Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming #1 is written by Susan & Tilly Bridges and published by IDW Publishing. Artwork is by Ángel Hernández, colours by Charlie Kirchoff and letters by Neil Uyetake. Main cover art (left) is also by Hernández.
Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming #1 arrives in comic books stores and on digital platforms today. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Captain Kathryn Janeway and her crew are back for one last adventure in celebration of Voyager’s 30th anniversary! Picking up where the series finale left off, Voyager has just returned to Earth. Everyone is looking forward to reuniting with their friends and family after the crucibles they’ve faced—but there is a deadly secret in store, one that takes the crew far from home. Voyager delves back into the breach, all those aboard determined to make it back to their loved ones no matter what, even if there’s hell to pay.
Review
A little over 24 years ago, in the year 2377, the U.S.S. Voyager – under the command of Captain Kathryn Janeway – arrived returned to Earth. For seven years Voyager and her crew had been presumed lost. But audiences knew better. The ship had been transported to the unexplored Delta Quadrant and was on a desperate search to find her way home. But the final moments of Star Trek: Voyager did little to show the impact of their miraculous return. That honour falls to IDW Publishing and the creative team of Susan & Tilly Bridges and artist Ángel Hernández.
Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming picks up mere seconds after series finale “Endgame” finished. Creative tour de force duo Susan and Tilly Bridges give a whistle stop recap of the show for those who need it. It’s fair to assume not every reader may have seen all 172 episodes of the Voyager series. The Bridges’ touch on all the important points of the journey including several fan-highlights. It also covers the necessary of how this crew became a family along the way. So with all of the necessary out of the way the Bridges waste little time in getting to the part we’ve all been waiting for…
But there’s a twist. In fact there’s a twist on a twist harkening back to a season 5 episode of Voyager. Admittedly I never saw any of this coming. So hats off to the Bridges for being able to continue the crew’s story whilst rooting it so deeply in prior events from the show. Homecoming #1 includes more than enough exposition that casual fans and readers won’t need to do homework. But long-time fans of the franchise will undoubtedly enjoy the extra credibility it affords the story. If you’re hoping I’m going to spoil it all then think again Trek fans. You’re going to have to read this one for yourselves to find out!
The choice to place the U.S.S. Voyager and its crew in danger will most likely split readers. There was a brief moment I thought “but they haven’t even seen their families yet!” Until realising just how well this story speaks to who each of these characters are. Regardless on where you fall in giving these characters a happy ending. There’s no argument as to whether Homecoming #1 is note perfect. It picks up on threads from the series, using them to push its narrative forwards. In doing so the Bridges are also able to fold in elements of franchise canon which Voyager had previously been separated from.
By the time we reach the inevitable “to be continued”, Homecoming #1 has done more then enough to grip the reader. The mix of action and intrigue works well to mirror Trek’s more action-adventure, theatrical entries. The series is perhaps more akin to what a Voyager movie may have been. Rather than acting as a lost episode from the show itself. But with the Bridges able to show an ability to balance franchise lore and original storytelling. We’re certainly in an exciting position moving forwards.
Having worked on prior Star Trek books, Ángel Hernández is more than qualified to bring Homecoming to life. Standing in stark contrast to last week’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Seeds of Salvation, Hernández‘s artwork stays much closer to the look of each actor on Voyager. In doing so the book feels much more like a classic tie-in evoking a little extra nostalgia in the process. The more action heavy beats in the story come alive on the page. Given where we leave the U.S.S. Voyager I’m hopeful there may be an epic space battle in our very near future.
Verdict
Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming quickly proves why Susan and Tilly Bridges were the right creators to bring these characters home. This first issue goes above and beyond, setting up all the pieces and introducing a seismic challenge for Captain Janeway to navigate.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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