TrekInk: Review of Star Trek: Spock – Reflections #1

spock The Brothers Tipton, Scott and David, with frequent co-creator David Messina, begin filling in the back-story of Spock’s interest in all things Romulan. The first issue of their four-issue mini series, Star Trek: Spock – Reflections, is in comic shops this week. See below for our review.

 

REVIEW: Spock Reflections #1
Two passengers, one talkative, the other silent, await news that their transport has crossed the Romulan Neutral Zone into Federation space. While the loquacious traveler prattles on, the other, a quiet Vulcan, reflects on past events of his life: a brief visit with Captain Harriman aboard the Enterprise after the death Captain Kirk, and further back in time to his youth, when he struggled to understand his place in Vulcan society. We also learn that the Vulcan went to Romulus to teach and is now on his way to Earth.

Sibling writers Scott Tipton and David Tipton give us a leisurely introduction to our favorite Vulcan, set in the continuity leading up to the latest feature film. The Tiptons don’t play all the cards in their hand. Their script doesn’t give us any real clue to how this mini-series will play out, but Spock’s reflections on his past are (dare I say) fascinating. I’m looking forward to more of the same.

captain
A credit for your thoughts.

Interior and cover artist David Messina has positioned himself as the signature stylist for the current generation of Star Trek comics from IDW. When he’s on the job, I get what I expect, bold strokes, stark contrast, and clean lines. He’s a terrific artist. I’m a little disappointed that Sarek doesn’t resemble actor Mark Lenard. Of all the actors appearing in supporting roles, Lenard is one of the most memorable. He is Sarek. But I understand. Messina has been so busy lately, working in multiple media tie-in universes and countries, that he’ll share the job of exploring Spock’s past in future issues of Spock – Reflection with another Italian artist, Federica Manfredi, who did finish work on this issue. Colors were capably handled by Ilaria Traversi.

home
Home, sweet home.

Spock – Reflections #1 has two covers. The regular cover by Messina features a portrait of Spock and a design that he’ll use for all four issues of the mini-series. The retailer incentive cover by David A. Williams features a young and grumpy-looking Spock sitting with his father. Being a half-human teenager must be the pits. Moose Baumann colored the incentive cover.

spock_reflections1_tn spock_reflections1ri_tn
Cover: David Messina, Cover RI: David A. Williams

Overall, this is an interesting introduction to a story arc featuring Spock. There’s a lot of back-story to fill in about events leading up to Spock’s first encounter with Nero, chronicled in Star Trek: Countdown and expanded in the feature film, so I’ll be badgering the folks at my local comic shop to unpack issue #2 when it arrives. Look for issue #2 in August.

Available now
Spock Reflections #1 was released this week and can be found at your local comic store or at TFAW. You can also pre-order the next two issues of the four issues series.

#1

#2

#3

#4

$3.59
(July)

$3.19
(August)

$3.19
(September)


(October)

 

 

Mark Martinez is an obsessive-compulsive Star Trek comics reader and collector. You can visit his website, the Star Trek Comics Checklist for more than you ever needed to know about Star Trek comics.

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Awesome!

While I am not a huge fan of comics, I will make an exception to this and the Nero series. Backstory is always good.

Looks good, but not a comic fan.

is this avaiable on itunes store for ipod touch/phone application download ? They did that for Countdown, but if they do that with these issues…. then that would be great.

One of the drawings of the young Spock looks remarkably like the actor who played Spock as a young teen in ‘Star Trek III – The Search for Spock.’

Nicely done!

For those like me who prefer to read all issues at once, I recently emailed IDW to enquire wether or not all 4 issues would be collected in a single TPB like the Countdown prequel comics were and was told that they would be.

This is like Forrest Gump. Forrest Spock?

IDW does it again! Can’t wait to read this.

IDW has done a fantastic job with their Star Trek comics. Looking forward to both the SPOCK series and NERO.

3
then why comment?

ego perhaps?

read that trade paperback scheduled for january according to memory beta

I also prefer to read them all at once in a paperback, but January?! Who can wait that long? So I will have to get the comics once a month, which is also too long a wait. Oh, the torture!

I would also prefer Sarek to look like Mark Lenard – he was awsome, he was Sarek!

Sorry about all the exclamations, but that is the way I feel. I am excited!!!