OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)After another successful Second Contact mission, the Cerritos faces an anomaly known as a Vacuum Collapse, which may spell the end of the universe as they know it.OUR TAKELower Decks the show may be in the books, but we’re back with at least one more review of the currently ongoing comic! And despite me thinking that we would be stuck within the cracks of late Season 4, it looks like we’re already jumping over to stories set within the fifth season, as this issue references the crew meeting their alternate selves in that season premiere, AND Tendi is there so it’s after the second episode, BUT Boimler does not have his purple peach fuzz yet (or maybe he just shaved off before recommitting), so this decidedly takes place before the third episode of the final season. And while this story seems to end next issue, the solicitations for the fifth issue also show a beardless Boims, so perhaps that’s where this series will be parked in continuity for the time being. I mean, the only other possibility is that this comic is just not canon to the show and therefore me using brain power on its place in the timeline was a huge waste of time, BUT THAT CAN’T BE RIGHT, CAN IT?! Of course not, everything fits nicely into place, this world has order and is definitely not ruled by indecipherable chaos.Now, continuity conundrums aside, how is the issue itself? Well, compared to the story arc in the first two issues, which focused more on goofy TOS and TAS style sci-fantasy shenanigans, this one is a bit more tense, with the obstacle itself just being a big black space that seems to be consuming multiple stars and eventually the Cerritos itself. I don’t think that I have to tell you that the entirety of the universe does in fact survive the events of this issue because there are eight episodes that take place after it, but you’re not coming to the tie-in comic for major continuity shake ups. It looks like this will be more of a Rutherford and Tendi plot as Rutherford thinks on how inefficient he is by having a part human brain, so I guess the resolution will be seeing how that human brain will save the day. Hopefully we cover the next issue to see how it all shakes out, but even if we don’t, I once again would recommend picking up this issue in any way that’s convenient, especially if you are a fan of Lower Decks and are feeling withdrawals since the show ended. Now, engage the core!
