Comics Review : Star Trek Romulans Schism Issue 2

The covers: Same theme as the last issue: three captains under their ships. It's a good representational cover that shows the reader who the big players in the issue are. The "Retailer Incentive Virgin Cover" is the same as the "Regular" cover, minus all the lettering. I liked this cover more than the last issue because the main character isn't so hidden in shadows. John Byrne (with colors by Lovern Kindzierski) did a good job. Can I repeat a plea to IDW to put out a Star Trek portfolio based on covers (and include this one in it)? Overall grade: A- for both.

The story: John Byrne continues his tale, this time from Starfleet's point of view. Primarily following the Commodore's (Pike's former Number One) as she is given orders to take the U.S.S. Yorktown to the Neutral Zone, with its own cloaking device put to good use. There's a nice passage dealing with the constant struggle not to use the methods of one's enemies for fear of becoming like them. This is a discussion that goes beyond Trek. There is, naturally, a space battle, but it it proceeded by a jaw dropping scene on Pages 8 and 9. The battle is very reminiscent of Run Silent, Run Deep and "Balance of Terror", as it should. Also included is an all too brief scene above Romulus that introduces a teaser piece of technology that will make itself known next issue. The last three pages reintroduces the third major alien race that's been missing from this comic. The captain of this ship is given a nice small surprise until seeing the fallout from the final pages of Issue 1. I'm really enjoying this story. Overall grade: A

The art: This book more than fills your jonesing for that classic Trek look. The first three pages are only missing the music of that era. Hey, IDW: Any chance of including play-along CD soundtracks? (Hey, I'll take a shot for anything Trek related) The interiors of the Yorktown, shown from every blessed angle, are beautiful to behold. You know how Star Trek The Motion Picture had that loving pass around the Enterprise in drydock? I got the same feeling of love in every panel inside the Commodore's ship. I could spend forever just walking through this ship. There is a nice "new" setting on Pages 6 and 7 that looks as though Matt Jefferies had designed it. But for me, the money shot is that double page splash on Pages 8 and 9. The only time I felt I had seen anything like this on television was when Starfleet retook Deep Space Nine from the Dominion. The technology on Pages 12 and 13 was a little too sleek for my liking: I would have liked to have seen more detail on it. The battle on Pages 14 through 19 should be studied by future Trek artists on how to illustrate an exciting fight. The last two pages are a nice way to bring the reader back to the previous issue's cliffhanger. John Byrne was dynamic in the eighties and he continues to prove that he is more than a force to be reckoned with visually. Overall grade: A+

The colors: What a shift in palates from last issue! On the Klingon and Romulan homeworlds Lovern Kindzierski was deep in reds, oranges, and purples. The classic silvers and blues of a Federation ship now are at the forefront. I really appreciate that during tight close-ups, Byrne foregoes backgrounds to allow Kindzierski to pick the right color to emphasize the emotion (Page 15, panel four; Page 16, panels two and five; and Page 19, panel 2). I can't find a flaw in this work. Overall grade: A+

The letters: With the exception of a comsignal on Page 7, Neil Uyetake only has dialogue to deliver. He does well. Overall grade: A

The final line: You could enter this series with this issue and be up to speed, but you're really missing the scheming and epic-ness if you missed Issue 1. If there's any beef to be made it's that the Romulans get pushed aside for Starfleet. I know that this is only one issue in this series, and I've learned over the last (almost) thirty years to trust in "The Byrne", but I want me some Romulans! Why, for heaven's sake, would you avoid this comic? Overall grade: अ

http://trekweb.com/articles/2009/10/07/Comics-Review-Star-Trek-Romulans-Schism-Issue-2.shtml