Sons of Star Trek #2 is written by Morgan Hampton and published by IDW Publishing. Artwork is by Angel Hernandez, colours by Nick Filardi and letters by Clayton Cowles. Main cover are (left) is by Jake Bartok.
Sons of Star Trek #2 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Jake, Nog, and Alexander find themselves stuck in a never-ending loop of being blown to smithereens aboard the U.S.S. Avery and then revived by Q Jr.—who insists he’s helping them learn some lesson unbeknownst to them. Amid the attack from the Breen, the Avery crew and their strong-willed, bureaucratic captain, Skrain Dukat, refuse to listen to the trio’s musings about an alternate universe. Left with no other choice, they are forced to begrudgingly work together and attempt to step into their Starfleet roles in hopes of helping the Federation ship survive the attack and return home…or be stuck in this alternate reality forever!
Review
Four of Star Trek’s most famous sons are back with their second issue of their brand new adventure. After reaching a startling conclusion last month, the second issue continues to take the classic characters on an unexpected journey. But with the son of Q – known as QJ – taking on a surprising new role, Morgan Hampton’s story continues to surprise and delight for another month.
Picking up where issue #1 left off, the titular Sons of Star Trek find themselves in a parallel universe where they also happen to be caught in a time loop. Aboard the USS Avery, under captain Gul Dukat, they find themselves under constant attack from a Breen ship resulting in their demise and reset. In fact we’ve reached the point this loop has come full circle almost sixty times without success.
This is where Hampton is breaking convention and working overtime to keep the series original. Whilst QJ became established on Star Trek: Voyager Hampton is able to push the character in a new direction, further stretching the fathers and sons dynamic of the story. The fact he intends to work with Jake, Nog and Alexander to help them overcome their issues, a fact he makes abundantly clear this month, goes a long way to establishing the character as far more than just a younger Q.
Whilst there is still plenty for Jake and Nog to do, issue #2 feels like it focusses more on Alexander. Having him confront the priest he murdered as part of the Red Path challenges his character on every level. Hampton uses this not only to illustrate the journey Alexander needs to go on but also as a great plot device to illustrate the kinds of hurdles the crew needs to overcome to progress in their time loop. Think of it like progressing in a video game. Each of the heroes have to defeat a level boss in order to progress to the next.
It doesn’t hurt that these character moments are playing out against the backdrop of the Breen threat. Sons of Star Trek has a sizzling dramatic tension bubbling under the surface. Like a ticking time bomb that both the reader and the audience is aware of. What’s fun is seeing how Hampton continues that once the original end point of the time loop have been resolved. No spoilers but it certainly ratchets up the tension ready for issue #3.
Angel Hernandez continues to do a (inter)stellar job of bringing Star Trek to the page. The interior of the USS Avery feels new and unexplored but takes all of the right cues from Trek design language. The alternate universe setting adds an extra layer of originality which allows Hernandez to have fun with character design and other long-established parts of the lore.
Verdict
Hampton and Hernandez continue to explore strange new worlds by keeping Sons of Star Trek fun, fresh and original. A heady mix of character study and interstellar action this month make issue #2 a nimble read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
