New Beginnings is the first of two two-issue comic book stories by Dark Horse Comics comprising Season 1.5 of The Orville.
The Orville is charting an unusual magnetar. Because it's a tedious task that will take several days, Ed and Gordon are glad to have an excuse to leave the ship as they have to attend a tactical conference at Outpost 23. On the way, however, the two take a detour to investigate an old distress signal and end up marooned on a dying planet.
Aboard the Orville, Kelly finds out that Topa, Bortus' son, is growing rapidly and must now start school despite being only a few months old. This brings her into conflict with the ship's schoolteacher, a very handsome man by the name of Cassius.
Tropes
- The Atoner: The survivors of the Burton were horrified by the devastating effects of the leak from their ship's quantum reactor. To try and save as many Chogs as possible, they rigged the Burton's cannon to blast any ship that comes close to the planet while setting up a matter replicator to provide basic sustenance.
- Call-Back: The comic opens to Kelly approaching Ed in the Mess Hall and referring back to the final scene of "Mad Idolatry", when she said "you and I together jeopardizes your command." Ed is sitting in the same place Kelly left him to watch the stars.
- Ed and Gordon are summoned to a tactical conference in order to brief the attendees on their experience infiltrating a Krill ship.
- Call-Forward: This story features the first chronological appearance of Orville school teacher Cassius, and the start of Kelly's relationship with him which is established in "Ja'loja".
- Pyrrhic Victory: The battle over the Chog planet caused massive losses on both sides. The Union could only be considered victorious because 20 crewmembers of the Burton managed to survive.
- Shout-Out: The flashback to the bloody Union-Tzel war depicts the bug-like Tzel using their appendages to slaughter armored Union troops, evoking the film Starship Troopers.
