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Star Trek: Year Four - The Enterprise Experiment
Star Trek: Year Four - The Enterprise Experiment #1
IDW Publishing's Star Second Stage continues! Showcasing the top Trek writers in print, TV, and comics as IDW beings their second year under Starfleet command. This month, Star Trek legend Dorothy "D.C." Fontana takes the stage for her first-ever Star Trek comic book series. The writer from the original TV series, as well as The Animated Series, The Next Generation, and Deep Space Nine, is joined by partner Derek Chester (Star Legacy) for The Enterprise Experiment, an all-new series set in the unexplored fourth year of the U.S.S. Enterprise's legendary five-year mission. A sequel to the classic episode "The Enterprise Incident"-originally written by Fontana herself-where Kirk and Spock found themselves trapped on an Enterprise out of phase with space itself and facing a plot of revenge from Romulans!
26 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 16, 2008
52 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
D.C. Fontana
27 books36 followersDorothy Catherine "D. C." Fontana (born March 25, 1939) was an American television script writer and story editor, best known for her work on the original Star Trek franchise and several western television series. After she attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, she moved to New York City briefly to work for Screen Gems as a secretary, but soon moved to Los Angeles where she worked in the typing pool at Revue Studios. She became the secretary for Samuel A. Peeples, who she sold her first story, "A Bounty for Bill", for the series The Tall Man. Her initial work was credited under the name Dorothy C. Fontana.
After Peeples left the studio, she moved to work for Del Reisman, a producer on The Lieutenant. The show was created by Gene Roddenberry, and after his secretary fell ill, Fontana covered. The Lieutenant was cancelled after one season, and Roddenberry began working on Star Trek. He had her work up one of his ideas into the episode "Charlie X", and after she re-wrote "This Side of Paradise", he gave her the job of story editor. She continued in this post until the end of the second season when she wanted to pursue her freelance writing work. She was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for an episode of Then Came Bronson.
Roddenberry brought Fontana back to write for Genesis II, and then as story editor and associate producer on Star Trek: The Animated Series. During the 1970s she worked on a number of series such as Logan's Run, the Six Million Dollar Man and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Roddenberry hired her to work on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but while she was given an associate producer credit, the experience soured the relationship with Roddenberry and resulted in a claim put to the Writers Guild of America. She later wrote an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation as well as the plots for several of the franchise's video games, in addition to a comic story and an episode of the fan-made series Star Trek: New Voyages. She was awarded the Morgan Cox Award in 2002 by the Writers Guild of America, and named twice to the American Screenwriters Association's hall of fame.
D. C. Fontana died December 2, 2019, after a brief illness.
After Peeples left the studio, she moved to work for Del Reisman, a producer on The Lieutenant. The show was created by Gene Roddenberry, and after his secretary fell ill, Fontana covered. The Lieutenant was cancelled after one season, and Roddenberry began working on Star Trek. He had her work up one of his ideas into the episode "Charlie X", and after she re-wrote "This Side of Paradise", he gave her the job of story editor. She continued in this post until the end of the second season when she wanted to pursue her freelance writing work. She was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for an episode of Then Came Bronson.
Roddenberry brought Fontana back to write for Genesis II, and then as story editor and associate producer on Star Trek: The Animated Series. During the 1970s she worked on a number of series such as Logan's Run, the Six Million Dollar Man and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Roddenberry hired her to work on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but while she was given an associate producer credit, the experience soured the relationship with Roddenberry and resulted in a claim put to the Writers Guild of America. She later wrote an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation as well as the plots for several of the franchise's video games, in addition to a comic story and an episode of the fan-made series Star Trek: New Voyages. She was awarded the Morgan Cox Award in 2002 by the Writers Guild of America, and named twice to the American Screenwriters Association's hall of fame.
D. C. Fontana died December 2, 2019, after a brief illness.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 10, 2019
Look, I am giving it two stars because I'm that fan who prefers the stories where the main characters are more than simply Spock and Kirk.
