Star Trek: Celebrations 2026 features stories by Ashley Cooper, Ben Khan, Meghan Fitzmartin, Karim Diané, Jarrett Melendez and Jamila Rowser. The book is published by IDW Publishing. Artwork by Jack Lawrence, Mikael Lindeberg, J. Clarke, Andrew Drilon, Kiku Hughes and Helena Janečić. Colours by JP Jordan, Xenon Honchar, Katherine Shuda and Bex Glendining. Letters are by Jodie Troutman. Main cover art (left) is by Adelle Kincel.
Star Trek Celebrations 2026 is available from May 27, 2026, in comic book stores and on digital platforms. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet.
Synopsis
You are cordially invited to the party that is this year’s Star Trek: Celebrations anthology! This one-shot features the universe’s queer characters in tales of love and triumph, exemplifying Gene Roddenberry’s mission for us all to one day celebrate infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
Our cast of all LGBTQIA+ creators – including Meghan Fitzmartin, Ben Kahn, Jamila Rowser, and more (!) – are serving up the fun with stories like a botanical adventure with Sulu and Ben, a bar brawl bash with Mariner and Jennifer, and a nostalgic holodeck date gone wrong with Seven and Raffi, so don’t miss out on this talent-packed extravaganza.
Review
The beginning of summer heralds a swathe of incredible comic books released to celebrate Pride Month in June. This year IDW Publishing releases its second Pride-themed Star Trek book, Star Trek: Celebrations, honouring the infinite diversity of the franchise as it turns 60 years old in 2026. This year’s anthology features six stories from an all-star roster of LGBTQIA+ creators and no corner of the Star Trek universe is left untouched.
I’m always fascinated with the construction of anthology books. It’s so easy to overlook the ebb and flow that goes between independent stories when they’re called upon to share the page in a book like this. I don’t think I’ve ever given a shout out to an editor in a review before. But Star Trek associate editor Cassandra Jones presents Celebrations as a neat package presenting no two stories with similar framing next to each other in the running order. We move swiftly through relationship issues to stories of friendship, understanding, acceptance and newfound love. The running order keeps Celebrations from feeling repetitive or listless.
We open into the world of Star Trek: Lower Decks with “Girlfriends” by Ashely Cooper and Jack Lawrence. The story of Mariner and Andorian Ensign Jennifer Sh’reyan was a fan-favourite subplot on the TV series and now we’re getting to see a key – chaotic – moment in their history. Cooper puts the two together into an off-ship scene that feels ripped from an episode of the show. It’s full of the maximalist dialogue and jokes fans have come to expect. But is also strongly underpinned by the relationship between its characters. Crucially both Cooper and artist Lawrence tap faultlessly into Lower Decks‘ world to achieve maximum authenticity.
The next story, “Mx. T’Lir’s Night Out” by Ben Khan, Mikael Lindeberg and JP Jordan, picks up on the continuity of Hive Mind’s recently completed Star Trek run. Where “Girlfriends” puts focus on the status of its characters’ relationship, “Mx. T’Lir’s Night Out” frames itself on the purity of the friendship between T’Lir and their bestie, former ensign Lily Sato. In just five pages there are a tonne of fun easter eggs and nods to this particular Trek continuity. There’s also plenty of action courtesy of Sato’s new role as a Fenris Ranger. But above all else it’s Khan’s message of acceptance without hesitation which is clear.
The next two stories focus on fan-favourite characters from live-action Trek with Seven-of-Nine taking the lead in Meghan Fitzmartin, J. Clarke and Xenon Honchar’s hilarious “Worst-Case Scenario Protocol” and Klingon cadet Jay-Den Kraag stepping into the spotlight for “Klingons Don’t Flirt”, written by Starfleet Academy actor Karim Diané alongside artist Andrew Drilon and colourist Katherine Shuda. “Worst-Case Scenario” is a brisk journey through all of Star Trek: Voyager’s greatest holodeck hits. Expect to see Captain Proton, Fair Haven and more as Seven and Raffi attempt to have a “normal” date night. It pays beautiful homage to Seven’s journey through Voyager into Star Trek: Picard. The artwork has a really cute Heartstopper-vibe which unique to big IP comics like this.
Diané’s comic book debut, coming hot on the heels of the cancellation of the TV series, is equally lively. Diané has proven to be a huge fan-favourite both on and off-screen. IDW bringing him onboard for this is a stroke of genius. He’s demonstrated a strong understanding of Trek which translates brilliantly to page. The nod to Klingon opera from Star Trek: The Next Generation was a pleasant surprise which adds even more authenticity to the entire selection of stories. More broadly, “Klingons Don’t Flirt” picks up on key themes from the show and is exemplary in reflecting the diversity of modern-era Star Trek.
The final pair of stories, Jarrett Melendez and Kiku Hughes’ “Love’s First Bloom” and Jamila Rowser and Helena Janečić’s “Lovesick”, both focus on discovering new connections. “Love’s First Bloom” takes a look at the Kelvin-timeline Sulu and relationship with his eventual husband Ben. Melendez strikes a fun tone by capitalising on the cynicism and sharp wit of Bones who accompanies Sulu on an away mission to the jungle planet of Ram’See-319. By very definition the mission becomes a meet-cute for Sulu and Ben whilst poor Bones is left to struggle along behind them. What’s striking is how Melendez writes Sulu with a strong sense of George Takei whilst Hughes’ artwork gives us John Cho. It’s a heartwarming mix of both actors who bring so much to the legacy of the character.
Wrapping up Celebrations 2026 we turn to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Nurse Chapel. “Lovesick” rounds out the collection on a high as Chapel and officer Sanchez bond over a touching piece of alien mythology. Rowser uses the story of an ancient sea species as a way to tell a story about cultural divide and how love can overcome deeply rooted discontent between peoples. Janečić’s artwork graciously drives home the all important metaphor for love across boundaries. The style reminded me of 90’s comics from 2000 AD making it easily the most striking visuals in the book.
Turning the final page on Star Trek: Celebrations 2026 I felt a wonderful sense that perhaps the world isn’t so bad. Across six beautifully rendered and lovingly written stories the group of people have given readers a powerful reminder that love and acceptance do exist in a world which all too easily feels cold and unwelcoming. Star Trek has always stood for infinite diversity in infinite combinations and this book has that in spades.
Verdict
Joyful, warm and quietly radical. Star Trek: Celebrations 2026 is a love letter to infinite diversity in its purest form. Six stories, six creative teams, one powerful reminder that Star Trek’s greatest strength has always been its humanity.
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