11 July 2014

Review: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Ghosts by Zander Cannon and Javier Aranda

Comic trade paperback, 112 pages
Published 2010 (contents: 2009-10)
Acquired March 2012

Read June 2014
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Ghosts

Written by Zander Cannon
Art by Javier Aranda
Inks by German Torres-Ruiz and Marc Rueda
Colors by John Hunt
Letters by Robbie Robbins and Neil Uyetake

Sometimes one gets tired of reading Star Trek tie-ins with endless universe-shattering events, or series continuations drained of all the charm and warmth of the source material. Which made it a shoe-in that I would purchase Ghosts, a simple standalone set during The Next Generation's fourth season. Unfortunately, though there is some good stuff, the story feels stretched at five issues. People take a long time to figure out simple things, and much of this is well-trod ground, especially two warring factions on an alien planet. Cannon does an excellent job capturing the voices of the TNG characters (except for Riker), but this story isn't particularly significant to any of these characters; there's nothing at stake, not really. But I liked the depiction of the phasing effect that causes the eponymous "Ghosts" and there are bits of it that are genuinely touching. With either some tightening or some fleshing out, this could have been a a very good story; as it is, it's a diverting way to spend an hour.

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