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Star Trek: Picard's Academy--Commit No Mistakes
Go back to academy days with one of Starfleet’s most celebrated Captain Jean-Luc Picard! A new collected series by New York Times best-selling author, Sam Maggs.
Before becoming the Federation’s finest, Jean-Luc was an ordinary student at Starfleet Academy with sights on the stars. His path forward was blow his classmates out of the water on the infamous Evasive Maneuvers exam and graduate early. But there’s a detail Cadet Picard hadn’t factored into his the exam was a group project and he’d need to make friends with, ugh, people if he stood a chance at passing.
Federation starships aren’t run by a party of one, after all. During the training exercise, Picard accidentally puts the lives of himself and two of his classmates—Doq and Marty—in danger. But using skills he gained on the farm, Picard manages to pull them out at the last minute, saving their lives and impressing his teachers.
Before becoming the Federation’s finest, Jean-Luc was an ordinary student at Starfleet Academy with sights on the stars. His path forward was blow his classmates out of the water on the infamous Evasive Maneuvers exam and graduate early. But there’s a detail Cadet Picard hadn’t factored into his the exam was a group project and he’d need to make friends with, ugh, people if he stood a chance at passing.
Federation starships aren’t run by a party of one, after all. During the training exercise, Picard accidentally puts the lives of himself and two of his classmates—Doq and Marty—in danger. But using skills he gained on the farm, Picard manages to pull them out at the last minute, saving their lives and impressing his teachers.
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2024
4 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Sam Maggs
120 books991 followersSAM MAGGS is a bestselling writer of books, comics, and video games, including Marvel Action: Captain Marvel, The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope, Tell No Tales, Con Quest!, and Marvel's Spider-Man PS4. A Canadian in Los Angeles, she misses Coffee Crisp and bagged milk. Visit her online at sammaggs.com or @SamMaggs!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 9, 2024
I would have enjoyed this more had it just been about a new group of cadets. The Picard angle didn’t really work for me, and trying to force some Spock mentor relationship just struck me as odd.
July 27, 2024
Star Trek: Picard's Academy - Commit No Mistakes
For Jean-Luc Picard, the Academy served a dual purpose. It got him away from Chateau Picard and his overbearing family and provided a stepping stone to the stars. However, his Academic career was not the easiest, as his face to advance came at the cost of a social life and friends. Having realised a failure was down to this disconnection, Picard strove to create a team of friends who could be the best and the brightest of their class.
An interesting chapter in Picard's life is realised almost perfectly by Maths in this glorious graphic novel.
For Jean-Luc Picard, the Academy served a dual purpose. It got him away from Chateau Picard and his overbearing family and provided a stepping stone to the stars. However, his Academic career was not the easiest, as his face to advance came at the cost of a social life and friends. Having realised a failure was down to this disconnection, Picard strove to create a team of friends who could be the best and the brightest of their class.
An interesting chapter in Picard's life is realised almost perfectly by Maths in this glorious graphic novel.
December 2, 2024
"Star Trek: Picard's Academy-Commit No Mistakes" is a fun and fast paced , YA oriented adventure featuring a younger and not entirely likeable version of fan favorite Jean-Luc Picard. The titular character is a driven young man who bottles up his feelings and refuses to fully support or interact with his peers. Of course, he has a few hard lessons coming his way, some of which are delivered through the school of hard knocks and some from visiting professor Spock and a bunch of holo-deck Romulans. The actual resolution of this story is never in doubt but it is an enjoyable ride watching Picard fail and flounder until he finally sees the light.
Highlights include Professor Spock lecturing on the importance of human interactions and party attendance, a manic pixie dream cadet who somehow sees Picard's real potential, cameos from earlier versions of well known and not so well known ST:TNG characters, a not so veiled reference to the Kobayashi Maru scenario, Picard's hair fantasies and a bunch of very put upon and grumpy Romulans.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, IDW Publishing, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Highlights include Professor Spock lecturing on the importance of human interactions and party attendance, a manic pixie dream cadet who somehow sees Picard's real potential, cameos from earlier versions of well known and not so well known ST:TNG characters, a not so veiled reference to the Kobayashi Maru scenario, Picard's hair fantasies and a bunch of very put upon and grumpy Romulans.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, IDW Publishing, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 11, 2024
First of all, I have an admission: I love Star Trek, but I've never watched The Next Generation (or Picard). I plan to finally do it some day.
