As my retrospective reviews of the early 90s Deep Space Nine comics have proven popular, here’s another!

We’re onto the fourth issue, with the first part of a two part story named Emancipation. Out on a routine mission in a runabout, Dr. Bashir and Jadzia Dax are captured by a strange ship, which turns out to be populated by alien slaves, who’ve escaped from captivity. Returning to Deep Space Nine with the Doctor and Dax, it’s not long before their pursuers turn up, demanding that their ‘cargo’ is returned to them. Wishing to operate within Starfleet rules, Sisko invites the slavers on board, and the situation becomes complicated, as well as deadly.

This is an odd issue; it seems like there’s a pretty obvious moral stance to be taken by the crew of Deep Space Nine. Perhaps I’m missing something, but it didn’t seem as if, having seen how the slaves had been treated, there should have been any question of helping their oppressors, no matter how complex the politics of their species may have seemed.

The art also felt a little off this time too; with the Deep Space Nine cast so clearly photo referenced, it left the design of the aliens looking very cartoonish, given that artist Gordon Purcell had no other reference to work with when bringing them to life.

Still, it’s entertaining enough I suppose, but it certainly isn’t up to the standard of the especially strong first three issues of the Malibu Comics series.

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