The new Star Trek: Waypoint comic is an anthology series of short adventures from the various Star Trek worlds in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the franchise. Though the stories follow the characters we’ve come to know over the last half century, they’re designed to stand on their own. They don’t fit in with any specific sequence of events, and they’re probably not canon. In a lot of ways, Waypoint reminds me of the very first comic I reviewed for this site, Doctor Who Classics. It’s similar not only in structure, but in its style and tone.

This first issue presents us with two stories: one from The Original Series and one from Next Generation. We begin with the latter, in “Puzzles.” It’s evidently a few years since we last left the crew of the Enterprise. Now, Geordi is the captain, and Data is his Number One. Data is also Lieutenant Commander, Security Chief, Transporter Chief, and… pretty much everything else. In reality, Data’s brain functions as the ship’s computer, but by projecting a series of holograms of himself around the bridge, he’s able to take on any and every other necessary function.

If you think that’s mind-blowing, just wait. That’s just page one. As the adventure continues, Geordi and the Datas encounter a stranded ship from the distant future and must mount a rescue mission while dealing with A.I., advanced technology, and some unexpected interpretations of the Prime Directive.

Though the backdrop is somewhat unfamiliar, for me, this story represents, what Star Trek is all about. It’s strange and fascinating, brilliantly conceived, nearly perfectly executed, and designed to raise a number of complex existential and philosophical questions. I’d love to see a full episode or even a full movie based on this brief story.

The second story is much shorter and simpler, but fun and entertaining nonetheless. In “Daylily,” we see Uhuru temporarily stranded on a strange planet during an impending sandstorm. As she works to make herself a shelter from the storm, she encounters one of the planet’s native creatures. Is it friendly? Is it dangerous? To find that out, you’ll just have to read the comic for yourself.

“Puzzles” was the standout story in this particular issue, but both were a lot of fun to read and well worth checking out. They also provide us with an idea of the kinds of things we can expect from future issues. I, for one, look forward to seeing more.