It’s been far too long since I’ve enjoyed a Deep Space Nine adventure and this book captures the heart and soul of the series, the friendship between the crew, even those who don’t seem to get along, is palpable and present in every richly crafted panel. Quark, ever looking for the next way to increase his profits, acquires an extremely rare Earth purebred Corgi dog and is set to sell it off to a collector. While waiting for his buyer to pick up the merchandise, he sets up a clever holo gig allowing the rest of the crew the pleasure of bonding and playing with the dog, Latinum, because as it turns out almost no alien race can resist the lure of an adorable puppy, and certainly not Humans. Unfortunately, Latinum comes with a piece of Borg tech that has tCaptain Sisko very concerned and with good reason. Also, even Quark ends up getting attached to his merchandise. All these complications lead to an exciting rescue mission of the fluffiest kind. Great for dog lovers, sci fi lovers or Star Trek lovers! And instant classic!

I received a free electronic ARC of this graphic novel from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

I love the crew of DS9. This "lost episode" was no exception. The plot was not overly complicated, but it was interesting. Quark has gotten a pure breed Welsh Corgi to sell. But the buyer is delayed and leaves the dog and some collateral with Quark: a piece of Borg tech. It is discovered and worked on by the DS9 crew. It allows a neural interface with any computer system. But then it, and the dog, are stolen. Defiant to the rescue, in the time he's been there Latinum, the corgi, has become part of the family and they are going to rescue their good boy. Mike Chen had the characters down, especially Ben Sisko. I could hear his voice in my mind as the character in the book spoke, and it rang true. In fact, all the characters rang true. I just wish they had all gotten more time "on stage." It was revisiting with old friends. I truly enjoyed this book.

This is a title where one can immediately expect a comic to go off too far into fan service and end up seeming a bit silly. However, Mike Chen brilliantly combined the lighter bits of some of Deep Space Nine's more playful episodes with it's very darkest themes and threats in the Dominion War and Sisko's history with the Borg.

This was a fun read, despite it not being exactly what I was expecting. A corgi on DS9? Yes, please!

"The Dog of War" delights as a whimsical addition to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine legacy, celebrating its 30th anniversary. Mike Chen and Angel Hernandez craft a quirky tale over a 5-part series, featuring Latinum, a rare corgi caught in Quark’s latest scheme, and a hidden Borg component adding unexpected depth. The mix of humor and classic Trek themes is engaging, though it sometimes skirts the line between lighthearted fun and the franchise's signature exploration and conflict. Despite its brisk pace, the series shines with vibrant art and nods to beloved characters, making it a must-read for fans. A charming, if brief, voyage back to DS9.

This was a cute graphic novel.  It felt like reading an episode of Deep Space Nine.  The characters felt true to the show.  The story was well-written and illustrated.  There were a couple of things I was a little bit confused about but that was my bad as we weren't quite up to that point in our watching of the show.  My husband did warn me to wait to read it.  However, I did have a lot of fun with the story.

If you are into Deep Space Nine, you do not want to miss this "episode!" Quark is up to his usual trading practices when he gets a Earth dog among other items. After he set up a dog park in the holodecks, "dog therapy" became a hit and a profit-making venture. But along with the dog came other items including some from a Borg that were confiscated by Starfleet. When the buyer came to retrieve the items, conflict arose between the station and the buyers. It got personal when the dog was dog-napped along with the Borg items. When it was learned that the Borg items had accessed DS9 records, the conflict became personal. The items and the dog would be retrieved, come hell or high water! A very interesting situation that plays very well in the DS9 universe. It would have been fun to see this episode on screen!

Thanks Netgalley and IDW for the opportunity to read this title!

I so wish this had been an actual episode of DS9, but I'm glad that Mike Chen, Angel Hernandez, and Nick Filardi were able to bring it to us in comic form! This has exactly what you probably love in an episode of DS9 -- high stakes, but also a light touch and comedy interwoven. And, a doggo. An incredibly cute doggo. Star Trek needs more doggos.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Dog of War is a "lost" episode of the series that sees a purebred corgi arrive on the station and the trials and tribulations of not only the dog, but an unexpected Borg component that arrives alongside him. It was a fun story by Mike Chen and featured great art from Trek vet Angel Hernandez. I've only read Star Wars by Chen, but I would love to read more Star Trek stories from him, as he nailed the characters, and I could easily hear the actors in my head. Angel Hernandez has done several Trek mini-series and always does an excellent job capturing the characters. There haven't been nearly as many DS9 stories as other iterations of the franchise, so this was a welcome one.

