Star Trek: Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever.

As I move into the period of the year where my primary method of going to work changes from Bus to Bike, I look back and see that most (if not all) of the print comics I've wanted to read and talk about I've done just that.

 

Star Trek: Harlan Ellison's
City on the Edge of Forever.

On the other hand, the number of unread comics on my Comixology account is rather numerous, to an extent that for two nights before I started here I struggled to decide what to read.

 

Star Trek: Harlan Ellison's City on the Edge of Forever was a trade which I think I picked up for free (or at least incredibly cheap) when Comixology had it on sale. Due mainly to its cover, it's a comic I've been tempted to read many a time since, although I've always found some excuse not to.

Well, I seem to have finally run out of excuses!

 

City on the Edge of Forever is (as the cover maintains) an adaptation of the first series Star Trek episode of the same name. However, unlike that episode, this trade follows the original script by writer Harlan Ellison before it was amended to what was seen on the screens. Therefore, unlike chasing through time a maddened Dr McCoy, this story saw a Kirk and Spock attempt to follow a rogue Starfleet officer as his escape through time causes major disturbances for all that they know.
 



 The prime example of the
trippy use of art.

Now, I've been a big fan of Star Trek for a long time, having watched all subsequent series from TNG to Discovery. However, I've always struggled to be invested in the original series (most likely due to my inability to be invested in older shows and movies due to their dated visuals. A bit snobby of me I know). Therefore, I am unsure what of this comic compelled me to give it a look (beyond its apparent cost).

 

Fortunately, I'm glad that I was able to push past my 'bias' and give this comic series the chance it deserved because City on the Edge of Forever is one immensely enjoyable, engrossing and (surprisingly) thought provoking title. One which was certainly helped as I opened the first page and realised that the team behind the ever enjoyable Mirror Broken of the Tipton Brothers and J.K. Woodward were responsible for giving me this story life.

 

I absolutely love Woodward's
use of Monochrome here.

I think the thing I loved about this story was the catalyst behind the overall adventure, with the rogue officer Beckwith being immediately portrayed as a rather nefarious, shifty type. It's very rare to see this kind of character in Star Trek, given its rather Utopian ideals. However, while 'con men' like Harry Mudd and Quark are shown to exist, I always liked the idea of Voyager's Tom Paris, who from the outset always felt like a Del Boy esque character, using Starfleet as a means to get ahead (albeit that character was not really like that, even if his character traits hinted it). It's always been a case that crooks would use the cover of military enrolment to avoid arrest/enrich themselves and so seeing the inclusion of Beckwith as such an individual gives (in my opinion) a deeper, not so clear cut facet of the Star Trek universe.

Beyond that, there seems to be little included that wasn't part of the original episode, but I do love how faithfully the Tipton's recreated the feel of the episode and the emotional upheaval it generated while also giving it greater depth and a more intriguing overall plot.

Honestly, I could go on and
on about J.K. Woodward's art.

As with Mirror Brokwn though, my greatest enjoyment of City on the Edge of Forever came from J.K. Woodward's art. The more I've come to see of Woodward's artwork, the more I've come to love it and rate him as one of my favourite artists in comics. There is no exception as Woodward faithfully recreates the characters and the feel of the show, but also ramping  the sci-finess and trippier elements, such as one Starfleet officers journey through 'drug' use. However, the thing I truly loved here more than anything was the switch between colour and black and white art, the latter of which seemed to be used to portray not only flashbacks but, at the end, the ghosts from the story that haunt Kirk.

After reading this trade, I actually watched the episode in question (much like with Mirror Broken) and came to realise that, just maybe, I had given TOS short shrift and not enough credit as it was a phenomenally poignant episode. In fact, I thought this episode excelled in its depiction of Edith Keeler and her impact on Kirk a lot more than the comic seemed to.

Of course, I guess that's the joy of multiple mediums, it allows us to see the same story from different perspectives.

City on the Edge of Forever was an incredibly enjoyable read from start to finish and I'm glad I gave it a shot and didn't dismiss it out of hand. However, if it deserves praise for anything it's that, in reading it, I may have realised my own short-sightedness in how I initially 'dismissed' (for want of a better word) the Original Star Trek series. Now, while it may look date dated compared to, say, Discovery, it still offers intensely compelling stories.

And that's something I'm going to need to make more effort to rectify.