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Star Trek: The Original Series (IDW) #12
Star Trek: Leonard McCoy - Frontier Doctor
Space, the final frontier... and on that frontier and beyond, humans and aliens alike need medical care. Enter Leonard McCoy, Doctor of Space Medicine, late of the U.S.S. Enterprise Now delight at John Byrne's tale set in the period before Star Trek: The Motion Picture
104 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
14 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
John Byrne
2,954 books359 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 16, 2011
Bloody fantastic! What a great surprise.
I bought this during a holiday bookstore visit. I saw "Star Trek" -- I saw Leonard McCoy -- I saw John Byrne -- and I thought, "I must have this." My whim needed to be fulfilled, so I fulfilled my whim.
I didn't expect much, though. I figured I'd be disappointed, but that would have been okay because the only reason I bought it was nostalgia. I could cope if it sucked. I mostly wanted to revisit John Byrne's art, and see what he could do with my favourite Star Trek character. I was wrong to have low expectations (mostly because of myself, though. I imagine the power of my personal nostalgia is a large part of this book's success with me).
Leonard McCoy Frontier Doctor takes place just before Star Trek The Motion Picture, and Bones McCoy is busy gallivanting around the Federation in pseudo-retirement, curing diseases, saving folks of myriad races, getting in adventures, reflecting on his career, repairing timelines, writing letters to Jim, and visiting old friends.
Those old friends were my favourite part. I expected to see Kirk (who was there) and Spock (who was not, which was a surprisingly nice ommission) and maybe even Scotty (who had his obligatory drink with Bones), but it was the unexpected cameos that gave me the greatest joy. I turned a page, for instance, and out of the corner of my eye, in a future panel, I saw a guy who looked familar, "Kooky," I thought, "That looks like Gary Seven." A page and a half later I found out it was Gary Seven. And Roberta was with him. Then the Admiral of the USS Yorktown looked like Majel Barrett, and it turned out it was her -- she was the former first officer of the Enterprise under Captain Pike. And on the same ship, who should be the Chief Medical Officer? Doctor Chapel, of course, looking like Majel Barrett with a different hair cut. Silly, I suppose, but it sure worked for me.
The stories themselves were light and fun and beautifully illustrated. The colour palette was perfectly Star Trek. Bones's beard was positively regal, and even the new characters, like Dr. Duncan and his hot Andorian lover, Theela, were a welcome addition.
I just wish Byrne had done more. Five issues in one graphic novel isn't nearly enough.
I bought this during a holiday bookstore visit. I saw "Star Trek" -- I saw Leonard McCoy -- I saw John Byrne -- and I thought, "I must have this." My whim needed to be fulfilled, so I fulfilled my whim.
I didn't expect much, though. I figured I'd be disappointed, but that would have been okay because the only reason I bought it was nostalgia. I could cope if it sucked. I mostly wanted to revisit John Byrne's art, and see what he could do with my favourite Star Trek character. I was wrong to have low expectations (mostly because of myself, though. I imagine the power of my personal nostalgia is a large part of this book's success with me).
Leonard McCoy Frontier Doctor takes place just before Star Trek The Motion Picture, and Bones McCoy is busy gallivanting around the Federation in pseudo-retirement, curing diseases, saving folks of myriad races, getting in adventures, reflecting on his career, repairing timelines, writing letters to Jim, and visiting old friends.
Those old friends were my favourite part. I expected to see Kirk (who was there) and Spock (who was not, which was a surprisingly nice ommission) and maybe even Scotty (who had his obligatory drink with Bones), but it was the unexpected cameos that gave me the greatest joy. I turned a page, for instance, and out of the corner of my eye, in a future panel, I saw a guy who looked familar, "Kooky," I thought, "That looks like Gary Seven." A page and a half later I found out it was Gary Seven. And Roberta was with him. Then the Admiral of the USS Yorktown looked like Majel Barrett, and it turned out it was her -- she was the former first officer of the Enterprise under Captain Pike. And on the same ship, who should be the Chief Medical Officer? Doctor Chapel, of course, looking like Majel Barrett with a different hair cut. Silly, I suppose, but it sure worked for me.
The stories themselves were light and fun and beautifully illustrated. The colour palette was perfectly Star Trek. Bones's beard was positively regal, and even the new characters, like Dr. Duncan and his hot Andorian lover, Theela, were a welcome addition.
I just wish Byrne had done more. Five issues in one graphic novel isn't nearly enough.
