While there have been plenty of Star Trek comic books released by IDW Publishing, many of which tie into the growing wave of new Star Trek programming on Paramount+, the flagship comic title has just received a prestige revamp. The creative team of Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Ramon Rosanas have relaunched the core Star Trek series with a brand-new debut issue, bringing together an entire era of Star Trek storytelling while forging their own creative path. More than just providing the ultimate, fan-favorite team-up between iconic Starfleet personnel, Star Trek #1 stands as the strongest single issue IDW Publishing has released in recent memory.
Sometime after the events of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series finale, Captain Benjamin Sisko has returned to DS9 after being whisked away by the Bajoran Prophets. However, Sisko has no time to enjoy this happy reunion with old friends and family as he embarks on a mission, assembling several familiar faces when a mysterious threat begins eliminating deities across the cosmos. Even joined by the best crew Starfleet has to offer, Sisko’s cosmic awareness begins to ebb away in a race against time to stop this cataclysmic enemy.
Kelly and Lanzing are certainly no strangers to the world of Star Trek, having previously collaborated on the series with 2019’s Star Trek: Year Five. Here, the creative team has a much broader canvas to work with, drawing in elements from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager, along with DS9, to present an ambitious vision of a truly shared universe. However, this debut issue isn’t one full of fan service for the sake of gimmickry but rather one that revolves around heartfelt character moments and escalating stakes as Sisko immediately dives back into action with a host of familiar characters around him.
Making all this spacefaring derring-do possible is Rosanas’ engaging artwork, elevated by colorist Lee Loughridge. Each character is instantly recognizable as their television counterparts, albeit not as a stilted facsimile awkwardly brought to life as with other comic book adaptations of live-action properties. The science fiction spectacle is here in full force with the feeling that the art team is only just getting started as Sisko stumbles upon a scene that could change the Star Trek Universe forever, with Rosanas and Loughridge capturing the awestruck majesty of the cosmic unknown.
Star Trek #1’s biggest strength is that it all feels very organic and earned within the wider tapestry of the franchise. The very premise of a cosmically upgraded Sisko returning to DS9 was something baked into the television series finale, with this story finally fulfilling that longstanding promise. Similarly, each conversation and major character moment feels perfectly in line with where the characters would be at this particular moment of their individual journeys, informing the narrative that the creative team is presenting.
Star Trek #1 is an opening issue that presumes readers have at least a passing familiarity with at least the DS9 finale before boldly venturing into undiscovered territory. Rather than being hung up on the novelty of bringing its celebrated cast together for this strange new mission, the creative team moves forward with all systems go, taking time to ensure that each scene flows naturally into the larger story being told. A genuine delight and love letter to the ’90s era of Star Trek, IDW Publishing’s new series comes out the gate with engines at full, inviting readers to join the ride.
Leave a Reply