Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Space Between

Star Trek: The Next Generation (IDW) #1

by David Tischman, Casey Maloney (Artist)

Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation with this all-new relaunch of the Star Trek franchise in comics. In the first collection of this special mini-series, travel to Tigan-7, Kandom 9, uncharted space, and more - each leading the dedicated crew of the Starship Enterprise into unexpected adventures. If you enjoyed watching Star Trek: The Next Generation on television, get ready for the comics adventure you've been waiting for.

Genres: Star Trek, Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction, Fiction, Comics Manga, Star Trek The Next Generation

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 26, 2007

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Commander Riker – make sure you wipe your feet before you beam up”!

A series of vignettes and episodes from both The Next Generation and The Original Series that, considered individually, would rate 2-stars to 5-stars. But the art throughout the entire collection is uninspiring, on occasion difficult to interpret, and definitely much less than I would hope for in a collection like this. I’d rate the collection overall as a moderately enjoyable 3 stars.

My favourite “moment” in the entire collection was a single panel that demonstrated the “friendship” between Data and Tasha Yar, that evoked the question as to what “friendship” means to a sentient android, and that caused this long term Star Trek fan to fondly recall Tasha Yar’s delight in discovering that Data was “fully functional” in every human male ability.

Paul Weiss

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love TNG! I think the issues in this trade were supposed to be interconnected, but it was really hard to see the continuity. Some of the adventures were fun, but the art could use work. I'm hoping the other TNG years I have are a bit better.

[Andrew Beet · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it i liked that some of the stories linked in with the last two stories. the artwork was good not brilliant. the stories were good as well. the space between is a story i will no doubt read again

[Mervi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of one-shot TNG adventures from various seasons.

The first story is called “History Lesson” and it’s set during the first season, with Tasha Yar as security chief. A traditionally isolated planet called Tigan wants to join the Federation. Riker, Yar, and Data beam down to talk with the chancellor. Data notices that their escort has a computer interface implanted on him. Apparently everyone on Tigan has one. When the trio reaches the chancellor, problems begin. The chancellor is a different person than whom they were supposed to meet and an energy pulse attacks the Enterprise.

The second story, “Captain’s Pleasure”, is set during the fifth season, after Unification I and II. For a week, Picard has joined an archaeological group led by an old friend Dr. Marjorie Devarona. The dig is on a planet with unique atmosphere so that the ships can’t get good readings from orbit. The group finds an old Federation shuttle pod and a few skeletons. They also find five strange diamonds which emit a harmonic sound. Immediately, everyone except Picard begins to dream what they could do with the money they could get from the gems. (Apparently even in “money free” Federation you need the equivalent of money to finance archaeological digs and hospitals. Well, ok, the hospitals will be on Bajor. But still...) The next morning, Marjorie has been murdered, phasers are gone, and the com isn’t working.

Meanwhile, back on the Enterprise-D Deanna finds Beverly’s hobby: dancing disco on the holodeck.

The third story “Strategy” is set during the seventh season, near the end of it. An unknown vessel attacks Enterprise out of the blue. Both Enterprise and the other vessel are heavily damaged and end up staying near each other to make repairs. Deanna was almost fatally injured in the fight. The alien ship seems to be made up of several different cultures’ parts and the Enterprise isn’t able to scan it.

In “Light of the Day”, Ro Laren, Geordi, and Worf are returning to the Enterprise on a shuttle. Of course, a massive solar wave hit the shuttle, they crash on an icy part of a planet. They find a monastery nearby but it’s omniously empty and start to investigate. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is taking general Ghud to stand trial for murder of millions of people. Ghud claims that’s he’s “seen the light” or had a philosophical transformation which makes his crimes irrelevant. However, when he hears about the missing crewmen, he volunteers to search for them because he was an engineer before he became a despot. The increased solar activity makes it very hard for the Enterprise’s sensors to find the mission trio and they can’t miss the beginning of the trial or Ghud would be automatically set free. But can Picard trust him?

“Space Seeds” is set during the second season. It starts with one of my favorite recurring scenes: a poker game. The Enterprise has been called to the Armada, which is an agricultural colony in an asteroid belt. Their crops have started to fail. While Picard and Data investigate the problem, Wesley meets some of the very bored local kids.

The final issue “An Inconvenient Truth” tries to tie up these stories together. It’s an interesting idea but unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. Besides, it leaves open a conspiracy inside Federation and on the highest levels of Starfleet. Truthfully, I prefer Trek to be optimistic and idealized, so I usually don’t like the conspiracy nor do I care for Section 31. (I’d actually very much like someone to follow up on the first season episode “Conspiracy” but nobody ever does.)

This was mostly enjoyable, if mostly forgettable collection of one shots. I loved seeing Tasha Yar, though.

[Eduardo Vardheren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gustó que la manejaran como historias intermedias entre algunos episodios; pero que las fueran hilando en una historia independiente.

[Matteo Fulgheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mediocre at best...

