Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming releases its second issue this week, continuing the untold story of Voyager’s return to Earth.
Picking right up after the series finale, Voyager has been seized by Species 8472 and forcibly taken into Fluidic Space. As revealed in the first issue, Species 8472 had infiltrated the Pathfinder Project, assuming the identities of its officers, including Admiral Paris. Species 8472 fears mankind, especially after Janeway betrayed them to the Borg in exchange for safe passage through Borg space. And now with the knowledge that Voyager has brought from the future, thanks to an older Admiral Janeway (You’ve watched the Voyager finale, right?), Species 8472 is even more convinced that humanity is an existential threat that needs to be annihilated. It had seemed in the Season 5 episode, “In the Flesh,” that Captain Janeway had reached an understanding with Species 8472 with the possibility open for peace. In many ways this series serves as a sequel to that episode, one of my favorites, as writers Susan Bridges and Tilly Bridges explore the effect that encounter had on Species 8472 and its own views of the Federation.
Clearly, the Bridges have the same affection for that episode and Voyager that I do. When Species 8472 was first introduced in the season three finale, “Scorpion: Part One,” they were unique in the Star Trek universe as a creation that felt utterly alien. The danger of these new aliens was apparent from the opening scene, as a fleet of Borg cubes fled in terror from their presence. Whatever could scare the Federation’s greatest adversary that much had to be a genuine and possibly insurmountable threat. Though, “In the Flesh” gave us deeper insight, Voyager ended leaving Species 8472 still shrouded in mystery. We knew they were highly telepathic, capable of shifting their appearance, and their touch alone could be deadly, yet we knew nothing of their culture, planet, or even their species’ actually name. Species 8472 is just their Borg designation. Readers deserve to experience this issue on their own, but the Bridges begin to explore the questions many fans have had about Species 8472 ever since Voyager ended. We even get a closer glimpse at their technology and their telepathic prowess. I’ve always enjoyed those episodes that were a deep dive into an alien culture, and this series promises to give Species 8472 their due.
Bridges and Bridges also seem to understand another theme of the television show which is consequences. From the Pilot through to the Finale, Voyager has been a show that asks its audience to ponder and question the decisions made by its characters. Was Captain Janeway right to destroy the Caretaker’s array to save the Okampa but maroon her crew in the Delta Quadrant? What about her decision to make a pact with the Borg? And don’t even get me started on Tuvix. With Voyager the bill always came due eventually, and the characters would often have to confront their choices for good and bad. Star Trek Voyager: Homecoming is Captain Janeway’s reckoning for siding with the Borg against Species 8472. That decision was one of the few that Captain Janeway made that could be seen as going against the ethics of Starfleet and the Federation. It was a practical decision: Embrace the enemy you know over the unknown foe. They had just witnessed Species 8472 demolish a Borg Fleet, something the Voyager crew would see as impossible and if they didn’t want to add decades on to their journey home, they needed to navigate through Borg space. And as most fans will remember, Species 8472 acted only with hostility, attacking Voyager, putting Harry Kim at death’s door (Of course, it happened to Harry.), and making known their desire to destroy the non-Fluidic universe. A first encounter that didn’t leave much for interpretation. Yet, it could be argued that they should have let Species 8472 destroy an implacable enemy the Federation has only barely beaten in the past. And what about the rules of First Contact? Captain Janeway never even tried to talk or open a dialogue with them. Seeing an alien species as only a threat doesn’t seem very Federation-like nor is giving the Borg the means to assimilate another species. It seems as if Voyager can’t make it home until the crew answers for one last pivotal decision.
This series has been the Voyager movie I never knew I needed. This feels like big-screen-movie action and stakes with an iconic villain at the center. The dialogue feels true to the characters, as the Bridges capture the heart of these characters.
Angel Hernandez’s art mixed with Charlie Kirchoff’s colors further cement the illusion that I’m watching an episode of the show. The artistic highlight of this issue has to be the horrifically beautiful cover art. Voyager never shied away from the horror elements of science fiction, and the close-up of a screaming Tuvok with alien hands digging into the skin of his face is striking. It also serves to remind readers who may have forgotten from the television series that Tuvok is suffering from a neuro-degenerative disease that can only be cured when he melds with a family member. The longer Tuvok remains away from home, the more permanent the damage, providing even further incentive to escape Fluidic Space as quickly as they can and adding another layer of space onto the story.
Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming has been a treat. The Bridges understand that every character is someone’s favorite, and the entire ensemble shines here. I’ve really enjoyed my time with these characters again, and I can’t overstate how seamless this comic fits into the show. This could easily be the opening arc of an eighth season. Highly recommended for all Trekkies!
Creative Team: Susan Bridges (Writer), Tilly Bridges (Writer), Angel Hernandez (Artist), Charlie Kirchoff (Colorist), Neil Uyetake (Letters and Design)
Publisher: IDW Publishing
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