Comics Review : Star Trek Alien Spotlight Q

The covers: Before I get to the reviews, why isn't there a collection of all the various covers on the inside front cover of the comic? Covers running late? I had to go online and search for them. Cover "A" is by the always good Joe Corroney, and this is no exception. Q is making a Picard motion on the bridge of the Enterprise-D while Riker and Date respond questioningly. This scene, and setting, is nowhere in the comic, but, gee, it sure is pretty. Cover "B" is by interior artist Elena Casagrande with colors by interior colorist Ilaria Traversi. It's cover a Q winking as Picard's mirror image. This cover is a neat summary of the character's impish traits, but is it worthy of a cover? It's a very drably colored cover -- it's true to the colors of the films' costumes, but it's not going to stand out among new comics out for the week. And that was the choice for Q's logo? Isn't that a little obsc ure? I couldn't find an image of the "Retailer Incentive Virgin Cover", but since it's listed as also being by Corroney, it might be an colored version of Cover "A". Overall grades: Cover "A" A, Cover "B" C+, and "RIVC" ?

The story: Scott Tipton and David Tipton (No ampersand? Are we witnessing the breakup like John and Kate?) have written a day in Q's eternal quest to learn about humans; this time by taking over Picard's body while the Captain floats about much like Professor Stein from DC's Firestorm. Q is a troublesome character to write because when written well he comes off as intelligent and threatening, but written poorly comes off clownish (like the Borg). He's sadly not a threat at all in this book because of the promise he makes on Page 6, panel 3. With this "word" Q goes into clunky comedy. He attends a briefing of senior officers where "Picard" is looked at suspiciously by the characters we love, yet not one of these characters confront him about his actions or words. This is a discredit to the intelligence attributed to Starfleet's finest. There's even a three page scene with a senior officer that does nothing to impr ove Q's understanding of humanity. Why is this even in the book? It's not funny, if it is supposed to be. The six page negotiation scene scene is good: I liked the conflict between the two races and I really like the resolution. Though for Q, by story's end, there's nothing learned. In fact, there's no change or growth for any character, omnipotent or human. Q even tosses out a temptation for a human, which is, as always, rejected. This story comes off as a weak variant of "Data's Day." This is the first time I felt the Tiptons stumbled in Star Trek. Overall grade: C-

The art: Elena Casagrande does an excellent job in the look of all the characters and settings, as well as moving the camera angle of the comic. Based on Page 1 I thought she was going to ape David Messina's look, but by Page 4 her line work became thinner and rounder (I love the bottom three panels of Page 4). There's also the introduction of two new alien races, both of which I'd love to see again. This comic is literally nothing but "talking head" scenes, and, happily, Casagrande makes it work exceptionally. Overall grade: A+

The colors: Ilaria Traveri, with Color Assist by 2B Studio, does a great job. The blue and orange interiors of the Enterprise-E came off as gloomy in their three movie appearances, but not here. These colors come off as electric. The two new aliens, especially the gaseous one, are also well done. Overall grade: A+

The letters: Neil Uyetake has but one sound effect among all the narration and dialogue he has to produce, though he does get to create two new fonts for the alien races. I'm always very appreciative when this is done, such as in the recently concluded Star Trek: Mission's End, for I "hear" the dialogue in different tones when it looks differently. Overall grade: A+

The final line: Art, coloring, and lettering -- great. The story -- meh. How can you like a book where there's no threat of conflict among the primary characters or no one has learned anything by the story's end? What was the point? Overall grade: C+

http://trekweb.com/articles/2009/08/06/Comics-Review-Star-Trek-Alien-Spotlight-Q.shtml