Deep Space Nine on the Page
Malibu Comics (1993–1995)
Malibu Comics acquired the specific rights to Deep Space Nine while DC still held TNG and TOS — an arrangement that meant two different publishers were producing Trek comics simultaneously. Malibu got DS9 in August 1993, five months after the show’s premiere, and held it for just over two years before Marvel acquired the company. The run is DS9-specific throughout, catching the show during its first three seasons — before the Dominion War arc had developed — and the comics have that early-DS9 energy: political, morally complex, set on a station rather than a ship. The monthly ongoing ran for 32 issues accompanied by several miniseries, including the first major Trek comics crossover event.
No collected editions exist for the Malibu run. All 32 issues of the ongoing and the associated miniseries are back-issue only. Generally available at modest prices through comic retailers and secondary market sellers.
Issue #1 is the natural starting point. The Hearts and Minds miniseries is the strongest single story the run produced and can be read without much prior context from the ongoing.
You’ve watched DS9 and want more of it in a period that predates the show’s major arc developments. The Malibu run captures early-season DS9 with reasonable faithfulness to the show’s political tone.
Review coming.