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Star Trek Classics #4
Beginnings
Set during the earliest voyages of “The Next Generation” series, join Picard, Riker, Data, Worf, Troi, Yar, and Laforge as they learn about each other and encounter: A de-powered Q who seeks refuge aboard the Enterprise as he attempts to learn what it means to be mortal; A world where warriors see battle as a child's game; A world with dark secrets that threaten both the ship and crew, and more.
152 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
31 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carlin
257 books9 followersMichael "Mike" Carlin is a comic book writer and editor. He has worked principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics since the 1970s.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 22, 2020
This was interesting to read. It was clearly written before TNG was really established. Deanna has magic voodoo powers and Data cried. It was very different from the show, but it kinda worked. I thought Tasha was a better character in this than she ever became on the series.
We take a deep dive into all things Next Generation in a special episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
We take a deep dive into all things Next Generation in a special episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
March 24, 2021
This was so bad it actually hurt.
December 26, 2019
WTH!
I just don’t know what was going on here.
This had nothing in common with the show or the ST Universe.
I just don’t know what was going on here.
This had nothing in common with the show or the ST Universe.
did-not-finish
October 30, 2025DNF at page 18 (11.84%)
Rating: NA
Nah. No please. Between the weird art style and all the blaring inaccuracies, I couldn't do it.
Rating: NA
Nah. No please. Between the weird art style and all the blaring inaccuracies, I couldn't do it.
July 12, 2025
These first TNG comics are more of a curiosity than a good read. For hardcore fans only, specifically those interested in the early incarnation of the show and how it differed from how it developed. Similar to the earliest TNG novels. Here, too, Troi and Data are most off-model, just like those books.
The bickering Bickleys, the annoying couple who are futuristically petty with galaxy-class obnoxiousness levels, add nothing to the proceedings. Whose idea was it to include scenes of an alien couple fighting about the stupidest shit in every single scene they’re in? They make James McRobb a sight for sore eyes. Someone should make a Star Trek: The Bickleys comedy comic.
Note to self: don’t ever re-read these issues ever again.
The bickering Bickleys, the annoying couple who are futuristically petty with galaxy-class obnoxiousness levels, add nothing to the proceedings. Whose idea was it to include scenes of an alien couple fighting about the stupidest shit in every single scene they’re in? They make James McRobb a sight for sore eyes. Someone should make a Star Trek: The Bickleys comedy comic.
Note to self: don’t ever re-read these issues ever again.
November 27, 2022
Diverting enough, in a way, but also really not good at all. It doesn't help that these comics were largely written before the series and characters were established, but that doesn't excuse the nonsensical plots.
January 14, 2024
I have just finished reading Star Trek: Classics vol.4: Beginnings by Mike Carlin and Pablo Marcos and I cannot even begin to express my disappointment with it. It's hard to fathom how severely different this TNG miniseries from 1988 was from the actual TNG ongoing comic DC would release just a year later in 1989. I'm so happy that I never read this mini as a kid because it would've turned me off from reading Star Trek comics. None of the characters act the way they should in these stories.
Data gets emotional more than once in this miniseries and he's an android without emotions on the show. His whole character arc on the show was to be more human. It took 7 years and 179 episodes before we would ever see Data display any type of emotions at all and that was only because he put Lore's emotion chip into his positronic brain in the first TNG feature film, Generations. Now, if Data had wound up with emotions in the first season of TNG, then his whole story arc for the series would've changed.
Who knows if Data would've even been the breakout character that he was? His character was extremely popular back then because of how childlike he was and how he always strived to be human and had an air of innocence to him. I know this because I watched TNG when it first aired. I started to religiously follow TNG in its fourth season.
I was 11 at the time. I became a full-fledged Trekkie a year later on the 25th anniversary in 1991 when I fell in love with TOS too and went full-on with reading everything that came out for Star Trek (books and comics) and also watching every show that came out and listening to the soundtracks and getting my hands on some of the Star Trek toys that came out back then. I'm still a Trekkie to this day thirty-two years later and that's why I can confidently say that these stories contained within this book do not read like TNG stories should. Captain Picard comes off like he's the Captain of the Love Boat in these stories.
Captain Picard would never allow people to bicker on the bridge of the Enterprise. The Captain Picard of that first season of TNG would throw people off his bridge for bickering or for even being there when they weren't supposed to be. And there's other things that are just wrong with the way that the TNG characters act in this miniseries. Even Q doesn't act or speak right.
