More than 20 years after it went off the air,Star Trek: Voyager’scomeback is really making Season 8 happen. IDW Publishing recently announced a newVoyagerminiseries, titledHomecoming, to commemorate the show’s 30th anniversary. Picking up immediately after the finale,Star Trek: Voyager: Homecominggives the intrepid crew one last adventure, making for an awesome “Eighth Season” that the show never got.
Homecomingartist Angel Hernandez is no stranger to IDW’sStar Trekcomics, having drawn many in the past.
As reported here onScreenRant,Star Trek: Voyager: Homecoming, which will be written by Tilly and Susan Bridges and drawn by Angel Hernandez, takes Captain Janeway and her crew on a new adventure, one that begins immediately after the show’s finale, which aired in 2001. IDW’s official synopsis reads as follows:
Thirty years after the show made its unforgettable debut, Captain Janeway and the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager are back for one final mission before they head home! From imaginative co-writers Tilly and Susan Bridges and acclaimed artist Angel Hernandez comes STAR TREK: VOYAGER - HOMECOMING this September, a five-issue limited series that offers the final resolution fans have been waiting decades to witness. The final shot of the Emmy-award winning series featured the iconic ship approaching Earth before the screen goes dark… But what if just moments after that, there was one last emergency for the determined Captain Janeway and her brave crew?
Fans are hopeful thatHomecomingwill fill in some major gaps in the lore, giving follow-up to some of the loose endsVoyagerleft in the Delta Quadrant.
Star Trek: VoyagerTook the Franchise to New Places
Star Trek: VoyagerNever Got a Proper, On-Screen Follow-Up
Star Trek: Voyager, the beloved fifth entry in the franchise, premiered in January 1995, as the flagship show of the fledgling United Paramount Network, or UPN. A hit with fans if not critics,Star Trek: Voyageraired for seven seasons, concluding in 2001 with the finale, aptly titled “Endgame.” In the episode, a future Janeway travels back with advanced technology designed to getVoyagerhome sooner. While her plan did not work out quite the way she intended, the ship nevertheless got home, and was escorted back to Earth by a large fleet.
Pocket Books acquired theStar Treknovel rights at the same timeStar Trek: The Motion Picturewas released.
The story ofStar Trek: Voyagerwas too big to contain on television, as it inspired novels and comics while still airing. In June 2003, Pocket Books, the publisher of licensedStar Trekfiction, launched a new line ofVoyagernovels set after “Endgame.” The first, also titledHomecoming, was written by Christie Golden. The continuity established by theVoyagerrelaunch, as well as otherTreknovels published by Pocket, lasted well into the 2010s, giving fans more adventures with Janeway and company, beyond the seven seasons they received on television.
Hey Paramount, the Latest Star Trek Comics Are Too Good For TV to Be Passing Up
IDW’s line of Star Trek comics are some of the best on the stands. Paramount should take notice and hire the writers to work on the shows.
On-screen, several notableVoyageralumni have made their return. Seven of Nine was part ofStar Trek: Picard’scast for all three seasons, and Tuvok made an appearance there as well. Janeway and Chakotay appeared onStar Trek: Prodigyand Tom Paris made a memorable, and hilarious, appearance as Tom Paris onStar Trek: Lower Decks. While all of these in-canon adventures have allowed fans to catch up with the crew, they have still left questions unanswered, and even raised more.
For YearsStar Trek: VoyagerFans Have Wanted Closure for Janeway and Her Crew
Star Trek: Voyager: HomecomingWill Be A Treat For Fans
While there was no denying the satisfaction of seeingVoyagerreturn home in the finale, the loose ends left disappointed fans, who thought the show could easily have carried another season.The immediate fates ofVoyager’screw,especially the fugitive Maquis, could have made for excellent television.Star Trekthrives on courtroom drama-style episodes, and Chakotay and Torres’ trials would have been must-see television. Likewise, the fate of the various alien racesVoyagermet in the Delta Quadrant could have been followed up on, as well as the political ramifications of the ship’s return.
And whileStar Trek: Voyager: Homecomingprobably will not address all of these issues, it will still give fans a degree of closure for Captain Janeway, Seven of Nine, the Doctor and the rest of the crew.
And whileStar Trek: Voyager: Homecomingprobably will not address all of these issues, it will still give fans a degree of closure for Captain Janeway, Seven of Nine, the Doctor and the rest of the crew. While exact plot details forHomecomingremain under wraps, some fans' questions will no doubt be answered. Even ifHomecomingdoes not address these issues, it will still be an entertaining story, and one last hurrah for the gang, making this the eighth season ofStar Trek: Voyager.
Star Trek: Voyager: Homecomingis on sale this May from IDW Publishing!