Of course, I know Picard, but I don't really know much about him, so I cannot compare him to this young version.
I like how this comic book takes place in Picard's academy days. I always like to see the Starfleet Academy. (Srsly, we should get a TV show based in it, maybe focusing on the different races and how they coexist in the academy?)
The story itself is nothing new; a young, ambitious guy has to learn how to work with other people. We've seen it a lot. What makes it fun are the setting and characters. We get a fun, diverse group of new characters, and I would really enjoy reading more about them. And we even got Spock! Teaching how connecting to other people is important! That deserves at least half a star.
The vibes of this comic book reminded me of Star Trek Lower Decks (which is my favourite Star Trek at the moment), but aimed at a younger audience. To be honest, I'm not sure what the target audience is here; the story seems to be for teenagers or maybe young adults. But the character is well known among older adults. Maybe using a new character would have worked better?
I really enjoyed reading this volume; it's a quick and fun read.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.
Of course, I know Picard, but I don't really know much about him, so I cannot compare him to this young version.
I like how this comic book takes place in Picard's academy days. I always like to see the Starfleet Academy. (Srsly, we should get a TV show based in it, maybe focusing on the different races and how they coexist in the academy?)
The story itself is nothing new; a young, ambitious guy has to learn how to work with other people. We've seen it a lot. What makes it fun are the setting and characters. We get a fun, diverse group of new characters, and I would really enjoy reading more about them. And we even got Spock! Teaching how connecting to other people is important! That deserves at least half a star.
The vibes of this comic book reminded me of Star Trek Lower Decks (which is my favourite Star Trek at the moment), but aimed at a younger audience. To be honest, I'm not sure what the target audience is here; the story seems to be for teenagers or maybe young adults. But the character is well known among older adults. Maybe using a new character would have worked better?
I really enjoyed reading this volume; it's a quick and fun read.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.
September 30, 2024
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.0 of 5
We look back at the Academy days of Jean-Luc Picard and see that he's quite the loner, focused solely on doing well and getting ahead. But his instructor, Mr. Spock, informs him that getting to know the people on his team is important when making leadership decisions and orders Cadet Picard to attend a party with his fellow cadets. Well ... Spock can order him to attend but there's nothing that says he has to enjoy it or participate in shenanigans!
Through a series of incidents, young Jean-Luc discovers that there's more to being command than simply giving orders and knowing 'the book' backward and forward.
This is a pretty simple story (hard to believe it makes up six issues of a comic) and frankly pretty obvious. I never felt like we were following the same Jean-Luc Picard who would go on to captain the USS Enterprise or become a Starfleet Admiral. That's not to say I think we are the same at age 19 as we are at 50. Of course we learn and grow, but I don't see anything of the Picard we know in the television shows and movies in this comic/graphic novel.
Because it's a graphic novel, the art is just as important in telling the story as is the writing (otherwise why not just make it a novel?) and the art here is ... I suppose 'cartoony' is the best way to describe it. If we weren't introduced, by name, to Jean-Luc Picard or Mr. Spock, I'd never know that's who we were looking at.
This style works in some graphic novels, but I definitely don't feel like it enhances the story in any way. This looks like a Veronica and Betty style comic meant to appeal to sixth graders.
Which brings me to: Who is this for? Based on the simplicity of the script, the whole 'academy days' (ie being in school) and the over-the-top message, along with the artwork, this looks like the target audience is middle schoolers and younger. But do these kids know Star Trek: The Next Generation? Why not a story using the more recent Star Trek series' characters? Did Janeway (featured in the animated Star Trek: Prodigy) learn some important lessons about getting to know her crew? What about Michael Burnham? Based on her current character she had to have had some hard lessons in the academy.
I enjoy reading new stories and adventures featuring my familiar Star Trek 'friends' (they often feel like friends when you've watched the episodes over and over) but when they no longer look or feel familiar but instead are used to make a moralistic message to kids (who probably don't know them at all), I don't feel good about the book.
