Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Gold Key Comics - TOS #21- 41

The Gold Key series continues to impress. They eventually iron out the inconsistencies that everyone complains about. In fact only the first handful in the series are really a mess. Although, at one one point in issue #41 Kirk says "Dr. Spock". Nonetheless, this next group had some real gems (also a few blah ones).


 Issue's #33 to #41 are particularly great, including one with McCoy's daughter (and Kirk keeps hitting on her??). The writing really turns from "text book" comic story lines into movie quality plots and dialogue. The interior art work remains good, however the covers are starting to look really corny.
 


The best of this bunch:
 

 

#33 1975 "The Choice"
The Enterprise is sent to a section of space in which the Big Bang is thought to have originated. There they find a pod floating, and inside is .... Kirk! He tells the other Kirk to make the right choice (though no one understands what he means). It ends in a battle between two Enterprise's.


#36 1976 "A Bomb In Time"

A rogue scientists takes a powerful bomb into Earth's past. They do not know exactly what time period but they norrow it down to two years/places. Kirk goes to 1955 Hollywood and Scotty to 1855 Old West. Great writing in this one, it would have made a solid episode or even a fun old Star Trek movie. Certainly would be better than Star Trek: The Motion Picture.


#38 1976 "One of Our Captain's is Missing"
Kirk is suddenly relieved of duty and replaced by a Captain Zarlo (who seems inept, and the crew can't stand him). Kirk has actually been sent on an undercover mission to thwart a Klingon take over on a nearby planet. Another one that one make a decent film. Again the writing is great, but for some reason I can never tell who the writer is on these comics.


#39 1976 "Prophet of Peace
Kirk and crew recover a cryogenic sleep pod from deep space. It contains an iconic scientist from Earth's past. This guy was a brilliant scientist but also a prophet of peace. No one wonder he literally looks like a mix of Ghandi and Einstein. Upon taking him back to Earth, his renewed message of peace has some dire consequences for the planet. Star Trek always does this. They show men of peace and peaceful planets but everytime there is some evil underlying situation. It's like their message is that total peace is a myth.



#41 1976 "The Evictors"
The Enterprise takes part in a planets 10,000 year celebration. The planet has since achieved total peace (so as I said previously, we all know what is coming next). As part of the celebration they have a visual of their entire history projected into the atmosphere. It speaks of their founder and "God" named Zotar. Suddenly the image is interrupted by a giant space craft and to everyone's amazement Zotar appears! He has not come to party, he has come to take his planet back...