Originally released in 1992, Star Trek: Debt of Honor (DC Comics) is a stellar example of how to adapt licensed material.
Chris Claremont does the Frank Miller/Elektra trick of incorporating new elements into the Trek franchise's backstory. The writer makes it feel natural and inevitable that James T. Kirk's career has been shadowed by both a half-Romulan, half-Vulcan beauty and an alien race of serpentine baddies. I was reminded of how seamlessly Miller did this with Elektra in the Daredevil series, making it seem as though she had been part of the hero's story all along, despite showing up well into his second decade in print.
The femme fatale here is T'Cel, whose life intersects with Kirk's at various key points. Claremont has done his homework and manages to include flashbacks to the original Trek timeline throughout. Readers get a story of Kirk before he became a captain, one during the original five-year mission, and others situated at various points within the first four films.
My guess is that if I knew more Star Trek history, I'd catch many more little character bits and callbacks. As it is, I tip my hat to Claremont for giving every member of the original crew moments to shine in this graphic novel. He's also captured the voices of each character, along with providing a plausible reason for the Enterprise crew to get back together one last time. Again.
The whole adventure is illustrated superbly by Adam Hughes and Karl Story, who make all the characters look like they've stepped off the small and large screen. A few two-page spreads, particularly of the Enterprise, are pure fan service in all the best ways. Just gorgeous. The Dave Dorman cover is lagniappe.
If I have one complaint, it's this: The creative team does such an exemplary job of setting the stage for an awesome galactic adventure, but the adventure itself feels somewhat rushed and uneventful by comparison. The last third of the book, while still engaging, doesn't live up to earlier expectations.
Nonetheless, this is spectacular stuff. Claremont's legacy is forever wedded to the X-Men, but here he proves he would have made a formidable writer for a Star Trek series, as well. He, Hughes, and Story have created a high-stakes installment in the franchise that feels just as essential as any of the movies.
IDW has released a reprint in recent years, but I found an original hardcopy for less than the cost of a single issue of many modern comics. I started reading a digital version, but the panel layouts were so innovative that I had a tough time following it on a tablet. This is one book worth finding in print.
Recommended for casual and hardcore Trekkers alike.
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