Review: Star Trek: Infestation #1

Written by: Scott Tipton and David Tipton

Pencil finished and inks by: Gary Erskine

Pencil layouts by: Casey Maloney

Colors by: Luis Antonio Delgado

Lettered by: Chris Mowry

Covers: John K. Snyder III, Jason Wright, Casey Maloney, Gary Erskine, Luis Antonio Delgado, Gabriel Rodriguez, Gordon Purcel

Publisher: IDW

Release Date: February 9th, 2011

 

This is a good book.

After the excellent opener that was Infestation #1, then the so-so Infestation: Transformers #1 tie-in (sorry, too much focus on the Autobots vs Decepticons), we are brought right back into the thick of things with Star Trek: Infestation #1.

As the zombie hoard goes where no man – or zombie – has gone before, the final frontier, we are introduced to our old friends Kirk, McCoy and Mr. Spock. The three Starfleet officers are off to see McCoy get recognized for a recent accomplishment on a distant planet. There, they encounter what we witnessed in the first Infestation title.

This issue, felt as if I was watching an episode of the original Gene Roddeberry classic. It has all the elements that we loved from the original. Kirk, McCoy and Spock visit a foreign planet, something is amiss and off they are to investigate. Oh, they didn’t come alone – some crewmen came along for the ride. Is that a hint of red I see in their uniforms? Maybe, just a small hint!

The Tipton brothers are to be commended for not only their storytelling, but their characterization of these legendary characters, as well. We do get some classic lines, typical of the Star Trek crew, but they don’t come off as overly corny – I welcome them. This adds to the iconic feel and nostalgia I felt while reading.

Erksine and Maloney also deserve credit as they provided the realistic depiction and setting that a Star Trek book requires, as it must resemble the actual actors and TV show (at least, imo). While their zombies could use a bit more detail, the close-ups are adequate and provide the necessary horror aspects. Overall, I was more than satisfied.

The story in itself is a lot of fun. Star Trek meets zombies? It works. While we are getting inundated with brightest this, fear that – do yourself a favor and pick this up. Zombies are cool. Transformers, Star Trek, Ghost Busters, G.I.Joe and zombies are even cooler.