Looking for a good book? The graphic novel Star Trek: Picard's Academy--Commit No Mistakes written by Sam Maggs and illustrated by Ornella Greco, doesn't feel at all in line with the Star Trek universe.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
We look back at the Academy days of Jean-Luc Picard and see that he's quite the loner, focused solely on doing well and getting ahead. But his instructor, Mr. Spock, informs him that getting to know the people on his team is important when making leadership decisions and orders Cadet Picard to attend a party with his fellow cadets. Well ... Spock can order him to attend but there's nothing that says he has to enjoy it or participate in shenanigans!
Through a series of incidents, young Jean-Luc discovers that there's more to being command than simply giving orders and knowing 'the book' backward and forward.
This is a pretty simple story (hard to believe it makes up six issues of a comic) and frankly pretty obvious. I never felt like we were following the same Jean-Luc Picard who would go on to captain the USS Enterprise or become a Starfleet Admiral. That's not to say I think we are the same at age 19 as we are at 50. Of course we learn and grow, but I don't see anything of the Picard we know in the television shows and movies in this comic/graphic novel.
Because it's a graphic novel, the art is just as important in telling the story as is the writing (otherwise why not just make it a novel?) and the art here is ... I suppose 'cartoony' is the best way to describe it. If we weren't introduced, by name, to Jean-Luc Picard or Mr. Spock, I'd never know that's who we were looking at.
This style works in some graphic novels, but I definitely don't feel like it enhances the story in any way. This looks like a Veronica and Betty style comic meant to appeal to sixth graders.
Which brings me to: Who is this for? Based on the simplicity of the script, the whole 'academy days' (ie being in school) and the over-the-top message, along with the artwork, this looks like the target audience is middle schoolers and younger. But do these kids know Star Trek: The Next Generation? Why not a story using the more recent Star Trek series' characters? Did Janeway (featured in the animated Star Trek: Prodigy) learn some important lessons about getting to know her crew? What about Michael Burnham? Based on her current character she had to have had some hard lessons in the academy.
I enjoy reading new stories and adventures featuring my familiar Star Trek 'friends' (they often feel like friends when you've watched the episodes over and over) but when they no longer look or feel familiar but instead are used to make a moralistic message to kids (who probably don't know them at all), I don't feel good about the book.
Looking for a good book? The graphic novel Star Trek: Picard's Academy--Commit No Mistakes written by Sam Maggs and illustrated by Ornella Greco, doesn't feel at all in line with the Star Trek universe.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2024
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This collection gather issues #1 through #6 of the comic of the same name. It tells the story of a young Jean-Luc Picard in his second year at the Academy, star pupil and eager to show his mettle in order to get an early assignment to active duty.Story: Picard is a loner, trying to push through the Academy at speed without any real social interaction with the other students or even working with them during his studies. As an important test is looming he and the other students assigned to his group need to figure out how to work together, including deciding who will lead.
For fans of Star Trek, the premise and the test itself holds no real surprises, so we're left with a character story, which of course is the true heart of Star Trek. In this one, I quite liked the other characters and mostly Picard, except the main premise: the idea that he wants to be in command but apparently lacks any idea that he should understand and know the people he is aiming to lead. This one rubs me the wrong way and while excuses are made of how Picard is driven and wants to just concentrate on his studies, it is just too unrealistic. Command is people leadership, and the Academy should even have a whole curriculum on this, so he should not be so bad at this, or be so ignorant that these skills are required.
Other than this, the story is enjoyable and even Picard feels 'right'. We get a bit more insight into his past and history and it's fun to see him interacting with Boothby.
The art is quite comicky with a style usually intended for younger audiences. I don't mind it (and it's fun to see Picard with hair), but honestly this Picard looks nothing like Patrick Stewart, not even when he was young. But overall I did enjoy the art and it definitely adds more than it detracts.
In summary, this is a fun tale in the world of Star Trek and is one of the better comics from the series to come out of late. If the overall setup premise doesn't bother you as much as it did me, you'll probably rate this at least one star higher. Recommended for fans, and this one will be a good read even with limited exposure to Star Trek.
January 24, 2025
I want to start off the review by stating i absolutely loved the artwork.
I think that a lot of time and effort went in to making this feel very star trek but also bring the coloring schemes to a more modern audience.
When i saw the cover, i was really drawn straight to it.
I really like the angle of young Picard, if you watched the show we get some glimpses in to how he became the captain we know and love but not enough. This is a great way to illustrate his path to greatness.
