Advance Review — ‘Star Trek: Red Shirts’ #5 Gives Readers A Twist But It’s Too Late
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
As the red shirt body count hits double digits, the creative team delivers a great plot twist. But it’s too little too late for the finale of this limited series that asks us to root for new characters that we know aren’t going to survive for long.
Overall
8/10When you start reading a limited series titled Star Trek: Red Shirts, it’s a pretty safe bet that there won’t be many characters around by the end.
As we reach the conclusion of this five-part story, 10 of the team of cannon fodder have been dispatched with only two remaining. And, with the survivors in the hands of both the Klingons and the Romulans, their chances don’t look all that great.
In the story by Christopher Cantwell, the team had been sent to recover a data disk containing the blueprints to the Federation’s Constitution-class starships – the ones like the U.S.S. Enterprise. The Romulans, we learned earlier in the run, stole the information and are trading it to the Klingons. So a dozen red shirts either foolishly or bravely undertook the mission to get back the disk and protect the ships from their greatest enemies.
Cantwell delivers a massive twist early in this final chapter, which takes what’s left of the story and spins it in an entirely new direction. That surprise – which won’t be revealed here – is equally shocking and disturbing. Cantwell paints the picture of an untrustworthy Starfleet that regularly abandons its teams. This is no feel-good Federation that we grew up with (though James Kirk and crew make a cameo).
Interestingly enough, the twist and the series conclusion pave the way for a future series, assuming Cantwell and publisher IDW are interested. But even the biggest surprises don’t make up for the miniseries’ biggest issue – the dearth of characters we care about.
Cantwell and artist Megan Levens threw 12 new characters at us in the first issue then started picking them off. Levens did a good job of differentiating each of the red shirts, but after a little background, most were killed. So why bother investing in getting to know any of them?
The idea of a book about disposable characters set in a beloved franchise is fine. And plot twists are great. But give us someone to cheer for!
Star Trek: Red Shirts #5 will be available in comic book shops and on digital platforms this Wednesday from IDW.
