Review of the Comic Book – Star Trek: Picard Omnibus

      Villordsutch reviews the Star Trek: Picard Omnibus…

      We’re still waiting for Star Trek: Legacy. The fantastic third season of Picard concluded two years ago, and here we are, still in anticipation. Meanwhile, IDW Publishing is bridging the gap with a Picard Omnibus, which compiles Picard: Countdown and Picard: Stargazer into a single convenient edition. But does it truly satisfy the need?

      Written by Kirsten Beyer (ST: Voyager – To Lose the Earth) and Mike Johnson (Star Trek: Manifest Destiny), featuring art by Ángel Hernández (Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War), and colors by Joana Lafuente (Picard: Countdown) and J.D. Mettler (Picard: Stargazer), this book presents two interconnected stories.

      In Countdown, Picard is onboard the U.S.S. Verity, participating in the evacuation of Romulans ahead of a supernova that threatens to obliterate much of the Romulan empire. However, upon reaching Yuyat Beta, things do not proceed as intended, revealing that it’s not only the Romulans who require assistance.

      The second tale, Stargazer, provides insight into Picard’s earlier arrogance and naivety during his initial command of the Stargazer, again involving the Romulans. Fast forwarding into the future, we reunite with Seven and the Fenris Rangers as they confront the repercussions of one of young Picard’s poorly considered choices.

      A downside of IDW’s Picard Omnibus is its association with what some consider the weaker seasons of Picard — seasons 1 and 2. It is also apparent that Beyer and Johnson were doing their utmost with the limited information available to them about the upcoming series, attempting to fill in gaps and solidify the show’s foundation. However, it’s worth noting that even after viewing Picard seasons 1 and 2, many viewers were still left perplexed and adrift by what they experienced.

      Both Johnson and Beyer are experienced Trek writers — together, they possess an extensive portfolio of Star Trek comics, novels, and TV contributions. They certainly understand their Star Trek well. Yet, here we are presented with two narratives involving Picard, cunning Romulans, and a struggling, nearly extinct secondary race — also due to those same deceitful Romulans. While this may seem a simplistic take on the stories, it’s hard not to feel that both writers were wrestling with the limited material they had.

      Reading this is somewhat frustrating, to be honest. I’m just glad that IDW Publishing’s current Star Trek: The Last Starship series (check out our review here) is available in stores — if anything, this compilation of Picard comics highlights the significant gaps and issues the series introduced to Trek lore, which The Last Starship aims to address.

      The true benefit of this omnibus is the convenience of having everything compiled in one place — including some alternate covers, interviews with both writers, a history of the U.S.S. Verity, and details about the design of the Odyssey-class starship. Overall, it’s a nice package, and it will look impressive on your shelf… once you’ve read it. At least once.

      It may not be the best Star Trek comic collection out there, but it’s certainly not the worst.

      Rating: 6/10

      @Villordsutch