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Star Trek: Year Five
Star Trek: Year Five, Book 3: Weaker than Man
Join the crew of the original Starship Enterprise in these all-new adventures as they near the conclusion of their five-year mission. Finally returning to Federation space, the Enterprise and her crew find the Federation isn't quite the same as the one they left behind! Kirk grapples with a very personal Klingon threat, even as the Enterprise begins its homecoming victory tour, and the Federation's upcoming presidential election is upended when Harry Mudd enters the race! All this against the backdrop of a sinister malaise threatening to rot the Federation from within. Terrible secrets are revealed, among them the origin of Gary Seven and the grand designs of the shadowy AEGIS organization. Can Kirk and the Enterprise crew excise this corruption, or will the five-year mission end in failure? Collects issues #13–19 of the series.
155 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 14, 2022
Outlandish and hard to follow plot threads and lack of authenticity concerning the characters and the Trek universe in general.
February 24, 2021
Constant callbacks and retreads of old storylines (Harry Mudd, Gary 7 AGAIN) prove this series that had such promise is just a creativity free cash-grab.
June 17, 2021
It has been almost five years since the 'U.S.S. Enterprise' ventured out on her five year mission and now Captain Kirk and his crew are returning home to meet new challenges. When Kirk is asked to run for the Presidency of the Federation, a Klingon delegation demands he be placed on trial for crimes against the Empire, his stalking horse is Harcourt Fenton Mudd and a new encounter with Gary Seven threatens the stability of the galaxy.
Lanzing and team have created a dynamic series of issues which are well designed and laid out. Readers should appreciate a lot of the little details including the features of Rainn Wilson's Mudd and the elegiac watercoloured spread when looking into enigmatic Gary Seven's background.
Lanzing and team have created a dynamic series of issues which are well designed and laid out. Readers should appreciate a lot of the little details including the features of Rainn Wilson's Mudd and the elegiac watercoloured spread when looking into enigmatic Gary Seven's background.
June 28, 2021
More of a return to form after the weaker second installment. Better plot, less woke, and art is stabilized. Lots of links to the movie series starting to be worked in, but retains the feel of the original series; I can’t stand forced foreshadowing. Sort of wished the Gary 7 backstory had come earlier in the arc, but at least we got it. Have enjoyed the Tholian Bright Eyes; I believe this series is the first look at the species (correct me, Uber Trekkies — I confess that Star Wars is my main jam, while my Trek has gaps). Will continue the series.
April 6, 2023
This is a really fun series that continues to tell episodic stories set in the final year of the "Five year mission". I love that as the Enterprise returns to Federation space we see updated technology and uniforms that we'd later see on screen in the Motion Picture. It really highlights how far out of the loop our heroes have been.
I'm not a huge fan of the Gary Seven arc as I never cared for that attempt at a backdoor pilot, but I continue to enjoy seeing these characters slowly evolve into their big screen counterparts.
I'm not a huge fan of the Gary Seven arc as I never cared for that attempt at a backdoor pilot, but I continue to enjoy seeing these characters slowly evolve into their big screen counterparts.
May 26, 2021
I love everything about this series.
January 17, 2021
I really enjoy this series as one of the better Star Trek comics out there.
Consistently entertaining, well drawn, with good pacing, adding interesting side characters, mixing new aliens with already known ones, plus giving all of the crew something to do and some character exploration.
Plus, I like the ongoing story arcs, especially with the rescued Tholian child. This feels like a huge ongoing epic instead of simple contained episodes.
However.
This latest installment was quite busy to include current affairs in some kind of Star Trek varnish.
I understand that SciFi has always been an instrument for social commentary.
I also understand that the US as a nation are deeply traumatized by current events.
Yes, it is logical that Star Trek will in some way transport this.
But honestly, one can barely turn a page on the internet or battle daily life without falling over Trump or Covid or even both simultaneously, and it is just getting a bit much for me when the very same topics also turn up in my entertainment and attempted escapism.
I find it exhausting.
Consistently entertaining, well drawn, with good pacing, adding interesting side characters, mixing new aliens with already known ones, plus giving all of the crew something to do and some character exploration.
Plus, I like the ongoing story arcs, especially with the rescued Tholian child. This feels like a huge ongoing epic instead of simple contained episodes.
However.
This latest installment was quite busy to include current affairs in some kind of Star Trek varnish.
I understand that SciFi has always been an instrument for social commentary.
I also understand that the US as a nation are deeply traumatized by current events.
Yes, it is logical that Star Trek will in some way transport this.
But honestly, one can barely turn a page on the internet or battle daily life without falling over Trump or Covid or even both simultaneously, and it is just getting a bit much for me when the very same topics also turn up in my entertainment and attempted escapism.