But it is great that Fontana did this.
But it is great that Fontana did this.
December 13, 2024
There is so much about this novel I love. Let me break it down a bit for you--
It’s a comic of the Star Trek franchise, so I already love it.
Spock is a major character and remains his otherworldly, attractive, totally fascinating self (if my crush on him wasn’t obvious enough for you, let’s just say I’m in a constant state of Pon Farr of the female perspective for him!).
On a lesser note, Lieutenant Arex returns, if only briefly.
Scotty curses (I’m not sure why people of the 23RD century don’t curse much, but whenever they do, it makes them more human to me in a positive way.).
And the comic is a Year Four adaptation of the Enterprise’s five-year mission.
I felt giddy all over as I read this book because I’m obsessed with Star Trek and take pride in being a diehard Trekkie; I felt my body react to the attractive baritone vocals in my head whenever I read a quote in Leonard Nimoy’s voice; and I felt writer D. C. Fontana adapted Spock well into comic format as she did when writing him on the TV show adaptation from 1966 to 1969.
One of my favorite parts of this comic (besides, of course, the whole thing being my favorite thing ever just because it’s Star Trek) is that it’s the continuation of the ship’s five-year mission. I felt Gene Roddenberry could’ve pushed more in the 1960s for a fourth and fifth season to be adapted, but the bookish sort of continuation gives the series a flair I don’t quite understand, but somehow feels more timeless and realer to me—does that make sense?
The only scenes I disliked in reading this Star Trek comic were when Spock was hurt by the shockwave-like blast from the computer that made him bleed. Spock is the Vulcan husband of my dreams, and I don’t like seeing him hurt, whether it’s in a Star Trek episode, book, or comic… and even when I see well-done Spock cosplayers get hurt, I get emotional for .02 seconds before recomposing myself to be calm, cool, and level-headed! I wish I was kidding, but you’ve obviously never seen me at a Star Trek convention… Oh, and the other scene I disliked was seeing the female Romulan Commander who basically threw herself at Spock multiple times in the episode The Enterprise Incident. I tend to despise and show comical envy towards any woman, fictional or fangirl, who shows interest in my Vulcan dream husband.
This comic was indeed a page-turner, and my attention was totally undivided. When Star Trek anything-at-all is mentioned, nothing else matters until I insert myself into that topic of conversation, book, special edition DVD collection, or piece of merch my dad just gave me. This was no different, and I read this in less than thirty minutes, putting off sleep to finish rereading this awesome comic. The pace was perfect, and I appreciated the screen-time/page-time Lieutenant Arex got, as viewers of Star Trek don’t get to see him unless they watch the Animated Series from 1971 to 1972 (how do I know this? I’m a diehard Trekkie and proud nerd!). Anyways, I also liked the cliffhanger ending, where the female Romulan Commander was reintroduced, even though I despise her for obvious reasons. Cliffhanger in mind, I look forward to reading the sequel comics!
I would never rewrite anything of D. C. Fontana’s imagination turned episode or novel or comic book, so this is territory I won’t invade, but if I had input on a rewrite that didn’t dull the shine of something Dorothy created, I’d want to reveal a bit more of Spock’s private thoughts, like irritation from finding out the Romulan Commander is back in the picture. There’s nothing else I’d change, though, as this comic is perfect as-is, and I’ll happily go Red-Shirt and die on this hill, ha-ha!
Finishing my review--Star Trek, as a whole, never ceases to amaze me; I’m serious, any Star Trek episode, movie, book, or comic within the realm of the Original Series never ceases to thrill and fascinate me tenfold. I enjoyed this comic for so many reasons, the science was positively sci-fi in all the best ways (set phasers to stun and have photon torpedoes ready to fire!), and I look forward to reading the rest of Star Trek: Year Four quite soon in the future! Live long and prosper, fellow Trekkies!
It’s a comic of the Star Trek franchise, so I already love it.
