Star Trek: The Q Conflict #2 Is Frustrating But Ultimately Fun
by Tony Thornley
The fun of crossovers is seeing characters that you wouldn’t normally see interacting getting to know each other and going on adventure. The frustrating thing about Star Trek: The Q Conflict is that we might get too much of that.
Scott & David Tipton, David Messina, Elisabetta D’Amico, Alexandra Alexakis, and Neil Uyetake continue the adventure started in the previous issue.
In the wake of last issue, the combined (and shuffled together) crews dictate ground rules to Q and his god-like competitors before getting whisked to their ships with their first competition. The four crews race to find an Iconian Gateway, a device which Picard had encountered in the past. Will the crews be able to work together long enough to accomplish their goals?
The issue kind of starts rough, with exposition heavy opening pages. It then shifts into a series of chaotic and frenzied flashes of story, trying to fit in glimpses of each crew and ship. It’s not the strongest of beginnings.
However, when the Tiptons narrow their focus a bit and pick a smaller group to focus on, the issue immediately gets stronger for it. The interactions between Kirk and Worf are a fantastic distillation of each character in particular. It also highlights Wil Riker and Captain Janeway’s strengths, giving both characters a spotlight and showing how they could outsmart the other crews in this particular task.
Messina’s art has similar challenges. The first half of the issue is frantic and chaotic, leading to some moments feeling rushed, with some characters appearing pretty far off model. But in the second half of the issue as the Tiptons get their footing, Messina gets his, delivering on the adventure and character moments the scripts gives him.
D’Amico’s work is the most consistently good thing about the issue. She uses her colors to create great effects on the page. She also helps both the ships and the alien worlds of the story come to life.
I was a bit worried at first, but this issue shows how much fun the concept can be. I hope following issues deliver on the strong parts of this installment, and not its weaker aspects.
Star Trek: The Q Conflict #2 is available now from IDW Publishing.
