in TPB collection form many, many times.
But as I said, I haven't read a very large amount of ST comics at this point. Mostly TOS.
There have been some terrific standouts from Diane Duane writing for DC TOS volume 1. Kirk humors two alien races that want to lay down their credentials as conquerors by capturing Kirk and his ship; and Kirk generously re-directs them and helps them with their culture and status issues. I can't remember the name of the story, but it was a fun and funny two parter. Then there was a single issue story, also by Duane, which shows McCoy dealing with the death/loss of Spock. Technically the story is placed after Spock has been "found", but it was such a thoughtful story that I felt transcended that technicality; I knew what it was intending in spirit.
The Mirror Universe revisit in the DC series also had a lot of great ideas, really making the most of what was lost in TSFS movie and playing with some of the dramatic potential. Certainly this particular story has been reprinted in TPB collection form many, many times.
But as I said, I haven't read a very large amount of ST comics at this point. Mostly TOS.
DC comics 1st run, set between movies II, III and IV. It diverged from canon pretty far (longer gaps between movies, the crew end up on Excelsior and Spock gets his own command). Their mirror universe arc is my most fondly remembered Trek comic of all.
I also love the old Gold Key Trek comics and DC's first TNG miniseries, because of how crazily far from canon they are (the writers of most of the former never saw TOS, and the latter was written before TNG's premiere)
I also love the old Gold Key Trek comics and DC's first TNG miniseries, because of how crazily far from canon they are (the writers of most of the former never saw TOS, and the latter was written before TNG's premiere)
Best individual issues are going to take me a while to think about, but overall, my favorite Trek comic series is definitely Early Voyages. Quality writing, great characters, excellent world-building for the immediate pre-TOS era. It hit just about everything I want out of Trek.
Plenty of good stuff from DC over the years, too, but Early Voyages and Starfleet Academy from Marvel were cut off waaaaay before their time. The post-Marvel Wildstorm stuff was typically very good as well, I especially loved the Enter the Wolves one-shot.
Sadly, IMO, none of IDW's Trek offerings hold a candle to the best of what's come before.
Plenty of good stuff from DC over the years, too, but Early Voyages and Starfleet Academy from Marvel were cut off waaaaay before their time. The post-Marvel Wildstorm stuff was typically very good as well, I especially loved the Enter the Wolves one-shot.
Sadly, IMO, none of IDW's Trek offerings hold a candle to the best of what's come before.
I have read them all, but there have been a few that have really thrilled me. Been read and reread - stories that have stayed with me!
DC Comics' three Series I annuals: "All Those Years Ago..." (#1, with Kirk taking over from Pike), "Final Mission" (#2, with Will Decker, Koloth and another trip to Talos IV), and "Retrospect" (#3, the told-in-reverse tale of Scotty's wife.
The DC two-parter "Double Blind", with Naraht the Horta and the Grond vs Ajir. Hilarious. Diane Duane's crew from "The Wounded Sky" and the Rihannsu novels in the comics!
"Untold Voyages", the Marvel Paramount Comics' mini-series between TMP and ST II.
The "New Frontier" Wildstorm one-shot, "Double Time". To see these characters interacting beyond the novels was so exciting, and Majel Barrett's character obscuring her face throughout! Classic Peter David!
"Alien Spotlight - Andorians: "The Old Ways" from IDW - but I'm biased!
"Countdown", the 24th century-set prequel IDW mini-series to the events of the Kelvin timeline's 2009 movie.
"Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor", the IDW mini-series.
That was his final issue, "Once a Hero," #19 of DC's Volume 2. It was inspired by one of the last episodes of M*A*S*H.
Those were both in volume 1, and were Duane's only issues in that volume: #24-25, "Double Blind" (the first Trek comics I ever bought, because they were from Duane), and #28, "The Last Word."
No, canon diverged from it. Tie-ins are required to stay consistent with canon as it exists at the time, but they can't control whether later canon does contradictory things. Indeed, the whole reason the comics did the Excelsior sidebar and kept Spock separate from the rest of the crew was to avoid doing storylines that might be overwritten by ST IV. Although, admittedly, the way they tried to merge their post-ST III storyline back into the events of ST IV was very clumsy (it required the Klingon Bird of Prey to be small enough to have been in the Excelsior shuttlebay the whole time, even though the Mirror Universe issues had clearly and correctly shown it to be far too large for that).
In some ways, the TNG mini was closer to canon at the time than it was to later canon retcons. The big 3-part storyline in issues 3-5 has Data getting pretty emotional when he thinks Geordi is dead, and that seems wrong to modern eyes, but the fact is, Data wasn't established as emotionless until the start of season 3. He was originally meant to have a subdued, underdeveloped emotional capacity, not a complete absence of one.