Special Thanks to IDW Publishing and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

“Dog of War”: A Fun, Nostalgic Treat for DS9 Fans

For a small but vocal contingent of Star Trek fans, Deep Space Nine represents the best series of the franchise. It featured in-depth explorations of faith, politics, and war. It’s serialized storytelling in later seasons made DS9 a unicorn in the history of early Trek. Although some argue that it strayed too far from creator Gene Roddenberry’s utopian vision, it was undeniably compelling television.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of this beloved series, comic book publisher IDW released The Dog of War, a “lost” episode set during the show’s sixth season. The five-issue mini-series will release in a collected trade paperback on February 13.

How well does the series capture the spirit of DS9 and its characters? Is it a worthy addition? How accessible is the story for new readers?

The Corgi and the Borgi
The Dog of War is a tale firmly entrenched in the show’s continuity. It takes place during season 6, the height of the Federation’s war with the Dominion. After recapturing the space station DS9 from the Cardassians, the crew sweeps for dangerous, left-behind technology. What they detect leads them directly to one of the show’s most compelling characters: the Ferengi barkeeper Quark.

Quark is once again scheming. This time, he is engaged in a trade involving the sale of a purebred corgi and a mysterious device infused with Borg technology. While the crew falls in love with the dog, named Latinum, Captain Benjamin Sisko grapples with the implications of the Borg device. It could turn the tide of war in favor of the Federation, but at what cost? As the tale twists and turns toward its conclusion, the crew has to face off against poachers and thieves to save Latinum and perhaps the entire Federation…

A New Voice meets Familiar Characters
Novelist Mike Chen is no stranger to Star Trek, and it shows. As a contributor to startrek.com and a fan of the franchise, he brings a solid understanding of the DS9 characters to the table. Although he is more well-known for his original work and his contributions to Star Wars, Chen’s work here represents a solid foray into Federation space. All the main characters act in line with their portrayals in the television series. Given that this is also his first graphic novel, he executes the story and its issue-to-issue cliffhangers like an old pro. His work bodes well for his future comic book projects.

Hernandez and company bring the heat
Angel Hernandez, on the other hand, is an old pro in the Star Trek space. Cutting his teeth at DC comics with books like Arrow Season 2.5 eventually led to art duties for the crossover Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War. Since then, Hernandez has worked consistently on publisher IDW’s Star Trek books. His previous works include Star Trek: Year Five and various mini-series across the franchise. His work on the DS9 characters clearly illustrates why he is such an asset to IDW’s Trek books.

Hernandez has the ability to interpret character likenesses without ever falling into the trap of photo-realism. Too often, art in licensed comic books tries too hard to capture the likeness of the actors. The final art often feels stilted and static. In The Dog of War, Hernandez strikes a perfect balance between capturing likenesses and creating dynamic, expressive art. Each character is recognizable, yes, but also expressive and lively. It’s a perfect middle ground for a series like DS9.

Rounding out the art team are colorist Nick Filardi and letterer Neil Uyetake. Filardi’s colors here are arguably much more vivid and bright than the television series, but they represent a perfect complement to Hernandez’ art. The colors here work with the art in interpreting the look of the series rather than trying to imitate it. Visually, The Dog of War is pitch-perfect.

A Visit with Fan-Favorite Characters
The Dog of War is undeniably a fun visit with some familiar friends. Art and writing work well together to recapture each character. In some ways, fans will find the story fits like an old, comfortable shoe. Bashir and O’Brien have some holodeck fun, Odo is the ever-grumpy investigator, and Quark is the usual scoundrel with the heart of latinum.

The character that probably gets the most complete arc here is Benjamin Sisko. Given his backstory (his wife died in a Borg attack), it always seemed strange that he never got a chance to truly confront the Borg in the television series. Instead, the Borg went on to become major adversaries in sister-show Voyager.

The Dog of War tries to rectify this somewhat, confronting Sisko with Borg technology that could help the Federation win the war with the Dominion. He has to deal with his complicated feelings regarding the Borg and wrestle with questions regarding if and how this technology should even be used. The experience shows character growth that fits into the larger tapestry of the series without contradicting anything the show established.

A Tale not without Flaws
That is not to say the book is perfect. Given that the television series’ calling card was its character work and moral complexity, this is a fairly simple story. The good guys are heroic and the bad guys are villainous. It’s not particularly nuanced.

