Star Trek: Red Shirts #4 is written by Christopher Cantwell and published by IDW Publishing. Artwork is by Megan Levens, colours by Charlie Kirchoff and letters by Jodie Troutman. Main cover art (left) is by Chris Shehan.
Star Trek: Red Shirts #4 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
Ensigns Raad and Miller find themselves on a dark ship and face to face with…Klingons. The two red shirts are accused of being spies, and their captors brutalize and torture them for any information they can get on how the Romulans were able to access a Starfleet subspace antenna feed. Meanwhile, DeMatrio, Amiga, and Lanier engage in a tense starship battle with a Romulan Bird-of-Prey. If all six remaining red shirts are going to make it off Arkonia 89 alive, someone is going to have to make a sacrifice—but for what? How many red shirts have died to ferret out the Romulans? There must be more to the story than Starfleet is letting on…
Review
It’s time for the penultimate chapter in Christopher Cantwell’s Star Trek: Red Shirts to hit the shelves. After another revelation spun the story on its head in last month’s cliffhanger just how will our surviving crew members make it off Arkonia 89 alive? Could an ally be hiding amongst the Klingon or Romulan ships waiting to steal Starfleet’s intel?
Issue #4 opens brutally, with a page showcasing every death from the first three issues – giving Megan Levens and Charlie Kirchoff opportunity to revisit the series’ goriest moments. It’s an ominous reminder for the five surviving crew members.
But perhaps more unsettling than the body count itself are the overlaid Starfleet reports: sanitised accounts of each death that erase the truth of Arkonia 89. Cantwell uses the captions to expose how easily institutions rewrite history, covering up illegal surveillance of the Klingons to protect the post-war truce – a pointed commentary on official narratives that never feels heavy-handed.
Issue #4 plays out across two intersecting storylines. On the planet, Midge is trying to get the ship off the ground. Unaware that both Klingons and Romulans are waiting in orbit to blow them out of the sky. Meanwhile Chip and Zayna are being held captive on the Klingon vessel. There is a strong ebb and flow between the two stories before they come crashing together in readiness for next month’s finale. Cantwell has such a strong grip on the narrative flow of the story that it naturally begins to feel like a classic Star Trek episode.
This is also our first real opportunity to see the surviving characters fighting back. Up until now we’ve seen them trying to carry out their mission and falling foul of Starfleet subterfuge. Now they (and we) have a greater understanding of the bigger picture we’re able to fully invest in seeing them rise up. Cantwell has done an impeccable job in building up these characters in such a short space of time. Chip has really been our de-facto lead and so it makes sense to focus on his experience on the Klingon vessel. Could he be the final girl of Star Trek: Red Shirts?
Levens and Kirchoff are really having fun this month. Off-world there’s so much opportunity to play with the visual style of the book. The interior of the Klingon ship is bathed in so much fiery red that I could feel the heat rising from the page. During the era of Star Trek: TOS there wasn’t necessarily the budget to create more than what could be seen on the Enterprise view screen. Levens doesn’t go too wild, using design elements we know of the Klingons to create an atmosphere which feels organic to their culture.
Issue #4 is also a chance to get to grips with some actual space action. Much of what we’re seeing this issue is teeing up a showdown for the finale. But there’s no denying how fun it is to see the classic ship designs brought to life once again.
As we head in to the finale Star Trek: Red Shirts has perfectly moved all the pieces into place for a fiery finale. If anyone were to survive this mission Cantwell has proven there’s both an appetite for and gas in the tank to do more in future. But perhaps I’m being too optimistic in thinking anyone will survive…
Verdict
Star Trek: Red Shirts #4 brings classic Trek spirit to a story soaked in blood, bureaucracy, and bravery. It’s gripping, heartfelt sci-fi that proves even the expendable can matter.
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