Spock is a major character and remains his otherworldly, attractive, totally fascinating self (if my crush on him wasn’t obvious enough for you, let’s just say I’m in a constant state of Pon Farr of the female perspective for him!).
On a lesser note, Lieutenant Arex returns, if only briefly.
Scotty curses (I’m not sure why people of the 23RD century don’t curse much, but whenever they do, it makes them more human to me in a positive way.).
And the comic is a Year Four adaptation of the Enterprise’s five-year mission.
I felt giddy all over as I read this book because I’m obsessed with Star Trek and take pride in being a diehard Trekkie; I felt my body react to the attractive baritone vocals in my head whenever I read a quote in Leonard Nimoy’s voice; and I felt writer D. C. Fontana adapted Spock well into comic format as she did when writing him on the TV show adaptation from 1966 to 1969.
One of my favorite parts of this comic (besides, of course, the whole thing being my favorite thing ever just because it’s Star Trek) is that it’s the continuation of the ship’s five-year mission. I felt Gene Roddenberry could’ve pushed more in the 1960s for a fourth and fifth season to be adapted, but the bookish sort of continuation gives the series a flair I don’t quite understand, but somehow feels more timeless and realer to me—does that make sense?
The only scenes I disliked in reading this Star Trek comic were when Spock was hurt by the shockwave-like blast from the computer that made him bleed. Spock is the Vulcan husband of my dreams, and I don’t like seeing him hurt, whether it’s in a Star Trek episode, book, or comic… and even when I see well-done Spock cosplayers get hurt, I get emotional for .02 seconds before recomposing myself to be calm, cool, and level-headed! I wish I was kidding, but you’ve obviously never seen me at a Star Trek convention… Oh, and the other scene I disliked was seeing the female Romulan Commander who basically threw herself at Spock multiple times in the episode The Enterprise Incident. I tend to despise and show comical envy towards any woman, fictional or fangirl, who shows interest in my Vulcan dream husband.
This comic was indeed a page-turner, and my attention was totally undivided. When Star Trek anything-at-all is mentioned, nothing else matters until I insert myself into that topic of conversation, book, special edition DVD collection, or piece of merch my dad just gave me. This was no different, and I read this in less than thirty minutes, putting off sleep to finish rereading this awesome comic. The pace was perfect, and I appreciated the screen-time/page-time Lieutenant Arex got, as viewers of Star Trek don’t get to see him unless they watch the Animated Series from 1971 to 1972 (how do I know this? I’m a diehard Trekkie and proud nerd!). Anyways, I also liked the cliffhanger ending, where the female Romulan Commander was reintroduced, even though I despise her for obvious reasons. Cliffhanger in mind, I look forward to reading the sequel comics!
I would never rewrite anything of D. C. Fontana’s imagination turned episode or novel or comic book, so this is territory I won’t invade, but if I had input on a rewrite that didn’t dull the shine of something Dorothy created, I’d want to reveal a bit more of Spock’s private thoughts, like irritation from finding out the Romulan Commander is back in the picture. There’s nothing else I’d change, though, as this comic is perfect as-is, and I’ll happily go Red-Shirt and die on this hill, ha-ha!
Finishing my review--Star Trek, as a whole, never ceases to amaze me; I’m serious, any Star Trek episode, movie, book, or comic within the realm of the Original Series never ceases to thrill and fascinate me tenfold. I enjoyed this comic for so many reasons, the science was positively sci-fi in all the best ways (set phasers to stun and have photon torpedoes ready to fire!), and I look forward to reading the rest of Star Trek: Year Four quite soon in the future! Live long and prosper, fellow Trekkies!
May 29, 2023
3,5 estrelas
October 4, 2021
STAR TREK: YEAR FOUR: THE ENTERPRISE EXPERIMENT is a lengthy story containing a lot of fascinating stories involving cloaking devices, Romulans, intrigue, and Kor. It makes a lot of use of TOS female Romulan commander and the original series Klingons. We also have the Organians finally decide they have had enough trying to keep the Klingons and Federation from destroying one another. Plus Arex! I love Arex. He's such a fun character. I'm also always fond of the Romulan female commander who has been an inspiration for so many great Star Trek women over the years even though she never got a name.