But yeah, for the most part, the TNG mini was pretty bizarre, for reasons that had little to do with continuity. Mike Carlin may have been an acclaimed Superman editor, but I felt he was the weakest regular writer for DC's Trek comics, doing the silliest stories. Though he did a couple that had merit, like the aforementioned 3-parter and his final TOS issue (in which Kirk has to deal with a hotheaded young officer who's learned all the wrong lessons from Kirk's reputation -- a nice critique of the false "maverick" image that many fans have of Kirk).
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I'm going to put in another vote for Early Voyages, and DC's first TOS series.
Technically, it's not really one of the best, but TOS/Planet of Apes: The Primate Directive is a lot of fun, just because of the novelty of seeing the TOS characters interact with the cast of the original POTA movie.
IDW's anthology series, Alien Spotlight Vol 1 and Vol 2, and Captain's Log are also worth checking out.
Technically, it's not really one of the best, but TOS/Planet of Apes: The Primate Directive is a lot of fun, just because of the novelty of seeing the TOS characters interact with the cast of the original POTA movie.
IDW's anthology series, Alien Spotlight Vol 1 and Vol 2, and Captain's Log are also worth checking out.
I really enjoyed the two Marvel original series (Early Voyages and Starfleet Academy), and I'll further throw a vote in for the Telepathy War storyline (a prelude to the Dominion War) that tied all the Marvel series in an epic crossover.
I'll always have a soft spot for "The Trial of James T. Kirk" (from DC Volume 2), because it motivated me to delve into Star Trek comics for the first time as part of my then-nascent tie-in fandom.
I'm really looking forward to this one when I finish up Volume 1 and transition into Volume 2. Not just the trial, but the first 12 issues, leading into that storyline.
Sorry for reviving an old topic but this one is a bit dear to my heart as for a long time I was a fervent Star Trek comics reader until recently (I don't care for the Abramsverse and Discovery so I don't read the comics based on them)
I started reading Star Trek comics when Marvel acquired the Star Trek comic license in the 90s, well actually after the license had already been dropped but I then bought almost every released issue of every series.
I did read some DC ones as well afterwards but it never got my attention like the Marvel ones did. Perhaps it would have left a better impression if I had read them when they were new.
I did like some of the Peter David ones but I never cared for arcs other loved such as the crossover with the Mirrorverse. (too fanwank even for what is basically a fanwank comic)
My favorite series and stories are:
Early Voyages. Like others mentioned this really did some pre original series world building before the idea of prequels was in the mind of the people who made the Star Trek television series and movies, and I still think it is superior to all those efforts.
Starfleet Academy. (1996). This one is a bit of a required taste, it may read to much like a Marvel young superheroes comic that were made at the time and it does have its fanwank moments as well but the comic was never boring.
Star Trek Unlimited. This was a bimonthly series with the stories from Kirk's crew and the TNG crew. It had quite a lot of nice, fun, or good stories including the tie in to the Telepathy War arc.
Star Trek Telepathy War Arc. This is IMO the best TNG-DSN crossover story which guest stars the comic original Starfleet Academy cast (there is also a Voyager tie in but it is so minimal, being inserted in an unrelated story that it might as well be ignored). I rate it above the earlier DC/Malibu comics one and the later Wildstorm one.
I would not call it the best Star Trek comic story ever, for that it still has to many flaws such as out of character moments and solutions that come out of nowhere but it is really exciting seeing the TNG and DSN cast take on a Dominion conspiracy.
Star Trek Voyager Splashdown. Marvel Voyager's last hurrah before the series was canceled. This story was pretty exciting because of the premise; Voyager crashing on a water covered planet and sinking in its oceans. It really brought back in the idea that Voyager is cut of from Starfleet and all alone so there is not going to be any rescue nor can the crew abandon the ship. The resolution could have been a bit stronger though.
Star Trek All of Me. Nice little story with a real Original Series vibe to it.
Star Trek Enter the Wolves. A pretty exciting story set in the lost era after Star Trek 6 that ties into events of TNG/DSN and Spock's relation with his father.
Star Trek New Frontier Double Time. Cool tie into the New Frontier series of which I was a big fan at the time.
Hmm I like some of the Wildstorm Voyager stories myself but that I would recommend them as best Star Trek stories.
Star Trek Alien Spotlight series. Two mini series that focuses on one of the species of the Star Trek universe. There are some hits in this one but also some misses. I did not like the Borg story as it relied to much on what have become bad tropes.
