Advance Review — It’s Back To The Future In ‘Star Trek: Picard’s Academy’ #1
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
While he’s familiar, this isn’t the Jean-Luc Picard we’ve come to love. At least not yet. This 20-year-old version is still learning how to interact with others while charting his own course for the future. Think of it as a young adult version of Star Trek.
Overall
8/10After the thrilling conclusion of Jean-Luc Picard’s career seen in the Paramount+ show Star Trek: Picard, IDW takes us 76 years into the past future to chronicle the one-day admiral’s academy days.
Star Trek: Picard’s Academy transports the reader to Earth of 2325, where second-year cadet Picard is pushing himself to get to the top of his class. He’s nearly there, but an oddly coiffed Betazoid stands in his way.
This younger version of Jean-Luc has yet to mature into the captain that we know from the Enterprise D from Next Generation and the E version from a few of the feature films. First, he has hair. Also, he’s sure of himself to the point of arrogance. He is laser-focused (phaser-focused?) on graduating early from the academy – a feat few have pulled off – but we’re never given a real reason why that is his goal. As a result, he has done his level best to alienate himself from his fellow cadets. They try to get close and invite him to parties, but Picard is all business. (It’s evasive maneuvers exam week after all!)
The script from writer Sam Maggs uses a familiar character or two to try to remind young Jean-Luc that life isn’t all work and no play. The groundskeeper Boothby is his only real friend, and he teaches the cadet life lessons from beyond the classroom. Maggs throws in some other Easter eggs for Trek fans as well.
Her text, combined with Ornella Greco’s cartoonish illustrations give the series a young-adult feel. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially given the franchise’s other recent forays into animation. It is a bit of a shock, though, seeing Picard drawn as a young stud- particularly one with a ‘do. (Despite a photo from Star Trek: Nemesis that clearly shows the cadet sans hair.)
The premiere issue ends with a surprise character reveal, which is likely to alternately excite or upset fans of the franchise because of potential continuity issues. Regardless of how readers react, they’ll likely come back for the next issue to learn more of the memorable character’s backstory.
Star Trek: Picard’s Academy #1 will be available for purchase on September 13, 2023.