Lots of good fun here. Plus it's DC Fontana, the Mother of Classic Star Trek.
Lots of good fun here. Plus it's DC Fontana, the Mother of Classic Star Trek.
September 13, 2025
Great writing, this is a fun new world for me. Good representation in a comic.
June 18, 2020
This series started as a pitch from the famous original series writer, D. C. Fontana, who was responsible for some of the best episodes in the original series. These several stories, all connected to one another, pick up threads from previous original series episodes but try to develop them into a unaired fourth season.
The story itself was okay but could have been more. Frankly, I think the fan fiction YouTube series, Star Trek Continues, has done one of the best jobs of capturing the original tone and spirit of the series while genuinely advancing the storytelling. Also, the art in this series was by no means terrible but neither was it anything to write home about.
The story itself was okay but could have been more. Frankly, I think the fan fiction YouTube series, Star Trek Continues, has done one of the best jobs of capturing the original tone and spirit of the series while genuinely advancing the storytelling. Also, the art in this series was by no means terrible but neither was it anything to write home about.
August 9, 2020
Good, classic Trek penned by a veteran Star Trek luminary. The story serves as both the beginning of a neat follow-up to the original "Enterprise Incident" and a nifty prelude to what we'll see in TNG's "The Next Phase" and "Pegasus" and contains enough small references to other classic TOS episodes (and even a reference to "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"!) to keep the hardcores happy. Fontana expertly crafts a tense yarn from the very first page and ratchets the tension all the way to the end.
November 15, 2020
Classic Trek to the Max
A great story by Matron Fontana and crew. Classic Trek fans will love the episode feel--the callbacks and plot, the character idiosyncrasies. Kudos to the artist for capturing everything from proper uniform design and color to the tiniest details. First class Classic Trek!
A great story by Matron Fontana and crew. Classic Trek fans will love the episode feel--the callbacks and plot, the character idiosyncrasies. Kudos to the artist for capturing everything from proper uniform design and color to the tiniest details. First class Classic Trek!
January 1, 2021
I read the entire 5 issue story (which does not appear to be on Goodreads). This is a fun Star Trek adventure from D.C. Fontana with plenty of fan service and interesting ideas that serve as a sequel to two episodes of the original series. One nice bonus of the full 5 issue graphic novel is the inclusion of D.C. Fontana's outline/proposal for the story itself. A nice way to round out the year.
December 1, 2020
Star Trek - Year Four... what might have been.
This is a fun little read. The author decided to include one of the characters from the animated series as well as the regulars. I’ll need to continue withe rest of the series.
This is a fun little read. The author decided to include one of the characters from the animated series as well as the regulars. I’ll need to continue withe rest of the series.
August 25, 2019
Yes, better than expected!
Thank you everyone who helped make this comic book. I'm ready for more of this series. Hope you will too. A fan!
Thank you everyone who helped make this comic book. I'm ready for more of this series. Hope you will too. A fan!
June 26, 2020
I love the original Star Trek💜
If you enjoy the original Star Trek, you will enjoy the comics. I find myself reading the story in their voices from the show! 😆
If you enjoy the original Star Trek, you will enjoy the comics. I find myself reading the story in their voices from the show! 😆
November 24, 2020
This was enjoyable and I look forward to reading more of the Star Trek graphic novels.
March 19, 2024
2 stars means "it was okay" and it was. Not horrible, not great, but it was okay.
July 27, 2021
Very much in the spirit of TOS - one could see these stories being filmed and broadcast
October 13, 2022
Another Great Addition
I am really enjoying these books, they are spot on with re feel of the old TV show. I like the artwork of Kirk and Spock, it's spot on.
I am really enjoying these books, they are spot on with re feel of the old TV show. I like the artwork of Kirk and Spock, it's spot on.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews