The Enterprise-G is on a desperate mission beyond the known Galaxy to relocate the dying Revlavan people when its crew finds a perfect new home in a region of unknown space called the Epsilon Corridor. Three pristine Class-M worlds—the Trinity—await the refugees. No signs of civilization. No detectable threats. A colonist’s dream. But the dream fractures fast. When Captain Seven of Nine and her divided, fast-tracked crew begin exploring the Trinity, they uncover disturbing contradictions: vanished structures, inexplicable artifacts, time skips, and evidence of a presence Starfleet’s century-old probes never detected. Each world houses a different ecosystem, different physics problems, and different secrets—as if they’ve been curated…or quarantined. But from who? Or what? Star Trek #1 is a hell of a debut with a fantastic story anchored by amazing art.

I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest Star Trek fan. I’ve seen all of the movies multiple times and watched a lot of the television episodes of the various series, but it’s not much watch or must read as far as the comics or books. It wasn’t until Star Trek: The Last Starship that I got invested in a Star Trek franchise where I didn’t want to miss anything. Star Trek #1 might be the start of the second for me. It’s good, really good.

Written by Christopher Cantwell, Star Trek #1 is part of the 60th anniversary celebration of the franchise and balances nostalgia while charting a new course. The Enterprise is back, now with Seven as its Captain and also featuring Jack Crusher, Sidney La Forge, and Lily Sato. It combines an established character like Seven with newer characters that have a legacy that long time Trek fans will appreciate. It celebrates the old and the new and even as a casual fan, I appreciate it and part of the fun, for me, is seeing those names and appreciating the connection. Sato not only has history herself but connects Enterprise and The Last Starship, helping focus this new series on Trek history and a future yet to come.

Beyond the history, even if it wasn’t there, the story itself is engaging and exciting. It takes the Enterprise-G’s crew to a whole new sector to explore, one with new rules and mysteries to discover. The less said, the better as part of the fun is exploring these strange new worlds and anticipating what’s to come. It’s a comic that embraces the idea of Star Trek exploring new worlds, meeting new civilizations, and and underlying theme of the hope the best of humanity can deliver.

The art by Dennis Menheere is jaw-dropping. With lettering by Jodie Troutman that enhances so many moments, the style for the comic is amazing. Great character designs captures the feel of classic Trek but with updates as well. Small updates to uniforms help cement a new flag being planted, the ships look like the next generation of Starfleet while connecting to those of the past. The comic’s action is beautifully rendered even with the destruction depicted. Even simple transportation just looks cool. Menheere does it all and adds in page layouts that are engaging and really enhance Cantwell’s story. Troutman’s lettering adds so much to the comic as well with a style that captures classic Trek in its choices, it helps immerse the reader even more and connects to what has come before.

Star Trek #1 is a hell of a start that delivers a fantastic story with mesmerizing art. It’s a comic that celebrates the past but also charters a new future for the franchise. It shows you can honor what has come while delivering something new. Most importantly, it’s an engaging debut that has us excited to see what comes next.

Star Trek #1 debuts September 23 with pre-orders due August 17.

Story: Christopher Cantwell Art: Dennis Menheere Letterer: Jodie Troutman
Story: 9.0 Art: 10 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Third Eye Comics