Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Lost Contact #5 is written by Layne Morgan and published by IDW Publishing. Artwork is by Coralí Espuña, colours by Nora Serrano and letters by Neil Uyetake. Main cover art (left) is by Espuña.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Lost Contact #5 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
The conclusion to the cadets’ adventure on S’Eekay II!Genesis Lythe screwed up. When she took charge of a planetary survey simulation exercise on an alien planet, she didn’t know she’d be forced to contend with tech-worshiping aliens silencing her and her teammates who refuse to work together—nor that her teachers wouldn’t be there as a safety net. Now, one of her best friends is injured, and despite Chancellor Kelrec’s presence, the group is no closer to returning to the safety of the U.S.S. Athena. But there may be a way to turn it all around if only Genesis can trust in her team. School is in session, and she intends for everyone to make it out with full marks.
Review
Today the final chapter of IDW’s Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Lost Contact arrives in comic book stores, bringing this chapter of the cadets story to a close. With the action now all focussed on the planet, the book has plenty of room to draw together all of its plot threads. But can it safely complete the mission and teach our favourite cadets a meaningful lesson?
This final issue of Layne Morgan’s story brings the story full circle in every sense of the term. It’s a satisfying end to Lost Contact, it brings their away mission to a close and it’s able to round out itself out with some wonderful symmetry with issue #1. It all starts and ends with Genesis and so I have to appreciate how Morgan was able to bring it all back to that narration and Genesis’ story in the end. But there’s plenty of ground to cover on S’Eekay II first before we get to that…
Lost Contact has been exquisitely paced right across the series, teeing up this finale with little more to do than close the door on the Clang-Pops and S’Eekay II. Without the baggage of zipping between events on the U.S.S. Athena and down on the planet Morgan is able to utilise this final issue to its full potential, focussing on the characters and really allowing them time to function as a team. All along the point has been to illustrate that in isolation they all have useful skills, but that together they’re able to function as a crew and complete their mission. So with that goal squarely in its sights, issue #5 feels very different and exudes the hope of traditional Star Trek.
The team successfully coming together naturally helps the story flow through the issue. Genesis confidently takes the lead, the aforementioned full circle moment, and everyone has their tasks to complete with Morgan seeking to give each of them a moment to sit within the story so that nobody is completely forgotten. That also includes the so-called “grown ups” with The Doctor, Ake and Kelrec who inject a little excitement into proceedings due to their emergency beacon back to Starfleet.
It’s ironic that Starfleet Academy’s first season caused so much furore online with many arguing it didn’t feel like “traditional” Star Trek because everything Morgan has done with this story feels like classic Trek. Our cast has explored what is definitely a strange new world, they’ve encountered a brand new species and the entire story is resolved using communication and problem solving rather than an explosive fire-fight. Morgan has successfully struck a balance between the coming-of-age dramas of the story and those inherently Trek aspects.
Artistically the series has been something quite different for Star Trek, hopefully ushering a new and experimental era for the comics. Coralí Espuña steers the ship to a great looking conclusion, really exemplifying everything which has made Lost Contact such a fun read. Nora Serrano’s colouring really pops this issue as well, giving us a much better look at a lush version of S’Eekay II as well as ship interiors.
This creative team has had a real synergy throughout Lost Contact which meant that unlike the cadets mission, there were no obvious awkward growing pains in bringing this story to the page. I hope we get to see them come back together for another mission before Starfleet Academy wraps up its run and leaves our screens for good.
Verdict
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Lost Contact #5 is a fitting conclusion to the series. It bookends the story perfectly, coming full circle and allowing the characters room to learn an important lesson without the weight of the series continuity bearing down on it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We are also members of the Forbidden Planet Affiliate Program.