In all different Q stories that I have read over the years, I can always picture John De Lancie and hear his voice. I can't hear his voice in the Q 3-parter story that's in this book. Even the Q Continuum comes off wrong. Because, in the many different episodes that they have appeared in throughout all the different Star Trek series, they believe that they're better than us because they've achieved a higher level of existence.
But, in the story found within this book, the Continuum envies us because we are not the baser creatures that Q constantly makes us out to be. That's the complete opposite of the way that the Q have acted towards us on screen and in canon. The only reason that I'm glad that I read this is because I am kind of a completist when it comes to Star Trek comics and this was the only TNG DC Comic that I hadn't read yet. Now that I have, I can guarantee I definitely will never re-read it again that's for sure 🙂🖖.
Data gets emotional more than once in this miniseries and he's an android without emotions on the show. His whole character arc on the show was to be more human. It took 7 years and 179 episodes before we would ever see Data display any type of emotions at all and that was only because he put Lore's emotion chip into his positronic brain in the first TNG feature film, Generations. Now, if Data had wound up with emotions in the first season of TNG, then his whole story arc for the series would've changed.
Who knows if Data would've even been the breakout character that he was? His character was extremely popular back then because of how childlike he was and how he always strived to be human and had an air of innocence to him. I know this because I watched TNG when it first aired. I started to religiously follow TNG in its fourth season.
I was 11 at the time. I became a full-fledged Trekkie a year later on the 25th anniversary in 1991 when I fell in love with TOS too and went full-on with reading everything that came out for Star Trek (books and comics) and also watching every show that came out and listening to the soundtracks and getting my hands on some of the Star Trek toys that came out back then. I'm still a Trekkie to this day thirty-two years later and that's why I can confidently say that these stories contained within this book do not read like TNG stories should. Captain Picard comes off like he's the Captain of the Love Boat in these stories.
Captain Picard would never allow people to bicker on the bridge of the Enterprise. The Captain Picard of that first season of TNG would throw people off his bridge for bickering or for even being there when they weren't supposed to be. And there's other things that are just wrong with the way that the TNG characters act in this miniseries. Even Q doesn't act or speak right.
In all different Q stories that I have read over the years, I can always picture John De Lancie and hear his voice. I can't hear his voice in the Q 3-parter story that's in this book. Even the Q Continuum comes off wrong. Because, in the many different episodes that they have appeared in throughout all the different Star Trek series, they believe that they're better than us because they've achieved a higher level of existence.
But, in the story found within this book, the Continuum envies us because we are not the baser creatures that Q constantly makes us out to be. That's the complete opposite of the way that the Q have acted towards us on screen and in canon. The only reason that I'm glad that I read this is because I am kind of a completist when it comes to Star Trek comics and this was the only TNG DC Comic that I hadn't read yet. Now that I have, I can guarantee I definitely will never re-read it again that's for sure 🙂🖖.
September 30, 2019
This collection takes place in the first season of the monumental series. Yar is still alive and well and things have not been firmly established yet. There were a few glaring inaccuracies, such as Data crying, being furious, and Deanna's empathic powers being a lot different than we know them to be, but the stories were all interesting, especially the ones with Q. I especially liked that once again, no one wanted to listen to young Wesley and he was right! The ending of the last story seemed a little off to me, I mean, how could Picard, in good conscious, leave all those people behind just because their leaders didn't think they should have a choice in the matter? It seemed a little out of character to me, but I digress. Overall, I did enjoy this volume.
August 15, 2018
A fun set of four intertwined stories with the Next Generation crew from Season 1 of Star Trek: TNG. I love that the characters in the graphic novel match perfectly with the faces and personalities that we already know.
A fun, quick and adventurous read to continue on different stories from some of my favorite sci fi characters.
A fun, quick and adventurous read to continue on different stories from some of my favorite sci fi characters.
March 17, 2023
Close to forty years past the premiere of The Next Generation, it's hard to remember just a gamble The Next Generation was back in 1987. After years of struggling to get a weekly series back on our airwaves, Gene Roddenberry finally had his wish and was returning to television and the day-to-day running of a Trek series.
And while Paramount had little control over whether or not the quality of a new Star Trek would be up to snuff, they could certainly make sure the public was aware of the series. This brings us to this collection of the six-issue DC limited series comic books based on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Reading them thirty-plus years later, they stand out as a bit of anachronistic.
