Written by Kirsten Beyer & Mike Johnson

Art by Angel Hernandez

Colours by JD Mettler, Letters by Neil Uyetake

Edited by Heather Antos, assisted by Vanessa Real

Published by IDW – individual issues out now, omnibus April 2023

Unfinished business for Picard…

As we prepare for the final season of Picard, this three issue mini-series does a great job of showing Seven’s journey from season 2 to season 3. Beyer & Johnson’s character work is great throughout but their Seven is the standout. Opening with her in the middle of a diplomatic Kobyashi Maru test devised by Picard, we see her rail against the constrictions of Starfleet and immediately find herself on the frontlines with them.

The core theme here is ‘unfinished business’. Picard is drawn back to a world where he once brokered a peaceful solution to a Romulan standoff and discovers anything but peace. The planet is all but glassed, inhabited by hostile raiders. Saved by Seven and her Rangers, Picard discovers the truth not only about the world but the effect his actions in the past had.

This is the sort of story Star Trek excels at. The lofty ideals of Starfleet collide with the brutal pragmatism of the Romulans in a story that changes everyone. There’s a first chapter reveal that ties this to a major and overlooked part of TNG continuity that works like a charm. Seven and Picard’s evolving moralities are core to the story and everyone is both more, and less, than they seem. The story seems designed to refute the ‘reset button’ plotting TNG was often prone to. Picard’s past, Seven’s past and the impossible ethical minefield of the Romulan Empire’s collapse are all viewed through the broken lens of a shattered world where no one is just who they say they are.

It’s complex stuff, all executed with energy and wit by Angel Hernandez’s clean lines and JD Mettler’s focused and precise colours. Neil Uyetake’s letters do a fantastic job of giving multiple (at least five) alien races a distinctive voice and Antos and Real’s editing keeps everything focused and tied together with a remarkable narrative tidiness that makes the moral complexities all the more interesting.

Verdict: This is fun stuff, 21st Century Star Trek executed with intelligence and style and exploring the heart of Starfleet and two of its finest. Great work all around. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart