Much like similar franchises, there are certain generations tied to different eras within the Star Trek Universe. As my father’s generation grew up watching the original series and also the movies. Then there’s my generation who grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and the companion series universe that followed, even enjoying the prequel series, Enterprise. As people are drawn to the series for different reasons.

I can honestly say that the original cast’s movies were better done than the ones that followed ST:TNG. That is not to say that TNG’s movies were not all bad, and the one that got me because of the ending was Star Trek: Nemesis. This movie is where Data sacrificed himself for the crew and the ship, something that fans did not really get to reckon with until the 1^st season finale of Picard. As most fans including me did not realize how much we loved the character until then, thankfully Celeste Bronfman and Roberta Ingranata gives us this one-shot with our favorite android in Star Trek: The Mirror War – Data.

We find the version of Data in the Mirror Universe onboard the ISS Enterprise-D, where the crew have uncovered a device which could change the fortunes, but some including Barclay feels that it may be a Romulan trap. Data starts to get suspicious of Barclay, who acts inconspicuous, which only stokes Data’s distrust. It is not only until Barclay gets into a simulation on the Holodeck that Data discovers that at the center of Barclay’s unusual behavior, is his entrenched hate for the Klingons and a rival family, who blames his family for the Klingons attacking their town,  thereby starting a blood war. Data convinces Barclay to uncover evidence that the rival family is at the root of it all, leading the two to go back to his home planet. By issue’s end, the duo uncovers the truth, but not all goes as planned, leaving the main perpetrator dead without paying for their original sin.

Overall, Star Trek: The Mirror War – Data is an interesting mystery set in the Mirror Universe. The story by Bronfman is exciting and seething with intrigue. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, a story that is fun for Data fans as we see a version of him when logic is at the center of his motivation but of course it works very differently and much more sinister in the Mirror Universe.

Story: Celeste Bronfman Art: Roberta Ingranata, Valentina Pinto, and Neil Uyetake
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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