This past February, IDW released Star Trek Deviations: Threads of Destiny, a one-shot special that focused on Lieutenant Nyota Uhura. Written by Stephanie Williams, Threads of Destiny acts as an homage to the late, great Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura on the Original Series, and the fan-favorite episode, “The City on the Edge of Forever.”
It was a treat to see Williams return to the classic character of the Guardian of Forever, and I loved the nod to the Star Trek: Discovery take on the character. Somehow the Guardian of Forever appearing as “Carl” suits this story and prevents any continuity headaches for fans wondering why Kirk and crew didn’t immediately recognize the danger they were in here. And it explains why they failed to recognize the Guardian of Forever in “The City on the Edge of Forever” if this story takes place first.
Suffice it to say, dangers of the temporal kind ensue which teleport Uhura back in time to the year 1963, where she is confronted by the racism of the time almost immediately upon arrival. The ugliness of that encounter sets the tone for the rest of the book. From there readers are treated to a story about the will and courage to stand up to oppression and bigotry. With just one issue, Williams lacks the space to carve out a fully realized tale like the Deep Space Nine episode, “Past Tense,” but the narrative is effective, nonetheless. I think it would have been great to have been able to expand this story into a mini-series that could have delved deeper into Uhura’s character and given her a story with greater stakes, as her travel through time is all resolved within this one issue. “Past Tense” directly showed us the plight of those imprisoned in the sanctuary districts. Sisko and Bashir’s choices and their interactions with the people of the sanctuary district allowed us to understand the humanitarian crisis we were seeing without being told directly that it was a crisis. Another factor arguing in favor of giving this story a larger canvas.
Gregory Maldonado provides the art for this book, which is inked by Anthony Fowler, Jr. and colored by Charlie Kirchoff. The entire team deserves praise for capturing the whole nostalgic look and feel of this book. From the cover that evoked the comics of the past to the inking and color choices, the art is fantastic. This book wouldn’t look out of place on an old spinner rack in the 1970s. Maldonado’s pencils capture that old-school flavor and his design for Carl could feel right at home in any comic from the Silver/Bronze age. I loved the use of the older Star Trek comic book logo on the cover and the title page that made this book truly feel like a lost episode or an old classic I just discovered in a long box at my comic store.
This one-shot is a heartfelt thank you to the Civil Rights Movement and the individual everyday heroes who made it happen. Martin Luther King Jr. famously told Nichelle Nichols to stay in the role of Uhura, when she had been thinking of leaving Star Trek. Dr. King saw Uhura not just as a prominent television role but as a crucial symbol of equality. It can’t be understated how important it was for American viewers in the 1960s to see a strong African American woman as an officer, a leader, among a cast of white men. This book serves as a wonderful way to honor Nichelle Nichols’s legacy and the importance of Uhura in our culture.
Creative Team: Stephanie Williams (writer), Gregory Maldonado (artist), Anthony Fowler Jr. (inker), Charlie Kirchoff (colorist), Jodie Troutman (letterer), Neil Uyetake (Design and Production)
Publisher: IDW Publishing
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