It feels like writer Mark Carlin was given an early writer's bible to the show and based his stories and characterization on that. Data is a bit more emotional than we see in the series (at one point when Geordi is apparently killed, Data is ready to kill the person he considers responsible), Troi's abilities seem to include predicting the future (to the point that Picard defers to her on the make-up of a landing party) and Picard seems a bit sterner. In many ways, the first couple of issues feel like they were inspired by the same writer's guide that Diane Carey did for the first Pocket novel, "Ghost Ship."
The characters feel almost like the ones we will come to know, but there's something slightly off-kilter about them. Given that TNG is relatively new when the first issues were produced, having the characters stop to reflect on their backstory isn't necessarily worth taking points off. It's just one of those things that happen in comic books from time to time. (Well, at least comics of this era.)
The comics do provide an interesting "what if" glimpse into how Tasha Yar could have been developed. Denise Crosby left after the first season due to the feeling her character wasn't getting any decent scripts or character development. These comics make me wonder if the writing team for the TV series had taken a page from what we see here if Crosby might have stayed around a bit.
There's also an interest in bringing Q back and stripping him of his powers --something TNG would do in season three with great effect. It's interesting to see another writer get to there first and what he makes of the situation and its impact on Q.
Alas, these nuggets are the only gems of this otherwise disappointing collection of six issues. Carlin doubles down on the families on the Enterprise aspect of the series by giving us a bickering couple who work together at the ops station when the regular crew is off having adventures. Think the Bickersons but piloting the flag ship of the fleet. Then there is the second issue in which the crew visits a planet just in time for Christmas and pursues the spirit of Christmas -- who only Geordi can see with his visor and looks like just Santa Claus. Subtle, this ain't.
Given how good the DC run of original series tie-in comics could be, it's a shame that this limited series misses the mark so badly.
And yet, I read the entire collection through to the end. I'm not sure if this says something more about this collection or me. I leave that up to your discretion.
And while Paramount had little control over whether or not the quality of a new Star Trek would be up to snuff, they could certainly make sure the public was aware of the series. This brings us to this collection of the six-issue DC limited series comic books based on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Reading them thirty-plus years later, they stand out as a bit of anachronistic.
It feels like writer Mark Carlin was given an early writer's bible to the show and based his stories and characterization on that. Data is a bit more emotional than we see in the series (at one point when Geordi is apparently killed, Data is ready to kill the person he considers responsible), Troi's abilities seem to include predicting the future (to the point that Picard defers to her on the make-up of a landing party) and Picard seems a bit sterner. In many ways, the first couple of issues feel like they were inspired by the same writer's guide that Diane Carey did for the first Pocket novel, "Ghost Ship."
The characters feel almost like the ones we will come to know, but there's something slightly off-kilter about them. Given that TNG is relatively new when the first issues were produced, having the characters stop to reflect on their backstory isn't necessarily worth taking points off. It's just one of those things that happen in comic books from time to time. (Well, at least comics of this era.)
The comics do provide an interesting "what if" glimpse into how Tasha Yar could have been developed. Denise Crosby left after the first season due to the feeling her character wasn't getting any decent scripts or character development. These comics make me wonder if the writing team for the TV series had taken a page from what we see here if Crosby might have stayed around a bit.
There's also an interest in bringing Q back and stripping him of his powers --something TNG would do in season three with great effect. It's interesting to see another writer get to there first and what he makes of the situation and its impact on Q.
Alas, these nuggets are the only gems of this otherwise disappointing collection of six issues. Carlin doubles down on the families on the Enterprise aspect of the series by giving us a bickering couple who work together at the ops station when the regular crew is off having adventures. Think the Bickersons but piloting the flag ship of the fleet. Then there is the second issue in which the crew visits a planet just in time for Christmas and pursues the spirit of Christmas -- who only Geordi can see with his visor and looks like just Santa Claus. Subtle, this ain't.
Given how good the DC run of original series tie-in comics could be, it's a shame that this limited series misses the mark so badly.
And yet, I read the entire collection through to the end. I'm not sure if this says something more about this collection or me. I leave that up to your discretion.
January 28, 2023
The first run of DC Comics' series based on the (then) new Star Trek TV series. Here we see Captain Picard and the Enterprise-D crew face numerous strange alien perils, as well as running afoul of their old nemesis Q.
