Tony Isabella wrote The Trouble with Bearclaw, issue 29 in DC Comics ongoing Star Trek series. Tom Sutton continues to deliver fantastic pencils, while Ricardo Villagran does the inks. The series to date has heartily embraced canon, and continues to tie itself to established continuity. And that makes for fun reading.
That being said, Bearclaw… not my favourite character.
Stardate: 8901.1
The issue opens with Kirk’s log aboard the Excelsior; he brings us up to date with the starship’s shakedown cruise. They are in orbit around an uncharted planet, but due to radiation and magnetic storms on the surface, the transporter is out, and the landing party had to go via shuttlecraft .
Kirk is buried under a ton of paperwork, some from before the Enterprise’s destruction, brought to him by Lt. Hathaway.
The following page is a double splash that shows the landing party on the run, being chased by some ape-like creatures. The landing party is composed of Bearclaw (he’s in the title; of course he’s here), another human officer named Bodine, a Tellarite pilot named Jed, Konom the Klingon, and Thimon an Andorian.
They are on the run and trying to find some cover and protection; Konom gets attacked while trying to help his fellows. He finds out in the worst way that the ape’s fangs carry a dangerous venom. As the group works to find an escape, Bearclaw reminds us with his dialogue that he’s still a racist bigot.
As they find a defensible cave on a cliff face, Jed reminds Ensign Bearclaw that he needs to follow the orders of a superior officer. Even if he’s got some good ideas and is working to save the landing party, he needs to work within the chain of command. If he lives that long.
He brings down the front of the cave and points out, rather rudely, that there’s a breeze coming from another direction. There’s a way out, one that isn’t being breached by the ape-things.
Bearclaw gets chastised even as the group figures out how to escape; it may mean the end of his time in Starfleet. Konom, who is fallen ill from the ape-bite, says it may not be over yet.
We get a flashback to the beginning of the mission, which shows that Bearclaw stepped in it from the off, but Thimon, on the verge of retirement, cautions him not to be his problem. The shuttle crash lands caused by the radiation of the planet.
Bearclaw’s racism gets him into trouble again just as the ape-creatures attack.
The landing party escapes the cave, but they are unable to contact Excelsior and will have to head to higher ground. Bearclaw begins the climb after clashing with Thimon again. He could end up being court-martialed. He doesn’t make his arguments well, and he is never interested in hearing what others have to say; he simply acts.
How’d he get through the Academy?
He reaches the summit and is able to contact Excelsior. Scott informs him that a rescue shuttle has been launched, but before he can make the climb back down, he’s attacked by the apes. He is able to best the creature but has a number of broken ribs and a sprained ankle. He heads back down to he cave, where the landing party is under attack.
Bearclaw arrives just in time to save the day! Blasting the attacker.
He wakes up in Sickbay, a commendation cancelling out the court-martial, and we hear in Bearclaw’s internal monologue that he not only hates everyone, but likely himself as well. As Konom and Thimon discuss Bearclaw’s potential, Kirk remains innundated with paperwork as the Excelsior and its crew continues to boldly go.
The Human Adventure brings us another Star Trek Annual next time! The Final Mission!!
