The latest issue of Star Trek has arrived, but does it offer an adventure that truly takes flight?  Read on to find out.

The official description from IDW:

The countdown to next year’s STAR TREK sequel continues here, in an all-new re-imagining of the classic “Mirror Universe” story! Witness the transformation of the new Enterprise crew in part one of this blockbuster story, overseen by STAR TREK writer/producer Roberto Orci!

What we have here is a dark but compelling tale that shows our heroes in some very unflattering light. Pulling a concept from the original series, this creative team mines the inner workings of the currently accepted cannon to find depth and intrigue in a galactic adventure that’s both familiar and foreign to its natural audience.

Mike Johnson delivers a rousing script that begins with a simple enough conversation that ultimately spills into a destructive version of this already altered timeline.  Going into this narrative readers need to let go of their preconceived notions, as they sit back and enjoy this outrageous but thoroughly entertaining infinity issue.  Truth is I don’t see how any of this could possibly play into future story lines but I was thoroughly amused by the strong dialogue and solid pacing nonetheless.

Erfan Fajar does a solid job on the art, delivering panels that are expertly handled with just enough detail to offer a visceral visual experience.  There are some moments where his attempts to capture the likenesses of the individual actors from the movie yield some distorted features, but these select scenes are few and far between.  The majority of this story is expertly crafted with enough boldness to make it stand out from the usual comic fare.

Star Trek #15 is a somewhat dark but smartly written adventure that will keep fans glued to their seats as they frantically flip through the infinite possibilities on display here.  Recommended

4/5