Star Trek: The Next Generation – Hive #1-4: Perfect Chaos

In a dire continuation of the story that began years ago when Jean-Luc Picard was assimilated into the Borg and given the title Locutus, Star Trek: The Next Generation Hive explores a dangerous future where the Borg extend their reach to the entirety of the galaxy but once again, underestimate the resolve of Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise.

For fans of the classic TV series and films, this comic run from IDW feels like a natural and even inevitable return to the iconic assimilation of Jean-Luc Picard as Locutus. But 500 years into the future, Locutus has essentially deemed the Borg mission a failure with no one left to assimilate, they have come to a stand still. This kicks off a time-travelling coup to finally bring an end to the collective by bringing down the Queen once and for all.

The finality of the story is apparent from the first issue and really helps to add stakes to the series. It’s difficult to get around the fact that we’ve seen this encounter before, multiple times even. This story brings in a new element with both time travel and introducing characters like Seven of Nine and Data under much different circumstances. It’s an interesting merging of alternate reality stories with the more established timeline five centuries prior. The result is a series that captures a very familiar tone while pushing it in an exciting direction.

The Jean-Luc Picard/Locutus dynamic that transcends time is ultimately the glue that holds this story together as we bounce around through time. There are a few instances of haphazard time jumps that can confuse some readers, but it isn’t consequential enough to harm the book’s pacing. Being limited to four issues forces the story to move briskly and bring Picard’s scheme to fruition. Seven of Nine finds significant importance in this plan, but there are some critical moments that fall back on cliches a bit too much, such as her not-so-shocking status reveal as a “triple agent”. These twists feel a bit forced when there is already an intriguing overarching plot happening.

The artwork is mostly quite enjoyable through the series. Hi-Fi especially knocks it out of the park with some fantastic colors that bring life to the awesome splash pages featuring the Borg both teaming up with and taking on the Federation. Lee’s letters don’t necessarily take that many risks, but they do a wonderful job of guiding readers through the sometimes hectic sequences. Despite a few awkward character depictions, the series finds its footing quickly with an aesthetic that does more than enough to keep you coming back for more. Who doesn’t want to see a fully assimilated Data travelling back in time, or a codex version of Seven of Nine protecting Picard with her own body?

For those who haven’t followed along with The Next Generation’s story involving both Picard and the Borg Queen, this series could have the potential of leaving you a bit lost. It can be read on it’s own, but a lot of the drama, tension and stakes are rooted in the story that has occurred up to this point. That is something that is just an inherent danger in taking on a project like this, but the creative team does manage to bring everything together cohesively. The result is a classic Star Trek story that will give fans a chance once more dive into a conflict with the Borg and enjoy discovering how the crew of Enterprise manages to pull through, with some help of time-travelling shenanigans!

It isn’t perfect, but Star Trek: The Next Generation – Hive is a series that offers plenty of fan service and just enough depth of plot to keep you invested for the long haul. At only four issues long, it’s a great run that can be read in one sitting, so be sure to check it out!