Star Trek #26 is written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing. Artwork is by Angel Hernandez, colours by Lee Loughridge and letters by Clayton Cowles. Main cover art (left) is by Ramon Ronasas. The book is published by IDW Publishing.
Star Trek #26 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
In its escape from the Delta Quadrant, the U.S.S. Theseus has landed in an unknown sector of space that appears safer—if not a hundred years younger—than their own. There, the crew receive a signal from an oncoming ship: the U.S.S. Enterprise. Captain James T. Kirk is hailing. The two crews join together in the race against Lore’s wave of destruction, convinced there must be some countermeasure that will save their universes from complete annihilation. But will their combined bravery and brainpower be enough? Or is it already too late for both their timelines?
Review
IDW’s Star Trek is back in comic book stores today with an issue bridging the gap between different versions of the franchise. It wasn’t enough for writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing to simply conquer the original TV timeline of Star Trek. No these industrious writers are ready to tackle the entire multimedia franchise and so prepare yourselves as Captain Sisko meets Captain James T. Kirk… the Pine-era!
By now you’ll be well aware of the “Lore War” which is looming large over 2025. The announcement of the event back at SDCC felt a premature. Potentially tipping the hat a little too early in the hope of building anticipation. Could the series hold its intrigue, wrapping up the “Pleroma” arc and finding a way to tread water whilst Lore got his act together ready to wipe out all existence? Of course it could! We’re really only just at the beginning of this “When the Walls Fell” arc but already it’s clear that Kelly and Lanzing have a well-planned path to bring us to the ultimate confrontation with Data’s long-lost (maniacal) brother.
The long-form storytelling of Star Trek continues to pay dividends as Sisko’s ongoing sprint to avoid returning to the Prophets comes head-to-head with events circling around him. But whilst the clock ticks down on his human existence he and the crew of the U.S.S. Theseus also happen to find themselves in the timeline of the J.J. Abrams-era Trek movies. Yes that does mean James Doohan’s Scotty will share panel-time with Simon Pegg. Kelly and Lanzing are able to science-away the mishap perfectly, allowing for Star Trek #26 to focus on their time together than them becoming bogged down in seeing these characters together. What the writers also do is great job of making the entire timey-wimey scenario of Leonard Nimoy’s Spock crossing universes in Star Trek (2009) tie-in with the story they’re crafting here. It’s an easy way in which opens up the narrative and help the story flow from start to finish.
Of course there’s still time to pack in a few laughs. Even with the end of all existence looming in the background this is still Star Trek. What better excuse to poke fun at the comparisons between the original franchise the Abrams-era movies than this? So there are jokes about glare and carpeted ships. There’s also a little self-deprecation as the design of the U.S.S. Theseus as both crews mock the other ship for lacking in style. It’s great to see the book maintaining that sense of humour. With the stakes as high as they are it would be easy for Star Trek to become a little dour. But thankfully the tone is spot on here.
It’s hard to ignore just how exquisitely paced this book is. Events start of slowly as the two crews meet for the first time. Kelly and Lanzing take time to pour over some sweet character moments and one-to-one situations before bringing everyone together as things escalate. It’s enough time for readers less familiar with the film cast to connect with these people before they’re thrust in to a life-or-death situation. Which, of course, comes quite quickly. Pulling from the supporting cast of those Abrams-era films, Star Trek #26 presents us with an armada of ships hoping to stop Lore’s wave from destroying reality. It’s not a million miles away from the destruction witnessed in the incredible Star Trek: Coda trilogy of novels in terms of universe-ending consequences.
There’s plenty of action in the back half of the book. All of which plays in brilliantly to Angel Hernandez’s dynamic style as an artist. There’s a lot of pack in as Hernandez is tasked with rendering an entire fleet of ships from the Abrams’ universe. But for the brief period before the wave strikes, there’s a sense of grandeur which washes over Star Trek #26 as it goes in to battle. Hernandez has a proven track record with bringing screen actors to the page and so having Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana suddenly standing beside Avery Brooks is seamless. Everyone looks great and the heightened emotions that come along with this type of story just ooze from the page.
Somewhat predictably – the only downside to knowing “Lore War” is coming – this don’t go well and our U.S.S. Theseus crew suddenly finds themselves alone again. If the cliffhanger ending is to be taken at face value then we’ll be ending 2024 on a somewhat theological note as Sisko is forced to face up to the Prophets plans for his future. A potential moment to catch breath after this colossal issue? More likely the chance for more heartbreak…
Verdict
Star Trek #26 is a brilliant opportunity to bring two sets of Trek casts face-to-face for the first time. Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing continue to revel in the Trek sandbox, challenging us with new character combinations whilst never letting us forget for a single moment that certain doom lies over the horizon. Incredible stuff… as always.
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