The Golden Key Archives bring together some of the first ever comics for the Star Trek franchise. It’s fun to see the original cast from the TV show get back together and they look even better than in the show. It’s no secret that I wasn’t a huge fan of the show and I definitely do not like Captain Kirk, but he actually looks like a pretty good character here. I mainly blame it on the comic format since it tends to make the main characters look good no matter who they are.

There are 6 comics in this collection and each issue deals with a situation of unprecedented adventure. Star Trek is about going to various planets to meet aliens and discover other ways of life so the issues are pretty faithful to that. One story sees the crew land on a planet where large robots are threatening to destroy the world due to the fact that they keep on creating more and more cities. Soon, there will be nowhere for the inhabitants to live so it’s a pretty sticky situation. The issue was pretty interesting, but one of the original characters was pretty annoying. He didn’t want the heroes to help since he thought that it would make him look bad. He hogs the glory and then he allows the heroes to help. The problem is that the comic still portrays this guy as a hero even though his motives were completely selfish.

In another story, Spock was possessed by 5 ghosts who wanted him to help their land go free. He had to blow some things up because the world was very dangerous due to its constant shifts in climate and land. Kirk and friends almost decided to stop Spock, but they allowed him to continue and it was certainly good for the alien race that he did. Of course, one of the stowaways did happen to be evil so that certainly threw a wrinkle in the situation.

The best story was probably the one where Kirk and friends land on a planet filled with inhabitants who crashed from their spaceship, but we quickly learn that the situation is more sinister than they let on. It’s like a classic Klingon episode since the heroes have to escape back to the ship within 24 hours (Since the planet will explode) but they dare not allow the villains to go with them. Kirk will have to outsmart these guys somehow and that’s definitely going to prove to be very difficult.

One story that did not involve a lot of fighting was the final issue. Two planets are on a collision course so the Star Ship Enterprise is tasked with stopping this from happening since it could wipe out the solar system. They want to blow up one of the planets, but then they find out that they are both inhabited. How can they possibly move the planets out of the way before impact? It’s a pretty good story and you may be able to guess the outcome, but that doesn’t take away from the drama of the moment. It’s simply a fun issue without too much stakes.

The other two stories aren’t quite as remarkable. One of them deals with a dangerous planet where the plant growth has gotten a little too extreme. The heroes simply have to deal with this as they attempt to survive. In another comic, the heroes wander onto a deserted planet and wonder why it is so quiet. Let’s just say that it has something to do with a Civil War. It’s not a very original plot, but at the time it may have been so I’ll give it a pass there. It’s still a good issue.

The main reason why the collection’s enjoyable is because the writing is sound. A good writer is can make any situation exciting and that’s just what happens here. Some of the stories certainly had the potential to not be very good, but this came out during the golden age of comics where most of them were very interesting. I have my doubts on whether a current Star Trek series could be of comparable quality to this one, but I suppose that there is always a chance. The right writer coupled with a good artist can bring hope to any franchise.

The art is decently good. It’s in the style of the old Marvel and DC comics. Back in the days of hand drawn issues, which are always fun to read. The one reason why I didn’t say that the art is very good is due to the fact that a lot of the characters are interchangeable. Kirk looks about the same as Henry Mc Coy or the random red shirt of the day. If not for the uniforms, you would probably mix up just about everyone in the series. The artist just doesn’t do a great job of making the designs unique for the characters. Beyond that, the art is pretty solid and definitely easy to read.

Captain Kirk is your average leader from this era of comics. He makes all of the tough calls without letting any casualties become a part of the equation. He’s pretty confident and he’s also a capable fighter when he needs to take part in a battle. There’s really nothing wrong with him here and he’s certainly a lot different than the other versions of Kirk that we have seen over the years. I could get used to this incarnation!

Spock is pretty true to character and aside from Kirk, he’s the only member of the TV show cast to really get a big role. He has two comics devoted to himself and he’s a main supporting character in the others. He’s the voice of reason and he’s definitely a good character although he’s not as likable as Kirk. He tends to leave Kirk and the others lost as he only lets them know of his plans at the very end. It’s a risky gamble, but it tends to pay off.

The other characters are technically around, but they’ll only get a line or two and it’s easy to forget that they are there. That’s all right though since Star Trek is more about exploration than character development. All that we need are two good characters to hold the plot together and the rest will go along smoothly. I definitely look forward to reading more Star Trek comics in the future. So far, Star Wars definitely has the best comics and Dr Who would be second in the Sci-Fi race, but Star Trek is chasing them down at number 3.

Overall, Star Trek Golden Key Archives Volume 1 is a great way to get introduced to Star Trek. It may set the bar a little high for the franchise, but watching Star Trek Into Darkness after this is a great way to keep enjoying the series on a high note. Captain Kirk is actually a capable leader here and Spock certainly looks intelligent as he should be. The art is solid and it’s just a fun collection. I can see why Star Trek was a fun franchise for everyone if they read the comics. It’s not quite The Avengers or Justice League, but it’s certainly a fun read from start to finish. I recommend this title for your reading pleasure.

Overall 7/10