When these comics began to be published, TNG was still very new and, as a result, the writer here clearly didn't have much idea of the themes or characters of the show beyond the very surface level. With Next Generation being my favourite iteration of Trek and Picard being my favourite Captain, it's therefore a huge disappointment to see it all so badly misrepresented.
Not sure what I mean? Well, get ready for a version of Data who expresses his excitement at the start of every mission and flies into a rage and attempts to murder Q. Not weird enough? Well then, now we've got a version of Counsellor Troi's whose vague telepathic/empathic powers of the TV series have been elevated to near-omniscience, to the point that she overrules her superior officers to forbid Data and Geordi from going on an away-mission.
But the problems are not only about how wrong the familiar elements are here. There are huge tonal shifts across the book that make different sub-stories feel like they're from totally different franchises (none of which are 'Star Trek: The Next Generation').
For example, one of the stories has all the crew celebrating Christmas when the Enterprise is invaded by a mysterious energy being who turns out to literally be the spirit of Christmas (Geordi can see it through his visor and it looks like Santa) and is being pursued by a race of green furry aliens who are clearly references to the Grinch. At the other end of the scale, we have flashbacks to Tasha Yar's childhood on the tough streets of a poor colony world, wherein she's raped as a girl. Because that's something that the writer thought a Star Trek comic needed.
The one redeeming element of this book, and the only reason I'm not rating it lower, is the interactions between Picard and Q.
Q is represented with just the right amount of manipulative arrogance and, much better, Picard has just the right amount of 'no time for Q's BS' in his attitude. These were the only two characters in this book whose dialogue sounded like the actors (the brilliant Sir Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie) in my head.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
When these comics began to be published, TNG was still very new and, as a result, the writer here clearly didn't have much idea of the themes or characters of the show beyond the very surface level. With Next Generation being my favourite iteration of Trek and Picard being my favourite Captain, it's therefore a huge disappointment to see it all so badly misrepresented.
Not sure what I mean? Well, get ready for a version of Data who expresses his excitement at the start of every mission and flies into a rage and attempts to murder Q. Not weird enough? Well then, now we've got a version of Counsellor Troi's whose vague telepathic/empathic powers of the TV series have been elevated to near-omniscience, to the point that she overrules her superior officers to forbid Data and Geordi from going on an away-mission.
But the problems are not only about how wrong the familiar elements are here. There are huge tonal shifts across the book that make different sub-stories feel like they're from totally different franchises (none of which are 'Star Trek: The Next Generation').
For example, one of the stories has all the crew celebrating Christmas when the Enterprise is invaded by a mysterious energy being who turns out to literally be the spirit of Christmas (Geordi can see it through his visor and it looks like Santa) and is being pursued by a race of green furry aliens who are clearly references to the Grinch. At the other end of the scale, we have flashbacks to Tasha Yar's childhood on the tough streets of a poor colony world, wherein she's raped as a girl. Because that's something that the writer thought a Star Trek comic needed.
The one redeeming element of this book, and the only reason I'm not rating it lower, is the interactions between Picard and Q.
Q is represented with just the right amount of manipulative arrogance and, much better, Picard has just the right amount of 'no time for Q's BS' in his attitude. These were the only two characters in this book whose dialogue sounded like the actors (the brilliant Sir Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie) in my head.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
August 21, 2019
Lt. Yar is on the Enterprise so this takes place early in the ST:TNG series. The Enterprise gets to a planet and is fired upon. Riker wants to meet the people who fired upon the ship. It doesn't occur to him that perhaps the smarter way at the moment would be to send down some drones to check things out remotely before sending down anyone in person.
Most of the story involves Yar's background and the horror that was her life on the colony. That same horror is now after her and it's going to take everything inside her, along with some help from her friends, to see if she can survive this latest difficulty in her life.
(By the way, I think the television episode where she was killed by a goo-monster was probably one of the worst if not the worst ST:TNG ever did. If they wanted to get rid of the character then they should have had her die nobly in some manner.)
The other theme in the story is Q who shows up and tries to mess up everything yet again. He tries to goad the crew into attacking the aliens and his behavior gets to be way out of control, even for him. He may even kill one of the members of the crew.
Q is judging humans all the time yet he forgets the saying 'judge not, lest ye be judged.' Karma ends up biting him in the rear.
It's a very good, thought-provoking story.
