1113. Prophets and LossesPUBLICATION: Deep Space Nine/Star Trek: The Next Generation #1 (part 1), DC Comics/Malibu Comics, December 1994
CREATORS: Michael Jan Friedman and Mike W. Barr (writers), Gordon Purcell and Terry Pallot (artists)
STARDATE: 47268.4 (between Dark Page and Attached; between Melora and Rules of Acquisition)
PLOT: The Enterprise-D has ferried some high-ranking officers to Deep Space 9 so they can visit the Gamma Quadrant. Their runabout disappears in the wormhole however and Picard is put in charge of the investigation. This doesn't make the Bajorans happy as unrest and meteorological instability mount and fundamentalists say they've been abandonned by the Prophets. They feel safer with Sisko heading the team. An unauthorized entry on the station then leads Odo and Worf to a party of Cardassians...
CONTINUITY: The Enterprise was last at DS9 in Birthright. Odo recognizes the family resemblance between Deanna and Lwaxana (which he met in The Forsaken). Crusher sees Dax and remembers Odan (The Host) despite the deep dissimilarities in make-up the Trill have undergone. Sisko is still uneasy about working with Picard (Emissary). Vedek Bareil appears here, not long after his appearance in The Siege.
DIVERGENCES: Troi has "trouble" reading Ferengi emotions, when it's been established Betazoids can't read them at all. Ro Laren probably shouldn't be aboard the Enterprise-D at this point (though according to the comic series, she is). The two crews working together like this creates some slight problems with every TNG guest appearance since (Defiant, Way of the Warrior, the DS9 II books).
PANEL OF THE DAY - Worse than Cardassians, worse than Klingons.
REVIEW: First off, let me say that Purcell's art is great in this. The likenesses are excellent (both the people and the environments) and the characters expressive (great eyes). Good-looking stuff. The first chapter of this crossover is basically just a chance to meet all the regulars (except Jake) and have them interact. Geordi catches Quark's crooked dabo tables, Bashir puts the moves on Beverly, O'Brien is wistful about his time on the Enterprise, stuff like that. The comic also makes sure to use the DS9 setting to its fullest potential, and that means including Bajoran religion and politics, Cardassians, and Rom and Morn. Plus, Ensign Ro comes home to roost. That should be interesting. A strong, character-driven intro.
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