I find it exhausting.
September 20, 2021
The third installment of the book has Gary Seven from "Assignment: Earth" and his shapeshifting cat person, Isis, turn to villains in order to oppose the Enterprise. I have to say that while this is character assassination, Gary at least is a suitably skilled and dangerous enemy for the Enterprise crew. He's as dangerous as Khan and that is rare enough to say in the setting. The AEGIS organization being made into bad guys is a bit more inexplicable because it's hard to see how they think that humanity is a force for evil in the Star Trek universe of all places. I regret the use of Harry Mudd was so limited, though, as I actually think he could have made an entertaining 6 issue arc as President of the Federation.
April 13, 2022
This entry didn’t do it for me, other than the Gary 7 story, but even there it feels like we’ve had a bit much of him and now they’re just using him and Isis the shape-shifting cat-lady as stand-ins for Trelaine or Q.
The art is really good, though. No complaints there.
The art is really good, though. No complaints there.
November 20, 2024
This series is just a really great continuation of TOS.
September 1, 2021
85%
Thankfully, the quality of the third installment has recovered from the bizarre failings of the second. Once again, the characters feel more true themselves and the tone felt very OG Star Trek. I do wish we saw more of Uhura, considering that she was Bright Eyes' primary handler for the previous installments, but it was nice seeing Scotty.
I liked the decision to make an entire chapter completely about Gary 7's background - he knows he's been tricked, now will he continue to blindly follow the plan? Curious to see what's next!
Thankfully, the quality of the third installment has recovered from the bizarre failings of the second. Once again, the characters feel more true themselves and the tone felt very OG Star Trek. I do wish we saw more of Uhura, considering that she was Bright Eyes' primary handler for the previous installments, but it was nice seeing Scotty.
I liked the decision to make an entire chapter completely about Gary 7's background - he knows he's been tricked, now will he continue to blindly follow the plan? Curious to see what's next!
May 20, 2023
Just when I thought this series couldn't get better, it did. Credit where it's due to the writing team - and to the art team who does a little experimenting in all these issues.
After some very interesting twists and turns along the say in the preceding story-arc, this one sees the action, intrigue and overall narrative amp up yet again and in fact take us in directions quite unexpected.
The crew has returned to Earth to find that after five years, the Federation they knew and Starfleet itself have evolved and grown.
The writers continue the trend of slowly weaving in social change to bridge the gap between the future-sighted vision and feel of the original show, with the evolving social mores and cultural standards and practices that have happened in our real world since then. And what's enjoyable for someone like me is that things like addressing the overly feminine role of women (including the short-short skirts) and gender identity as with Bright Eyes being gender neutral are handled in a subtle and matter-of-course way instead of being thrown in my face as far too many comics, books and shows tend to do nowadays. Frankly, I have no problem with "woke" concepts and I think most changes in these matters are for the better of all, but pop-culture and its creators are in most mediums quite heavy-handed in their "message" which becomes more like "MESSAGE!!!!" when it's put to the audience; here however, it's the deft touch of the Star Trek spirit that had a forward thinking approach and challenged the audience just by doing a thing without flashing a big neon sign on it or speechifying that I find is present in this series and I wish more people utilised.
There's no shortage of action - in case that's what you want more of that than me - as a whole new and unexpected Klingon threat appears from out of nowhere and threatens literally the entire Starfleet armada. The only one who can save the day? James T. Kirk, and all he has to do, is lay down and die.
And if that were not enough, with the backdrop of Federation elections that could upend the way we know the world, there is also a raging pandemic on Alpha Centauri that might have less-than-natural origins. Oh and did I mention that we not only get a major glimpse into the life, times and origins of the unpredictable and dangerous Gary Seven and his companion, Isis, the crew has to face a stowaway danger before the arc is over that threatens all their lives! (How's that for tense and engaging!)
Overall, this volume not only continues the solid and deft handling of characters, storylines and concepts from the first 12 issues/2 volumes, but it builds on it and as we head to the 5th and final volume, shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.
After some very interesting twists and turns along the say in the preceding story-arc, this one sees the action, intrigue and overall narrative amp up yet again and in fact take us in directions quite unexpected.
The crew has returned to Earth to find that after five years, the Federation they knew and Starfleet itself have evolved and grown.