This is very much written for a new audience as well as us seasoned star trek lovers. The writing style is family friendly and its a series i can easily let my preteen read along with me.
I think that this story already does address some important life lessons such as acceptance of your self as well as those around you that may be different than you and the people you are used to.
Seeing some one we know who becomes successful and influential have some of the same mishaps and struggles is a good little mental health boost, its a reminder that we all start somewhere.
Ill be picking up the next volumes to continue with my kiddo!
Thank you NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the copy of Picard's Academy for my honest review.
#StarTrekPicardsAcademyCommitNoMistakes #NetGalley.
I think that a lot of time and effort went in to making this feel very star trek but also bring the coloring schemes to a more modern audience.
When i saw the cover, i was really drawn straight to it.
I really like the angle of young Picard, if you watched the show we get some glimpses in to how he became the captain we know and love but not enough. This is a great way to illustrate his path to greatness.
This is very much written for a new audience as well as us seasoned star trek lovers. The writing style is family friendly and its a series i can easily let my preteen read along with me.
I think that this story already does address some important life lessons such as acceptance of your self as well as those around you that may be different than you and the people you are used to.
Seeing some one we know who becomes successful and influential have some of the same mishaps and struggles is a good little mental health boost, its a reminder that we all start somewhere.
Ill be picking up the next volumes to continue with my kiddo!
Thank you NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the copy of Picard's Academy for my honest review.
#StarTrekPicardsAcademyCommitNoMistakes #NetGalley.
August 4, 2024
This cute graphic novel has an interesting story that takes us back to Picard's academy days. As a second year student he longs to pass the practical Evasive Maneuvers test with flying colors so that he can achieve top rank in the class and graduate a year early. Picard longs to take command so that he has complete control of his fate. But he is a loner who doesn't care to get to know his classmates and does not trust anyone else to have his back. When communications fail, and the test scenario seems out of control, he and his team must learn to work together. The story was fun and included a lot of Trek lore, including a large variety of aliens. The author even included his Jean-Luc's friendship with Boothby the groundskeeper who shows up in a couple episodes. I enjoyed the fun appearance with Spock as a guest teacher who councils the young Picard that getting to know his team mates would be the logical thing to do. Although avid fans might remember that in ST canon the two characters don't actually meet until the Next Gen "Unification" episode, this bit is really cute and does add to the story. What I do have a problem with is the premise that Starfleet academy would not have had early graduation for the top student based solely on grades, instead of what courses had been taken. Despite those flaws in the story line, I did enjoy the novel. I especially liked the little surprise for the reader at the very end.
I loved the illustrations by Ornella Greco. The art style was reminiscent of the 1973 animated series. It was colorful and there was background scenery reminiscent of the ships and starfleet in the show. There were plenty of aliens too. That said, I did find the young Picard a bit disconcerting. He didn't look at all like Patrick Stewart. Even after accounting for the hair. It was only after looking up pictures of the actor at a young age that I could see any resemblance at all. Perhaps it was the old fashioned comic book art style that prevented an accurate portrayal of the actor. I have noticed that it is sometimes an issue in animated adaptations of live action shows.
I enjoyed this graphic novel, and I think that most fans will get a kick out of it, however, it seemed to be aimed at a middle grade or young adult readership.
I loved the illustrations by Ornella Greco. The art style was reminiscent of the 1973 animated series. It was colorful and there was background scenery reminiscent of the ships and starfleet in the show. There were plenty of aliens too. That said, I did find the young Picard a bit disconcerting. He didn't look at all like Patrick Stewart. Even after accounting for the hair. It was only after looking up pictures of the actor at a young age that I could see any resemblance at all. Perhaps it was the old fashioned comic book art style that prevented an accurate portrayal of the actor. I have noticed that it is sometimes an issue in animated adaptations of live action shows.
I enjoyed this graphic novel, and I think that most fans will get a kick out of it, however, it seemed to be aimed at a middle grade or young adult readership.
September 19, 2025
TBH, the high point of this book for me was Picard fantasizing about his future captain self and he envisions himself with this flowing mass of hair like he's on the cover of a harlequin romance novel. There was a part of me wondering if he'd get stabbed in the heart during it, considering that was sort of a critical turning point in his motivation.
