Advance Review — James T. Kirk Returns, More Or Less, In ‘Star Trek: The Last Starship’ #1

One of the most interesting concepts coming out of the otherwise disappointing streaming series Star Trek: Discovery was the idea of The Burn. The galaxy-wide catastrophe rendered all dilithium to become inert, causing all warp cores to explode. Over 1 trillion beings were killed, and 96 percent of Starfleet was lost.

Where Discovery went to find the cause of The Burn more than a century later, IDW’s latest series, Star Trek: The Last Starship, looks at the immediate aftermath of the disaster. And it uses it as an opportunity to reintroduce Trek‘s most famous captain: James T. Kirk,

Well, sort of.

Kirk, of course, died centuries earlier during Star Trek: Generations. Writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly find a reasonable way to resurrect the hero. But if you’re picking up this first issue to see much of Kirk, you’ll be disappointed. Kirk will doubtless play a major role moving forward, but this premiere chapter is about setting the stage for his re-introduction.

That leaves Lanzing and Kelly to come up with a whole new bridge crew for the U.S.S. Omega, the titular last starship. Chief among them is Captain Sato, who to be human despite having blue skin and pointed ears. There’s also a Klingon, a few humans, and a familiar Borg from Star Trek: Picard.

The writers spend the most time fleshing out Sato, whose bravery and brashness is reminiscent of Kirk. There is plenty of exposition here, but the pair leaves enough plot points dangling to keep readers coming back. Besides, who doesn’t want to see Jim Kirk back in action?

Creating a new Trek crew is a tall task, especially when many readers are likely picking up the book to see Kirk and his resurrection. It’s still far too early to see whether this team will click with readers.

Artist Adrian Bonilla brings a different feel to the Trek universe, with mixed success. Bonilla gives each character a unique look, but his linework isn’t all that clean, sometimes leaving his illustrations feeling unfinished. As is often the case in some of IDW’s books, some of the pages are gorgeous while others feel rushed.

Heather Moore’s colors stand out because they perfectly reflect the story. In the early pages before The Burn, the colors are brighter and more optimistic. At this point in future history, the Federation is the preeminent force in the galaxy. The pages after the cataclysm are darker in tone, giving the sense that hope is lost.

It’s a solid start from this well-seasoned creative team. One this is certain though, readers are going to be demanding more Kirk to boldly go.

Star Trek: The Last Starship #1 will be available in comic books stores and on digital platforms tomorrow from IDW.