In years gone by, the Star Trek comic license has crossed over with everything from the X-Men to the Legion of Superheroes. But one franchise it has never crossed paths with, and what may seem an obvious choice to science fiction fans everywhere, is long standing British icon, Doctor Who. This is the first time we've ever seen our favourite Police Box land within a sector of a starship named Enterprise and it just so happens that the honour falls to the Next Generation.
Unfortunately, we're still going to have to wait another month for the long awaited crossover, as it doesn't actually occur within these twenty pages. Not once do Captain Jean Luc Picard or The Doctor come face to face and I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a disappointment. However, what we do get are the worlds of the two shows interacting, producing a rather scary power couple in the team of the Borg and the Cybermen. No one's entirely sure of their motivations just yet, instead we're left to marvel at the devastation wrought by these two cyborg races as they come upon a defenceless planet. With cold, calculating precision, we watch as they overrun a society, forcing the society's Prime Minister to flee into the depths of space and wonder if there will be anything of her home to return to. At least half of the issue is devoted to this invasion and subsequent escape. It was an impressive display of dominance from the long time villains and it'll be difficult for the Federation to bounce back from such a thorough defeat in future issues.
The second half of the issue catches us up with The Doctor and his companions, Amy Pond and Rory Williams, as they make a swift escape from a hairy situation in Ancient Egypt. Oddly enough, this segment, featuring the characters we're paying to see, was rather boring and superfluous. The images on the page are meant to convey the madcap pace and insanity of your typical Doctor Who episode, but knowing full well that this diversion means nothing, you're left wishing they'd get on with it and meet the Enterprise already. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, it's just not the story we're here to see. But don't worry, as the issue draws to a close, they're quickly back in the Tardis and teasing the eventual meeting with the Next Gen crew.
This first issue will inevitably be sought after by collectors for years to come, so if I were you, I'd pick up a copy just on the off-chance it might be worth something in the eyes of a fan with too much money. However, the contents were mere teaser. We know nothing more coming out as we did going in. The Borg and Cybermen have teamed up, are making waves in the Federation and guess who will get the subspace message to go fight them. The story was lightweight and the artwork was far too photo-realistic, making me believe the artist is planning to paint over existing pictures of the casts for the entire series. A historic event kicks off with a whimper. Better luck next month.
5 out of 10
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