Written by Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson

Art by Angel Hernandez

IDW Comics, out now

With Admiral Picard and his first officer locked away, the Romulan governor of Yuyat Beta prepares to take control of the USS Verity.

Those Romulans – you just can’t trust them, even when you’re offering to take their people to safety. That’s certainly the experience of Picard and Mussiker, who blindly (and somewhat naively) beamed down to a colony to offer help, and ended up in captivity. We start part two of this three-part prelude to the Star Trek: Picard TV series with both parties stuck in a stalemate, though that’s all about to change.

The native Yuyats have recognised that the Federation want to help them rather survive than let them perish in the supernova, and lead a rescue of Picard and Mussiker from the governor’s castle. The jail break is successful and (as suspected) kindly Romulans Laris and Zhaban are revealed to be involved, though you’ll never guess why. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing how their characters play out in the show.

While Picard and Mussiker are planning how to get back to the Verity, the Romulans have sent out a distress call to the orbiting starship and ultimately find their way to take control of the vessel. Again, Starfleet – far too trusting with the Romulans, but it makes for an exciting 20-plus pages of action leading up to a cliffhanger for resolution in part three.

Verdict: Well-plotted, exciting and authentic to modern Star Trek, this continues to be a fine entree to the new CBS All Access show and hopefully a good indication of what we can expect on screen from late January. 8/10

Nick Joy