Marvel’s “Star Trek” series began with adaptation of film

Star Trek 1-3 (Marvel, 1980)

Marvel’s 1980 “Star Trek” series begins with an adaptation of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This was first printed in Marvel Comics Super Special #15, a magazine released in Dec. 1979 to coincide with the release of the movie. Split into 3 parts, this became the first 3 issues of Marvel’s ongoing “Star Trek” comic book.

Written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by Dave Cockrum (“X-Men”) and Klaus Janson (“Daredevil”), the story takes some detours and makes some visual differences from the movie as filmed, but the general idea is there. Cockrum draws a swashbuckling and active Captain Kirk.

It’s a bit talky and probably can’t be considered a complete success, but then, neither can the film it was based on. I imagine for Star Trek fans at the time, it was a thrill to get a new comic-book series with their favorite characters, and, in the days before videotape was widely available, the comic adaptation was the easiest way to relive the film on your own timetable. This is a competently done adaptation by talented storytellers that managed to keep me pretty much engaged, which doesn’t always happen when I watch the film.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 164. Still to go: 1847.