The U.S.S. Omega launches into battle! Its adversary? A chaotic Klingon cult whose bloodred path is focused purely on obliterating the remaining vestiges of Starfleet. What’s left of the Federation is falling apart by the moment. Captain Sato, who once dreamed of uniting the galaxy, is now living his worst nightmare. He was raised in a time of peace…but no progress comes without a fight. While the Klingons might be his enemies after centuries of peace, he has Kirk as his ally…and no one knows how to defeat a Klingon better than the Federation’s greatest hero. Star Trek: The Last Starship #3 ups the shock factor as the Klingon fleet battles the Federation.

When it comes to this take of Star Trek, writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly seem to be tearing everything down before it can be rebuilt. The series opened with “The Burn,” an event that saw the death of billions. Now, they up that by millions in a shocking Star Trek: The Last Starship #3 that’s full of tension and moments you won’t see coming.

Lanzing and Kelly deliver a little something for every Trek fan with Star Trek: The Last Starship #3. There’s a lot that’s new but also something that feels rather old-school about it all. Captain Sato has to turn to Kirk for advice and as Kirk does his thing, there’s a certain suave factor as he gives orders to try to win the day. Add in a final panel that screams classic Kirk, the comic feels like it attempts to blend various eras in its delivery. There’s something rather old-school in Kirk’s depiction by Sato and others take to battle in a different direction delivering moments that are both cool but also a bit head scratching visually.

The visuals are full of surprises and shocking moments from Adrian Bonilla, colorist Heather Moore, and lettering by Clayton Cowles. There’s some aspects that feel on part with the first issue’s meltdown of so much delivering moments that I have never seen in Star Trek. A battle to the death feels epic and leaves you guessing as to how it’ll end. There’s some visuals that are a bit muddled like some actions in space that might be references to other things but for new readers isn’t explained quite enough. Even reading the dialogue multiple times, I wasn’t quite sure what characters were doing, though could make some guesses. It’s not a major negative and doesn’t take away from the overall experience of the issue.

Star Trek: The Last Starship #3 takes some big swings in the narrative with moments that’ll make readers gasp. It further shakes things up keeping everyone on their toes as far as what comes next. If you thought the first issue brought chaos, this third issue delivers even more. Will future issue deliver even more unexpected bomb drops that further reshape the Star Trek universe? This issue will leave you guessing.

Story: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly Art: Adrian Bonilla
Color: Heather Moore Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Star Trek: The Last Starship #2 is a packed issue that gets the ship running then dials it up to Warp 10. In the wake of the cataclysm known as the Burn, the dream of a united Federation stands on the brink of extinction. The only thing holding the Galaxy back from chaos is Captain Sato and the crew of the Borg-enhanced Omega—a ship fueled by transwarp technology and fraught with distrust.

No one on board trusts the Borg…and Captain Sato trusts their mysterious new passenger, bearing the face and name of James T. Kirk, even less. This so-called Kirk speaks of a dark future, but Sato refuses to be guided by fear or prophecy.

When a distress call from the Klingon Empire pierces the silence—urgent, cryptic, and unexpected—Sato doesn’t hesitate. Whatever the risk, he will answer. Because if Starfleet’s legacy is to survive, it won’t be through retreat. It’ll be through action.

I’ve always enjoyed Star Trek. It’s never been a property where I needed to see every episode but I’ve seen all of the films multiple times, and dabbled in the various series that have been released, so know enough. Star Trek: The Last Starship is the first Star Trek property where I need to see what’s going to happen next. Star Trek: The Last Starship #2 is a hell of an issue that gets things going and then takes it to unexpected places.

Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, the Federation is hanging on by a thread. With warp drives destroyed and billions dead, one ship remains and a deal with the devil has been cut to attempt to hold things together. Star Trek: The Last Starship #2 picks up from that debut issue and the return of Captain James T. Kirk through the technology of the Borg. But, that’s just one aspect of a comic that introduces new characters and quickly shows how much things have already gone to shit.

Lanzing and Kelly present an interesting situation the Federation is in now that The Burn has destroyed so much of its abilities and killed so many of its members. Star Trek: The Last Starship #2, and really Captain Sato, confront the reality of things but also confront the reality of the past. Kirk has returned and while he himself questions that, Sato questions Kirk and the mythology surrounding him. It’s a comic that lays it out that we are the products of our experiences, or how we perceive those experiences. Kirk sees himself in a certain way, but Sato confronts him with the cold reality of his past actions. He wasn’t a man of peace or exploration, he brought death to a lot of individuals, not just his crew. But, even Kirk realizes that reality, though not the extent of it, and clearly struggles.

That struggle is both internal and external as Captain Sato and the crew of the Omega must face reality in the now and we see how quickly the peace falls apart. Much like Kirk was contend with, it’s clear the Federation’s true power wasn’t that of diplomacy but that of sheer firepower and technology. Without that, it is wounded and losing its grip on the order it has instilled. Star Trek: The Last Starship #2 delivers the reality that while the Federation overall is a positive good, there’s also a lot of underlying bad.

The art by Adrian Bonilla is fantastic. With color by Heather Moore and lettering by Clayton Cowles, the comic is a visual treat. The characters all have personality and stand out, it helps that the cast is small and focused and so varied. But, what’s really intriguing is comparing all of that to how Captain Kirk is drawn. Kirk has a bit of a throwback, “classic” look to him, something you might expect from the old animated series compared to Bonilla’s art style. It’s a great visual idea that really emphasizes how out of place he is. The use of Borg technology on the ship too evokes a little bit of horror as well as slapped together, for a ship that also should feel so advanced to what we’ve seen before.

Star Trek: The Last Starship #2 is a solid issue that really gets things going while packing so much in. This issue took the series from intriguing to one of the first I’ll be reading during the week it’s released. A solid issue and series that stands out in 2025.

Story: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly Art: Adrian Bonilla
Color: Heather Moore Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

For seven centuries, the United Federation of Planets brought together the entire Galaxy with peace, stability, enlightenment, and the promise of mutual protection. And then, in one terrible moment, it all crumbled in an event known as THE BURN, a Galaxy-wide disastrous event in which dilithium has gone inert, causing the detonation of every active warp core. The only ship remaining is a hack-and-slash Enterprise-Omega and its ragtag crew. Facing a true Wild West in space, the crew will need to make use of what few resources they have to uphold Starfleet’s mission of unity across the universe…and Captain Kirk will have to face a future without the Federation he loved so dearly… Star Trek: The Last Starship #1 explores a dark era of the Federation with a debut comic that’s full of doom and gloom, but also hope.

I’m not a die-hard Star Trek fan. I don’t know all of the details inside and out, so the concept of The Burn, as well as some of the details within the comic are completely new to me. Even as someone new to this bit of Star Trek history, Star Trek: The Last Starship #1 is a very accessible, and entertaining comic. Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, Star Trek: The Last Starship #1 starts off with hope and quickly leads to disaster. Taking place in 2401, about 30 years after the end of The Next Generation, the debut issue begins with hope and peace. The Federation are welcoming new members but disaster strikes. Dilithium has gone inert causing ships to explode and planets to be destroyed, billions dead in an instant. It’s a shocking moment, and especially one to see on page.

Lanzing and Kelly handle the disaster perfectly, delivering a debut issue that’s full of chaos, questions, fear, sadness, and what Star Trek does best, through the darkness a tinge of hope. The Federation has no idea what has caused this happened or why, but they know they are crippled by the destruction of so much and the deaths of so many. It’s a once mighty force reduced to a skeleton crew in an instant. But, this leads also creates an opportunity to build something new and rise from the ashes, to build upon what the Federation stood for, not what it had.

The comic weaves in interesting directions, ending with the return of James T. Kirk. It actually makes sense within the comic and creates an interesting alliance between the Federation and a group that might be unexpected for casual readers though not quite hit for those completely new. It creates a potential and a direction for the series that adds more danger for what lies ahead for the Federation as it attempts to recover.

The art by Adrian Bonilla is interesting. With color by Heather Moore and lettering by Clayton Cowles, they style feels a bit more rough and chaotic than some of the clean and polished art we’ve seen in previous Star Trek comics. The style fits the comic perfectly and reflects the chaos of what’s happening. It also sets itself apart from other series and comics, squarely placing itself in the future of the property. The designs of the characters, ships, everything, feels like a logical step in the progression of Star Trek. It creates an interesting world, especially in the latter part of the comic that feels futuristic and also empty due to the disaster that has taken place.

Star Trek: The Last Starship #1 is a debut that longtime Star Trek fans should enjoy but new readers and casual fans can dive in and pick up what’s happening. It takes Star Trek back to the beginning in a way, forcing the familiar to rebuild and rethink what it means to be the Federation.

Story: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly Art: Adrian Bonilla
Color: Heather Moore Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle