Star Trek’s Emperor Kahless II has taken his zealotry to dangerous extremes, inspiring his cult, the Red Path, to join his god-killing spree. The crew of the USS Theseus, led by Captain Sisko, have their hands full dealing with the cosmic consequences of this mystery, and the effects of the god-killing cult are felt across the galaxy. The mission becomes personal when Worf’s son falls in with the Red Path.
Spinning out of IDW Publishing’s Star Trek run, written by Christopher Cantwell, illustrated by Ángel Unzueta, with colors by Marissa Louise, and letters by Clayton Cowles, Star Trek: Defiant #1 has Worf taking matters into his own hands. While Sisko is focused on diplomacy, Worf focuses on his son’s safety. Against all odds and protocols, the Klingon hero begins assembling his own team of ambassadors, pilots, and crooks to hunt down the Kahless, no matter the cost.
The current run of Star Trek, which started as a galactic murder mystery and ballooned into a full-on cosmic political crisis, is one of the most complex arcs to date. While the main storyline, centered around Captain Sisko, his crew, and the starship Theseus, focused on the nuts and bolts of the mystery and their ramifications, Star Trek: Defiant #1 shifts gears by telling the story from Worf’s perspective. This is a smart move as Worf has a very different take on the events, not to mention a very real and poignant personal stake in Kahless’ killing spree. His son Alexander joining a cult is a very effective and viscerally creepy turn of events that immediately lends the audience sympathy to Worf’s cause, even if he’s going rogue.
Worf is already a compelling character. Pairing him with fan-favorite Spock is a genius move by Cantwell, who has demonstrated a deep understanding of the Star Trek characters. Many obscure characters return for this spinoff, including Ro Laren, B’Ellana Torres, and Lore, each playing a key role in Worf’s ragtag team. However, barring a few exciting sequences, these strong and capable characters don’t get to do a lot outside of talking, organizing, and cutting deals. Star Trek: Defiant #1 is a dialogue-heavy issue devoted to diplomatic dealings and preparing the characters for their impending mission. This is something of a disappointment, given these characters’ potential. But given the breadth of the plot, it makes sense that Cantwell would show a little restraint for the introduction before bursting in guns blazing for the remainder of the run.
Star Trek: Defiant #1 boasts beautiful visuals, thanks to the crisp, clean line art of Ángel Unzueta and the cool and cosmic color palette of colorist Marissa Louise. Unzueta balances romantic stylized design with realistic proportions and sleek rendering lines to create a realistic world. Louise’s washes in various shades of blue, silver, and the occasional sunset hue, add an ethereal edge to Star Trek’s mechanical sci-fi aesthetic. Since Star Trek: Defiant #1 is so reliant on dialogue, the placement and organization of the pages, panels, and lettering are crucial. Veteran letterer Clayton Cowles is no stranger to issues with high amounts of dialogue and manages to carefully place the lettering to lead the eye seamlessly across each page.
Though convoluted and low on action, Star Trek: Defiant #1 is a higher-stakes spinoff of an already complicated and compelling run, adding more emotional weight and bringing many long-forgotten and much-needed characters into the story.
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