These Are The Continuing Voyages: Reviewing ‘Star Trek’ #500

Once upon a time, big numbers were all over the place in regard to the covers of ongoing comic books. Modern era has definitely lessened that to some extent, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate those large numbers.

Two years after celebrating 400 issues of Star Trek comics, IDW Publishing is rolling out the big celebratory carpet for Star Trek #500. An anthology issue passing over various eras and types of Star Trek stories. It features stories from Jordan Blum, Patton Oswalt, Leonard Kirk, Lee Loughridge, Jody Houser, Vernon Smith, Charlie Kirchoff, Magdalene Visaggio, Megan Huang, Stephanie Williams, Tench, JP Jordan, Morgan Hampton, Megan Levens, Mike Chen, Angel Hernandez, Nick Filardi, Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Christopher Cantwell, Davide Tinto, Clayton Cowles, and Jodie Troutman.

It also includes an essay about Star Trek comics from writer Dayton Ward.

Overall, what a truly delightful book.

Never thought I’d be enjoying a story about a Tribble becoming infatuated with Captain Kirk, but here we are. Blum, Oswalt, Kirk, and Lougridge kick the whole affair off with that one. It’s a retelling of “The Trouble With Tribbles” from the Tribble perspective. Blum and Oswalt put their usual distinctive comedic spin on it all while Kirk and Loughridge deliver visuals that hit that peak of whimsy and grounded.

Houser, Smith, and Kirchoff dive into a moment between moments from the second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Where La’an Noonien-Singh deals with a love not meant to be lost too soon, while commiserating with Sam Kirk, a man trying to avoid the shadow of his younger brother. It’s a rough tale, bringing moments from the show to vivid life, full of clear tough emotions. It all very much captures the characters and their world and what it would feel like to be in these positions.

Jumping to the future, Williams, Tench, and Jordan showcase a moment with Captain Michael Burham and a rescue. It also showcases some of the best parts of Starfleet and the mission they endeavor to uphold. It’s a touching tale that would be right at home in the show were it still running and were it inclined to do more one-off adventure of the week style things. Visually it has a tinge of rough nature but is mostly very smooth and full of animated expressions against solid deep backdrops, a colorful alien vista surrounding more subdued natural familiar colors.

Take me out to the ball game! That’s right, it’s time for another trip to the Holosuite for some baseball Star Trek: Deep Space Nine style, courtesy of Chen, Hernandez, and Filardi. It’s a light and fun tale that picks up from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Dogs Of War miniseries recently concluded, featuring a prize corgi amongst the crew.

Hernandez brings a nice rough textured take to the world, fitting for the show on the rough and tumble Cardassian station. The colors are very muted but then bright and shiny in the blue skies of the baseball diamond. It’s just a little romp where there is prep for a rematch with the Vulcan crew (captained by Sisko’s rival), and Rom is replaced by the Corgi because it can at least catch (the joke is Rom couldn’t catch or throw).

LOWER DECKS! LOWER DECKS! LOWER DECKS!

Sorry, couldn’t help myself. As soon as I saw that there was a Star Trek: Lower Decks story in the special, well that all just slipped out.

One of my favorite Trek shows happens to be this animated gem, and it was nice to see a story here. Visaggio handles the characters flawlessly, and of course Rutherford and Tendi get involved in another A.I. turned bad situation. A funny cautionary tale, that has all the right levels of whimsy and seriousness thanks to Huang, whose style is tailor-made for this type of story and series. Kirchoff’s colors match up to a lot of the color palette choices of the show, a lot of the very bright grays and whites of the ship with the poppier tones left for the uniforms and fantastical elements.

On the comic side, the recent Star Trek: Sons of Star Trek series was one of my favorite books this year. Hampton returns to one of the characters there, as well as the father/son dynamic of the series, by diving into some meta Q stuff. I love the idea that when Q’s get sick they are able to break all walls and see that there is something more powerful than them…those of us who create, write, and view them.

Fresh off drawing Godly things in the main Star Trek series currently, Levens brings a great sense of grandness with a touch of fantastical for this story. Handling the shifting of depth, styles, and levels so flawlessly. Like the previous story, Kirchoff really brings a balanced level of color tones here. Giving all the outlandish things a natural but also unnatural color style at the same time.

Last, but certainly not least, the special issue brings in some of the talents behind the current main books of IDW’s burgeoning Trek line. Kelly, Lanzing, and Cantwell are the ones writing the Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant books and they come together here to tease what comes next. Basically the story picks up from where Star Trek #23 left off, Data’s evil brother Lore used a Bajoran Orb of Destruction to wipe out the universe as a whole. With a fresh slate, he’s forcing his brother to help him create something new…and he’s naturally not to happy with most of the results.

I’m not familiar with Tinto’s artwork, but I’m really liking it. Which is good since Tinto will be the one drawing the Star Trek: Lore War story when it arrives in 2025. Like many of the other art styles we’ve seen on the books, it has a very light and heavy duality to it. Giving us real depth, detail, and powerful visuals partnered with levity and fun. Expressions especially are on point, as Data is so stoic and upset while the constant shifting glee to anger on Lore’s face feels so authentic and terrifying.

Regular Star Trek colorist Loughridge taps into this story, bringing the really varied and precise color palette of that series over. Where things are bright and shiny with plenty of darker and shadowy tones all around. Using specific eye-catching colors, like reds or yellows, as filters to really highlight specific things.

Troutman is the lettering MVP here, as she handles everything except for the Lore/Data story. Finding ways to really match up with the variety of art styles, delivering dialogue and captions with emotional punch and creative juices. The crumbled-up caption box in the Q story was particularly inspired and so unique.

Star Trek #500 is now available from IDW Publishing.