Star Trek The Animated Series Comic Goes Where No Man Has Gone Before

"Star Trek: The Animated Series" is a beloved yet short-lived animated TV show by Filmation, serving as a continuation of the original "Star Trek" series. The show features a two-season run with 22 episodes total and a critical reception from fans and critics alike. Still, its eccentricity, along with its diverse array of plots, from a giant Spock to a cat-person race, earned it a cult following since.

 In 2023, IDW decided to revive the series in a fresh adaptation, keeping the spirit of the original show alive with odd and quirky stories featuring the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise as it continues its 5 year to go where no man has gone before. each issue of the comic series is only 9 pages, and feels like a back up story in mainline comics. since they are small comics, the plot and action start out the gate. 

issue 1 starts with a captains log, informing us that a starfleet vessel sent out a distress signal. as the enterprise arrives, they find out it has no signals of life. which is somehow more common than you think in star trek. as kirk, spoc, ahura and M'Res teleport to the starfleet vessel they are soon attacked by the crew, who are all wearing  tvs on their head, and its captain, has gone mad with power demanding hes called god. 

though won't tell us why God would need a spaceship. the crew gets thrown into the ships prison cell, everything seems hopeless until M'Res notices that a wire is loose, and strips it with her teeth, and that they can use it to distract the security crew and escape. our heroes valiantly escape prison and find the ships captain, who's activating the ship's Schimmer barrier. unaware kirk and crew blast it and him, which then destroys the barrier and activates a portal. sending our crew into a new dimension. 

Issue 2 picks up right after issue 1, The crew find themselves in a weird dimmension where everything is an archie style comic parody called "Artie". as the crew explore Artie's high school, Spoc is targetted by their bully, mocking him for his ears, and looks. the bully's mocking doesnt affect spoc but angers ahura. the bully's friend group gangs up on spoc and ahura causing a fight to happen. the fight is intense making spoc have to do a vulcan neck grip on the bully. while this happens, the vironica stand-in goes sees kirk's uniform and gadgets and "nerds-out"on the situation. and invites the crew to a pool party. 

In the pool party scene, Veronica's admiration for Artie is evident. While Betty seems determined to court Artie, her attempts fall flat as the crew's support for Veronica is unwavering. The crew's utilization of the phaser to remove everyone but Veronica and Artie from the scene allows them to have some alone time. However, Betty's efforts to charm Spock continue, and are once again stymied by Ahura's intervention. The pool party scene culminates with Veronica and Artie getting closer together, while Betty's advances prove futile once more." 

The issue ends with a dramatic and unexpected conclusion. After experiencing the wild adventure of "Artie," the crew is thrust back into their regular dimensions and encounters a shocking surprise. The captain of the vessel from the first episode reappears, accompanied by a grim revelation. He erases the "Artie" comics cast in a show of power, leaving Captain Kirk and the crew stunned and terrified. As the issue ends, this ominous cliffhanger leaves the reader wondering what will happen next in the exciting adventures of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

The first pages of issue three offer an instant blast of familiarity and a stunning turn of events. After traveling to the U.S.S. Enterprise, Kirk and his landing party beam onto the bridge of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's vessel just as the Borg attack. The unexpected arrival of the legendary starship captain leaves Riker flummoxed, but before anyone can comprehend the situation, the nefarious villain strikes, transforming Picard into a pachyderm creature. Before chaos erupts, they find themselves transported to the bridge of the "Discovery" - a scene of unexpected surprise.

As the crew attempts to alert Burnham of the impending pencil of the deranged deity, they are too late. She soon becomes a victim herself, acquiring elephant ears. With each world shifting, the captains and the crew are displaced to new dimensions - entering the universe of "Strange New Worlds." The chaotic environments appear fragile, with the character of M'Ress even breaking the fourth wall to remark on the oddity of having each page seem like a "first page." To Kirk's agreement, M'Ress observes how "weak" and "wary" these universes are. It's a little cute to see Spoc encounter his younger self, though I would loved to have seen Kirk interact with his younger kelvin timeline self, but its something we never get to see. 

As this transpired, Spock notices the presence of his younger self, an element that he finds intriguing. However, as the crew continues to traverse shifting worlds, Kirk's expressions reflect his exasperation with the situation. They eventually find themselves in the realm of "Lower Decks" and Captain Picard, leaving the audience unsure whether Kirk's facial gestures constitute annoyance with the events or commentary on the quality of the shows in question. At the culmination of the issue, Kirk and the crew challenge their mad deity to battle, ending the issue with the buildup of all the captains fighting a single villain.