I can’t say I’m a hardcore Star Trek fan. I’ve watched a lot of the various series, all of the movies, and read a decent amount of the comics. I’m very familiar with the property but a rather casual fan. To me, it’s very “comfort food” being able to escape with characters I enjoy to see their adventures. With the resurgence of the property, we’ve gotten new characters to enjoy, a lot of new adventures, but also to revisit old friends as well, like Jean Luc Picard. Played by Patrick Stewart, the character is the leader so many of us want. Wise in decision but also willing to fight for what’s right. Set between season two and three of Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Picard – Stargazer #1 lets us see exactly what makes this character so great

Written by Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson, Star Trek: Picard – Stargazer #1 feels like we’re visiting old friends. With a focus on Picard and Seven, the story takes us back to the early years of Picard as he brokered peace over a planet but the decades haven’t been kind since. Asked to join the Stargazer to explore the planet Picard saved, they discover a mystery and possibly death.

There’s an interesting theme in the issue that Beyer and Johnson are going with. Picard makes it clear that not everything is a fight, diplomacy must come into play. But, Seven points out that at times a fight is at times all there is and not everything can be clean, clear, and easy. In the end, they’re both right and the two viewpoints are sure to come together in some way as the story progresses. It’s a little too obvious but in many ways follows a familiar and comfortable pattern that is Stark Trek.

The art by Angel Hernandez is good. With color by J.D. Mettler and lettering by Neil Uyetake, the characters are familiar and look mostly like the actors. That’s partially what holds the comic back as well. Things are slightly off visually, hitting an almost “uncanny valley” moment taking you out of things just a bit. But, it all still looks good. There’s nothing really bad.

Star Trek: Picard – Stargazer #1 is familiar. That both works for and against it. It’s hard to read the comic and not hear the actors’ voices. It’s hard to look at the panels and not see them. It’s easy to dive into the comic but it’s partially driven by the television show and actors we love. That aspect both sucks you in and takes you out of it at times. Still, there’s a nice flow to the comic and a lot of potential as to where it goes from here. For fans of Seven and Picard, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Story: Kirsten Beyer, Mike Johnson Art: Angel Hernandez
Color: J.D. Mettler Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.6 Recommendation: Read

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle