Trekker:Darkstar Zephyr

Trekker is back! Ron Randall has launched a Kickstarter for the next book in his science fiction series about bounty hunter Mercy St Clair, so this seems like an opportune time to talk about the most recent volume, The Darkstar Zephyr. I’ve written about the previous stories here and here, so I’m going to focus less on the background and more on the current book. Also, I have a pretty cool personal connection to this one.

For a number of reasons, The Darkstar Zephyr (the fifth collection of Ron Randall’s series) feels like a transitional point in the story. While one might think this would make it less accessible to new readers, I actually believe this could serve as a good jumping-on point. The reader is learning about the new status quo along with Mercy and her girlfriend, Molly. We are meeting the new characters along with them. Everything new to the reader is new to the characters as well. 

On top of that, we get an extended introspection/recap sequence from Mercy’s point of view as she assesses her previous relationships (conveniently placing them in context of the story so far). For someone like me, who has been reading this series from the beginning (and I mean the early chapters as they were published almost 30 years ago) it’s tough for me to assess how accessible a series is to new readers. But I think this would work.

The book actually contains three stories: two, “The Darkstar Zephyr” and “Bedeviled,” which were serialized on the Trekker web site, and one shorter piece, “Shore Leave,” which is new to this collection. The title story picks up some time after the last book left off. Mercy and Molly have been living in Chapeltown for a while, rebuilding their finances in order to continue their investigation into the truth about Mercy’s mother and her connections to Rigel, the group  opposed to the ruling Council. It’s clear that Mercy and Molly’s relationship has progressed since the last book, although Mercy is still a bit unsure, given how previous relationships has worked out in her life.

This is a great Mercy/Molly moment, but also a nice one for Scuf

I love the acting on this page

We meet a few new characters: Alibarr Quigg, the captain and owner of the Darkstar Zephyr, the ship Mercy hires to take the two (plus Scuf, their pet dox) off planet, along with Abulla Spence, aka Spice, the Zephyr’s first mate. Abulla has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, and perhaps some attraction to Mercy as well. We see some sparks between her and Molly, but things really get tense when Mercy and Molly end up in the hands of a Council governor in the city of Greywall.

In one of the more brutal sequences in the series to date, we see Mercy tortured for information about Rigel. The governor (who I don’t believe is named) also threatens Molly, which leads to Mercy reflecting on her past relationships and how being involved with her has hurt so many people. It’s a nice character moment, but also will help new readers catch up on Mercy’s background.

Since this isn’t the final volume of the series, I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that eventually Mercy, Molly and Quigg end up leaving Greywall behind. Abulla doesn’t come along, but I don’t think we’ve seen the last of her yet. After a diversion told in “Shore Leave,” they end up taking a break on a tranquil planet where Quigg has a safe house. Molly and Scuf have their own adventure, while Mercy and Quigg go in search of a new first mate for the ship.

Reading mainstream comics as a kid, I got used to the familiar pattern of comics telling a long, action-packed adventure, and then following that up with a quieter, character-based “down time” story. One of the things I really enjoyed about this volume of Trekker—and about the series in general—is the way Randall integrates character moments and action. For example, while “Bedeviled” isn’t quite the intense epic that “The Darkstar Zephyr” is, we still get some action and a gripping story that advances the overall arc of the series. We also get some moments that deepen the characters, particularly Molly, who very much deserves a shot at the spotlight. (As does Scuf; I am always pleased when he gets showcased.)

In my first post about this series, I talked about how Randall’s art had grown over the years, leaving behind hyper-detailed panels and complicated layouts in favor of clarity of storytelling. This book features some great moments of character acting. For example, on this page, showing Mercy’s first meeting with Quigg, Randall makes Mercy’s reaction very clear just through the art alone.

We also get some nice visual humor, particularly in scenes involving Scuf. I am a complete sucker for animals in comics, so I’m overjoyed that the little dox has joined Mercy and Molly in their ongoing journeys. I’m even more overjoyed that he really gets some moments to shine in this book. I definitely give Randall credit for creating an animal character who behaves like an animal, but is more than just a background prop.

Mercy and Molly surrounded by Kickstarter backer guest stars

I haven’t said much about “Shore Leave;” it’s a fun interlude showing Molly and Mercy trying to find some down time. Of course, it all goes wrong. Mainly, however, it’s an opportunity for Randall to feature the likenesses of some special Trekker fans who pledged a large amount in the Kickstarter campaign to be included in a Trekker story. While I would love to do that, it’s a bit outside of my budget. However, while my face may not be in a story, I was very excited to see the back cover of this volume.

It makes me very, very happy to be a part of this book in this way.

Recently, I saw a very good example of the difference between corporate owned, bestselling (and often not so bestselling) comics like Batman and Spider-Man, and creator-owned series like Trekker. In a story in the Hollywood Reporter, Batman writer Tom King claimed that his projected 100-plus run on Batman would lead up to a twist that would “change the character for a generation or more. Maybe forever.” He goes on to say, “I never thought we’d get this kind of stuff approved.” 

Maybe a week or less later, it came out that King’s run on Batman was being cut short by like 15 or so issues. So it sounds like his first impulse was correct: someone at some level at DC Comics decided that they didn’t want to change the character forever, not with movies and TV shows and all sorts of other licensing tied to a character that, really, everyone does know.

I’m not convinced that superhero fans want to see their characters fundamentally changed, anyway. Not for forever, not for a generation, not even for an issue or two. Just look at the over-the-top reaction to the apparent character twists in stories like “Superior Spider-Man” and “Secret Empire.” I would have thought even the dumbest of fans would understand those twist were obviously not permanent character changes, but just hooks for stories, every bit as “permanent” as Peter Parker declaring, “Spider-Man no more!” in Amazing Spider-Man issue 50, or Steve Rogers giving up being Captain America “forever” after the events of the original Secret Empire story in the 70s. Leave it the Internets to prove me wrong.

That’s not going to be the case with books like Trekker, or Section Zero, or Monster Island, or Stumptown, or Mister X, or Hellboy, or Astro City, or any number of other creator-owned series. And as much as I enjoy ongoing adventure stories where the hero never really changes, it’s those other series I keep coming back to. I read Spider-Man and Batman stories because they’re fun, and I know what to expect from them. I reread Trekker over and over because I love seeing the characters grow and develop and change through their adventures. (And also because they are fun.)

And do I need to remind you that you can read Trekker for free? That’s right; every page from the very beginning is online at TrekkerComic.com. So there is literally no reason to not read this series, even if you don’t want to purchase the books or back the new Kickstarter. (But you should, because who knows if it will be online forever?)

Speaking of creator-owned comics, specifically Section Zero, and Kickstarter, that series’ cocreator/writer/inker has a new creation currently seeking crowdfunding: Impossible Jones. Created with artist David Hahn (another favorite of mine from his own series, Private Beach), Kesel describes this series as Harley Quinn meets Plastic Man in the Marvel Universe with a bit of Will Eisner’s Spirit and Dick Tracy thrown in. I love all those things, and Kesel’s Harley Quinn solo series (the character’s first solo book) is a personal favorite take on that character. So I am totally in on this new creation; I recommend taking a look at the Impossible Jones campaign page for some sample pages.

That’s it for this week. Check back in two weeks for my next exciting post!