Ever wondered what would happen if the crew of the Starship Enterprise collided with the universe of the Green Lantern? No, possibly not. Regardless, this is the ever so slightly leftfield combination brought to us by IDW Comics. We were given a look at the first two parts of this crossover, titled The Spectrum Wars.
Crossover events are no new thing in particular in comics, or in cinema. We of course have the upcoming Batman vs Superman, but that itself is a setup for the formation of the Justice League, DC entering into competition with Marvel’s successful and ever-expanding Avengers world. There are numerous other examples, both obscure and well known (Superman/Batman/Judge Dredd vs Aliens anyone? It seems everyone is struggling with those pesky xenomorphs). Let’s just put Alien vs Predator back in storage, shall we?
And so we step into this alternate reality of Green Lantern and Star Trek. The crew of the Enterprise discover the Power Rings, alongside the skeletal remains of the Guardian, Ganthet. As you might have guessed from that, a certain amount of investment is needed in picking away the layers of lore contained within the Green Lantern series. Or just accept that Ganthet is a particularly powerful individual bequeathed with protecting six very powerful rings (the seventh residing with the current Green Lantern) from a mysterious Big Bad. These rings are coloured according to the rainbow or, more pertinently, the Emotional Spectrum (like really bad-ass mood rings … kind of).
And so, in “another time, another universe” Kirk and co. happen upon the rings. One early nice touch has Spock observing to Kirk, “Is it wise for both the captain and the first officer to leave the ship on what, by all indications, is a routine scouting mission?”. Wry. A clever nod to the long held inside joke of how particularly unrealistic it is for the captain of a ship to forever unnecessarily be throwing himself in harm’s way.
From here the plot begins to unfolds as the rings are brought onboard Enterprise, with Green Lantern and some particularly peeved Klingons (aren’t they always?) showing up to kick-start an almighty showdown, as the rings are activated and seek out bearers on all sides to wield their considerable powers.
The majority of these opening exchanges are laying the foundations for the wider story that is to be unveiled over the course of several issues.
It certainly looks promising, with special observances to attract fans of both series. The artwork is definitely top drawer, right down to maintaining the “lens flare” veneer that JJ Abrams is so fond of in his movies. And it seems to have some smarts about it (case in point above). That said, it’s a shame that Chekov remains lumbered with an entirely comical pseudo-Russian accent.
There’s not much more more to observe beyond that at this early stage. But it’s definitely worth having a look at, along with the multitude of other interesting titles on offer on IDW’s website.