This story focuses on Picard struggling with his Type-A perfectionist drive to escape his family home to make his mark on the world. Pretty much anyone could have been the title character, but Picard has name recognition and they throw in Spock as a mentor at the academy for what feels like similar reasons. There's a rivalry between Picard and the #1 student who's a jerk that's the main character tension with a few supporting characters including a pining for him love interest that goes nowhere and didn't add anything. Also weird having dick jokes in a Star Trek story.
This story focuses on Picard struggling with his Type-A perfectionist drive to escape his family home to make his mark on the world. Pretty much anyone could have been the title character, but Picard has name recognition and they throw in Spock as a mentor at the academy for what feels like similar reasons. There's a rivalry between Picard and the #1 student who's a jerk that's the main character tension with a few supporting characters including a pining for him love interest that goes nowhere and didn't add anything. Also weird having dick jokes in a Star Trek story.
June 8, 2024
IDW Publishing provided an early galley for review.
This volume collects issues 1 to 6 of Star Trek: Picard's Academy. It introduces us to a young Jean Luc as he is frustrated with his progress and reluctant to work with others. While an established pattern of his youth, this is not part of the character I bonded with during the early days of The Next Generation run. So, I was a bit lukewarm to the story itself.
Add to it that the artwork is done more in an animated style, which gives the whole thing a bit of a less serious spin. Don't get me wrong - I've been a fan of animated style comic series in the past, but it just did not completely work for me for Trek. I prefer my Trek comics to have art that reflects the actors as accurately as possible.
Given all of this, I was a bit distant for this one. I am sure it will, however, resonate with the right audience.
This volume collects issues 1 to 6 of Star Trek: Picard's Academy. It introduces us to a young Jean Luc as he is frustrated with his progress and reluctant to work with others. While an established pattern of his youth, this is not part of the character I bonded with during the early days of The Next Generation run. So, I was a bit lukewarm to the story itself.
Add to it that the artwork is done more in an animated style, which gives the whole thing a bit of a less serious spin. Don't get me wrong - I've been a fan of animated style comic series in the past, but it just did not completely work for me for Trek. I prefer my Trek comics to have art that reflects the actors as accurately as possible.
Given all of this, I was a bit distant for this one. I am sure it will, however, resonate with the right audience.
July 13, 2024
I went into this graphic novel blind. Initially, I thought it was about an academy run by Picard, rather than Picard in the early days. Sam Maggs drew in me. I am enjoying her Manga adaption of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl and loved her debut, The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy.
Picard's Academy--Commit No Mistakes gives us a glimpse into Jean-Luc’s cadet days at the academy. I enjoyed the deep Trek cuts and the collegiate vibes. While it may draw comparisons to Lower Decks for the team comradery, I find it reminds me more of Grown-ish with a sprinkle of the series the Aurora Chronicles by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. I’d recommend it to any Star Trek fan, or anyone who loves coming of age stories.
Thank you, IDW Publishing, for an ARC.
Picard's Academy--Commit No Mistakes gives us a glimpse into Jean-Luc’s cadet days at the academy. I enjoyed the deep Trek cuts and the collegiate vibes. While it may draw comparisons to Lower Decks for the team comradery, I find it reminds me more of Grown-ish with a sprinkle of the series the Aurora Chronicles by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. I’d recommend it to any Star Trek fan, or anyone who loves coming of age stories.
Thank you, IDW Publishing, for an ARC.
July 15, 2024
This was a really fun adventure into Picard’s past during his academy days. “Commit No Mistakes” shows us a time when Jean-Luc is just beginning to find his footing as a leader, but he still has a lot to learn before he can become the captain we all know and love. So much detail is put into the artwork and designs throughout the story. In addition to getting a story about Picard’s growth, we’re also treated to some interesting expansions of characters in the Star Trek universe that make appearances here. The arc of this series balances humor, action, and a lot of heart, to create a tone which fits perfectly in the academy environment.
Thank you IDW Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Thank you IDW Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
July 14, 2024
Thank you to IDW and Netgalley for the eARC.
This was a cute story about the origins of Starfleet Captian Jean-Luc Picard set during his Starfleet Academy days. It detailed challenges and obsticles that he faced while in the academy.
This Picard is not the wisened captian from The Next Generation yet. He deals with a lot of impatientce, stubbornness, and failure to lean on his fellow classmates. Sam Magg's stories are always great, and I loved her adaptation of Rowell's Fangirl. This story reminded me a bit of Lower Decks, and wasnt quite as mature as some other Star Trek stories, but the characterization, art, and cameos made it an enjoyable story.
