Star Trek: The Last Starship #5 is written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly and published by IDW Publishing. Artwork is by Adrián Bonilla, colours by Lee Loughridge and letters by Clayton Cowles. Main cover art (left) is by Francesco Francavilla.
Star Trek: The Last Starship #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 Federation’s delegates have gathered. The Babel conference is on. Together, they aim to save Starfleet and bring peace to all quadrants. But while Captain Sato and the crew of the U.S.S. Omega have only experienced the passage of time as four months within their transwarp bubble, for the rest of the galaxy, it’s been 23 years. For 23 years, the delegates have been left to their own devices, to stew in their own machinations and to make new allegiances…and while the U.S.S. Omega may have brought them all together, the Burn has forced them apart. Not all want to broker peace, and someone who was once closest to Starfleet may become its greatest adversary…
Review
IDW’s Star Trek: The Last Starship returns to comic book stores today with an issue sharply focussed on the 60 year-old franchise’s diplomatic history. As the series continues to dig deeper into the psychology of the Federation following The Burn writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly find their disparate cast of characters become all the more compelling.
Whilst last month’s issue focussed heavily on Wowie Carter, using his experience of visiting family on Earth to show how whole planets continue to struggle with their losses. The story also swiftly setup how time is passing for the crew of the U.S.S. Omega as they attempt to grasp at the fading hope of Starfleet and the Federation’s former members. This month we’re building even more on those solid foundations and switching the focus to the Omega’s captain, Sato.
Despite leading the crew on their mission we haven’t spent too much time with Sato since early issues of the book. It was clear early on that Sato carries the weight of the Federation on his shoulders. Something which is expertly rendered by artist Adrián Bonilla in the opening pages. Throughout the issue Sato attempts to wrangle the political leaders from key planets. Searching for a way to work together and move forwards following The Burn.
An incredible wrinkle in the process is that passing of time effect first witnessed last issue. Whilst the crew of the Omega has spent several months working on putting together this conference. For each of the worlds involved two-decades have passed. 20 years in which suspicions have grown and tensions have built to boiling point. By the time everyone is finally in a room together Lanzing and Kelly has injected so much tension into proceedings that I felt as nervous as Sato does addressing them. Following an earnest (and very well written) speech from Sato each of the worlds pleads their case. Of course each of them wants Dilithium in order to restore balance. But stocks are low and nobody can say for sure The Burn won’t happen again.
In a clever way Lanzing and Kelly are toying with the reader. If, like me, you’re fully up-to-date with the events of Star Trek: Discovery and now Starfleet Academy then you likely know what happens next. For us the entire story comes with an air of futility. We’re seeing Sato and the crew desperately trying to hold together something we know will ultimately fall apart. For us that means the entire series is likely building towards a devastating conclusion. For those who haven’t watch the series then there’s every change The Last Starship feels like the last hope for desperate group of explorers. For all of us there’s a desperate hope to see Sato succeed.
Whilst all of that heavy lifting is more than enough to carry Star Trek: The Last Starship this month. A subplot around Wowie and the bridge crew of the Omega is quietly bubbling away in the background. There’s also an interesting focus on the addict Ferengi doctor Zed who is finally finding their place in the story thanks to doing a little undercover work for Sato. It’s great to see the ensemble cast becoming more of a focus, adding to a traditionally Trek flavour for this issue.
Bonilla and Lee Loughridge continue working together like Geordi and Data on The Next Generation. There are a number of different settings in this issue as well as a handful of data pages which require a more technical approach to the artwork. As the story ebbs and flows through the political proceedings the artwork keeps a natural buoyancy which ensures that emotional weight Sato is feeling never becomes overwhelming to the reader.
Verdict
Shifting focus to a more diplomatic angle, Star Trek: The Last Starship #5 continues to be captivating portrait of a crew desperately holding on to an idealism that is slipping through their fingertips.
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