I love Star Trek. It’s the first big piece of pop culture that my dad introduced me to, the 2009 reboot was the first time I brought my own movie ticket, and years later I’ve been tuning in to the new crop of Trek shows. IDW Publishing has been turning in its fair share of Star Trek stories as well, with Sons of Star Trek #1 from Morgan Hampton, Angel Hernandez, Nick Filardi, & Clayton Cowles being the latest – and most intriguing – entry.
True to its title, Sons of Star Trek focuses on Jake Sisko and Nog, son of Commander Benjamin Sisko and nephew of Quark respectively. Jake is struggling to find his place in the universe following his father’s return, while Nog is eager to make the most of his time in Starfleet. Both of them, alongside Alexander, Worf’s son, encounter the mysterious being known as “QJ”…or “Q Junior”. QJ teleports the trio to an alternate universe, proclaiming that it holds the answer to all their problems. He forgot to mention that it’s smack-dab in the middle of an interstellar war.
Hampton did amazing work on the Cyborg series for DC, where he fleshed out the Teen Titans’ cybernetic powerhouse into a stronger character. He looks to do the same with this motley crew of characters, digging deep into what drives them. Alexander resents his father for supposedly prioritizing Starfleet over him, Jake feels that he isn’t doing enough as a journalist, and Nog struggles to fit into Starfleet. This level of character work not only speaks to Hampton’s skills as a writer, but it also makes each character in Sons of Star Trek layered enough to engage readers’ interest.
So does the artwork. Hernandez’s illustrations capture the pure wonder that is Star Trek; one full page showcases Deep Space Nine in its entirety, with ships flying to and from the massive space station as it hangs like an obsidian jewel in the depths of space. He also draws the characters within the book so that they resemble their real life counterparts (or close to it) without making things look fake or plastic – Jake, Nog and Alexander show a genuine range of expression. Since this comic deals with alternate universes Hernandez even gets the chance to draw characters from a variety of Star Trek series; one of these is a major surprise no one, not even the most seasoned Trekkie, will see coming but it works.
Finally, Filardi utilizes colors both bright and dark to set the scene. Starfleet uniforms are resplendent in a brilliant glow of red, blue and yellow; Alexander is first seen shrouded in shadows, his Klingon features creating a terrifying portrait. It works hand in hand with Cowles’ lettering – Alexander cursing in Klingon is depicted in a bold, bloody font, for example.
Sons of Star Trek #1 uses its unique setup to tell a different kind of Star Trek story, exploring questions of legacy and belonging along the way. If you’ve been enjoying the current Star Trek ongoing and/or Star Trek: Defiant, this is another series to add to your pull list. If you’re a Trek fan, particularly of Deep Space Nine, then you’ll definitely want to give this a read.
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