Star Trek: Spock Reflections (2010)

Star Trek: Spock Reflections (2010)

Authors: Scott + David Tipton | Illustrator: David Messina | Page Count: 104

"Your path will be one similar to mine, lieutenant. Learning how to incorporate logic into your relationships and decisions is not merely a matter of Starfleet training — it will be a lifelong journey."

Being promoted as a 'follow-up' to the 'smash hit Star Trek: Countdown (2009) movie prequel' kept me from reading the Spock Reflections TPB for a long time. But it was in my possession and I thought I should at least give it a try before deciding whether to keep it or not. It tuned out there was no need for lowered expectations; the story stands apart and is genuinely quite good.

It could be considered a 'follow-up' to the previous embarrassment in that it came out afterwards, but none of what happened in Countdown has any major bearing on what you get in the newer collection.

It does, however, reference a significant portion of Spock's life before the reboot happened, so readers with knowledge of both TOS and TNG continuity will have an advantage over those without it.

Spock's time on Vulcan as a youth, his time aboard the Starship Enterprise with Captains Pike and Kirk, et al, and the years he spent on Romulus attempting unification are all relevant. In fact, it's during some brief time away from the latter situation that the book is set. A fellow traveller, a Saurian, a race first seen in The Motion Picture (1979), quizzes the ambassador on his reasons for travelling through the Neutral Zone. The casual conversation is the catalyst for Spock to reflect on a number of his past decisions in life, with the differing eras played out on the page.

- Some TOS knowledge will be helpful, of both the series and the movies -

Many of the story's flashbacks occur with what in film editing is called a match cut, effectively transitioning from the present to the past while keeping both the spatial and emotional context relevant. Yes, emotional context, he's half-Vulcan but human feelings are an influence still.

Linework is by the same artist as Countdown, illustrator David Messina, and while variable is once again generally pretty good. But the digital colouring doesn't do it any favours.

I won't go into detail, but I enjoyed the musings on duty, honour, mutual friendship and respect, among others, that were used like soulful colouring to paint a profile of the ageing ambassador, and appreciated how each concern was made relevant to him with a level of considered subtlety.

The book collects together all four issues of the Star Trek: Spock Reflections miniseries.

Individual covers. Click for FULL size: