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“Star Trek” #1

By | October 27th, 2022
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Writing a good ending is a challenging thing, especially when it’s the conclusion of a long-running television show. You have to give satisfying send-offs to characters, answer (or at least acknowledge) lingering questions, and tie up the story’s loose ends. While different shows have created finales to mixed degrees of success, one of the gold standards is Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , a conclusion that finds a wonderful balance of completing the story and saying goodbye to the characters. It even leaves you with one final mystery, a cosmic question that might never be answered. What were the beings in the wormhole? If you were going to return to a story like that, you better have a solid idea to justify reopening the book. Fortunately, Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing are off to a solid start in “Star Trek” #1, an excellent premier issue that builds a solid mystery and a fun bridge crew.

Cover by Ramon Rosanas
Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing
Illustrated by Ramon Rosanas
Colored by Lee Loughridge
Lettered by Clayton Cowles

It’s stardate 2378, and Benjamin Sisko has finally returned from the Bajoran Wormhole omnipotent—but his godhood is failing with every minute. Sent by the Prophets on a mission to the deepest parts of space aboard the U.S.S. Theseus, he witnesses the unthinkable: someone is killing the gods. And only Sisko and his motley crew of Starfleet members from every era of Trek can stop them. From Star Trek: Year Five duo Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly (Batman Beyond, Captain America) and illustrated by Ramon Rosanas (Star Wars) comes IDW’s brand-new, flagship Star Trek ongoing series that goes where no comic has gone before!

It must have been a pretty daunting task to bring Sisko back from the wormhole. While the Deep Space Nine finale set up the possibility of future stories, in many ways, it threaded the needle perfectly, presenting the idea that there are still plenty of unknowns in the universe. The show’s core was a gentle friction between science and faith, the known and the never can be known, which is why Sisko’s conclusion is so interesting. He’s part of a larger phenomenon now, a cosmic entity that could very well be divine. In many ways, it’s a strange place to pick up a comic, but “Star Trek” #1 dares to begin within the entity. Honestly, the premier issue has a lot of complicated ground to cover in a short time, and it does an outstanding job acting as both a recap of the show and the shorthand to get us acclimated to the present. Kelly and Lanzig take advantage of different ways to present complex information. These range from news articles to infographics to the classic captain’s log, but in each case, they find the rhythm to present the information in concise and interesting ways. You might miss some references if you’re unfamiliar with the show, but it gives you solid groundwork to begin the adventure. It also helps that Kelly and Lanzing also have a remarkable handle on the show’s characters, presenting a Sisko who is equal parts familiar and unknowable.

Throughout the issue, Kelly and Lanzing find ways to present that Sisko is not quite the same captain we left behind in the Deep Space Nine finale. In the opening pages, Sisko is suspended in the void, unstuck from time and the universe at large. But even in this void, even in his first moments of corporeal consciousness, there is only one thing on his mind, his son. There are plenty of moments like this in “Star Trek” #1, where Sisko seamlessly moves between a random thought planted by the Bajoran prophets that he was a part of and then becoming the Captain who heroically led the Bajoran station and fought the Dominion. But you can tell something is off. One of the strongest moments in the premier issue is seeing Sisko reacclimate to the world. It is a perfect marriage of Ramon Rosanas’ art with the script. In the five panels, Sisko is a scientific guinea pig, a topic of political debate, a religious figure, a man trying to find some normalcy, and a man who can’t sleep. In each panel, Sisko is directly in the middle, his expression unchanging, but society’s expectation of him is in flux. It complements his captain’s log perfectly as he tries to readjust to being a corporal form bound to physical laws like time. Yet, when he talks to others, he sounds like Sisko. From his epic speech to the bridge crew to his conversation with Picard, he’s every bit the captain we know. It’s a fascinating contrast. In his head, he’s almost an anthropologist observing what his life was, but while he speaks, he’s every bit the man we remember.

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While watching Sisko reacclimate to his world is the real meat of the issue, “Star Trek” #1 also takes advantage of Sisko’s newfound corporeal form to introduce an excellent mystery. Sisko has returned with vague memories, but it all seems to point to a direction the Prophets want him to explore. It appears that a mysterious enemy is targeting galactic, god-like entities. In the premier issue’s other strongest moment, Sisko and Picard discuss the plan, an added difficulty because Sisko not only doesn’t know details, he’s, at best, a curiosity and, at worst, a threat. However, after the revelation that they are kindred spirits, Picard ultimately trusts Sisko. People who have been manipulated physically and mentally by alien life and given a chance to return to their original life. With Picard’s backing, Sisko gets his crew to investigate the threat, and to say that the bridge crew is exciting is an understatement.

Perhaps the most crucial element of any good Star Trek story is the bridge crew, giving audiences a chance to see the debates of Starfleet. From logical Vulcans to hotheaded Klingons, a good team can make or break a series. “Star Trek” #1 builds a crew that spans four series, representing different eras, philosophies, and adventures of boldly going where no one has gone before. Not only is the crew fun, but we have a visually stunning new ship. Rosanas’ art shines in the wide shots, giving you a sense of scale not only of the ship, but of the galaxy in general, while Lee Loughridge’s coloring gives the ship a unique feeling. It helps make this mission feel different. We’re not boldly going where no one has gone before. We’re exploring the very nature of divinity in a world that values scientific inquiry. Something is killing powerful entities, and we have a lot of experience on the case. It’s an excellent premise and one that will keep you coming back for more.

Final Verdict: 9.5 “Star Trek” #1 is a thrilling start to an intriguing premise while taking advantage of established lore to build out their world.


Joe Skonce

Joe Skonce was born, raised, and currently resides in Ohio, but has been exploring fantastical and imaginary worlds for as long as he can remember. He loves big guys and barbarians, pirates and puppets, and is always down to find nerdy new things. Come say hi to him on twitter @tunabellgrande.

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