Review: Star Trek: Picard - Countdown
"I have lived a very fortunate life. Or should I say... lives. My youthful quest for adventure led me to experiences I could never have imagined ... experiences both glorious and terrible ... testing body and soul. But taken as a whole those many experiences, those many lives, taught me that nothing is ever truly as final as it seems. I have never been as eager to embrace that lesson as I am now."
The Romulan Empire, mighty and formidable, faces a crisis like no other in its long, fearful history: the sun of its homeworld has become unstable and threatens to explode in a devastating supernova, taking out many nearby worlds. Nothing can stop this tremendous natural event. The only possible recourse is evacuation, but to transplant such a tremendous number of individuals in a limited amount of time is a task that challenges even the resources of an empire. Disaster seems inescapable.
Salvation comes from an unwelcome source: the United Federation of Planets learns of the impending catastrophe and immediately begins mobilising to offer support. Starfleet's Commander Geordi LaForge oversees the construction of a fleet of relocation ships at the Utopia Planitia shipyard in Mars orbit. None other than Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, former captain of Stafleet's legendary flagship the Enterprise, is in overall command of the project.
For the Romulans, receiving aid from their sworn enemies is galling and shameful, but they are left with no choice but to accept. Old prejudices - old hatreds - have become a luxury that nobody can afford when faced with extinction.
The Federation's rescue operation is proceeding well. For some, however, long-standing enmities are hard to relinquish...
Star Trek: Picard - Countdown by writers Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson and artist Angel Hernandez is a prequel to the television series in which the eponymous Picard - his glory days of commanding the Enterprise long behind him - is called upon once again to save the day. His mission here is not that of a combative nature; the only enemy he has to fight is nature itself, and time. Surely the Romulans will understand that their very existence is at stake, and none will take this opportunity to bite the hand that saves them... Right?
Picard is an iconic figure in the universe of Star Trek. With the launch of The Next Generation in 1987 the Enterprise was given a new lease of life with a new crew carrying the torch passed on from the original 1960s series. These new characters had some pretty big boots to fill, but - despite the initial misgivings on the part of certain fans of the 'old school' Trek - fill them they did, reinterpreting the spirit of their forerunners for a new age.
The character of Picard was a fresh take on the old model. A Frenchman in charge? Not only that, but a balding, mature intellectual gent with a cultured English accent? A far cry from Kirk's all-American macho hero, for sure. Here was a captain whose contemplative nature led to resolutions achieved via subtle, cerebral means, as opposed to Kirk and his oft-employed fisticuffs-in-the-sand approach. Tres nouveau...
Not everyone was a fan of the new captain, baldly going where their beloved Kirk had gone before, but Jean-Luc soon proved himself and became an equally popular character among fans old and new. Was it really such a dramatic departure? For all his brawling bluster, Kirk was nevertheless at heart a considerate and intellectually resourceful figure, in keeping with Roddenberry's vision of a future that was progressive, inclusive and liberal in terms of social development. Picard merely expressed those same qualities in a more pronounced fashion, and he certainly proved himself to have no fear of physical confrontation when the situation demanded a more robust approach. Here was a more rounded leader, someone who appealed as much to the bookish nerds among the fanbase as to the lovers of punch-ups and explosions.
In Countdown Picard's mission is a uniquely challenging one. Not only is he trying to save an entire race but, in addition, a race that considers him an enemy. The irrepressible altruism of the Federation shines through once more. Best laid plans soon hit a few bumps, however. Directed to the colony Yuyat Beta, Picard and his crew aboard the starship Verity discover that the planet, which is supposed to be uninhabited, is actually a long-established Romulan outpost. Those pesky Romulans sure do like to keep secrets... No matter, our hero and his first officer Commander Raffi Musiker beam down to speak to the planetary governor and discuss preparations for evacuation... whereupon they learn that in addition to ten thousand Romulans, the planet is also home to five million indigenous sentient humanoid inhabitants. And the Romulans have no intention of including the natives in their evacuation...
Cue much in the way of angst, frustration and the complex moral minefield of trying to save your enemy who, being true to type, is determined to continue acting in ways very different to your own noble efforts. The eternal evils of imperialism, racism and paranoia as ever impede the path of doing what is right. When he and Musiker are detained by the governor Picard has a fiendishly complex situation to tackle. It seems the Federation's sworn enemies can never be trusted, even when their own lives are at stake.
This is a neat little story with some intriguing twists and turns, more drama than action but very satisfying for the reader, particularly those familiar with the central elements of the narrative. Hernandez captures the likeness of the well-known characters well and brings their unique expressions to life as events unfold. The artwork is slick and polished with a light but precise touch.
Jean-Luc seems to be in a dilemma with no possible way out. Is this one mission even he cannot complete?
Star Trek - PICARD - COUNTDOWN on IDW Publishing
Zak Webber
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