Star Trek 34 (June 2014)

There's a goofy aspect to this issue because there's got to be, given Johnson's storyline. It's a rip-off of some other things, with a couple odd Jurassic Park homages thrown in, but it's not a terrible story. Johnson gives Kirk a lot to do.

But Corroney's art doesn't help things. He does fine with the flashbacks to the 1970s. The art on that single page flashback is good. But then, once in Star Trek time, he falls apart. He spends too much time referencing photos of the actors playing the cast–which is hilarious for Bones, who Johnson writes wonderfully like the original series–and not enough time coming up with a style.

There's an alien monster involved with the story and Corroney turns it into a goofy purple thing. It's not scary or impressive or anything, it's just goofy.

It's nice to see Johnson trying for an original (if derivative) story.

CREDITS

Lost Apollo, Part Two; writer, Mike Johnson; penciller, Joe Corroney; inkers, Corroney, Victor Moya and Rob Doan; colorist, Sakti Yuwono; letterer, Neil Uyetake; editor, Sarah Gaydos; publisher, IDW Publishing.

Star Trek 33 (May 2014)

I read this entire issue without paying attention to the story arc title on the cover. I'm glad I ignored it.

Here's the problem–the art. I wonder how Joe Corroney's art would be if he didn't have to mess around with all the actors' faces. He doesn't do them well, either, so there's no real point to it. The expressions are just terrible because the mouths can't move too much or it won't look like whatever photo he was referencing.

Bad, bad choice. On IDW's part, not on Corroney's.

Still, it's a fun issue. Johnson just writes a little episode where the crew is excited to get off the ship. It's got elements of "This Side of Paradise," some actual personality from Kirk, an ill-advised Return of the Jedi nod. In short, it's exactly what a Star Trek comic should be.

Except for the art, which is just unforgivably misguided.

B-

CREDITS

Lost Apollo, Part One; writer, Mike Johnson; penciller, Joe Corroney; inkers, Corroney, Victor Moya and Rob Doan; colorist, John Rauch; letterer, Neil Uyetake; editor, Sarah Gaydos; publisher, IDW Publishing.

Star Trek 6 (February 2012)

While this issue is undeniably better than the last one, Corroney’s bad art is still a problem and Johnson exhibits a different writing problem. The issue’s better because more of it is dialogue. Spock and McCoy try to figure out what’s going on. It’s probably lifted from the original episode, but it definitely works. There’s tension, there’s drama. Johnson can handle it.

But he can’t handle the scenes between Kirk and his brother. Johnson’s unable to write Kirk as a person. He’s a wooden stand-in, as emotionless as Corroney’s photo referenced visualization of him. It’s Star Trek’s salient problem. It can’t sustain itself without a compelling protagonist–all it’s got going for it is a gimmick and a gimmick isn’t enough.

Johnson relies too much on text too. It’s a comic book, it’s supposed to be visual. It might be an editorial decision; if so, it’s a bad one.

CREDITS

Operation: Annihilate, Part 2; writer, Mike Johnson; artist, Joe Corroney; colorist, John Rauch; letterer, Neil Uyetake; editor, Scott Dunbier; publisher, IDW Publishing.

Star Trek 5 (January 2012)

It’s hard to take Star Trek seriously. Joe Corroney’s art concentrates on photo likenesses of the new movie cast–he photo-references to the point when two people are in the same panel, they don’t even occupy the same physical space. And scripter Mike Johnson is just adapting old episodes in the new movie continuity. What he does add doesn’t seem substantial.

It all makes Trek a missed opportunity. The creators treat the comic as nothing but a check to cash, but there’s a lot of possibility. For example, this issue features the crew attacked by a planet’s zombie-like inhabitants. Star Trek vs. Zombies. Ought to be fun, right?

Not with Corroney’s art. The issue gets a little more compelling once it’s off the Enterprise, but then the action sequences fizzle.

Johnson also seems incapable of giving characters moments; he gives them one liners instead.

It’s tepid and lame.

CREDITS

Operation: Annihilate, Part 1; writer, Mike Johnson; artist, Joe Corroney; colorist, John Rauch; letterer, Neil Uyetake; editor, Scott Dunbier; publisher, IDW Publishing.