Most of the story involves Yar's background and the horror that was her life on the colony. That same horror is now after her and it's going to take everything inside her, along with some help from her friends, to see if she can survive this latest difficulty in her life.
(By the way, I think the television episode where she was killed by a goo-monster was probably one of the worst if not the worst ST:TNG ever did. If they wanted to get rid of the character then they should have had her die nobly in some manner.)
The other theme in the story is Q who shows up and tries to mess up everything yet again. He tries to goad the crew into attacking the aliens and his behavior gets to be way out of control, even for him. He may even kill one of the members of the crew.
Q is judging humans all the time yet he forgets the saying 'judge not, lest ye be judged.' Karma ends up biting him in the rear.
It's a very good, thought-provoking story.
February 7, 2018
I usually attempt to do some research before purchasing a book or a graphic novel, but now and again I will make a purchase on impulse. (Pardon the pun). In this case, while at a convention I saw this collection of the first 6 issues of the DC Star Trek the Next Generation comic. With an introduction by Michael Okuda, how bad could it be? Well, my first hint came when in the introduction, Michael states that they missed the mark, but held out hope they would improve. That was the highlight of this volume.
I remember reading Gold Key comics when I was a boy and they used characters and settings from some licenses, but there the resemblance usually ended. The same can be said here. While the Enterprise Crew members are there, they bear little or no resemblance to their television counterparts. Seeing Data cry in frustration while pummeling Q or the Humans, Klingons, and all of the mixed races on board celebrating Christmas (Can you say Star Wars Christmas Special?) should be a hint to the epic miss this collection represents. No, this is not so bad it is good, it is just plain bad. Give it a miss and use your money to buy a Riker bobble-head. You will be glad you did.
I remember reading Gold Key comics when I was a boy and they used characters and settings from some licenses, but there the resemblance usually ended. The same can be said here. While the Enterprise Crew members are there, they bear little or no resemblance to their television counterparts. Seeing Data cry in frustration while pummeling Q or the Humans, Klingons, and all of the mixed races on board celebrating Christmas (Can you say Star Wars Christmas Special?) should be a hint to the epic miss this collection represents. No, this is not so bad it is good, it is just plain bad. Give it a miss and use your money to buy a Riker bobble-head. You will be glad you did.
June 17, 2023
I'm not a big fan of TNG, having lost interest after the first season when it started to become the 'sitting around and talking for an hour' show.
Too there were other changes made after the first season, such as changing the uniforms.
Interestingly, a uniform variant in this book is unseen onscreen, a unisex leotard variant. We primarily see this variant with the argumentative Bickley couple, whom I wondered how they made it through Starfleet.
I didn't mind that addition to the ship's wardrobe, but I found the helmets some security officers wore a cheesy addition. Glad we never saw those onscreen.
Data cries before he does so in the movie Generations. We even see him getting enraged when his friend Geordi comes to harm. But overall, the crew (and, in some cases, their likeness) successfully makes it to the pages.
The first story, titled 'Where No One Has Gone Before,' written before the same-titled episode during the same season, centers around a civilization where the people age backward ~ not unlike what we would see in the Star Trek: Voyager episode 'Innocence.'
The second story, 'Spirit in the Sky,' is a Christmas-themed story where the Enterprise comes across said the spirit in space, followed by another species following it.
Picard (and Riker) makes a wrong decision, not unlike Kirk in the episode 'Space Seed,' and allows the aliens looking for this spirit free access to the ship.
It needs clarification as to why these renegade aliens are so hellbent on capturing this spirit, and it requires an explanation of where this spirit comes from and why it takes the guise of Santa Claus.
Especially since Geordi, as the only one to physically see this spirit through his VISOR, sees the Santa Clause.
Hence, this second story was the first weak one for me.
The third, fourth, and fifth stories, 'Q Factor' and 'Q's Day' and 'Q Effects,' brings back Q.
This story takes place after the episode 'Hide & Q' since there are references to that episode.
Here Q is testing Picard and crew again, bringing someone from Tasha Yar's past. Since Q is working independently, he loses his powers since the other Q doesn't like that, which would happen later in the live-action series.
Q tries to commit suicide and manages to phaser Geordi into critical condition. However, Geordi makes it out alive courtesy of the Q once they see how Tasha Yar shows diplomacy in handling the man from her past.
Q, the John de Lancie being, also gets his powers back.
