When I read and reviewed IDW’s Klingons: Blood Will Tell I said it was the greatest graphic novel I’d ever read. I, therefore, had very high hopes with the Alien Spotlight, an omnibus detailing a different race and its relationship to the Federation.
Alas, some of the stories in Alien Spotlight don’t do the reverse point of view thing, for better or for worse. The chapter on The Gorn takes place after Arena but well before The Gorn Crisis, just before the events of Wrath of Khan and stars Captian Terrell with Chekov at his side. Vulcans is a Pike-era tale of the new Science Officer (Mr. Spock) and his attitude causing tremors aboard the Enterprise. Andorians, perhaps the best thing here, takes place post-All Good Things…/pre-Nemesis and details internal struggles on Andoria. (Who knew that was going on?) Orions (which is as much about Tellarites as Orions) takes place on Babel, a pre-Menagerie/post-Where No One Has Gone Before Pike story. The Borg is, I think, a post-Voyager story about Borg being Borg (timequakes and all…) And Romulans details the events leading up to Balance of Terror.
All the art is terrific and I can not deny I read this book really slowly so I could savor every bit of it. It’s not Blood Will Tell but what is? This is an essential purchase for a Trek fan.