November 7, 2025
A fun comic, good enough to make you wonder if the concept of a frontier Federation doctor has the legs for a tv series or audio drama. Art is good, lots of familiar faces stop by.
March 27, 2021
Serviceable tales, albeit ones that end abruptly and give in to the fan-service call to continually reuse prior characters for no good reason.
June 1, 2021
Graphic novel
I really enjoyed the graphic novel.
Timeline wise it seems to fits in before the first Star Trek film as it follows Dr McCoy's adventures in a series of interesting short stories.
The art work is Good. I would recommend it.
I really enjoyed the graphic novel.
Timeline wise it seems to fits in before the first Star Trek film as it follows Dr McCoy's adventures in a series of interesting short stories.
The art work is Good. I would recommend it.
December 7, 2025
Good artwork interesting stories and I liked seeing McCoy without the larger Enterprose cast though some did visit.
March 13, 2017
Some well done stories here featuring Classic Trek tropes (mysterious medical ailments, time travel, crusty McCoy against authority), with some fresh spins and cameos galore set in the year prior to the refitting of the Enterprise after the famed first five year mission. Writer/Artist John Byrne is an unabashed Trek nerd, and it shows on every page. Lots of fun, and highly recommended for fans. I enjoyed every moment and wished for more!
July 28, 2016
A fun set of stories sent prior to the events of STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE. John Byrne's work as writer and illustrator is pretty solid, and he certainly has the voice of the single greatest character in all of Star Trek down cold.
May 27, 2021
Jag köpte hela serien som en bok och betyget blir därför för alla fyra nummer på en gång.
Berättelse: Något ojämn berättelse, där några i Star Trek-litteraturen återkommande frågor gärna tas upp: Gary Seven, tidsresor, doktorns problem med transportörer och annan teknik, etc. En av berättelserna tar även upp ett problem med att beblanda sig med arter som inte utvecklat warp-teknologi än - tyvärr problematiserar inte Byrne detta med fokus på stjärnflottans regler, kanske tycker han att det ändå är för mycket uttjatat för att tala om det i detalj.
Det är fyra separata berättelser skrivna och ritade av samma person vilket gör att det blir ett flöde på berättelserna som annars är svårt att åstadkomma. Den inledande berättelsen var den absolut bästa tillsammans med den sista, och dessa två hade också störst fokus på Leonard McCoy och på hans gärning.
Tecknandet: Mycket bra tecknat och jag som läsare förundras av den fokus och den intensitet som syns i bilderna utan att det för den delen blir för mycket i sin ansträngning. Jag ser fram emot att se mer av John Byrnes arbete.
Berättelse: Något ojämn berättelse, där några i Star Trek-litteraturen återkommande frågor gärna tas upp: Gary Seven, tidsresor, doktorns problem med transportörer och annan teknik, etc. En av berättelserna tar även upp ett problem med att beblanda sig med arter som inte utvecklat warp-teknologi än - tyvärr problematiserar inte Byrne detta med fokus på stjärnflottans regler, kanske tycker han att det ändå är för mycket uttjatat för att tala om det i detalj.
Det är fyra separata berättelser skrivna och ritade av samma person vilket gör att det blir ett flöde på berättelserna som annars är svårt att åstadkomma. Den inledande berättelsen var den absolut bästa tillsammans med den sista, och dessa två hade också störst fokus på Leonard McCoy och på hans gärning.
Tecknandet: Mycket bra tecknat och jag som läsare förundras av den fokus och den intensitet som syns i bilderna utan att det för den delen blir för mycket i sin ansträngning. Jag ser fram emot att se mer av John Byrnes arbete.
August 8, 2019
This was a great collection of stories of McCoy and what he did after the five year mission but before the Motion Picture and V'Ger.
Bones joins the Frontier Medical service and along with another doctor heads out to the fringes of Federation space answering calls for help.
The stories are told as a series of letters to Admiral Kirk back in San Francisco overseeing the refit of the Enterprise.
As a Bones fan I am picky on how he is written but the writer captured his tone of voice perfectly his crumdengly but compassionate treatment of the sick his impatience with protocols that get in the way of that treatment. The art was good you could tell who people were without going WTF which is basically the most important to me in a comic based on actual actors.
Bones joins the Frontier Medical service and along with another doctor heads out to the fringes of Federation space answering calls for help.
The stories are told as a series of letters to Admiral Kirk back in San Francisco overseeing the refit of the Enterprise.
As a Bones fan I am picky on how he is written but the writer captured his tone of voice perfectly his crumdengly but compassionate treatment of the sick his impatience with protocols that get in the way of that treatment. The art was good you could tell who people were without going WTF which is basically the most important to me in a comic based on actual actors.
