Star Trek Discovery: Succession #1
Written by Kirsten Beyer & Mike Johnson
Art by Angel Hernandez
Colors by Mark Roberts
Letters by AndWorld Design
I think it’s safe to say that Star Trek Discovery was a big success for CBS All Access. A show that began as a gamble ended up being a huge triumph, in large part because, they weren’t afraid to take chance. One of the things they did was head into the Mirror Universe in their first season for a major story arc. So what happened when they left? IDW is giving that answer to fans with Succession.
Obviously on the cover you see Michael Burnham, who is a much different character in the Mirror Universe and with much different motives. Those motives are very apparent in the beginning of this first issue, but things aren’t as simple as they appear. The book quickly fast forwards a year to a catastrophic event that sets off a chair reaction to race for power. I know that’s vague, but anything more and I would be spoiling a whole bunch. The story then takes place in a few different locations, with plenty of characters you know, and we see sides start to be chosen. The common goal may be the same, but the methods appears to be very different. Then we have yet another shocker happen towards the end of the issue that may create a new and unexpected enemy within the ranks of one of the sides. Believe me, it’s very difficult for me to keep from spoiling everything that’s going on in this first issue, but there is a lot of plotting both behind the scenes and right out in the open. The issue comes full circle at the end, and re-introduces someone who may be the one person who could change the entire landscape of events that we saw earlier in the issue.
Putting my tap dancing shoes on to not spoil this issue for you wasn’t easy. Beyer and Johnson give readers so much action, and so many thinks to consider, in one issue that it’s almost all one giant spoiler. This isn’t simply fan service for anyone who may be a fan of the show, this is a legit story with a lot of intrigue that you would enjoy even if you haven’t watched the show. There’s just enough information for new fans to jump in and enjoy this book. I’m curious to see what will happen once these different factions cross paths and what the end game will be. It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, Angel Hernandez does amazing work and really knows how to bring a Star Trek book to life. As a reader I feel like I got a lot, but at the same time, I feel like this is a setup for something even bigger going forward. This is another great book and another reason to trust the quality of the Star Trek titles coming from IDW right now.
RATING: PULL / BUY