It also bears mentioning that, other than Sisko, none of the characters really have an arc. They each get a chance to shine with their contributions to the plot; however, they don’t have to confront complex feelings or inner conflict like Sisko.

The tale, as much fun as it is, also is far from new-reader friendly. Set in season 6, at the height of DS9‘s serialization, even this stand-alone story is so marred in continuity that it will connect most strongly with existing fans. A story set in season 1 or season 2 might have had a better chance of achieving accessibility.

This One’s for the Fans
In the end, The Dog of War accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: tell a fun story and revisit beloved characters in order to celebrate Deep Space Nine‘s 30th anniversary. It’s a solid tale fans of the series will no doubt enjoy. The story would have fit right into season 6 as an actual episode. That is the highest compliment one can pay to such a “lost” episode.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Dog of War is available for pre-order and will release on February 13, 2024.

Fans of Star Trek will enjoy this light-hearted comic featuring the crew of Deep Space 9. Quark's attempt to make a profit off a purebred corgi go astray when Borg technology is found. Overall, the story is sweet and light-hearted, but it also shows the lingering consequences of previous events. Even though I haven't watched all of DS9 yet, I found the story easy to follow and the characters well-written.
I received a free copy through NetGalley but was not obligated to write a positive review.

We will kick this review off with a full confession: this is the first Star Trek story that I’ve ever read. While I love Star Trek movies and TV shows, I’ve never gone out of my way to read a book or comic. There’s no explanation for it, but it’s true. However, that changed recently when I checked out Star Trek: Deep Space Nine–The Dog of War from IDW Publishing.

I came to Star Trek in my 20s, not as a kid. While I obviously enjoyed The Next Generation like everyone else, I had a special affinity for Deep Space Nine. The main cast were all excellent, and the show nailed nearly every secondary cast member. Then, throw in all of the excellent stories, and you can see why I would jump it up to be my favorite in the Trek universe.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine–The Dog of War is billed as a “lost episode” of the show. The digital copy of the trade paperback that I read collects all five issues of the series, and it was a super fun read. Everything flowed so well and felt like an episode of the TV show.

The story is set on DS9, shortly after Starfleet recaptured the base from the Cardassian and Jem’Hadar forces. A mysterious collector has left a pure-bed Pembroke Welsh Corgi, along with a piece of Borg technology, with Quark. The dog is affectionately named Latinum by the Ferengi bar owner and quickly ingratiates with the crew.

Latinum isn’t the main focus of the story, but he is integral to the plot. The Borg tech takes center stage throughout as Starfleet is working to come up with any advantage they can find in the Dominion War.

Plus, as a Star Wars fan, I got an “aggressive negotiations” joke from Worf. Outstanding.

The art from Angel Hernandez is truly great. Every character looks just like their TV counterpart, and the coloring from Nick Filardi is top-notch. There are times in comics based on an existing property that the characters will look a little uncanny valley-ish, but they’ve presented a book here where everything looks terrific.

I really enjoyed the book, and I would highly recommend it to any Star Trek fans, especially if you loved DS9. It’s encouraged me to look for more Star Trek books and comics in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and IDW Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

IDW Publishing provided an early galley for review.

I have always been a Trek fan: from the original show to the next generation and all through the 90's. I watched the show, read the novels and collected the comics. So, I am always down for checking in on old favorite characters.

The plot basis for this one was hard to pass up. Quark dealing with a rare dog? Yes, please! Before I even cracked this one open, I knew it would be a fun time and right in line with how the show would have handled the same scenario.

I always enjoy the inclusion of the individual issue covers as well as the variants. I especially enjoyed those by Andy Price which featured the different crew members and dogs that might best reflect each of them.

I was so excited to get an ARC of this graphic novel from NetGalley. I can see this appealing to both fans of DS9 and non fans.

The story follows the crew of DS9 and a new friend in the form of cute Corgi pup, Latinum that Qwark procured for a buyer. I want to have my own Deep Space K-9 dark park. It was so cute how the crew interacted with the dog and just wanted to spend time relaxing with him even Qwark started to like the Corgi. Latinum becomes family to the station.

Mike Chen writing feels like a story I would have seen when DS9 was on the air. It has the charm as well as the seriousness of the series that I came to love about the show. A reader also doesn't need to know about the characters before hand because the author creates a story that has the characters shine.

The artwork is also brilliant. Angel Hernandez has truly out done themselves. There are some comics out there based on real people that don't capture the look very well. I cannot say that about this. All the characters were well drawn that showed a love for the show.

