Last year’s Star Trek / Green Lantern: The Spectrum War was a big hit with fans of both franchises so it’s no surprise that we get to go back to the final frontier for a second round with IDW’s follow up mini-series, Star Trek / Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds.   The creative team of Mike Johnson, Angel Hernandez and Alejandro Sanchez have signed on for another six issue voyage and this week’s first issue presents a new challenge for the surviving ring bearers as they adjust to 23rd century life.

 With the spectacle of these two franchises meeting out of the way Johnson gets to explore the characters a little more and he starts out by helping readers get up to speed about what happened when the lanterns showed up six months ago their time.  Guy Gardner and a Vulcan member of Starfleet have a fun exchange and Gardner is of course certain that she is smitten with him, however she’s clearly not in the plak tow over him at all.  Johnson uses the sequence not only provide a quick summary of what happened during “The Spectrum War” but to set up the initial conflict for this series as well.  Guy’s ring runs out of juice during a lecture at Starfleet Academy which has John Stewart worrying while Guy and Kilowog seem content to enjoy their new lives.

But the unreliability of their rings has dangerous consequences for Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris during a rescue mission as they continue to work with the Enterprise crew.  Johnson throws a fun curve ball with how Hal and Carol are adjusting to their new paradigm which caught me completely by surprise.  The writer also shows us just how much Hal and James T. Kirk are cut from the same cloth in a nicely written one on one moment.

The focus shifts to Sinestro and Saint Walker and where their paths have taken them, and how those paths end up crossing.  This leads to a tantalizing discovery about the Star Trek universe and lantern lore that serves as the set up for the conflict which pulls both sides back for another clash.  The premise is totally logical and as for what Johnson is implying as the issue concludes I can only think of one word……fascinating.

Angel Hernandez and Alejandro Sanchez turn in some good work this issue with some slight errors in Sanchez’s coloring.  Guy’s boots are white here and Kilowog’s skin tone is way off.  Both artists worked on the previous series so I can only assume this is an oversight which slipped by the editor.  Guy’s footwear is easy enough to look past but Kilowog’s appearance did take me out of the story a little bit.  Otherwise the book looks great in all other aspects.

Star Trek / Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds #1 does a really nice job of setting the stage for the story to come and writer Mike Johnson has created a plot which organically continues the pairing of two great science fiction franchises.  The lanterns have boldly gone where no one has gone before and this issue has me really looking forward to what comes next.  Eight out of ten lanterns.