These couple of stories is a jumble of confusion. For example, why did Q get someone specifically for Tasha when he just wanted to test the crew again randomly? Yet, the Q people are the Enterprise crew through trials themselves.
The sixth and final story, 'Here Today,' has the Enterprise assigned to investigate the planet Faltos, located farther than any starship has been.
The high-Starfleet official assigning them to this mission is an Andorian wearing the uniforms from the movies (i.e., Wrath of Khan to the first part of Generations.
It's not far-fetched. There might be some ships with crews wearing specific uniforms. The game Star Trek Online allows players to wear uniforms of their making or from any era. And Star Trek: Lower Decks has specific crews wearing uniforms depending on the ship class they're a part of.
Even in the Kirk era, some officers wore the 'Pike-era' turtleneck uniforms while others wore the black collar uniforms.
Anywho, Faltor is a benevolent planet with some ties to the crystalline entity seen in 'Datalore.' The three leaders of this planet, one of which is a Klingon, tell Picard they cannot leave.
This entry has some shades of the animated episode 'Time Trap,' where the council of a secluded place had leaders from different species and races that probably would have been warring.
While one is a Klingon, another of these leaders is named Bele, one of his face painted white while the other is painted black. The movie does not mention if his planet is named Cheron, but as a Trek fan, I'm sure this book's character draws inspiration from the Frank Gorshin role from the episode 'Let This Be Your Last Battlefield.'
It could be clearer why Starfleet wants the Enterprise to visit this planet. They know Data has a connection since he takes over the ship to lead them to Faltor.
It also needs to be clarified how the crystalline entity and Dr. Soong, Data's creator, had a connection to the planet. Only Soong knew someone that escaped and put it in Data's memory banks ~ which is how the crew can escape from the world.
However, one of the leaders can somehow siphon the information from Data across space, so no one knows how to trace it back to Faltor.
We see Chief Argyle's appearance in 'Datalore,' 'Lonely Among Us,' and 'Where No One Has Gone Before' (the live-action episode).
So, overall, only one story is close to solid. The others are an interesting read, but they needed work.
Yes, they were working on earlier versions of the characters, but whether it's earlier or established characters, there still needs to be a good story and plot. I mean: Alan Dean Foster created an iconic novel (at least to Star Wars fans ) with Splinter of the Mind's Eye, and that was a supposed sequel to the first Star Wars film and dealing with early versions of Luke, Leia, and Darth Vader.
I digress.
Even though the first season is my favorite, and I like the depictions of the characters and the uniform variants (though not those security helmets!), the stories could have done them justice.
** out of the *****
Too there were other changes made after the first season, such as changing the uniforms.
Interestingly, a uniform variant in this book is unseen onscreen, a unisex leotard variant. We primarily see this variant with the argumentative Bickley couple, whom I wondered how they made it through Starfleet.
I didn't mind that addition to the ship's wardrobe, but I found the helmets some security officers wore a cheesy addition. Glad we never saw those onscreen.
Data cries before he does so in the movie Generations. We even see him getting enraged when his friend Geordi comes to harm. But overall, the crew (and, in some cases, their likeness) successfully makes it to the pages.
The first story, titled 'Where No One Has Gone Before,' written before the same-titled episode during the same season, centers around a civilization where the people age backward ~ not unlike what we would see in the Star Trek: Voyager episode 'Innocence.'
The second story, 'Spirit in the Sky,' is a Christmas-themed story where the Enterprise comes across said the spirit in space, followed by another species following it.
Picard (and Riker) makes a wrong decision, not unlike Kirk in the episode 'Space Seed,' and allows the aliens looking for this spirit free access to the ship.
It needs clarification as to why these renegade aliens are so hellbent on capturing this spirit, and it requires an explanation of where this spirit comes from and why it takes the guise of Santa Claus.
Especially since Geordi, as the only one to physically see this spirit through his VISOR, sees the Santa Clause.
Hence, this second story was the first weak one for me.
The third, fourth, and fifth stories, 'Q Factor' and 'Q's Day' and 'Q Effects,' brings back Q.
This story takes place after the episode 'Hide & Q' since there are references to that episode.
Here Q is testing Picard and crew again, bringing someone from Tasha Yar's past. Since Q is working independently, he loses his powers since the other Q doesn't like that, which would happen later in the live-action series.
Q tries to commit suicide and manages to phaser Geordi into critical condition. However, Geordi makes it out alive courtesy of the Q once they see how Tasha Yar shows diplomacy in handling the man from her past.