The writers continue the trend of slowly weaving in social change to bridge the gap between the future-sighted vision and feel of the original show, with the evolving social mores and cultural standards and practices that have happened in our real world since then. And what's enjoyable for someone like me is that things like addressing the overly feminine role of women (including the short-short skirts) and gender identity as with Bright Eyes being gender neutral are handled in a subtle and matter-of-course way instead of being thrown in my face as far too many comics, books and shows tend to do nowadays. Frankly, I have no problem with "woke" concepts and I think most changes in these matters are for the better of all, but pop-culture and its creators are in most mediums quite heavy-handed in their "message" which becomes more like "MESSAGE!!!!" when it's put to the audience; here however, it's the deft touch of the Star Trek spirit that had a forward thinking approach and challenged the audience just by doing a thing without flashing a big neon sign on it or speechifying that I find is present in this series and I wish more people utilised.
There's no shortage of action - in case that's what you want more of that than me - as a whole new and unexpected Klingon threat appears from out of nowhere and threatens literally the entire Starfleet armada. The only one who can save the day? James T. Kirk, and all he has to do, is lay down and die.
And if that were not enough, with the backdrop of Federation elections that could upend the way we know the world, there is also a raging pandemic on Alpha Centauri that might have less-than-natural origins. Oh and did I mention that we not only get a major glimpse into the life, times and origins of the unpredictable and dangerous Gary Seven and his companion, Isis, the crew has to face a stowaway danger before the arc is over that threatens all their lives! (How's that for tense and engaging!)
Overall, this volume not only continues the solid and deft handling of characters, storylines and concepts from the first 12 issues/2 volumes, but it builds on it and as we head to the 5th and final volume, shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.
December 14, 2022
It turns out some of my questions with the previous volume might have been more pertinent than I expected. Namely: who is this Gary 7 dude and what is his deal? He's on the cover and gets a whole issue devoted to his backstory, which sailed straight over my head. This plotline might be a deep cut for the fans that I wasn't prepared for when I picked up the Star Trek: Year Five series as a Star Trek neophyte.
Aside from my confusion, Weaker Than Man is still a satisfying volume, especially with the first two "episodes," which feature the crew of the Enterprise getting caught up in political wrangling among the Federation species. It's an obvious take on the rift between political parties in the United States, but it still hums along smartly. Then the Gary 7 stuff hits and, well, I was a bit baffled. Maybe this will all pay off later? I guess I didn't realize there would be a thread between episodes in the Star Trek: Year Five series .
Aside from my confusion, Weaker Than Man is still a satisfying volume, especially with the first two "episodes," which feature the crew of the Enterprise getting caught up in political wrangling among the Federation species. It's an obvious take on the rift between political parties in the United States, but it still hums along smartly. Then the Gary 7 stuff hits and, well, I was a bit baffled. Maybe this will all pay off later? I guess I didn't realize there would be a thread between episodes in the Star Trek: Year Five series .
February 3, 2022
While I've been generally appreciative of the Gary Seven involvement in the Fear Five comics thus far, I'll also admit that it's starting to feel a little old or at the very least is taking a lot of time away from the core Star Trek characters we love. Even if we were to replace him with someone like Q across these story arcs, I think it's still objectively fair to say that maybe his role has defined too much of the story.
But given how things are panning out so far, we're far from done with him and his meddling and I know we'll need to eventually reveal more about the rationale of those he serves and the "plan" they are trying to execute across all of time and space.
This volume introduces a new story arc involving what I can only describe to be Federation Fundamentalists who believe that the founding members (the first Federation) should get more of the benefits and less of the work. Beyond a redistribution of resources, it also means less interstellar exploration and curtailing the expansion of the Federation. We know this doesn't happen in the future because of all the other Star Trek shows, but it's still interesting enough to see how this might get resolved.
But I just hope I have the patience to get all the way there.
But given how things are panning out so far, we're far from done with him and his meddling and I know we'll need to eventually reveal more about the rationale of those he serves and the "plan" they are trying to execute across all of time and space.
This volume introduces a new story arc involving what I can only describe to be Federation Fundamentalists who believe that the founding members (the first Federation) should get more of the benefits and less of the work. Beyond a redistribution of resources, it also means less interstellar exploration and curtailing the expansion of the Federation. We know this doesn't happen in the future because of all the other Star Trek shows, but it's still interesting enough to see how this might get resolved.
But I just hope I have the patience to get all the way there.
November 25, 2024
Continuing along, the three stories here involve Starfleet going rogue, a presidential showdown between a faction of Starfleet clearly modeled after America First, with a dangerous, absurd buffoon running for President against and accomplished woman. What would Captain Kirk think of Donald Trump, perhaps?
I am here for it.
The preview of advancement, the concept that the Enterprise and the five year mission were an idealized aberration, perhaps to be cut politically, that the truth on the ground is a lot more depressing and human is probably true to life, but not what I want to believe from Star Trek.
The Year 5 adventure so far is one I can’t help but contrast to Star Trek Continues, and it does just feel a bit maudlin and depressing.
