“Spock Begins” continues, accomplishing little else; much to the series’ detriment.

This issue continues where issue one
ended with Spock’s sojourn to earth proceeding as planned as he stares
out the nearest window, contemplating the vast nothingness that is the
cosmos. All the while, his still nameless traveling companion, a
Saurian with a penchant for small talk that would make Commander
Hutchinson look antisocial in comparison, continues to do nothing more
than talk to oh-so much dead air.

The central word in that opening lead
and subsequent issue recount is “continues,” as that’s all this issue
can seem to manage. We’re given nothing more than a re-treading of
waters established in the previous issue, while the writers present
three new, character-centric vignettes to entertain us with. For a
series that’s two issues in, this is not a good sign.

When I reviewed the previous issue, I
equated it to “Batman Begins” starring Mr. Spock. This was due in large
part to the series’ use of linear-v.-nonlinear approach to narrative as
the writers, Scott and David Tipton, attempted to reconcile the various
threads and reinterpretations of the title character’s past to create a
cohesive whole.

Yet, there is one, crucial element
that’s missing: “Batman Begins” works since each sequence—regardless of
whether or not it was set in the past or the present—serves to progress
the central narrative along to its final outcome.

Here, this is not the case. The
sequences set in the present serve as nothing more than a means to
connect these otherwise unrelated vignettes together. We are given no
sense that this is building into something greater, at least in terms
of where the central plot is concerned. Rather, Spock’s return to earth
is a transparent writer’s convention to give us an excuse to explore
his past with little to no consequence in the here and now.

What’s more, the character being used
to prompt these sudden and unrelated sequences is so exasperating in
his own right that even he has to admit how exasperating he is as he
does so on page twenty when he says–into camera, I might add:

“‘So,’ the Saurian asked, knowing he probably won’t get an answer, “what brought you out on this little jaunt, anyway?’ ”

Now, I can’t be certain whether or not
this is some meta-textual commentary at work, but when the character
being used as the central plot device recognizes that he’s said device
there’s, something wrong here. That line alone tells us that Spock
isn’t standing there, baring his soul to some stranger; this tells us
that, with the exception of the occasional mathematical computation,
our hero has remained silent throughout this entire “jaunt.”
Essentially, the Saurian is serving the writers’ purposes to transition
between sequences with his use of the one to two word trigger that
bring us into the subsequent flashback.

What’s even more bothersome in this
regard is that if you were to read the Saurian’s lines separately,
detached from the flashbacks themselves, there’s no sense of an organic
flow throughout. Either the Saurian is spastic, which might very well
be the case, or the writers couldn’t be bothered to come up with a
coherent narrative.

Now, in regards to the flashbacks
themselves… These are, for the most part, well done. The stand out in
this issue—as with the one previous—is the simple recounting of Spock’s
reunion with a certain crewman. Whereas last time we saw Spock’s path
cross with the still-shaken Captain John Harriman, this time we see his
chance encounter with Christine Chapel set sometime during the “The
Motion Picture.” Thankfully, there isn’t much here in terms of
dialogue, or even plot, exchanged between these two, thus making the
silences between—that which is not being said—all the more poignant.
The art is allowed to breathe as we see the seamless partnership of
David Messina and Federica Manfredi continue to delight. The unresolved
romantic tensions between Spock and Chapel are quite thick, and I
appreciated how the inadvertent hand upon Spock’s person by the now
Doctor Chapel serves as a subtle callback to the previous issue which
is echoed again in the next vignette.

The other stand out sequence is with
Spock explaining logic to an incorrigible Romulan male. Unlike the
previous sequence, which was light on dialogue, this one is laced with
purple prose as we are given a chance to see Spock in a new light as
mentor, even as his pupil challenges him. What makes this sequence work
is the level of civilized discourse: though the two are using the same
words, there exists a subtle disagreement as to their meaning and this
speaks to the Tiptons’ strength as writers. Instead of attempting to
win the argument through sheer volume, each presents his case with a
decorum of respect. Perhaps this critique speaks more to our current
political climate, but I, for one, wish our discourse was more aligned
with theirs than, say, that of feuding Klingons.

Alas, these three-page sequences aren’t
the issue’s feature presentation. Instead, we are given another look
into Spock’s first mission aboard the U. S. S. Enterprise, under the
command of one Captain Christopher Pike, a character who—thanks in no
small part to the Abram’s film earlier this year and IDW’s various,
standalone adventures—has been enjoying something of a resurgence in
esteem. However, this entire sequence suffers both in terms of art and
writing.

First, the art here isn’t as clear as
what I have come to expect. This can be seen with the opening panel on
page twelve where we have a simple establishing shot, intended to set
the stage as our characters make their entrance.