This was a cute story about the origins of Starfleet Captian Jean-Luc Picard set during his Starfleet Academy days. It detailed challenges and obsticles that he faced while in the academy.
This Picard is not the wisened captian from The Next Generation yet. He deals with a lot of impatientce, stubbornness, and failure to lean on his fellow classmates. Sam Magg's stories are always great, and I loved her adaptation of Rowell's Fangirl. This story reminded me a bit of Lower Decks, and wasnt quite as mature as some other Star Trek stories, but the characterization, art, and cameos made it an enjoyable story.
July 17, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend
I've read other Star Trek books and didn't love them, but this one was so much fun! It serves as a Picard backstory while he was in the Academy.
I think this is for a Trekkie, especially one that loves Picard or TNG. But, a novice can pick it up without issue, they just may miss all the Easter eggs.
I enjoyed the artwork and it definitely added to the story.
Thank you to IDW Publishing, NetGalley, and author Sam Maggs for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. Star Trek: Picard's Academy--Commit No Mistakes is out July 23, 2023.
I've read other Star Trek books and didn't love them, but this one was so much fun! It serves as a Picard backstory while he was in the Academy.
I think this is for a Trekkie, especially one that loves Picard or TNG. But, a novice can pick it up without issue, they just may miss all the Easter eggs.
I enjoyed the artwork and it definitely added to the story.
Thank you to IDW Publishing, NetGalley, and author Sam Maggs for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. Star Trek: Picard's Academy--Commit No Mistakes is out July 23, 2023.
June 23, 2024
Picard was never my favorite captain, so maybe that's why I didn't vibe with this as much as I had hoped. From a storytelling perspective, this Picard never really develops into someone the reader wants to root for unless they have attachment to his character already, and because of that the story just felt sort of incomplete to me. The plot was pretty straight forward, and there were some fun moments, but overall I didn't think this was anything particularly unique. Greco's art was my favorite part of this, the character designs were lots of fun, and I loved the emotion their expressions and body language could convey. The color palette was beautiful as well, and I'd love to see Nirula and K'Ccyt have a series of their own. I think fans of Picard and Next Gen might enjoy this, but I wouldn't recommend it as a starting place for new fans or anyone on the fence about trying it.
July 2, 2024
*NetGalley ARC* (thanks!)
I'm a massive Trekkie so when I saw this I knew I just HAD to read it. TNG and Picard are some of my favorite things to come out of the Trekverse. I believe that this comic was very true to Jean Luc's character and it was fun seeing him with a full head of hair. The characters were engaging and I loved the little reveal about Q at the end. I'm hoping there are more of these planned in the future. I'd happily read them all!
I'm a massive Trekkie so when I saw this I knew I just HAD to read it. TNG and Picard are some of my favorite things to come out of the Trekverse. I believe that this comic was very true to Jean Luc's character and it was fun seeing him with a full head of hair. The characters were engaging and I loved the little reveal about Q at the end. I'm hoping there are more of these planned in the future. I'd happily read them all!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2024
A fun and largely well-paced story with heart, but also profoundly challenging to read alongside previous knowledge of Star Trek: The Next Generation. From Picard’s interactions with Spock to the use of holodeck technology, not to mention the attempt to cram too many origin stories into a mere couple of days (Picard’s love of tea, saying “Engage,” saying “Make it so,” etc.) — in short, it felt frenzied and disconnected from the established universe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
Thank you IDW Publishing for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed reading this so much that I set up my new tablet to read it on a bigger screen. The art style wasn’t what I was expecting for a Picard story but it helps to convey that this is about a much younger Jean-Luc than the Captain we all know and love. I like the vibrant colors throughout and appreciate the consistency of how the characters are drawn. It’s clear who is who and the graphic novel medium means we get to meet characters of races not featured as much on tv.
This gives some interesting background on Picard and provides insights as to how and why he became who he did. It’s great to also see other Star Trek characters make an appearance. The guest professor is a treat and finding out at the end who’s been doing the commentary throughout was quite unexpected!
I enjoyed reading this so much that I set up my new tablet to read it on a bigger screen. The art style wasn’t what I was expecting for a Picard story but it helps to convey that this is about a much younger Jean-Luc than the Captain we all know and love. I like the vibrant colors throughout and appreciate the consistency of how the characters are drawn. It’s clear who is who and the graphic novel medium means we get to meet characters of races not featured as much on tv.
This gives some interesting background on Picard and provides insights as to how and why he became who he did. It’s great to also see other Star Trek characters make an appearance. The guest professor is a treat and finding out at the end who’s been doing the commentary throughout was quite unexpected!
October 16, 2024
A teen Picard at Starfleet Academy. It was a bit thin for me, but seems to be written to draw yound adults into the Star Trek universe. I think the characterization could have been done a little deeper. The surprise extra narrator just kind of annoyed me. It's not terrible, but I think it could have been better.
April 3, 2024
There should have been a disclaimer on this "FOR CHILDREN". The artwork looked like roughs for a poorly animated series and the story was quite predictable. Was it bad? No. Was it special or incredibly interesting? Also, no. Just a time filler.
January 13, 2025
A good backstory of Capt. Picard, fitting in perfectly with what was mentioned in the TV shows and various aspects of his character. I was disappointed we don't get the time he was stabbed, but the narration was fun, even if it does make the big "twist" at the end fairly obvious.
October 3, 2025
Leider ist das alles ziemlich magere Kost: die Zeichnungen, die Charaktere und der ziemlich platte Plot. Wenn man dann noch – ohne auf den Kanon achtzugeben – Spock bemühen muss und die Geschichte trotzdem nicht gerettet bekommt, dann ist schon so ziemlich alles schiefgelaufen.
March 16, 2024
(Read as comics)
September 17, 2024
I really wanted to enjoy this mini-series but it never felt like Picard. The art was great, but the story was weak and felt forced.
June 13, 2025
what do you MEAN this mid comic details the start of q's obsession with picard? WHAT
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2025
This is a positive 3 star review. I’m interested to see where this title goes and how characters develop. Nice story and art that is accessible and kid-friendly if not overtly cartoonish.
July 14, 2025
The art took some getting used to. Pretty safe story. Not really any interesting revelation about Picard.
June 26, 2024
Interesting enough. I liked reading more about Picard's academy days since we'd only gotten a few glimpses here and there in canon Trek. I was excited to see Boothby! And the twist with one of the characters at the end? Did not even predict that.
June 14, 2024
3.5
I've recently finished watching all of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard. This graphic novel, while being on the simpler side, stays pretty true to how Picard was depicted as a teenager in TNG. The overall story is fairly simple and with an easy-to-understand message. It was honestly pretty cute. I personally don't really like reading about Starfleet Academy stories, but this was fun. I was a little perplexed at the Betazoid character having a symbol on his forehead glow during a certain scene, cause uh, I don't think there's ever been a Betazoid with glowing facial markings? Though I haven't read all of the comics or novels, so who knows. The art style leans towards a simpler style, but I honestly didn't mind it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
I've recently finished watching all of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard. This graphic novel, while being on the simpler side, stays pretty true to how Picard was depicted as a teenager in TNG. The overall story is fairly simple and with an easy-to-understand message. It was honestly pretty cute. I personally don't really like reading about Starfleet Academy stories, but this was fun. I was a little perplexed at the Betazoid character having a symbol on his forehead glow during a certain scene, cause uh, I don't think there's ever been a Betazoid with glowing facial markings? Though I haven't read all of the comics or novels, so who knows. The art style leans towards a simpler style, but I honestly didn't mind it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
June 8, 2024
I am sucker for anything related to Starfleet Academy & a big fan of Maggs' writing so I had high expectations coming in. For starters, the art style was great, lovely use of colour, intricate backgrounds coupled with little bits of detail in the background characters which really bring the academy to life.
The first volume mainly focuses on an exam but we still get some slice of life in the first few issues. Overall it was a really enjoyable read, some sneaky cameos & a good dose of humour. Looking forward to volume two.
Thanks to Netgalley & IDW Publishing for the arc.
The first volume mainly focuses on an exam but we still get some slice of life in the first few issues. Overall it was a really enjoyable read, some sneaky cameos & a good dose of humour. Looking forward to volume two.
Thanks to Netgalley & IDW Publishing for the arc.
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