July 16, 2021
Very enjoyable, I liked following Doctor McCoy around on his journeys to different planets providing assistance and solving medical mysteries. I think the liked the first stories that included Dr Duncan and Teela the best, they were nice supporting characters, although their romance did progress rather quickly. The last story was my least favourite, and I thought kind of a strange way to end the volume. However, overall I really enjoyed it, and if McCoy is your favourite character than you will probably too.
November 27, 2021
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would :-) Basically, it's Dr. McCoy's adventures in the year that the Enterprise gets a refit between the end of the series and the motion picture. There were some interesting connectors here and there, but true to the original series it's much more episodic in nature, which isn't always as pleasing. Having read this in spurts, as opposed to one sit-through, made this format OK.
February 26, 2024
When I picked this up, I didn't even look at the creator or notice who it was until I was done. Now knowing, I'm not surprised I enjoyed this collection, even as the last one broke my brain. Byrne does love his time travel and that's seen here. The stories were provocative and very Trek, tied together by the device of McCoy writing actual letters to Kirk. This happens during the Enterprise retrofit, where McCoy is drafted into medical service. Definitely worth reading.
August 19, 2017
It's life Jim
Great addition to the trek universe. Clever set of stories about Dr McCoy linked together by letters he sends to capt Kirk.
All well illustrated and true to the characters. Some nice new races introduced and a couple of old friends/enemies are added to the mix.
If you're a trekie then you won't regret getting this.
Great addition to the trek universe. Clever set of stories about Dr McCoy linked together by letters he sends to capt Kirk.
All well illustrated and true to the characters. Some nice new races introduced and a couple of old friends/enemies are added to the mix.
If you're a trekie then you won't regret getting this.
March 23, 2023
My favorite ST: TOS character getting his very own comic!
Overall, this was nothing too bad, but at the same time, nothing spectacular. The worst it ever got was “meh,” and I found myself entertained enough to finish the whole thing. There’s far worse Star Trek stuff to read, however, there’s probably some better ones as well…
Overall, this was nothing too bad, but at the same time, nothing spectacular. The worst it ever got was “meh,” and I found myself entertained enough to finish the whole thing. There’s far worse Star Trek stuff to read, however, there’s probably some better ones as well…
June 26, 2017
What a charming interlude about our favorite space doctor. And his facial hair! :D All of the stories could have been full episodes or even novellas, but they were a fun exploration into what Bones might have done between missions.
April 26, 2020
Set before the first Star Trek film. McCoy is travelling the universe helping people. This is a series of short stories. Some are quite decent and some are predictable. However, the characterisation is spot on. A good read.
January 7, 2019
Very silver age-y but fun little adventures nonetheless. Hard to go wrong with Bones at the helm.
January 21, 2019
Set shortly before ST:The Movie and, obviously after TOS, this book of the adventures of Dr. McCoy are lovingly presented by Byrne who is a Star Trek fan himself. Nice read.
April 10, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed Byrne's shot fiction centered on McCoy playing itinerant frontier doctor. Four stars.
October 8, 2020
Since I'm on a Star Trek kick right now, I figured this would be a good choice. Bones is my favorite character and I was not disappointed.
September 25, 2023
loved this story, is something so good about bones and what he was doing before we see it in tmp and him sending letters to jim…. yeah tqm bones 🙁
December 26, 2024
I love the art style of this comic and ugh it’s so nice to see Bones get a run dedicated to him and be well written!
December 21, 2023
These adventures were an interesting insight into McCoy. Had fun.
March 9, 2017
Five Stars, and why not.
Leonard McCoys adventures from the end of his first time with Kirk until he's dragged back to Starfleet for the refitted Enterprise's shakedown/mission involving V'Ger.
Nice stories that are well written and a pleasure to read too.
Leonard McCoys adventures from the end of his first time with Kirk until he's dragged back to Starfleet for the refitted Enterprise's shakedown/mission involving V'Ger.
Nice stories that are well written and a pleasure to read too.
February 25, 2017
These are the kinds of stories I love from Star Trek. Weird speculation and boundless possibility the common traits of these episodes. Them being told from the perspective of Dr. McCoy during a wide open time in Star Trek's future history just makes them all the more interesting. The one-page doctor jokes at the end of the collection are amusing.
May 6, 2016
This fourth volume of Star Trek by John Byrne collects issues #1–4 of Leonard McCoy Frontier Doctor.
