Star Trek #9
Written by Mike Johnson
Art by Stephen Molnar
Colors by John Raunch
Letters by Neil Uyetake
Based on the original teleplay “The Return of the Archons” by Boris Sobelman
Creative Consultant: Robert Orci
IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 30, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

In Star Trek #9, Sulu takes the spotlight as the crew fights a very strange battle against what appears to be a group of medieval villagers. I’m sure that’s all they are. Just some peaceful people minding their own business, right? What could go wrong?

I’ve gotta tell you, this book is so much FUN!!! Writer Mike Johnson does a great job of taking an old story and updating it to fit into the current Star Trek continuity. Let’s be honest, these stories were all written in the late 1960s and while some aspects can be horribly out-dated or “hokey,” Johnson turns them around and makes them new and fresh and exciting. Plus, there’s the added bonus that this is set in the Star Trek movie “universe,” so at this point, anything can happen. Yes, you know none of the crew will to die, but still, there’s an excitement that Johnson puts into the book that gives you that “anything goes” feeling. Also, he gives us some great flashbacks and insights into the characters lives that we don’t get in the movies.

Artist Stephen Molnar is a gem! He’s got a great detailed style and goes above and beyond in this issue, especially with the technology and backgrounds. He renders the characters in this book to look like the actors without making it look like he drew straight from production stills, which is always nice to have in a licensed book. He also does a fantastic job updating the look of the, let’s just say “villain,” from the 60’s television series into something that gels completely with the new look of the property. Well played, Mr. Johnson!

What I love about this book is that it generally runs in 2 issue arcs, or “episodes,” so there’s always plenty of opportunity to come in fresh and get in on the ground level of a new story. That combined with some pretty great writing and art make this book a VERY fun read!