A new Star Trek special will bring together a number of franchise icons, such as Captains Picard, Kirk, Sisko, Janeway and Pike. This May, IDW Publishing will release Star Trek Annual #1, which spins out of the current flagship book, also titled Star Trek. In a first look at the cover, Captain Sisko is besieged by holograms resembling icons from across the Star Trek universe, including Picard, Pike and even characters from the Kelvin universe.Star Trek co-writer Jackson Lanzing unveiled the cover to the annual in a post to Twitter. The cover, drawn by Rachael Stott, features Captain Benjamin Sisko, the protagonist of the new Star Trek comic, on what is clearly the Holodeck, being chased by holographic recreations of every captain who headlined a Trek show, including Jean-Luc Picard, James Kirk, Kathryn Janeway, Christopher Pike and Jonathan Archer. Other characters, including Captain Philippa Georgiou (of Star Trek: Discovery) as well as other assorted crew members from across the franchise; even Captain Kirk from the Kelvin timeline, appear on the cover.
Appropriately, Lanzing reveals the story’s title to be “The Photonic Man” and described it as “the mother of all Holodeck adventures.” Lanzing promised the annual would fulfill the cover’s promise and feature characters from across the Star Trek universe.
IDW's Star Trek Comics Are Firing on All Thrusters
This spring’s Star Trek Annual continues IDW’s renewed commitment to its line of comics inspired by the franchise, an initiative that began with last year’s Star Trek #400 and continued in a new series, launched last fall, that has seen Captain Benjamin Sisko and a crew of Starfleet’s best take on a powerful force which is slaughtering god-like beings. Through its multi-generational crew as well as its extensive use of Easter Eggs, IDW’s new series connects the dots on the franchise’s continuity, revealing the rich tapestry of the Star Trek universe, uniting characters such as Data, Scotty, and Tom Paris.
Rachael Stott’s cover to Star Trek Annual #1 takes this cross-pollination to another level, by featuring various characters from across the franchise. Some of the heaviest hitters in the Star Trek universe are on the cover, even including alternate versions of characters. For example, Captain Kirk, as played by Chris Pine in the Kelvin timeline, is here as is Jeffrey Hunter’s depiction of Captain Pike, from the very first Star Trek pilot. Fans of Star Trek: Enterprise, which gets short shrift when it comes to comics, will delight in seeing Captain Jonathan Archer on the cover as well.
The Annual Puts a Spin on a Classic Star Trek Trope
Stott’s cover also continues a general trend in the franchise: episodes centered around Holodeck malfunctions. Many classic (and not-so classic) episodes have featured Holodeck mishaps as plot points, to the point where it almost became a cliché. Newer Trek shows have avoided this trope, but it remains synonymous with the franchise. IDW’s new Star Trek series is revolutionizing the franchise by asking serious questions about what makes it tick, and with Sisko's new godlike powers in the mix, almost anything is possible. Star Trek Annual #1’s cover puts a new spin on the tried and true “Holodeck run amok” story by uniting Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Pike and Janeway.
Star Trek Annual #1 is on sale this May from IDW Publishing!
Source: Jackson Lanzing