Make it so!
Anthologies are always a lot of fun, especially when they are compiled to celebrate an outside event. As season 2 of Star Trek: Picard approaches, IDW has put together a number of different stories that tell the tale of the famous Starfleet Captain. Interestingly enough, these stories are not limited to work that IDW itself has produced, but also includes a DC Comics published tale from 1989.
Star Trek: The Best of Picard features four stories that span over 30 years of comic book publishing. These tales show various aspects of the Picard we know and love, from his history as captain of the Stargazer ship, to interactions with Q, other Star Trek Universe captains, the Mirror Universe, and a post-Enterprise adventure that ties into the new show. The compilation is designed to give a well-rounded representation of the man and his world.
Are the stories good? Yes. Readers can not go wrong with IDW’s modern Trek comic writers Scott & Daniel Tipton or classic Trek author Michael Jan Friedman. There are 2 drawbacks to this book, however. The first is that every one of the four stories is part one of a multiple-issue storyline. Any reader who wants to see how they end must search for the other parts elsewhere. Second (and this is more of a technical problem), the story from 1989 is poorly reproduced in this collection. Artist Pablo Marcos worked in the comics industry for decades and was a fantastic illustrator. The work presented here is not an accurate representation of his talent. The linework is faded and choppy looking, almost as if it was badly scanned or photocopied. What makes it even more jarring is that Marcos’ art follows a fully painted Mirror Universe story. It would seem that it might have been a better idea to put that story first in the anthology instead of in a place in which it is forced to compete with artwork that is more pleasing to a modern audience.
Star Trek: The Best of Picard is fun. It is an interesting look back at a character through comics history. Any fan of Star Trek and of Jean Luc Picard should be happy with this collection.
Creative Team: Various
Publisher: IDW Publishing
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