[Jeff Schmitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

My least favorite of the collection so far. Not a fan of the art at all. Like the idea of stories from between the televised seasons, but this one just didn't connect with me

[Elliot · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a little more "look at all the different times we had in Next Gen" and a little less "good plotting" than I had hoped for.

[Jef · Rating 3 out of 5]

My bias is very pro ST, all properties. My initial reaction is that the art work was a little below the standard I’ve come to expect from graphic novels today. The artist’s work is certainly adequate to the task, it’s just that I’ve come to favor something closer to photo-real, or at least resembling the actors who created the characters in the minds of 99% of the population. These characters feature only a few of the highlights; baldness, skin tone, scape ridges, red hair, etc.
The stories are pretty good and I loved the author’s effort to draw it all together (Easter eggs) at the end. There were some great beats (Picard on an archeological expedition...), but a few times a line so significantly misses the character voice as to be the proverbial sore thumb. Anytime I see this I just sort of shake my head and fantasize that had I been the editor and just provided this “nip” or that “tuck” here or there, that it would have been excellent! Looks like I’m a bit narcissistic and I guess some of that comes from 50 years of ST fandom. I liked the book, was glad I read it, and certainly feel it has enough merit to recommend to other fans.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Volume 5 of the Star Trek Graphic Novel Collection.
Here we get a series of vignettes telling tales set between the onscreen adventures of TNG and a throwback story in which Kirk and his crew investigate a planet surrounded by mysterious rings.

The vignette stories, from across the timeline of all seven season of The Next Generation, have spot-on depictions of the iconic Enterprise-D crew. Apart from that, however, they're pretty random and disordered. This makes for a distinctly unsatisfying reading experience and the hints of a unifying storyline never really come together. They're not bad, they're just not as interesting as a properly-plotted single-story graphic novel could've been.
This was IDW's first run at TNG comics and, honestly, I'm not impressed.

The throwback story from 1969 is bland, inoffensive and totally forgettable.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Taaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

By the style of art I would have suspected it to be from somewhen during the first run of TNG, but this comic is only 13 years old? That’s a pity, because there are some racist elements. Also, a holodeck programme with a character that is known to harass women? How is that not only legal but also tolerated without question even among female officers? I’m rather shocked those passed the editors even in the 21st century.

Apart from that the comic book feels like there is a lot missing within each story, but also between them (as some of them seem to belong together). Most of the plots have illogical elements, seem too rushed and lack proper introspection of characters in their respective situations. This reads more like some notes for future stories that still need some fleshing out and a LOT of plot hole fixing.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I read these originally when they came out in single issues, but I can’t remember. I really enjoyed the first 4 and 1/2 issues. The last little bit of issue 5 and all of 6 just doesn’t fit. At first the issues or chapter feel like stand alone adventures very much in the still that next gen was shown on tv. They were fun little snap shot adventures through out the show. Then at the end of chapter 5 they try and tie them all together. Why? It made chapter six feel weird. If anything they need a lot more to explain how everything was connected because I didn’t see it very well after reading it.
Tre art was nice and fluid. The covers for the issues or chapters were beautiful. All and all I enjoyed 5/6 of this comic a lot.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is noted as the first graphic novel of the Next Generation series since the show had aired. It is fun to look at the different stories and if you know the show then you can tell what 'season' the graphic novel story is from by how the characters are looking!

The one negative thing I would say is that is seemed like they left a really huge overarching story arc and I do not know if it continued in another graphic novel series or what. Regardless a fun read, especially if you are a Star Trek fan!!

[Lungkisser · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 mini-episodes set across the entirety of TNG with a final issue that attempts to say the five seemingly completely separate stories were connected - which was just awful. The first five are pretty great though. Like all good beta Trek that character's dialogue sounds like you can hear the actor's talking. Some fun references, especially the shuttlepod in Captain's Pleasure. Nothing groundbreaking but all fun (until that finale issue anyway).

I'd have given the whole 6 issue run a 4 until that last one. Still, a 3-3.5.

[Corina · Rating 1 out of 5]

No No no. Data looks like a melting candle, Worf ran into a cement wall one too many times, and Picard (my television father) isn’t quite in character, but I’ll have to think on how. Riker looks like Bones and the kid in the gray uniform? No idea who he’s supposed to be. Where’s Wesley Crusher in all this? Speaking of Crusher, Dr. Crusher stalling on orders, unpausing a hologram just to kiss some rando fake dude at the disco? No way. Finally, 1.3 billion megabits is 1.54 terabytes and meant to represent a notable fraction of an entire planet’s history? No no no.

[Apostolos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good combination of TNG stories. Some are early in the series' run (Worf and Troi being a couple king of points to that), and the set of stories continues into close to the end TNG. From what I can tell we got a hint of Section 31 looming in the shadows, which would have been an awesome continuation in the comic. I liked that we saw character development (e.g., Wesley, Picard) in some of the stories, and that the comics did feel like they could have been adapted to episodes.

