Star Trek #17
Written by Mike Johnson
Creative Consultant: Roberto Orci
Art by Claudia Balboni
Inks by Erica Duranti
Colors by Claudia SGC
Letters by Chris Mowry
Editor: Scott Dunbier
Cover by Tim Bradstreet
IDW Publishing
Release Date: February 6, 2032
Cover Price: $3.99

Star Trek #17 is a great single-issue story focusing on one of the most famous crew members of the Starship Enterprise. It’s part love letter, part space adventure, which adds up to one great comic!

Writer Mike Johnson turns in a fantastic tale of everyone’s favorite doctor, Leonard “Bones” McCoy. This is basically the untold origin of Bones – why he became a doctor, why he joined Starfleet, and just what happened with that ex-wife of his. This is a great character piece that could NEVER be told in a feature film, and if it was, would not be nearly as detailed as this story is. It’s got everything that makes it classic Star Trek, but told within the confines of the new films. It’s got heart, action, and humor, which makes this one great read.

Artist Claudia Balboni is one heck of a great artist! I don’t know where she came from, but I can’t wait to see more of her art. She’s got an amazing clean style and really knows her storytelling and how to lay out a page. There is a lot of “talking heads” pages, but she makes these scenes unique and very entertaining. And, of course, she’s drawing Star Trek, so you have to take into account the technology that comes into play, which she pulls off beautifully. I am legitimately impressed with Claudia Balboni, and I can honestly say that whatever she draws next, I’ll be picking up.

All in all, Star Trek #17 was one hell of an awesome issue. You get character development that you’d NEVER get in a movie due to time and storytelling constraints. You get AMAZING art and some heart-warming moments. This is a fantastic comic and I highly recommend that you pick it up. It’s a nice “one & done,” so you don’t have to know what’s going on in the Star Trek universe, but you’ll want to after reading this issue.