The panel’s center reveals a shuttle
that is perpendicular to a non-distinct compound in the middle of
nowhere. In the background is another shuttle, with our characters on
board, touching down parallel to said complex. Both shuttles are
complete with the Enterprise’s markings. What I want to know is where
did this other shuttle come from? In the sequence leading into this
one, we saw just one shuttle being prepped in the hanger. Now, we could
guess that the additional shuttle was sent down earlier and, if that’s
the case, where the hell did their crew compliment go? I suppose we are
to assume that this is Commander Knoxville’s and, as such, has been
there this entire time, which would make sense given their
circumstances. Yet this still doesn’t explain, why it shares the same
registry as that of the Enterprise, given that Captain Pike has no idea
why he was diverted here in the first place.

Also, I questioned whether this close
up shot on the shuttle might have been a superimposed graphic, a la Ang
Lee’s “Hulk” where one element repeats in the same image at opposing
angles. This, however, is not the case as the second panel confirms
that Pike’s shuttle is parallel to the compound, and thus consistent
with the one that touched down moments ago in the background. Perhaps
this was nothing more than a minor art mistake that’ll be corrected
when this is collected into a trade.

While the inconsistencies don’t quite
add up, it was not enough to throw this vignette off the rails. No,
this doesn’t happen until a couple pages later when Spock is sucked up
into an experimental wormhole, which our characters haven’t clue one as
to where it leads. Of course, Captain Pike thinks nothing of this as he
leaps to the rescue with a reckless disregard that would make Chris
Pine smile. Now, this is where we start seeing the holes in the plot.
Pike arrives just in time to rescue a dangling Spock. Given that our
locale is now at some sort of active volcano, and since we saw no
volcanoes active or otherwise during our establishing shot mentioned
earlier, we can assume that our heroes have traveled a great distance
in a relative short amount of time. Our heroes are now stranded here,
alone, with zero means of using the ship’s transporters to save them,
thanks to the atmospheric conditions present on Filos IV, which
necessitated their use of the shuttlecraft to begin with.

So far, so good. This is classic Star
Trek 101 up to this point. We’re presented with a dilemma. Our heroes
are on their own, let’s see what happens. However, the logistical
nightmares start arriving with the ease in which this dilemma is
resolved.

With neither one of them in immediate
danger, Captain Pike and Spock watch as the wormhole that brought them
here dissipates in a four panel sequence that begins on one page and
ends on the next. Now, unless our heroes stood there for hours,
transfixed, I am lead to assume that this took no more than a few
seconds after their nigh instantaneous transportation to this barren
rock to begin with. Once the wormhole is closed, Pike makes an offhand
remark before flipping open his communicator to contact the Enterprise.
Yet, before he can even finish his sentence… one of the two shuttle
seen earlier is standing right there to pick them up. (For those
keeping track, it isn’t the one that brought them… but I suppose that‘s
neither here nor there.)

So, apparently, if I’m reading this
right, even though Commander Knoxville’s equipment was on fire, Jose
Tyler had enough time to locate his captain, launch a shuttlecraft and
be present in time to resolve the central dilemma in this issue with
our heroes being none the worse for wear in about the same time it took
for one wormhole to close. Unless that shuttle is powered on Speed
Force, I don’t see this happening. Perhaps this wouldn’t be such a
bitter pill to swallow had we seen some time pass. Perhaps, instead of
four panels that amount to little more than a cosmic sphincter
tightening in midair, we could have spent that time with Spock and Pike
traveling this inhospitable landscape, at least long enough for the
captain to have finished his phone call. Otherwise, this entire ordeal
strikes me as too damn convenient on the writers’ part, resolving
tensions where none had been earned.

A couple caveats are to be extended for
this issue. I did “geek” out a little when I heard mention of Commander
Riker’s game of choice, Parrises Squares. One of the things that draws
me into Star Trek comics is the inclusion of elements from the canon
created for the various shows incorporated into others, even if it’s
nothing more than a passive nod. The other is that I am glad to see a
shout out made to Matt Fraction’s excellent “Alien Spotlight: Vulcan”
one-shot with the rising tensions between Spock and Tyler. Whether this
was an editorial note, or the writers knowingly added this, it does
give IDW’s books a cohesiveness that has been lacking. Granted, readers
need not have read that issue before this one, but if they had, it does
lend greater depth to the work being done. All in all, a nice grace
note in a chorus that’s been all over the place this go round.

Sadly, as mentioned earlier, nothing
new is brought to the issue’s main plot, and we’ll have to wait another
month to see where this is going. Although, we have learned that it is
Captain Kirk’s second death as seen during “Generations”—and not, as I
had speculated last review, McCoy’s—which was responsible for Spock
having left Romulus for earth. That’s about it. As this is the second
issue in a five part mini-series, I do realize that, for the purposes
of narrative clarity, this issue must serve as transition between acts
one and two. There is still a good likelihood that the writers will
return with a much stronger second act, which I remain hopeful for, as
the Tiptons are solid enough writers. I just wish I did not have to
wait a whole month to see whether or not that hope is in vain.

The alternative, that is the proceeding
chapters are content with nothing more than continuing the course set
out in the previous issue, is that this series might prove to be a
whole lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.