Review: ‘Star Trek: Defiant’ #1 Introduces Rebels With A Cause
by Tony Thornley
Done wrong, a ‘getting the team together’ story can be such a drag. As Star Trek: Defiant #1 shows, there’s definitely a way to do it right though.
Christopher Cantwell, Angel Unzueta, Marissa Louise, and Clayton Cowles set off on the new Trek line’s first spin-off.
Spinning directly from Star Trek #5, Worf has left the Theseus in pursuit of the Red Path and his son Alexander. He knows Ben Sisko is looking at the bigger picture, but after his encounter with his lost son, he knows he need to look at the personal impact of Kahless’s horrific actions. And that means he need to gather the most despicable crew Starfleet’s ever known to stop the Red Path before it destroys all of known space.
I don’t usually like plots spent simply gathering the team or crew. They’re often forced or strained. Cantwell takes the tropes of that very standard plot and makes it work. He gives each character a strong reason to be there, except for the final page shock reveal, which I’m sure we’ll get next issue. Even Spock, who felt out of place in the initial announcement, has a strong role and presence here. Add some teases of more conflicts than just the Red Path (hi Commander Sela!) and the usual turns into something engaging and exciting.
The arc is fantastic. Unzueta is a little of the photo-real side, which often causes problems in licensed comics. Here though, he’s able to balance likeness of popular characters with the action and movement in the story. No one feels overly stiff or photo referenced, while feeling wholly themselves. Louise’s colors evoke the dark tone of the story at hand while using the palettes that Trek often uses to still visually place it firmly in the universe. Adding Cowles’s letters to the visual language, which matches both the speaking cadence of the actors we picture speaking as well as the distinct Trek sound effects, creates a full package that’s very clearly and lovingly Star Trek.
This issue is a near perfect launch for this new series. I can’t wait to see what the creative team has in store for Worf and crew, and how this mission affects them all.
Star Trek: Defiant #1 is available now from IDW Publishing.
Overview
This issue is a near perfect launch for this new series. I can’t wait to see what the creative team has in store for Worf and crew, and how this mission affects them all.