Q, the John de Lancie being, also gets his powers back.
These couple of stories is a jumble of confusion. For example, why did Q get someone specifically for Tasha when he just wanted to test the crew again randomly? Yet, the Q people are the Enterprise crew through trials themselves.
The sixth and final story, 'Here Today,' has the Enterprise assigned to investigate the planet Faltos, located farther than any starship has been.
The high-Starfleet official assigning them to this mission is an Andorian wearing the uniforms from the movies (i.e., Wrath of Khan to the first part of Generations.
It's not far-fetched. There might be some ships with crews wearing specific uniforms. The game Star Trek Online allows players to wear uniforms of their making or from any era. And Star Trek: Lower Decks has specific crews wearing uniforms depending on the ship class they're a part of.
Even in the Kirk era, some officers wore the 'Pike-era' turtleneck uniforms while others wore the black collar uniforms.
Anywho, Faltor is a benevolent planet with some ties to the crystalline entity seen in 'Datalore.' The three leaders of this planet, one of which is a Klingon, tell Picard they cannot leave.
This entry has some shades of the animated episode 'Time Trap,' where the council of a secluded place had leaders from different species and races that probably would have been warring.
While one is a Klingon, another of these leaders is named Bele, one of his face painted white while the other is painted black. The movie does not mention if his planet is named Cheron, but as a Trek fan, I'm sure this book's character draws inspiration from the Frank Gorshin role from the episode 'Let This Be Your Last Battlefield.'
It could be clearer why Starfleet wants the Enterprise to visit this planet. They know Data has a connection since he takes over the ship to lead them to Faltor.
It also needs to be clarified how the crystalline entity and Dr. Soong, Data's creator, had a connection to the planet. Only Soong knew someone that escaped and put it in Data's memory banks ~ which is how the crew can escape from the world.
However, one of the leaders can somehow siphon the information from Data across space, so no one knows how to trace it back to Faltor.
We see Chief Argyle's appearance in 'Datalore,' 'Lonely Among Us,' and 'Where No One Has Gone Before' (the live-action episode).
So, overall, only one story is close to solid. The others are an interesting read, but they needed work.
Yes, they were working on earlier versions of the characters, but whether it's earlier or established characters, there still needs to be a good story and plot. I mean: Alan Dean Foster created an iconic novel (at least to Star Wars fans ) with Splinter of the Mind's Eye, and that was a supposed sequel to the first Star Wars film and dealing with early versions of Luke, Leia, and Darth Vader.
I digress.
Even though the first season is my favorite, and I like the depictions of the characters and the uniform variants (though not those security helmets!), the stories could have done them justice.
** out of the *****
February 28, 2020
Famously emotionless, Data is "excited" through the first story, he has "adrenal fluid", not to mention a "built-in tricorder". He's "nervous" in the second story... about Christmas! Picard immediately broadcasts a signal at an unknown alien race in the first story, contra the Prime Directive; on the other hand in the second story he doesn't bother to change his plans to leave the bridge during a shift change when another new alien ship appears. And these new aliens, when they remove their masks, are indisputably ripoffs of the Grinch (it's a Christmas story...) How does stuff like this get made? Had anyone involved ever seen the show?
April 20, 2020
This book is very, very strange. Data is emotional, Troi can predict things, Yar is very important, Q becomes a suicidal human being, people talk about praying to God, and the crew (and everyone in the galaxy) celebrates Christmas by finding the spirit of Santa in space.
Beyond that, its extremely wordy and the artwork is liney in that late '80s/early '90s way that has not aged well.
It's best viewed as a glimpse into some alternate universe TNG crew.
Beyond that, its extremely wordy and the artwork is liney in that late '80s/early '90s way that has not aged well.
It's best viewed as a glimpse into some alternate universe TNG crew.
July 30, 2022
These comics are mainly valuable as nostalgia. The initial stories are weak and the characters completely off - Picard throws temper tantrums, Troi predicts the future, and Data likes to get his adrenaline flowing - but one can seethe authors and artists struggling to find the show at the same time the show was struggling to find itself. While there are growing pains throughout the stories seem more TNG and the characters more themselves as the issues continue.
November 24, 2019
This adventure is mostly set in the early days of the show (e.g. pre-beard Riker and Tasha Yar is still security chief), so it's hard to fully embrace the story given more conventional knowledge of the TNG crew is of the later seasons, thus after a LOT of character development. It's decent but definitely carries the weight of it being a "classic" story.
