Advance Review — Beware The Holodeck (And The Dialogue) In ‘Star Trek: Holo-Ween’ #1
by Tom Smithyman
Ah, the legendary Star Trek holodeck – where an untold number of plot points are born and routine leisure activities go awry! Whether it’s accidentally creating a version of Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis Moriarty or Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Dr. Bashir getting stuck while playing a version of James Bond, the simulator has provided more than it’s share of memorable episodes over the years.
IDW is trying to recapture some of that magic with Star Trek: Holo-Ween, a new weekly series in October in which Captain Picard battles a foe from Trek’s past who uses the holodeck to sew fear throughout the crew of the Enterprise-D.
Spoilers prevent revealing too much about the baddie for now, but it is intent on terrorizing Deanna Troi, Worf, Data and even frequent holodeck visitor Reginald Barclay. After a particularly grueling mission, the crew is in need of a diversion, and Troi is more than happy to accommodate them with the old Earth tradition of dressing up as spooky monsters and asking for candy. But then a creature takes over the holodeck and crew members start disappearing. Trick or treat indeed!
The idea is a fun one. The execution, however, is uneven at best. Writer Chris Sequeira’s setup is solid and some of his dialogue feels as though it’s pulled directly from the television show. Other dialogue, though, is just plain bad. When Data is walking around as Frankenstein’s monster, Picard utters: “He’s been transformed into a simulacrum of a long-known Earth fiction.” Even Patrick Stewart’s dulcet tones couldn’t save that line. And Sequeira’s longer, first-person narration is equally clunky and unrealistic.
Joe Eisma’s artwork rarely fares much better. He does produce a few memorable panels, but most are so basic and non-detailed, that it feels like reading a comic book through cheesecloth. Charlie Kirchoff’s colors do pop, thanks to the bright hues of the Next-Generation’s multi-colored uniforms.
Adventures in the holodeck are supposed to be fun. So it this limited series. It turns out, though, they neither really are.
Star Trek: Halo-Ween #1 will be available for purchase on October 4, 2023.
Overview
Star Trek’s holodeck has been a venue for pain and pleasure over the years. Unfortunately, it’s the former here thanks to some inconsistent writing and non-detailed artwork. It’s too bad, because it’s a fun idea but one that is not well executed.
