Dr. Leonard McCoy must say goodbye to new friends, make a difficult diagnosis, and visit an old friend with a terrible secret, as John Byrne and IDW Publishing bring Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor to a conclusion with a doubleheader issue. See how it all works out in our review of Star Trek: Leonard McCoy Frontier Doctor #4 below.
Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor #4
written and illustrated by John Byrne, colors by Lovern Kindzierski, letters by Neil Uyetake, edits by Chris Ryall
In the final issue of Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor, John Byrne presents us with another unmistakable portrait of McCoy. I don’t think any previous comics, and few novels, have captured the essence of McCoy as accurately as Byrne has done here with two short stories.
Story 1: Hosts
Aboard the Yorktown, McCoy says goodbye to his friends, Theela and Duncan, who are joining a new research team. Then he says goodbye to new friends, Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln. Afterwards, Dr. Christine Chapel asks him for help diagnosing an ailment that has caused the death of several crewmembers recently returned from Sigma Thernia 38. McCoy’s knowledge of DNA and evolution lead him to a startling discovery.
Story 2: Scalpel
McCoy visits an old friend living on Palvarlion IV, Alex Hathway and his daughter Sophie. McCoy learns that Alex is dying of Theising-Barre Syndrome and has been altering time like a surgeon with a scalpel. Alex wants McCoy to continue his work and the doctor must make a decision.
Both of these short stories in issue #4 are based on thought-provoking ideas. As usual, Byrne also throws in interesting grace notes, like Chapel and Number One, both played by Majel Barrett, appearing in the same panel. Anyone who enjoys Star Trek will appreciate Byrne’s carefully realized characters and his familiarity with all things Trek.
McCoy says goodbye.
Byrne’s artwork has a distinct look and feel, nicely suited to original series tales, and to McCoy in particular. Is it because they’re both curmudgeons? Maybe, but it probably has more to do with the effort he puts into his writing and art, and it doesn’t hurt to have an exceptional colorist like Lovern Kindzierski backing him up. The McCoy comics are simply the highlight of this year’s Star Trek comics for me. I hope we get to read more about the good doctor from Byrne someday.
Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor #4 ships with two regular covers illustrated by Byrne and colored by Kindzierski. Cover A features McCoy teaching a class in anatomy and also serves as an art history lesson. Rembrandt’s 1632 oil painting, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, is the inspiration. Cover B completes the set of four keyhole covers, featuring McCoy and a patient with an ache. As he’s done for all of the covers in this series, Kindzierski brings a subtle and appealing color palette to the job. The retailer incentive cover features the black & white art for cover B.
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp
Cover A and B: John Byrne, colors by Lovern Kindzierski
Retailer Incentive Cover: John Byrne
Pick up a copy of Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor #4 at your local comic shop. Byrne’s McCoy comics can also be purchased online at TFAW.
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The trade paperback collection of Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor is scheduled for publication October 2010 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.
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.
I wonder how the writers keep the persona of Leonard McCoy alive?
McCoy needs a hat in that picture! :D
Is that Grizzly Adams or Dr. McCoy?
Sorry to see the comic Saga of Frontier Dr. Come to a close. The stories were very trek very. Rich in fdeph as story telling goes. It almost did not feel like a comic. It felt like a novel. I will miss Duncon and Theela. Hopefully they will pop up again. I realy loved these (wom. Gary and Roberta is a nice touch. My kids will bring me. The last issue soon. Cannot wait. But I hate. Goodbyes.
But it really does hurt when I polob’oltnop.
Hey IDW where’s mine? I ordered all four months ago. Love the Gary Seven addition.
What a fun comic book series this looks like!
I was disappointed in this issue. The first 3 issues were excellent and some of the best Trek comics I have ever read. The second story particularly fell flat to me but these days 3 out of 4 as great sure isn’t bad!
#3 Ever see the first scene of ST:TMP where McCoy appears?
Damn my Amazon trade paperback of the series just got delayed !!
they look great-cant wait for the trade, wish they had done 6 issues.
Good stuff. Never understood the interest in Gary Seven though. Just seems to me like the guest of the week.
He was supposed to have his own series; the episode he was in was sort of a proto-pilot.
12
There’s some nutty people out there who have a fascination with the guy. Dangerous folk.
Very dull end to a forgettable series.
Byrne’s art was rushed and scratchy.
Byrne has admitted that he did little research in regards to this series – he based it on old knowledge of Trek episodes. Very lazy writing on his part and an insult to Trek fans everywhere.
Having just read this book, can anyone explain to me the second story….so, did McCoy use the machine and erase his visit to the friend or what? What did that mean? Or do I need to read it again?