October 13, 2020
It was fine - like another commentator said, it is clearly very early in the series when this was written. Picard is even angrier than he was in the series and the stories are a bit boring. It's fitting, of course, because the first 3 seasons of TNG were PAINFUL, but you would think that there were better TNG comics to re-release as a compilation.
January 18, 2019
This is a strange compendium.
May 30, 2021
Pretty goofy and definitely not aligned with what TNG would become, but an interesting read nonetheless. Reminded me of the old Gold Key Trek comics.
September 30, 2025
It’s okay
It’s a storyline that would fit in with the first half of the first season of TNG. Not great and I would skip these episodes if they were on TV.
It’s a storyline that would fit in with the first half of the first season of TNG. Not great and I would skip these episodes if they were on TV.
April 27, 2024
Meh. I just couldn't get into this one. Almost gave up on it. The style was odd and cringy (American superhero style?). Characters acted out of character and their lines were odd. I didn't like the nonsense dramatics or the plot. It odd that my local library had this.
December 4, 2016
These stories were written while TNG season 1 was being made, and without much cohesion there were bound to be misunderstandings of how to write the characters. Deanna is a bit overpowered. Data is more emotional than one would expect. Picard punches Q, which is acknowledged in a DS9 episode as something that Picard has never done. These might as well be within another parallel universe since the chronology doesn't really line up with the show. The first story takes place between series premiere "Encounter at Farpoint" and "The Naked Now," and the rest would take place between season 2 premiere "The Child" and "Where Silence Has Lease" despite Tasha Yar and Beverly Crusher being present. I also got annoyed by the bickering Bickley couple. Glad they were never characters on the show. And were readers really expected to believe that Geordi would be killed off? And there's the silliness of the Santa Claus shaped spirit of Christmas coming to the ship. The three-parter about Q does make me wish that there could've been a long arc of Q being powerless and having no choice but to serve the crew of the Enterprise. Alas, it is too late for that...in the Prime Timeline, at least.
November 19, 2013
This is a collection of comic book stories first published in 1988. They were written around the time of the first season of Star Trek:TNG, and you can tell. Deanna's abilities are all over the place, Picard is very very grumpy. Wesley is never let on the bridge, and is always getting on someone's nerves... The show and characters didn't find 'their footing' until season two and three IMO.
Still these stories are fun to read, and are good. They remind us of the show's start and how it changed.
The 2nd story here "Spirit In The Sky" had to be read to be believed! The entire idea is "out there" and I had to double check, to make sure I was seeing/reading it correctly. All I'll say is, it will remind you of a popular Dr. Seuss story-and that IS the intent. There is a 3 part story about "Q"(part of the plot beats the show, which had the same idea, later)Very good, if predictable.
Overall, a good read!
Still these stories are fun to read, and are good. They remind us of the show's start and how it changed.
The 2nd story here "Spirit In The Sky" had to be read to be believed! The entire idea is "out there" and I had to double check, to make sure I was seeing/reading it correctly. All I'll say is, it will remind you of a popular Dr. Seuss story-and that IS the intent. There is a 3 part story about "Q"(part of the plot beats the show, which had the same idea, later)Very good, if predictable.
Overall, a good read!
May 30, 2022
Ok science fiction. But not Star Trek.
The stories and artwork were reminiscent of comic book science fiction of the 1950s & 1960s. But it was readily apparent that this comic's creators knew a little about the form of Star Trek but nothing about the substance.
The character's reactions to almost every situation and their interactions with each other were inconsistent with those character's personalities as established by the original TV show writers and by the actors who portrayed them, in novels, and in other (better written) comic books.
The stories and artwork were reminiscent of comic book science fiction of the 1950s & 1960s. But it was readily apparent that this comic's creators knew a little about the form of Star Trek but nothing about the substance.
The character's reactions to almost every situation and their interactions with each other were inconsistent with those character's personalities as established by the original TV show writers and by the actors who portrayed them, in novels, and in other (better written) comic books.
June 9, 2014
This reprints DC Comic's issues one through six of ST:TNG. It didn't take me long to realize I have read these before....I own the original issues.
July 12, 2017
I really didn't care for this volume. The dialogue was completely unrealistic for the characters. Kinda ruined it for me.
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