Advance Review: Deanna Schemes And Plots In `Star Trek– The Mirror War – Troi’

The real fun in Star Trek’s mirror universe is getting to see normally well-behaved and predictable characters act like they never would in the good and uptight Federation. The unhinged Jim Kirk from the original series or Kira acting out as the super-sexualized Intendant of Terok Nor are far from the characters we know and love.

One of the most fascinating characters in the recently concluded Mirror War series has been Deanna Troi, a counselor in the regular universe, but an “inquisitor” through the looking glass. Through the issues, Troi uses her telepathy to her ruthless advantage. To mix franchises, this Troi is closer to Darth Vader than Princess Leia.

Now IDW is out with a one-shot that gives some interesting background on how the inquisitor came to meet the evil Captain Jean-Luc Picard and serve on his ship, the Stargazer. Written by Marieke Nijkamp, the story is a game of one-upmanship between Troi and Picard, with the future of her home planet Betazed in the balance. It’s an interesting tale, though why its coming out after the conclusion of the main story is unclear.

Megan Levens provides the fairly simplistic, cartoon-inspired artwork for the issue. Unfortunately, Levens seems uneven in her depictions. Some panels are strong, but several pages seemed rushed and are lacking badly needed detail. In a few panels, key characters are barely recognizable. It seems a shame that IDW’s flagship franchise isn’t being handled with more TLC.

With the Mirror War complete and a new flagship series starting soon, IDW would do well to take Star Trek more seriously and ensure its best creative teams are delivering. With such recognizable characters to pull from, fans have high expectations – and deserve better than much of what the publisher has given them.

Star Trek: The Mirror War – Troi will be available for purchase tomorrow.