The series, set after the original series, and constructed as a number of missives from the good doctor to his friend admiral Kirk, offers some delightful stories during the former's stint on the Federation's Frontier Medics Program. There are also nice and subtle little tie-ins with both Assignment: Earth and Crew . Most importantly, however, Byrne truly captures Bones' character well, both visually and in the writing.
As an added bonus, I read this while watching the first season of the original series (which previous Byrne volumes had prompted me to finally pick up, having been more of later Trek follower before that), and it certainly did not dull the flavour of either.
The series, set after the original series, and constructed as a number of missives from the good doctor to his friend admiral Kirk, offers some delightful stories during the former's stint on the Federation's Frontier Medics Program. There are also nice and subtle little tie-ins with both Assignment: Earth and Crew . Most importantly, however, Byrne truly captures Bones' character well, both visually and in the writing.
As an added bonus, I read this while watching the first season of the original series (which previous Byrne volumes had prompted me to finally pick up, having been more of later Trek follower before that), and it certainly did not dull the flavour of either.
February 1, 2011
In some ways I feel guilty for reading a Trek TPB, but over the past year this is the third TPB I have read written by John Byrne (a bit of a polarizing figure for his 'net comments), and frankly he is doing good science fiction. Yes, he is using the TOS characters and settings to do so. The McCoy stories take place between the end of the television series and the first movie. Bynre may keep the science to a minimum, but the the questions of ethics and morality are part of the story telling; one planetary leader makes a decision that will eventually doom his race, another race is experimenting with clones as if they are toys, a man finds a way to alter past events). Good solid scifi art accompanies the stories, and with Larry Niven's permission a Pierson's Puppeteer makes a cameo appearance on one of the bonus art pages. With so little scifi in comics today, think about giving this collection a chance.
April 16, 2013
Takes place between the end of the original series and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Lovingly crafted by John Byrne, this installment of what I like to call Star Trek: The Byrne-iverse not only has ties to all other of Byrne's Trek stories (Romulans, Crew and Assignment: Earth), but tiny ties to the expanded Trek continuity as well.
SEE Admiral Kirk use experimental holo-technology to approve designs for the USS Enterprise refit, WATCH as a helpful Lieutenant floats over to Kirk using gravity boots to give him other updates, NOTE all the references to original series episodes! Then SHED A TEAR when our good Doctor's companions fall in love and leave him and ALSO NOTE that a young Andorian woman with anger management issues named Theela bears a resemblance to another Doctor's companion named Leela!
Good stuff--worth a try.
SEE Admiral Kirk use experimental holo-technology to approve designs for the USS Enterprise refit, WATCH as a helpful Lieutenant floats over to Kirk using gravity boots to give him other updates, NOTE all the references to original series episodes! Then SHED A TEAR when our good Doctor's companions fall in love and leave him and ALSO NOTE that a young Andorian woman with anger management issues named Theela bears a resemblance to another Doctor's companion named Leela!
Good stuff--worth a try.
December 19, 2013
Back in 1979 "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" showed all the characters from the original Star Trek TV-series returning to active duty. The era between the TV-stories and the first movie was left untouched until an uneven novel series "The Lost Years" gave us stories from those intervening years. Now John Byrne expands on that concept, giving us a collection of interconnected stories about Doctor Leonard McCoy.
Free from Starfleet, McCoy tours the most exotic areas of the galaxy, bringing help to those who rarely get reached by any. There is a strong political tone to the thing, but it also works magnificently well as character exploration. And when you add innovative storylines, a clever overall plot and storytelling with emotional resonance, you get yourself a perfect Trek saga about our beloved country doctor in space.
Free from Starfleet, McCoy tours the most exotic areas of the galaxy, bringing help to those who rarely get reached by any. There is a strong political tone to the thing, but it also works magnificently well as character exploration. And when you add innovative storylines, a clever overall plot and storytelling with emotional resonance, you get yourself a perfect Trek saga about our beloved country doctor in space.
November 7, 2014
This is exactly the book I expected it to be. And that is high praise considering it was a story about one of my favorite characters, Dr. Leonard McCoy, roaming the universe and solving problems written and drawn by John Byrne whose work in the '80s had a formative effect on me. My high expectations were met on both the story and the art fronts.
If you are a fan of either John Byrne or Leonard McCoy, you will probably enjoy these tales. If, like me, you are a fan of both. You will most certainly enjoy this book.
If you are a fan of either John Byrne or Leonard McCoy, you will probably enjoy these tales. If, like me, you are a fan of both. You will most certainly enjoy this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews