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And so we come to year two of the Star Trek celebration. If you haven’t been following along, 2016 was the 50th anniversary of Star Trek’s first airing, an event I celebrate with a whole bunch of articles. 2017 marks both the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation as well as the premiere of the all-new ongoing series Star Trek: Discovery.
As both of those events are in the upcoming week I’ve elected to honor them the only way I know how: a deep dive into cover art. I already dedicated a whole Cover Story to Star Trek covers last year but the great thing about Star Trek is they keep giving you options so while last year I looked at Original Series related covers this year will be Next Generation related covers. Presumably, come 2021 we’ll mark Enterprise’s anniversary the same way- assuming we make it that far. And on that oh so cheerful note let’s dive into the top 12 Next Generation comic covers.
12.
So it’s worth establishing outright that I have an odd relationship with Next Generation. I’ll probably get more into this as we go but I have a lot of affection for stuff in TNG that I think others would turn their backs on and a big part of that is the Ferengi. I just love the idea that someone took a look at their giant ears, horrible teeth that make it impossible for the actor to speak coherently, diminutive size, and vaguely anti-Semitic undertones and thought: these guys are going to be big. But there is more to it than just irony, I actually really love the visual design of their technology, especially their laser whips so as soon as I saw this cover I knew it was making the list.
It’s a very cinematic kind of cover although maybe not as much as they wanted. The looming heads are a nice touch, especially the actually quite menacing Ferengi on the left, but Worf, Wesley, and Troi look completely lost in the bottom left. I’m also not sure what the stream of white bats has to do with anything else here. However, there’s a really great command of visual balance here and the laser whip’s blast forming the backlight to the title is an excellent touch.
11.
The same way I have a lot of affection for the Ferengi I am all about the Gorn from Star Trek TOS, so this was another cover I knew had to make the list. I actually really like how haggard Troi looks in this cover; she looks like she just fought an army to even be here. Countering that, I think the character on the right is meant to be Beverley but with the blonde hair I’m honestly not sure. None of that matters though because the artist mercifully spared us any horrible Gorn redesigns like Enterprise or that wretched video game from the new movies.
No, these are classic Gorn with the Godzilla-esc snout and giant insect eyes and I love it. I honestly think the Gorn is one of the more menacing creatures on TOS, largely because his fearsome and imposing form belies a cunning and brutal intelligence so the idea of a whole species like that is pretty cool.
I do wish Picard had a more definitive emotion here as he comes off kind of neutral, which is pretty surprising for a guy who’s grabbing a Gorn energy spear. Still, this is another example of great cover balance- there’s a natural focal point in Picard and the group being surrounded creates a really good boundary around the action.
10.
As anyone who watched TNG knows the Holodeck was always a very important part of that show and this cover is tied into one of the three popular variations of that playpen: the Sherlock Holmes simulation. I like how much the cover gets to the heart of what’s actually appealing about the holodeck episodes, the chance to fuse sci-fi tech with more classical genres like noir, mystery, or western. Up front you may have Geordi and, I think, Picard dressed as a policeman but in the background you’ve got Worf tunneling through the street in a space suit and Barclay, resident holodeck nerd, looking pretty lost.
Finally, there’s the best part of the whole cover- Data’s giant floating head. What I love about that element is that it’s not meant to be metaphorical like #12’s giant floating heads, at least not exactly. If you look at the space between Geordi and Reg you can make out some sparks and wires, suggesting Data’s head has actually been severed in this episode. I’m not sure what his severed head has to do with the Holodeck but I am incredibly intrigued to find out, especially with that weird cosmic vortex behind him.
9.
I’m not going to lie here: I knew this cover made the cut as soon as I saw that amazing inter-title, “now what” indeed. It’s just so passive aggressive it’s almost like it’s actively mocking Picard for the fact his entire crew has abandoned him to the Romulan’s tender mercies. A lot of that has to do with the lettering, interestingly enough, in that it doesn’t come off like a somber or threatening design. The bright amber color and the red backing give the words a commercial aspect and the use of an ellipsis definitely adds to that.
It feels very winking to the audience, a mood that’s enhanced by Picard staring directly at camera. They’ve even gone out of their way to capture the weird, bulgy, elastic waist design that informed the TNG costumes for most of the show to make Picard look extra defeated about this whole situation. I honestly don’t get how the creators here thought they were going for anything other than comedy. I mean, I’ll admit the situation is pretty dire but this putting the clowniest face on it imaginable.