One of the Romulan one-shots launched a two mini series arc by John Byrne.
Star Trek Captain's Log series. Like with the Aliens spotlight series this mini series has its hits and misses as each issue is a story about one of the non regular or barely seen captain of Star Trek.
Star Trek New Frontier Turnabout. Another tie in to the book original New Frontier. It ties into a couple of books so it is probably not really for people who do not read the NF series.
Basically everything by John Byrne. Romulans One-Shot, Romulans The Hollow Crown/Schism, Assignment Earth, Crew, Leonard McCoy Frontier Doctor, the photo manipulation/3D effects New Visions series.
I am not going to say that every story is a hit but there are more hits than misses for me including the only Borg story outside the television series episodes that featured them that I like.
I started reading Star Trek comics when Marvel acquired the Star Trek comic license in the 90s, well actually after the license had already been dropped but I then bought almost every released issue of every series.
I did read some DC ones as well afterwards but it never got my attention like the Marvel ones did. Perhaps it would have left a better impression if I had read them when they were new.
I did like some of the Peter David ones but I never cared for arcs other loved such as the crossover with the Mirrorverse. (too fanwank even for what is basically a fanwank comic)
My favorite series and stories are:
Early Voyages. Like others mentioned this really did some pre original series world building before the idea of prequels was in the mind of the people who made the Star Trek television series and movies, and I still think it is superior to all those efforts.
Starfleet Academy. (1996). This one is a bit of a required taste, it may read to much like a Marvel young superheroes comic that were made at the time and it does have its fanwank moments as well but the comic was never boring.
Star Trek Unlimited. This was a bimonthly series with the stories from Kirk's crew and the TNG crew. It had quite a lot of nice, fun, or good stories including the tie in to the Telepathy War arc.
Star Trek Telepathy War Arc. This is IMO the best TNG-DSN crossover story which guest stars the comic original Starfleet Academy cast (there is also a Voyager tie in but it is so minimal, being inserted in an unrelated story that it might as well be ignored). I rate it above the earlier DC/Malibu comics one and the later Wildstorm one.
I would not call it the best Star Trek comic story ever, for that it still has to many flaws such as out of character moments and solutions that come out of nowhere but it is really exciting seeing the TNG and DSN cast take on a Dominion conspiracy.
Star Trek Voyager Splashdown. Marvel Voyager's last hurrah before the series was canceled. This story was pretty exciting because of the premise; Voyager crashing on a water covered planet and sinking in its oceans. It really brought back in the idea that Voyager is cut of from Starfleet and all alone so there is not going to be any rescue nor can the crew abandon the ship. The resolution could have been a bit stronger though.
Star Trek All of Me. Nice little story with a real Original Series vibe to it.
Star Trek Enter the Wolves. A pretty exciting story set in the lost era after Star Trek 6 that ties into events of TNG/DSN and Spock's relation with his father.
Star Trek New Frontier Double Time. Cool tie into the New Frontier series of which I was a big fan at the time.
Hmm I like some of the Wildstorm Voyager stories myself but that I would recommend them as best Star Trek stories.
Star Trek Alien Spotlight series. Two mini series that focuses on one of the species of the Star Trek universe. There are some hits in this one but also some misses. I did not like the Borg story as it relied to much on what have become bad tropes.
One of the Romulan one-shots launched a two mini series arc by John Byrne.
Star Trek Captain's Log series. Like with the Aliens spotlight series this mini series has its hits and misses as each issue is a story about one of the non regular or barely seen captain of Star Trek.
Star Trek New Frontier Turnabout. Another tie in to the book original New Frontier. It ties into a couple of books so it is probably not really for people who do not read the NF series.
Basically everything by John Byrne. Romulans One-Shot, Romulans The Hollow Crown/Schism, Assignment Earth, Crew, Leonard McCoy Frontier Doctor, the photo manipulation/3D effects New Visions series.
I am not going to say that every story is a hit but there are more hits than misses for me including the only Borg story outside the television series episodes that featured them that I like.
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I also cast a vote for Diane Duane's "Double Blind". And I would add a vote for her "The Last Word" as well - a great McCoy story with art by Gray Morrow.
I'm also a big fan of John Byrne's work with IDW. Frontier Doctor was a good series. Also got to give him credit for trying something different with his New Visions series.
I'm also a big fan of John Byrne's work with IDW. Frontier Doctor was a good series. Also got to give him credit for trying something different with his New Visions series.
Not even Destiny?
I liked the TNG/DS9 relaunch comic Divided We Fall.