[Stacey Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection is wonderful. This book chronicles different Star Trek characters in each story. Data meets others with AI, Wesley Crusher meets teens that are bored with their environment, Beverly Crusher dances the disco, Ghud who has murdered hundreds of people has changed his ways but he is going to face trial, the Enterprise is transporting him....can he be trusted? Captain Picard is on an archeological dig where these harmonic diamonds are found and people become greedy.

[Daniel Kovacs Rezsuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the first four chapters/issues. Almost gave it four stars. Then came the final story that should have tied everything together, but ultimately failed. Too bad, the subtle serialization of seemingly unconnected episodes was a great idea.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Small stories that take place between episodes sometimes have a tendency to feel limited, since there's only so much that can be done with so little page time. The stories here didn't interest me much, and the art is pretty subpar, except for occasions when it's showing outer space.

[Raven Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were plot holes and loose ends, but the stories were still very enjoyable trek.

[Ernest Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! The feeling of The Next Generation series was embodied in the stories! I loved the extra original Star Trek story as well, even though it didn’t have the feel.

[David Cavaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graphic comic based on Star Trek - The Next Generation. Great illustrated series full of new stories.

[Francisco Pardo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Simply awful, poor boring storylines with dreadful artwork that barely resembles the character's.

[Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty inoffensive and bland but it feels pretty incomplete. Plot lines don’t go anywhere, and the last issue in particular is very unclear.

[Trekscribbler]

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION re-energized the Star Trek fan base -- coinciding with the theatrical films based (at the time) of the original Star Trek company of Kirk & friends -- but, eventually, broke out of the carbon copy mold of its first televised season and became its own entity. The continuing adventures of the starship Enterprise (now the 1701-D) under the leadership of Captain Jean-Luc Picard was a phenomenon in its own right; but THE SPACE BETWEEN -- a collected trade paperback of six individual issues relaunching the TNG comic property under new licensing -- fits far more in the mold of the show's first season, meaning mostly forgettable plots and not quite squeaky clean mechanism that the show became over seven seasons.

These six adventures are labelled as separate chapters in one central mystery that very loosely (and mostly unsuccessfully) ties them together under a conclusion that feels more like a set-up for more installments to follow than it does a complete entity: perhaps that's why they've titled it "The Space Between," meaning the graphic novel is essentially only filling the void left by the end of the TNG movies and whatever comic stories may come next. The best that can be said is that it's truly inspired to see these characters again; Jean-Luc Picard, William Riker, Beverly Crusher, Commander Worf, Deanna Troi, Data, and Geordi LaForge all look good in this quick tales, though many of them are given very little to do. Even fan-favorites like Ensign Ro and the oft-maligned Dr. Pulaski (thankfully) only phones in a cameo via the ship's intercom, and, to my surprise, Wesley Crusher comes off as much more a Paul Walker wannabe than he did the whining brainiac he was portrayed as in the television show.

Still, outside of revising the crew during their original seven year television run, there's not much meat on these bones, and, hopefully, THE SPACE BETWEEN won't be their last comic outing. Let's get back to the business of boldly going where no one has gone before ... let's just make sure it's worth where we're going.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this graphic novel has the natural appeal of being Star Trek, it has some flaws. The primary one is that while the story segments are supposed to be sequential and connected, it is difficult to see any thread of similarity. Furthermore, the final segment ends in a way that has many aspects of the “an unexplained moment of magic” plot device. There is a major crisis followed by an almost immediate “all’s well.”
Secondly, I found the artwork to be less than stellar for my tastes. The coloration has a washed out appearance, for example in the second segment Picard is in a lush tropical environment and the green foliage is very dull. The shading, especially on the faces, is often much darker than it should have been. This book had a lot of promise, but there are significant weaknesses.

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am such a Trekie and this was so much fun! The storyline was a little confusing with the Lomac vs. no Lomac character confusion. But, other than that, all of the elements that make Star Trek great are present--adventure, cheesy one-liners, cool sound effects, loyalty, and beloved characters. I was happy to see that Data is just as socially inept and funny in print. Also, Captain Picard is just as badass! It is obvious that this story was written and the pictures were drawn (the hazy picture when the Enterprise is attacked is awesome) by true fans! I highly recommend this first chapter and hope many more follow.

[Noah Soudrette · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is IDW's first attempt at Trek comics, and boy do they fail miserably. The stories contained here are neither interesting or thought provoking, and the authors attempt to time them all together at the end feels weak and forced. There is also a great deal of vagueness and nonsensicalness to the proceeding. While IDW's heart is in the right place, their talent isn't. Avoid.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 stars for the stories.
2 stars for the artwork.

The stories were fun and interesting, but the character artwork was horrible. In the first section alone, Will Riker looked more like McCoy in the Trek reboot. Some of the backgrounds and scenery were nicely done, but when stories are character-driven, it helps to have the characters actually *look* like themselves.