Advance Review: ‘Star Trek – Picard – Stargazer’ Saves The Best For The End
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
Now that the streaming series is over, we’re left with this uneven story of Jean-Luc Picard and Seven of Nine. While both the quality of the art and the story are inconsistent, it ultimately comes together as a true Star Trek tale.
Overall
8/10Star Trek: Picard – Stargazer starts off in warp drive, quickly falls into a wormhole, then saves the day at the end. Those aren’t spoilers for the book, but rather explain how the story takes off, stalls, then finds a second wind.
The original three-part mini-series, which concluded just before the final season of the Paramount+ show premiered, sought to bridge the gap between seasons two and three – and to capitalize on the excitement around the series. This graphic novel assembled the three parts into a single volume, which makes the whole thing seem even more uneven.
There are plenty of fan favorites for readers to enjoy. Jean-Luc Picard is, of course, back on the bridge of the USS Stargazer, the new ship shown in the second season. Seven of Nine is here as well, giving the Starfleet thing a go. It serves as a segue into Picard’s final season, where we see her as first officer on the USS Titan. And yes, there are Romulans, Remans and several other lesser-known species.
Writers Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson provide an fairly uneven script, particularly in the middle of the story. At that point, it feels like the point of the series is to do nothing more than to leverage the series to sell books. But by the end, they pull out a true Star Trek story, as Picard uses his trademark diplomatic skills to first understand then address an alien civilization’s dilemma.
Artist Angel Hernandez’ work is also uneven, again particularly in the middle portion of the story. At times, Picard looks like some random bald dude. But early on he accurately depicts the admiral at various points in his career. While drawing characters based on actors can be tricky, Hernandez nails it by the end. Getting there, though, can be a bumpy ride.
With the streaming series now over, comics publisher IDW will likely turn to other parts of the franchise to explore. Perhaps Picard will emerge again only in a cameo role to support another story. If so, his return will be a welcome one.
Star Trek: Picard – Stargazer will be available for purchase tomorrow.