One story yet, and Kirk’s focus on Sam and on coming home has the ability to turn this all around.
I am here for it.
The preview of advancement, the concept that the Enterprise and the five year mission were an idealized aberration, perhaps to be cut politically, that the truth on the ground is a lot more depressing and human is probably true to life, but not what I want to believe from Star Trek.
The Year 5 adventure so far is one I can’t help but contrast to Star Trek Continues, and it does just feel a bit maudlin and depressing.
One story yet, and Kirk’s focus on Sam and on coming home has the ability to turn this all around.
May 27, 2023
Have the people who wrote this ever even seen a Star Trek episode? The stories seem to lumber along, lurching from amazing visual to amazing visual, but without any sense of coherence or reason. Add to that the micron thin veil over commentary on modern politics and the story moves further and further away from what the setting and environment of TOS was actually like. The art is good, occasionally great, but it’s in service to fiction that just doesn’t make sense and with characters that don’t match their very well-known characterization.
This was my first and last Start Trek Year Five read.
This was my first and last Start Trek Year Five read.
March 4, 2022
This series shows the final missions that take place during the untelevised 5th year of the 5 year mission. In one story, we are shown more modern ships as well as the uniforms that will be used in ST:TMP. In another story, Harry Mudd runs for President of the Federation. We also see the return of Kirk's old girlfriend turned opposing council, originally featured in TOS: Court Martial. Gary Seven returns as well and some of his backstory is filled in.
A good read for TOS fans.
A good read for TOS fans.
September 9, 2021
One of the stories sees the return of Harry Mudd, but he looks more like the Rainn Wilson depiction from Discovery. I don't mind, given that I prefer that interpretation of the character. There's a kind of random Gary Seven "episode," though the art for it is pretty good. Some entertaining stories, though it can still go up.
March 27, 2023
Continues to be a good story. And a loooong callback to an episode where the Enterprise went back in time to the late 1960s and ran into a powerful being named Gary Seven, played by Robert Lansing. His appearance was an attempt to jump-start a spin-off series that never happened. SO now we complete the story as far as the Enterprise is concerned.
March 15, 2024
Too much reliance on the original episodes. In fact, I'd recommend watching the whole series again before reading these. I'd rather see some stand alone new stories, instead of the return of Gary 7, yet again and Harry Mudd. This started off strong, but has gotten worse and worse. At least the artwork is good.
November 6, 2025
The end of the five-year mission continues in this volume as Lanzing and Kelly and their team of writers set the stage for the conclusion. Gary Seven's backstory is revealed as well as his motives, meanwhile Kirk and his crew find more trouble than they expected when they get closer to home.
The artists' works is also exemplary, accompanied by amazing colorists.
The artists' works is also exemplary, accompanied by amazing colorists.
May 18, 2022
Half good
The first two stories were too focused on making a semi-coherent political statement to focus on the story, which suffered. The second half was better, but still suffered in the storytelling department, unfortunately.
The first two stories were too focused on making a semi-coherent political statement to focus on the story, which suffered. The second half was better, but still suffered in the storytelling department, unfortunately.
July 10, 2022
Excellent graphic novel for any Trek fan. Its good for all ages. I.like graphic novels. So if you're
Excellent graphic novel. You can read all the episodes and they're great. A good way for a person who doesn't like to read to start too.
Excellent graphic novel. You can read all the episodes and they're great. A good way for a person who doesn't like to read to start too.
October 3, 2022
I like the use of Gary Seven and Isis (especially) I. This volume. The standout issue is where Kirk has to go through a Klingon Gauntlet—-and wins (of course); which only cements him further as a badass.
Whether this is canonical or not, it was a fun time for this TOS fan.
Whether this is canonical or not, it was a fun time for this TOS fan.
October 23, 2023
The stories are not true to the characters, making out Gary Seven and Isis as wanting to genocide the entire galaxy is so stupid, the more I read of by Lanzing and Kelly, the more I’m astounded that they have a job, it’s just cliched garbage without my any respect for the characters.
January 28, 2024
This series would be better if they stuck to storylines that feel more in sync with what kinds of stories they were able to tell on the tv series. Things feel off when TOS adventures have visuals that they never could’ve done in the 60’s and ultra serialized plot lines.
September 28, 2025
Really liked this one. Thought it looked great and the writing was as strong as it’s been in this series. Choices here and there that feel wrong for the character and the world, but I think these stories are in good hands.
September 11, 2021
Excellent continuation of the Five Year Mission of the Enterprise. Great to see Gary Seven back also Harry Mudd.
November 21, 2021
Tholians and Gary Seven's backstory?! Film this!
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May 11, 2023Love this series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews