Kirk’s war against the Emerald Chain brings him face-to-face with his most dangerous enemy yet: Admiral Sato. When the Borg-augmented U.S.S. Omega liberates Tellar, Starfleet’s U.S.S. Challenger arrives armed with anti-Borg technology, ordering Kirk to stop at any cost. But as Emerald Chain reinforcements descend, an unexpected proposal could force these old allies to choose between destroying each other…and saving the Federation once and for all. Star Trek: The Last Starship #10 begins the final chapter in what has shaped up to be an amazing Star Trek series.

When last we saw Sato and his crew, Kirk and the Borg had teamed up for a more aggressive stance against the Emerald Chain, leaving Sato stranded. Star Trek: The Last Starship #10 skips ahead 25 years and we get to see the ramifications of multiple decisions that were made since this series began. Worlds that sided with the Emerald Chain have begun to regret it, looking to be liberated from what’s left of the Federation or by Kirk and the U.S.S. Omega. The Emerald Chain are taking things out on the Federation for the actions of Kirk and his crew. Sato wants revenge against Kirk. It’s a hell of a triangle that puts pressure on Sato and delivers a whole new set of issues to deal with.

Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, Star Trek: The Last Starship #10 is a fantastic opening chapter of the final arc of the series. You can feel the anger and pressure Sato is feeling as he not only is after his whale but also sees how things have crumbled over the years. He’s presented with tough choices. Kirk and the Omega are doing serious damage to the Emerald Chain, but they’re also waging war, a hammer for all answers.

But, Lanzing and Kelly deliver those tough choices and do so in a way that gets the reader to debate what they’d do. You can see the obsession of Sato, you get a feeling of the righteousness of Kirk. Neither or aright and neither are wrong and they’re both right and both wrong.

What Lanzing and Kelly also do is show that while the Federation has many flaws, it overall was doing good. We get the desperation of the planets and people who have signed up for protection from intergalactic gangsters. You feel the regret of their decision. It also delivers the first real hope we might see the return and rise of the Federation by the issue’s end.

The art by Adrián Bonilla is excellent. The time jump forward delivers us a haggard Sato, hair grown out and also a Borg modified Omega. Each tells such a story as to what has happened in the past 25 years and gives us everything we need to know. Sato’s hair alone tells us he’s gone from the idealist who believes in the Federation to a man obsessed and singularly focused on bringing pain to Kirk for what he did. The art has a gritty style to it, reminding us the idealistic days of the Federation are over and this is a whole new, slightly darker, world. That’s helped by the color of Lee Loughridge whose palette still feels futuristic and bright, even with the art tone of Bonilla, and also gives us a slightly sickly feel at times when focused on Kirk and his crew. Clayton Cowles‘ lettering delivers emotion and punch to the dramatic moments.

Star Trek: The Last Starship #10 continues what is one hell of a series that delivers the action and excitement of Star Trek but also a story where readers have no idea where it’ll go. But, more importantly, even through all of the darkness, it has delivered hope and focused on the idea that the Federation brings societies together for the better.

Story: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly Art: Adrián Bonilla
Color: Lee Loughridge Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.45 Art: 8.65 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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