Star Trek Missions End #1

I was a bit surprised when I opened this issue, as it was not what I was expecting after reading the solicitation (it’s a flashback to the turtleneck era of the pilots (does that count as a spoiler?)), but it kept my interest.

               This issue is full of fun inside Trekkie tidbits (Dr. Piper being there instead of McCoy, Gary Mitchell from the “Where No Man Has Gone Before” pilot as a member of the away team), and the characterizations all seem pretty accurate.  The story of the space station/planet is classic sci-fi, and it seems pretty in line with some of the more high concept TOS episodes.

               The art was pretty decent, as well.  The alien world and its inhabitants are all fully realized and beautifully rendered.  The likenesses fluctuate a bit, but it is pretty constant.

               I was not blown away by this issue, but I am very curious to see how this flashback will tie into the Enterprise’s last mission of its five-year voyage.