8.
Overall I didn’t want to fill this list entirely with non-TNG stuff so I tried to keep the alternate universes and crossovers to a minimum…but I had to get this cover on board. It’s funny, while I love both Doctor Who and Star Trek I wouldn’t really consider these specific incarnations to be major favorites of mine but seeing them together is just great. More than that, I think this cover really gets the common ground the two shows had as joyous celebrations of the beauty that is the universe without being too cloying about it. A lot of that has to do with the excellent work on the faces here.
Picard has a stoicism that fits his character but also betrays a greater wonder at the impossible he’s glimpsing, while the Doctor has shed his usual goofy grin for a look of hushed interest. I really like the way the Doctor’s face is shrouded in shadow while Picard is much better lit, that’s a nice concession to how different these two actually are, especially in relation to the dedication to the truth and openness. Another nice little touch that way is the framing, the way the Doctor is hiding behind the Tardis door while Picard is much more in the open, it’s subtle but it’s sharp.
7.
If you’re not overly familiar with Star Trek: The Next Generation that name on the floor probably doesn’t mean anything to you so I’ll explain. The Stargazer was Captain Picard’s first command upon becoming Captain. The ship was lost during a botched first contact meeting with the Ferengi when Picard approached with shields down and the Ferengi fired upon the ship. It’s come up here because this issue is about Star Trek’s favorite subject: a court marshal.
I think this cover is very much what #9 was actually going for, solemn and contemplative showing Picard at an uncharacteristically low point. Normally the Captain is presented as powerful or stoic so those moments where we’re able to glimpse true, unrestrained emotion from him are always the most powerful. This image is dedicated to stripping the Captain of all his trappings of authority- his crew, his ship, even his quarters have been taken from him as he’s locked up in the brig.
Instead, all he has is this monument to his greatest failure; it’s honestly pretty devastating. Even the inter-title adds to this, with the stark white blockiness of the letters and the phrase “the noise of justice” seemingly making a mockery of Picard’s devotion to order and rule of law.
6.
If you’re a big fan of Next Generation and you’re concerned that you don’t know whom this character is- don’t worry, she’s not from the show. She’s from a previous issue of the tie-in comics, not that that really matters, as this cover is great regardless of actually knowing who this is.
I didn’t know who she was when I chose to add it to the list; I just knew that it was a great visual that made great use of negative space and mocking Geordi. Seriously, I love Geordi because he’s an incredibly kind and positive character but his constant misadventures in love were a running joke on the show and I can’t help but feel this cover is actively calling that out.
Again, a lot of this comes from the lettering’s slanted look, elegant lines, and heavy use of comedic pauses and sizes. Still, the image is pretty cool as well as funny. I really love the thoroughly ‘90s design on the alien woman with her gigantic shoulder pads and tight sleeves, she looks like she should be appearing in an X-Men comic.
Also, it’s cool seeing them render someone’s energy powers as superhuman feats rarely appear in that manner on Star Trek. Finally, the tight use of lighting and confidence to give this an all black background are really nice, they make it feel more on display, like all this cover needs to sell itself is this bad ass energy girl and a blown up Geordi.
5.
Another Holodeck cover, this time drawn from the Dixon Hill noir stories- sadly there will be no Old West entry. This is another movie poster style cover, those were very popular with the Star Trek illustrators owing to how many Star Trek movie posters there’ve been. Still, I actually really like the set-up here and it’s easily the best use of the movie poster aesthetic I’ve seen. Again, we have a more emotional Picard than usual placed front and center in that cool, Art Deco style solar emblem, here looking fairly smirky.
I’m not sure why Data’s eyes are hidden by his hat in this cover but it actually kind of works in terms of the content- it’s a noir story so some mystery was always necessary. Also, I award extra points for making Beverly actually identifiable in this cover. What I really love about this cover, however, is the backdrop design actually being the walls of the holodeck. It’s a really clever background gag that also adds to the aesthetics well. I mentioned Art Deco earlier and that really is a strong undercurrent of the whole cover, it’s really nice.
4.
Damn this cover is such a refreshing change of pace for the Star Trek books. It’s so weird and minimalist yet well composed, it reminds me of cover #6 only with more genuine emotion and weirdness to it. The white background is a big part of that even though that’s always a power move for a cover. White backgrounds can easily end up feeling like a lazy crutch or make your cover seem unprofessional but when they work they really work and this is a great one.
