Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.reviews,rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: DS9 Graphic Spoiler: "Descendants"
Date: Thu, 07 Jul 1994 14:42:09 -0400
Lines: 92

Star Trek Comics Review: "Descendants"
Review by Mark Martinez
============================================

=WARNING= SPOILERS for current comics ahead

Publisher: Malibu
   Series: DS9
   Number: 10
     Date: June 1994
    Title: Descendants
   Writer: Dan Mishkin
Penciller: Leonard Kirk
    Inker: Terry Pallot
    Cover: Leonard Kirk
    Cover: Terry Pallot
 Stardate: na
    Grade: s/fn, a/vf, c/vf

Synopsis

Two humanoid life forms arrive through the wormhole without a
spacecraft or protective gear. Sisko allows them to come
aboard, but is prevented from examining them by Bajoran
residents of the station, who believe the visitors to be
Prophets. The "Prophets" begin wandering throughout DS9, leaving
glowing, orb-like objects in their wake. While Dax speculates
that they might be Preservers, Odo is suspicious and
investigates. Watching the visitors touch station residents, Odo
confirms his suspicions that they are not what they appear to
be. When he finds an orb-like object he asks Bashir to examine
it. To their surprise, it hatches into a flying creature, which
they manage to contain in a force-field. The visitors assure
Sisko that the creatures are tame, but Odo instructs a security
guard to fire his phaser at the visitors. They are revealed as
adult creatures of the same type as the hatchlings. They inform
Sisko that DS9 has been chosen as an incubator for their young,
and the station's residents will serve as food. The creatures
prove resistant to phasers, but O'Brien transports them into
space, and the station's weapons are used to drive them back
into the wormhole.

Review

"Descendants" is a cautionary tale of belief and skepticism that
only partly succeeds, due to a conclusion which misses a beat.
It's reasonable to assume that the Bajorans on DS9 would accept
the visiting humanoids as Prophets but Dan Mishkin fails to tell
us what the Bajorans think after they are revealed as malevolent
creatures and driven from the station. Kira's acceptance of the
false Prophets is also a bit perfunctory. Fortunately, Odo is
skeptical of all humanoids, and his efforts to discover the truth
are nicely in character, as are the actions of the rest of the
command crew.

The artwork is outstanding. I am constantly impressed with
Malibu's production values. Leonard Kirk and Terry Pallot
continue what I now consider the tradition (are ten issues
enough to establish a tradition?) of vibrant artwork and familiar
likenesses for the DS9 characters. In spite of the missing
resolution, this comic is a good read. Cat-lovers may appreciate
Odo's shape-shifting efforts in this episode.

Notes

Hearts and Minds #1, the first issue of a four-part DS9
mini-series, is out on the newsstands now. Malibu will be
publishing two DS9 comics per month through September, one each
from the regular series and the mini-series. In October, the
DS9/TNG crossover begins. It looks like a good year-end for DS9
comics. Mark Altman, author of the Hearts and Minds script, is
also writing a script for DS9 #0. No details are available yet.

============================================
Grading Key
(adapted with tongue-in-cheek from "The Overstreet Comic Book
Price Guide" and subject to revision with little or no provocation) 


s       Story
a       Art
c       Cover art

mt      Mint: perfect in every way
nm      Near mint: minor imperfections only
vf      Very fine: outstanding
fn      Fine: above average
vg      Very good: average
gd      Good: some defects
fr      Fair: ragged
pr      Poor: falls apart
na      Not applicable/available