This is such a fun whimsical story for the DS9 crew even with the high end adventure that happens at the end. This is a must read for all Trekkies out there.

Ahhh this was the DS9 adventure I never knew I needed. I can’t believe I got to see <spoiler>Odo transform into a corgi and frolic with Latty!!</spoiler>In addition to the insane cuteness that is a corgi in a star fleet uniform, there is an intense story line with Borg tech that is really well done. This felt like it absolutely could have been an episode in the tv show. I am right about this point in the show myself, and so the continuity was perfect for me. This isn’t my first Star Trek graphic novel, but it’s definitely the best one I’ve read!

Loved this! As a DS9 fan, I was super excited at the possibility of the equivalent of a new episode-- this graphic novel reads exactly like an episode, from the way that all of the characters acted to the narrative arc. Engaging story with those classic DS9 antics leading to actual plot points. Beautiful artwork. I will absolutely be buying a copy of this when it comes out to give as a gift to a friend of mine.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine–The Dog of War” by Mike Chen

5⭐️/5⭐️

-This was such a brilliant story. I was a little hesitant to read about how the author would integrate a Borg storyline within the Dominion war, but he did such a good job weaving this new plot with the canon events. I’ve always figured DS9 didn’t explore a Borg storyline because it was already done on TNG, and of course eventually Voyager. But it also felt kind of like a missed opportunity. I loved the anger we see in Sisko towards Picard during the first episode, and there was obviously some unresolved tension because of Picard’s role in Jennifer’s death. I think having some kind of Borg storyline once a season until the Dominion storyline took off would have made sense.

-The whole comic felt like a genuinely real DS9 storyline. Everything the characters did and said made sense, it all felt very authentic. I really enjoyed all of those small details, like Worf mentioning Spot, Odo changing into a corgi, Garak’s outfit matching the dog’s, etc.

-The ending was so fitting, I loved how it was resolved. Overall, a really fun, action packed, but also incredibly heartwarming story that can be enjoyed by any Star Trek fan.

A rare, purebred corgi is on its way to DS9 when the Ferengi Quark procures it for a wealthy buyer. But the dog comes with a little something extra - some Borg technology that could become very useful in the war. Much of this comes to light when Bashir and O'Brien are looking to use a holosuite for one of their adventures but Quark informs them that he needs the suite to take Latinum (the corgi's name) for a walk. Bashir and O'Brien offer to take the dog with them.
Everyone on the station is completely enamored with the cute K-9 and are reluctant to let Quark sell him but Quark is a Ferengi, after all, and it's all about a financial win for him. Will cute and useful win out over money?

I was honestly a little hesitant to get in to this, but I was in the mood for a Star Trek 'fix' and this was what was most available to me. The main source of my hesitation was the 'cuteness' factor. A story about dogs on Star Trek? That cover, as depicted above, might be considered 'precious' and I'm not into cute and precious Star Trek.

But the story works, for the most part. Latinum (the dog) doesn't doesn't dominate the story, but he is central to it. That's an odd juxtaposition, but it works okay here.

The corgi story is slightly more interesting than the Borg technology story, which is strange only in that the corgi is not integral to the overall DS9 story arc, whereas the Borg technology could be seen as crucial. You could take out the corgi, put in a chimpanzee or a tortoise or even another human and not lose too much in the story. But honestly this felt mostly like a filler story. It was a quick four issue series, then bundled together for a graphic novel (the 'novel' could have been 30 pages shorter and still told the story but since it wasn't written as a novel, but as four short stories, it's padded to make sure readers are fully caught up, even if they don't start with the first installment.

The artwork is decent but not particularly exciting. The characters were recognizable but despite the computer artwork advancements in coloring and shading, this felt quite flat.

Looking for a good book? Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Dog of War is a decent graphic novel, worth passing the time for dedicated Star Trek fans.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The book's basic premise gives the audience what it wants: more time on the long ignored Deep Space 9. And of course, the mashup of dogs and the Borg, with the Borgi included, can't be refused

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this graphic novel.

The Good:
Artwork - Characters are recognizable and accurate
Story - The magic of dogs brings the DS9 crew together. Sisco faces his PTSD with the Borg.

The Bad:
Personal Preference: I hate Vic Fontaine

Fun story that takes place near the end of season 6. By stardate, it's after 'In the Pale Moonlight', but before 'Valient' for my nerds out there. This was cute, engaging, and a good attention to the DS9 timeline. I loved all the variant covers featuring the cast members with their dog counterparts.