The Fate of the Narada
by Joel Champagne
I hate unfinished stories. When I pick up a book, I want it to have an ending, whether it takes ten pages or ten thousand. So comics, while enjoyable, always gave me a sense of frustration, as I realized that I’d just paid four bucks, for about five minutes of plot. It’s like going to a museum and being only allowed to view a teeeeeny piece of a painting. “We know it’s beautiful, but you’re only getting one piece at a time, bub.”
That said, when an advance copy of Star Trek: Nero landed on my desk, I leaped at the chance to read it. After enjoying the new movie I was more than hungry for anything Star Trek. I’ve even started rewatching The Next Generation on DVD. So a black comic book, with Nero’s tattooed visage peering out at me, was just fuel for the fire. Created by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the film’s screenwriters/producers, this four-part mini-series fills a gaping hole in the timeline left by the movie.
The film begins with the destruction of the U.S.S. Kelvin (with Kirk’s dad aboard) as it fights Nero’s ship the Narada, a Romulan mining vessel cast back in time through a black hole. Twenty-five years later Spock Prime (Leonard Nimoy) arrives through the black hole from the future of Nero’s origin. The filmmakers filled that two-and-a-half-decade gap with a car chase involving a young James T. Kirk. Meanwhile, Nero and his ship remained at large, whereabouts unknown. This comic gives us the story of those years.
In it we find a closer look at Nero, and his crew, directly after the U.S.S. Kelvin‘s destruction (with not a small amount of damage to the Narada herself). We get to see a glimpse into the depths of Nero’s madness, the desires of his crew, and the efficiency of a Klingon raiding party.
Written by Mike Johnson and Tim Jones, the comic raises far more questions than it answers. It hints at the true capabilities of the massive ship, and reveals the motivations behind the insane desperation of the mining vessel crew. The dialogue is fairly sparse, albeit fascinating. The art, drawn by David Messina, keeps a lot of the feel from the movie. It shows the the striking differences between the old Star Trek ships and the futuristic Romulans. The individual Romulan facial markings are fascinating and seem somehow right within the alien structure of the Narada.
Issue One ends, as most comics do, leaving me wanting more, but when the first taste is this intriguing, the wait just might be worth it.
Star Trek: Nero No. 1
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writers: Mike Johnson & Tim Jones
Artist: David Messina
Price: $3.99/issue
Available: IDW Store
