When it comes to Star Trek, it often capitalizes on its real life military comparisons. We can look at how Gene Roddenberry characterized the Klingons. The immediate comparison that often comes to mind is the United States’ competition with the Soviets going back to the Space Race. Both countries raced to see who would go into to space first, which the Soviets won by a month when Yuri Gagarin completed a single orbit around Earth in April 1961 and was followed by Alan Shepard in May 1961.
Roddenberry portrayed this tension by focusing on what makes each side empathetic. We saw the culmination of this in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country and the introduction of Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Both projects gave fans, a better understanding of this aspiration race. In IIDW’s Star Trek: Klingons, we get a deep dive into some of this alien race’s legends and what made them so iconic.
In the first story, we are taken through the fable of Khaless, as we witness his sojourn in the wilderness, where he would forge his blade and prove that he is a warrior. As he makes his way onto Three Turn Bridge, a place without honor on all of Klingon, where one may meet their fate soon after. As Khaless enters the palace that sits in between, he meets the fort’s masters who deemed themselves, the only true Warlords and asks him to pledge his loyalty. This leads to a showdown between Khaless and the warriors of Three Turn Bridge, as he easily decimates their ranks. By the issue’s end, Khaless is last man standing, whereby teaching the Klingons that followed, the true meaning of honor.
Overall, Star Trek: Klingons is an exciting prequel story that gives readers the proper insight into why Klingons are who they are in Star Trek. The story by Lannzing and Kelly is astonishing. The art by the creative team is stupendous. Altogether, a story that adds to the mythology of the Star Trek universe.
Story: Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly Art: Timothy Green
Color: DC Alonso Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy
IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology/Kindle
