In the quick pace of streaming serialized television shows, there’s not always an opportunity to tell an origin story. Star Trek Discovery is a program that moves at lightening pace, focusing more on action then character development. When a character is spotlighted, it’s usually for something very specific. This is why a series like Star Trek Discovery: Adventures in the 32nd Century is so great.
Issue two, written by Mike Johnson and drawn by Angel Hernandez, focuses on the characters of Grey and Adira – a Trill and human couple (played by non-binary actors Ian Alexander and Blu del Baarrio in the TV series). These characters are important to Star Trek, because it is the first spotlight on a new Trill in a live-action series since the end of Deep Space Nine in 1999. It’s also important because the reader gets to see life on a Generation ship. A Generation ship is from Earth; it’s crew left in search of the fractured Federation which suffered due to the cataclysmic event known as The Burn. The Burn destroyed warp power. This ship has sailed through space without lightspeed. It’s inhabitants take multiple lifetimes to reach their destination. These voyagers are part of a long line of family members hoping to reach their goal.
As the only Trill on the ship, other than Admiral Senna Tal, Grey is chosen to be joined. The Symbiote Tal’s current host, the Admiral, is dying. The choice is not Grey’s, but it is essential for the Symbiote’s survival. Adira must watch and accept the changes to Grey as centuries of others’ memories become part of their lives.
Star Trek Discovery: Adventures in the 32nd Century fills in the blanks for two important characters in the series. It also gives the readers an opportunity to see life without Starfleet and how the Federation’s reemergence as a force after a hundred years affected these characters. It’s a wonderfully written and drawn tale, essential for any Star Trek fan’s collection.
Creative Team: Mike Johnson (writer) and Angel Hernandez (artist)
Publisher: IDW Publishing
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