Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way
Written by: Ryan North
Art by: Chris Fenoglio
Colors by: Charlie Kirchoff
Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
Publisher: IDW
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
The first Star Trek: Lower Decks original graphic novel is also the Franchise’s first-ever interactive graphic novel (although not the Franchise’s first-ever Choose Your Own Adventure story). In Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way, readers join Lieutenant Junior Grade Beckett Mariner on a mind-bending adventure that asks, “What if… there was a sci-fi explanation for a CYOA story?”
This one is going to be unusually difficult to review. This isn’t because I have complicated feelings about the OGN. It’s fantastic, and worth more than its weight in Latinum. But it would be a horrible shame to ruin too many of the book’s surprises, and that will make discussing it in this review a challenge.
So, if you are a fan of Lower Decks, my advice is to simply stop reading now and pick up this title for yourself. The less you know about the book, the better you can allow its twists and turns to unfold for yourself.
No Small Parts
First of all, Warp Your Own Way is the product of a creative team operating at their full capacity. Both North and Fenoglio are Lower Decks comic book alumni, having previously teamed-up for the 2022 three-issue miniseries. For that reason, they hit the deck running with this graphic novel, nailing the tone and aesthetic from page one.
For North’s part, CYOA stories are also well-trod territory. Perhaps you’ve already enjoyed his illustrated prose “choosable-path adventure” novels, Romeo and/or Juliet and To Be OR Not to Be. And he’s not a stranger to CYOA comics, either. Remember The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015B) #7 (with art by Erica Henderson, trading card art by Joey Ellis, color by Rico Renzi with Henderson and lettering by Travis Lineham)? How could you forget?
Meanwhile, Fenoglio’s skill at depicting the Cerritos and its crew has only been honed since the miniseries was released. Every character and the interior of the Cerritos is spot-on, as though they were directly imported from the TV series. And the exterior depictions of the ship continue the miniseries trend of adopting a sort of storybook aesthetic, well suited for sequential graphic narrative. Plus, I enjoyed what I believe to be cameos of the comic’s creative team (including Star Trek group editor Heather Antos) throughout the story.
As for Kirchoff’s colors, they are consistent and spot on: no Star Trek: The Animated Series style palette problems here. And Eckleberry’s lettering is always clear and easy to read, even when the dialogue boxes get a little unusual (you’ll see what I mean).
Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way
And now, it’s time to get vague! Warp Your Own Way is a cornucopia of Star Trek references, pulling from throughout the Franchise’s history. This time, there may be a bit of an emphasis on allusions to Star Trek: The Original Series. But there’s also plenty of Easter eggs for fans of other shows, including Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Once again, without spoiling anything, the reason for all these inclusions is fully satisfying, when it arrives.
While many Cerritos crew members appear in the story, including the other three Beta Shifters and T’Lyn, this graphic novel is clearly centered on Mariner. This isn’t a problem. For one thing, Mariner is obviously the primary lead of the series. And for another, with an ongoing Lower Decks comic series on the way from North & co. beginning in November, one assumes there will be plenty of opportunities for other characters to get their chance to take center stage.
Finally, Warp Your Own Way is the kind of story that could only be effectively told through the medium of comics. Yes, CYOA stories are often illustrated prose, but the intrinsic animated nature of Lower Decks means the artwork is an integral component. I mean, would the Beta Shifters in togas or a waddle of penguins wearing VISORs be as funny without being conveyed through art (both these images are presented on the cover of the book, so don’t phaser me for mentioning them)? I think not.
If you’re a fan of Lower Decks, you owe it to yourself to pick this book up at your earliest possible convenience. It’s an outstanding compliment to one of the best Star Trek shows ever to boldly go. You don’t want to miss it.
Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way will be available at your local bookstore and/or public library beginning on October 22, 2024.
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