In 2375, Benjamin Sisko joined the Bajoran Prophets in the wormhole and has not been seen since. And now, thanks to IDW Publishing’s Star Trek issue #1, Sisko has returned. Bringing Sisko back is potentially contentious, as his ending was so perfect in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Even when questions or cliffhangers are posed in stories, sometimes you don’t want to know the answer. Letting the audience draw their own conclusions can often be more interesting. So if Sisko is back, his story better be worth telling. Thankfully, Star Trek #1 is already off to a compelling start.
Even though the comic’s protagonist is Sisko, the series is just called Star Trek. This may be confusing until you realize this series is a celebration of all eras of Star Trek. Not just DS9. Not only does Sisko return, but also Captain Picard, Data, Dr Crusher, Tom Paris, and even Scotty. Barring Picard, the rest of the cast all end up serving in the same crew as Sisko. It’s a cast of characters who would never normally interact. To see them all “on screen” together is something very special.
Three years after the Dominion War ended. Therefore it makes perfect sense that these seemingly disparate eras can coexist. By this point, the U.S.S. Voyager has returned from the Delta Quadrant. Data still lives before his demise in Nemesis, and Scotty lives in the current era thanks to his appearance in The Next Generation episode, “Relics”. It’s a genius idea to tie all these characters together in one cohesive story.
Synopsis
It’s stardate 2378, and Benjamin Sisko has finally returned from the Bajoran Wormhole omnipotent—but his godhood is failing with every minute. Sent by the Prophets on a mission to the deepest parts of space aboard the U.S.S. Theseus, he witnesses the unthinkable… …Someone is killing the gods. And only Sisko and his motley crew of Starfleet members from every era of Trek can stop them.
The Emissary’s Plan
The central plot of the issue is that Sisko has returned from the wormhole to do something the Prophets can’t do in the physical realm. He’s not sure why or how he’s back, but he knows where he needs to go and that he needs a ship to do it. The danger is coming, and only he can stop it. The characterization of Sisko is excellently handled here. When he first returns to Deep Space Nine, he’s cold and detached. He has trouble telling whether he’s in the past, present, or future.
He doesn’t know how to interact with others, not even his son Jake. But over the course of the issue, the charismatic Siko we know slowly comes back. He’s able to connect with others and even make jokes. However, that cold detachment is still present as he chooses to embark on this mission, even though he could spend time with his son and meet his daughter from Kasidy.
One interesting aspect of this issue is the uniforms seen on the crew members Sisko assembles. They cross the solid-coloured shirts of the TNG era and the upper torso-coloured shirts of the Star Trek: Voyager and DS9 eras. After 50 years of Star Trek, artists and production designers are still finding ways to come up with new uniforms. This new iteration looks a bit awkward, though and would have probably been fine using the First Contact era uniforms.
Easter Eggs and Callbacks
Since it touches so many Star Trek eras, many fun Easter eggs and callbacks are present. The issue opens with an essay by Jake Sisko titled “What We Left Behind”. This is a reference to the series finale of DS9 called “What You Leave Behind.” Another excellent scene is when Sisko asks Picard for help acquiring a ship and a crew.
This scene harkens back to one of the first scenes of DS9 when Picard gives Sisko command of Deep Space Nine. In that original scene, Sisko is resentful of Picard since Picard aided the Borg in the Battle of Wolf 359. Now, however, Sisko confides in Picard as he might be the only one who can understand what it’s like to be taken by a mysterious alien race. This closes an arc that was never addressed after “Emissary”.
This Is The End
The ending involves another callback from TNG, the Crystalline Entities. Sisko and his crew travel to the foretold point in space, only to find a cluster of Crystalline Entities. However, a mysterious force causes all of them to shatter at once. Whatever awesome force did this is unknown, but we know they are powerful. However, this storyline of something that can kill some of the most powerful creatures ever witnessed in Star Trek is a bit concerning. We’ve seen universe-ending plots so many times. Hopefully, this story doesn’t devolve into that once again.
While very entertaining and compelling, this story slightly diminishes the ending of DS9. The impact of Sisko’s final departure to the wormhole and leaving his wife and son is less meaningful if he only returns three years later. Hopefully, as the issues progress, Sisko’s journey will be important enough that it warrants his return.
Conclusion
Star Trek Issue#1 is on sale now via Amazon. Additionally, you can find the comic in all good comic book stores. The comic comes from the minds of the Star Trek: Year Five duo. Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly (Batman Beyond, Captain America), illustrated by Ramon Rosanas (Star Wars), comes IDW Publishing’s brand-new flagship Star Trek ongoing series that goes where no comic has gone before!
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