Advance Review — ‘Star Trek: Red Shirts– Ghost Of The 23rd Century’ #3 Gives Needed Background

Halfway through a limited series is usually a smart time to give readers the background information they need to better understand the story and characters.

Veteran writer Gerry Duggan knows this well, which is why he chose Star Trek: Red Shirts — Ghost Of The 23rd Century’s third issue to provide those details through flashbacks. They are just the right length for us to acknowledge what’s happening without bogging down the overall narrative. We learn why Andorian spy Lyna got into her planet’s security service, and we also are filled in a bit on Harry’s backstory. Just those few pages give us plenty.

Duggan uses the rest of the issue to move the story along nicely, though he does include a sex scene that feels unnecessary.

Scott Buoncristiano’s artwork in this issue feels a bit off. His work in the previous chapters was stronger — as if he’s slumped a bit in the middle of the story and is conserving his strength for the final push. It’s not bad, per se, but certain panels feel rushed and some of the details are glossed over.

Buoncristiano does get to break out of the run-of-the-mill Star Trek story, though. There’s plenty of action and plenty of bloodshed in this issue, including vicious phaser fire and gorings by Klingon weapons. And as a side benefit, he gets to draw some species that don’t regularly show up on the franchise’s streaming series.

With the background largely out of the way, the story should race to its conclusion at warp speed. Hopefully the illustrations can keep up.

Star Trek: Red Shirts — Ghost Of The 23rd Century #3– written by Gerry Duggan, illustrated by Scott Buoncristiano, colored by Charlie Kirchoff, and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry — will be available Wednesday in comic book stories and on digital platforms from IDW.