Again, like #6, it reminds me of an X-Men cover- specifically the ‘60s pop-art infused X-Men covers that also used a lot of excellent white backgrounds. A big part of that too is the dotting of colors from the techno orbs and in the uniforms, that kind of smattering is very ‘60s pop-art. The circuit designs are actually classic Jack Kirby, specifically ‘70s Kirby when he worked for DC and was getting deep into the New Gods mythos.
Finally, I like how much emotion is in Riker’s expression here. So far this list has been pretty reserved about emotion, which is fairly accurate to the show being adapted, but some exceptions are needed and Riker is a good choice for that. He was always the most boisterous and bombastic crewmen, more inclined to genuine passion than the others, so he fits perfectly for this angry scene of rage over…whatever techno-nonsense is in those colored spheres.
3.
I said I was going to try and avoid alternate universe covers but I couldn’t help myself: I love these covers far too much to let them go unremarked upon. I am a massive fan of the Mirrorverse, specifically, the versions of it presented in TOS and Enterprise rather than the bizarre nonsense of Deep Space 9. However, as cool as the Mirrorverse is we’d never seen a Next Gen version of it before this miniseries and man, did they deliver. I love how buff Picard is with his sleeveless command shirt, he looks like Vin Diesel and it’s great. I also really appreciate Borg tech Data, seductress Troi, evil sunglasses Geordi, and creepier, more repressed Barclay.
My favorite thing about these covers has to be how well they use the depth of field between background and foreground. In each one, the foreground is easily the most commanding or visually arresting image, like Picard and Riker fighting it out. On the flipside, the background is never neglected and in fact, close examination always rewards the reader. It’s a really good use of space within the cover to maximize the image’s potential and get as many cool and creepy details onto the page as possible.
2.
Yes, ANOTHER alternate continuity cover, which probably says a lot more about me and how I feel about Next Generation than anything else. Look, cards on the table as much as I like TNG I wouldn’t count it in my top Star Trek series, in fact, it usually ends up at the bottom of my list. As such, I have a serious soft spot for cool alternate universe and crossovers and Star Trek: Deviations is a great example of that. Much like the Mirrorverse covers, this is another superb use of depth of field to convey as much information as possible without muddying it, which is a prerequisite for AU covers.
It’s got that same great flow to it with the immediate foreground image of the discarded Star Fleet insignia in the sand setting the dark, dystopian tone for the image before you meet the altered version of the TNG crew. I think my favorite in the bunch is Cyborg Troi, that’s a really cool and creepy twist on the classic use of her character. Finally, you’ve got the Romulan ships patrolling the sky, confirming their major influence on the story, to the point they actually block out the logo in certain spots. It’s a great image that really conveys the idea of devastation and lost history and hope that made this a great read.
1.
The number one spot on this list was pretty much always going to come down to the Borg. Star Trek: The Next Generation will be forever defined by their greatest creation, even if the idea was a combination of Doctor Who’s Cybermen and the T-800 after Terminator 2’s massive success. The Borg are the perfect antagonists for TNG because they’re the one enemy that take away all their strengths. The Next Gen crew always found their greatest successes from diplomacy and finding common ground, finding better solutions, but not with the Borg. With them there’s no way to talk your way out of a situation, not better nature to appeal to, they’re just a relentless force of assimilation and the fact they defeated the greatest mind the Federation had to offer is forever chilling.
All of that is perfectly on display here and we’re getting a nice cameo from 7 of 9. I really love the binary divide between Picard’s time as Locutus of Borg and his return to command, it highlights how much the Borg experience is still very much a part of him. A really disturbing detail of that here is the way the Locutus Picard is actually missing a hand where it was replaced with a Borg claw- that’s a level of disturbing maiming they don’t really bring up in that story. The color work here also goes a long way in creating binary distinction, highlighting the sickly green of the Borg ship against the warm orange of the Federation.
I also like the added meaning of 7 of 9 running parallel to the Borg Queen. Like Picard, both of them have been abused and manipulated by the Borg so having them team-up against their abuser is a really cool idea though the position raises some menacing questions of its own. Overall this is just a great image for summing up the intensity and emotion that made the Borg and Picard’s struggle against them the highlight of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
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