Comic writer David Tischman is working on completing the original Enterprise's five-year mission, though he said he wonders whether Star Trek: Year Four, which will be published in July, might be his own personal Kobayashi Maru.

"The Kobayashi Maru is a test Starfleet cadets take, a no-win situation. It's a test of character," Tischman explained to Comic Book Resources. "I'm working hard - and the writing's been harder than I expected - but I think the stories are better because of the extra work."

Tischman recently completed the miniseries Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between for IDW Publishing, which has posted images from the sixth and last comic book in the set. But he remains focused on Kirk, Spock and McCoy. "Kirk is the ultimate adventurer. He's Tom Sawyer and Buck Rogers and Allen Quartermain all wrapped up in one...Spock is the adolescent geek in all of us. Too smart for his own good...[McCoy] lets his emotions guide his conscience. It's a good lesson – more people should listen to it."

Though he considers "A Piece of the Action" and "The Cloud Minders" to be must-see episodes, "Balance of Terror" is Tischman's favourite. "I actually have a huge fondness for the lesser-used characters," he said. "Nurse Chapel and Commander Kyle and Riley." As far as the films go, "Star Trek II is my favorite...I still believe Montalbán should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor" Unfortunately, he will not have an opportunity to write any Khan stories for the miniseries.

Tischman believes that comics "allow these fan-favorite franchises to live on, to explore the worlds created in TV and movies and to add to the existing universes." He is also writing a comic for Vertigo and for Moonstone he will adapt Johnny Dollar, based on a 1950s radio drama.

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