Mind's Eye Comics Pick!! -- Star Trek: Lower Decks #1

Star Trek: Lower Decks #1, IDW Publishing

Written By: Ryan North

Art By: Chris Fenoglio

Based on the Paramount Plus series, Star Trek: Lower Decks the comic is exactly what you'd expect, especially if you're a fan of the series. Like the show, the comic is funny, reference heavy to other Trek, and is essentially a big love letter to all of Star Trek. Especially '90s Trek. The story follows both the bridge crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos, and its Lower Decks crew, namely Boimler, Mariner, Tendi and Rutherford. In this first issue The Cerritos is sent on a crucial second contact mission to the Qvanti system, a lengthy voyage that allows the Lower Decks crew some much needed R&R on the holo-deck. Naturally, the Lower Decks crew manage to stir up trouble, which could threaten the ship, even as it arrives in the Qvanti system to an unexpected situation.

This issue was incredibly entertaining, funny and nostalgic. Writer Ryan North, most famously of Unbeatable Squirrel-Girl fame, brings an obvious working knowledge of the characters, series and of all Trek, which (as a Trekkie myself) is much appreciated. He also adds Squirrel-Girl-like border captions which only add more humor, and was probably my favorite thing about the issue. The story on the holo-deck features many references to The Next Generation series and characters. Mariner messing with Boimler trying to create a sentient holo-deck character (like Professor Moriarty on TNG) only to end up bringing in Dracula to a Sherlock Holmes era program is exactly as funny as it sounds. The humor is non-stop, and I honestly haven’t had this much fun with a comic in a while. If you’re a fan of Lower Decks, or even just a Trek fan who maybe hasn’t seen Lower Decks yet, I think you’d love this comic series adaptation. And did I mention Badgey?!