Khan Sees Red In Star Trek Green Lantern #4 – Review & 5-page Preview

A vengeful, genetically augmented superhuman steals a rage-fueled power ring from another universe. What could possibly go wrong?

Review: Star Trek / Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds #4
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Written by: Mike Johnson with art by Angel Hernandez and colors by Mark Roberts

This month’s issue cranks the rage meter up to 11 as Khan, still seething from the beating he took at the hands of Spock in Star Trek Into Darkness, comes face-to-face with the master of the green power ring, Captain Hal Jordan. It’s clear by now that he has a disdain for anyone with the rank of Captain. After a violent battle with the returning Green Lantern Corps, Khan tactically retreats to Kronos, setting up the inevitable next-issue showdown with Sinestro (who has located the central power battery) for control of the universe.

Cover for Star Trek Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds #4 – art by Angel Hernandez

One thing is for sure: Mike Johnson did his homework on the Green Lantern mythos and figured out a way to seamlessly weave it into the Kelvin timeline. Stranger Worlds had a lot to live up to from last year’s The Spectrum Wars and so far this series is just as thrilling. He’s managed to capture Jordan’s Kirk-esque bravado, so it’s exciting to see these two alpha males interact – especially now that they are on a first name basis. Guy Gardner is as obnoxious as ever, although I couldn’t help but chuckle when he referred to the Cumberbatch Khan as the “Angry English dude.”

Guy Gardner throws some superior shade at Khan

Let me say this – visually, the Kelvin universe Khan was made to be a Red Lantern. Angel Hernandez’s take on this new character is downright terrifying – the red suit, the blood, white eyes, and tousled hair bring comparisons (and nightmares) of a certain horror movie.

One of the things that made Khan so compelling was his depth. Not only did he have augmented strength, but his “superior intellect” made him even more dangerous. Now he’s just motivated by pure rage – flipping the script – so I’m anxious to see if and how this plays a part in the remaining issues.

Like any great villain, Khan is always up for some good dialoging

So, what’s not to like? Action packed from cover-to-cover and fused with engrossing exposition, Mike Johnson progresses the story along nicely with very little filler. You can just feel that the stakes have been raised, with our heroes face-to-face with yet another no-win scenario. Do they chase after a near impervious, rage-fueled Khan or teleport to OA and recharge the Green Lanterns’ power rings? I can’t wait until the next issue to find out (I just hope they don’t end up in Sha Ka Ree).

One last thing, can we also talk about Tony Shasteen’s perfect worlds-colliding “Retail Incentive Cover?” I’ll definitely be getting this one framed.

Star Trek/Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds #4 – Retail Incentive Cover by Tony Shasteen

5-Page Preview: Star Trek / Green Lantern Vol. 2 #4

Click thumbnails to enlarge

Available Wednesday, plus More Upcoming IDW Star Trek Comics Releases

Star Trek / Green Lantern #4 arrives in comic book stores on Wednesday March 22nd and retails for $3.99. You can also buy online at TFAW. If you pre-order you can get a discount of 20%. The subscription variant cover version is also available at TFAW.  As for the above retailer incentive cover variant, you may have to hunt around your local comic book shops to find that.

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And if you want to catch up, the trade paperback of Volume 1 of Star Trek Green Lantern “The Spectrum War” will be released on April 12th for a $19.99. You can pre-order it at Amazon for $10.87.

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Coming up next Wednesday is the 6th issue of the Kevlin timeline series Star Trek Boldly Go. You can pre-order it now at TFAW for 20% off.

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 Keep up with all the latest inked Star Trek in TrekMovie’s Comics Category.

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I really despise these silly fiction crossovers. The Star Trek universe does not need nor deserve such such poppycock.

Yay 50th anniversary.

IDW was always a class-act about Star Trek. There were some very creative stories that made me “WOW”, like, this should be canon, this should more well known.

I feel bad that many self proclaimed trekkies don´t bother to read the books, the comic books or even play the videogames. There´s plenty of Star Trek fun to be had in there.

Could we please start to slowly phase out the abramsverse faces in favor of the proper original Star Trek faces? Not that the abramsverse stories are bad; it’s just that comic book characters don’t NEED to be recast, because they don’t depend on having a live actor. There’s no need to have a comic book Spock look like a Quinto when we all know that Spock is supposed to look like a Nimoy; there’s no need to have a comic book Khan look like a Cumberbatch when we all know that Khan is supposed to look like a Montalban.

Paul, perhaps they’re trying to draw in Kelvin-verse fans (of which I am not) as opposed to traditional fans, who would expect to see images closer to Nimoy and Montalban. Or perhaps the writers/illustrators simply like JJ-verse better? Either way, I’m not buying into it. But I guess someone must be buying these JJ-verse crossovers if they’re still making them.

LOL k? These comics are about Abram’s trek/the alternate reality, OF COURSE they are going to draw them the way they look in these movies because they are about THIS VERSION of the characters. It gives a nice sense of two separate treks and realities (they even did a sort of crossover between this crew and the tos one) I don’t think drawing them as their tos counterparts would make any sense outside of being confusing to fans.

Let’s not. We live in the 21st century. Bless the original actors but they’re hardly relevant to the newer generation.

I love IDW’s Trek comics. Most of them have been wonderful… and then there are all these ridiculous, gimmicky crossovers. Enough with these already! IDW, if you’re reading this, PLEASE go back to focusing on Star Trek without having to make the crews meet characters from other franchises. Every time you do this, you dilute the comics more and more. I love what you’re doing otherwise.

Crossovers like these are a tradition in the comic world. From Marvel/DC, Batman/ALIENS, Terminator/RoboCop, etc, etc. This is something that has been done for decades. It is one of the few mediums in which fans of multiple properties get to see how their fav characters interact, despite being from a vastly diff Universe. When done in a sensible way (as far as comics are sensible) it can really add a whole new story telling dynamic.

…which doesn’t change my opinion that they dilute Star Trek.

These are 2 of my favorite things (next to Starcraft) in all entertainment! I had no idea they brought them together like this! Take my money!