Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Scorpius Run #5 is written by Ryan Parrott and published by IDW Publishing. Artwork is by Angel Hernandez, colours by Nick Filardi and letters by Clayton Cowles. Main cover art (left) is by Hernandez and Filardi.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Scorpius Run #5 is available now, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology right here.
Synopsis
Captain Pike’s worst nightmare has come to fruition. Under immense gravitational waves on the racecourse, the Enterprise’s shields have collapsed, its hull integrity is failing, and the ship is being torn apart, piece by piece. All the while, Spock is aboard an alien vessel of foreign tech, among a crew desperate to push on and win Zephyx’s race. He just may be the Enterprise crew’s only hope for survival, but can he persuade the others to defy Zephyx when their home planet is on the line, and can he do so in time? Find out in the thrilling conclusion to Strange New Worlds: The Scorpius Run!
Review
The end of Strange New Worlds’ latest comic book adventure has arrived. With the Enterprise crippled and quite literally dead in space, things are looking bleak for Pike and co. as the Ryan Parrott-led series reaches the finish line.
The Scorpius Run #5 has a lot of ground to cover. Mopping up after the cataclysmic events of the previous issue whilst also bringing an end to the titular race. Resolution is the name of the game as Parrott steers the series in for a mostly satisfying conclusion. The stakes are high with both writer and artists bringing a level of what feels like certain doom to the book.
We open on a scene of devastation as pieces of the Enterprise are floating away from its main body. The bridge is bathed in sparks and it seems like there may be no way out. It might seem like another day in Star Trek but remember, this series is set in the continuity of the show. In that respect the chances of any of anyone being in real danger is slim to nil. So for Parrott to inject any level of tension in to the story is a huge success.
Right across the book the pacing is frenetic. It amps up the sense of danger as crews on the various ships work to finally come together and overthrow Zephyx’s control. There’s not a lot of breathing room until the final moments of Strange New World’s latest mission. In many ways it feels like The Scorpius Run could have used a sixth issue in order to allow for more wrap up. Even so the conclusion of the series is still well earned and feels in-keeping with the format of its TV counterpart. Now I’m writing this I’d actually like to see Parrott taking on an episode of the show.
Artist Angel Hernandez could never be accused to leaving a space empty. This is a busy book. Even the vacuum of space feels full of life. Right from the start Strange New Worlds has come to life beautifully on the page, particularly with Nick Filardi‘s vibrant colours. I’ve talked about this at length in other Trek comic book reviews but I appreciate a series more when it seeks to represent the actors from the show rather than slavishly recreate every minute detail of their visage. This book has certainly struck a fine balance between representation and creativity.
Verdict
A fun, high stakes final chapter for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Scorpius Run.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
