Star Trek: Lower Decks #8 is written by Tim Sheridan and published by IDW Publishing. Artwork, colours and main cover art (left) by Robby Cook and letters by Clayton Cowles.
Star Trek: Lower Decks #8 is available now, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
In a moment of mother-daughter bonding, Captain Freeman continues the story of how she was once a nobody screw-up just like Mariner! Where she last left off, Dr. Katherine Pulaski had taken the helm of the U.S.S. Illinois in its clash with a Romulan warbird—but, as feared, Pulaski’s brilliant track record of crashing spacecraft isn’t doing her any favors in the encounter. Freeman and Durango are called upon to save the day. If the crew is to survive, the two ensigns need to rise to the challenge of command, and fast.
Review
The second half of Star Trek: Lower Decks two-part flashback story arrives in comic book stores today. With Dr. Pulaski now taking control of the USS Illinois, the crew beamed off the ship to an unknown destination and mutiny in the ranks, it’s up to Ensign Freeman to attempt to save the day. Can Tim Sheridan steer the Illinois to a smooth landing? Or is Pulaski’s return to Star Trek about to leave another poor taste in fans mouths?
I’ve loved seeing Sheridan playing in the Trek sandbox. The first half of the story was so much fun. Taking us back to an era before the grandad collar on the Starfleet uniforms. A time when male lower deckers wore dresses and when William T. Riker was still shaving his baby face. But with this issue it’s time to get down to business. Of course there’s plenty of Lower Decks style fun to be had. But Sheridan also knows how to tell a blockbuster story and this is a masterclass in doing just that. Balancing out the action of a two-part Trek story with the kind of off-the-wall comedy we’ve come to expect from a Lower Decks story.
The sign of a great Trek writer is in understanding the it all boils down to character. Even in the midst of the biggest, craziest space battle, what really matters is the characters. Sheridan has distilled the story down to just a couple of big personalities with Freeman in the lead and Dr. Pulaski in a supporting guest role. The real success is in seeing Freeman behaving more like her daughter and how that fills in more of the gaps in their relationship. Something which Sheridan more than neatly ties up in the final few pages of Star Trek: Lower Decks #8.
It would be easy for a story like this to lose momentum because the outcome is somewhat written in stone. We know that ultimately Freeman will get out of this pinch. We also know she’ll learn valuable lessons which will push her towards her posting as captain on the USS Cerritos. But thanks to a mostly throw away group of supporting crew there’s more than enough jeopardy to propel the story to what is an impressively Star Trek conclusion. Additional kudos are deserved for the fact that more than a handful of pages Sheridan had me convinced something fishy was going on with Dr. Pulaski… other than her behaving like the Pulaski she always was.
Robby Cook continues the home run of bringing the early days of The Next Generation to life in the style of Lower Decks. At this stage we’ve seen all of the major characters and locations so Cook is able to double-down on making this a love letter to fans of the series. Having seen what Cook has been able to do with Dr. Pulaski I’d love to see what other characters from this era of Trek would look like if given the Lower Decks makeover.
Verdict
Star Trek: Lower Decks #8 is the perfect compliment to last month’s first part. The two work perfectly and will make for the perfect binge read. Tim Sheridan steps in to Lower Decks without skipping a beat and brings Carol Freeman’s story to a thrilling conclusion.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
