Warning: contains spoilers for recent issues of Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant!
One of the greatest eras in the history of Star Trek comics is coming to an end–but what comes next? In the Fall of 2022, IDW, who had held the Star Trek comic book rights since 2007, gave the line a shot in the arm by introducing a grand, multi-year story that drew on all corners of the franchise. A hit with fans, the era is now ending–but what comes next?
Gold Key's Star Trek comics, at least for the first few years, were notorious for their lack of fidelity to the source material.
Star Trek has a long history in comics, with the first ones appearing a little over a year after the show premiered. Gold Key, the first company to obtain the rights, would hold it until the debut of 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, at which point they went to Marvel. After a lukewarm run at the House of Ideas, DC would hold the license for over a decade, creating some epic and memorable stories, such as “Who Killed Captain Kirk?” Other publishers, such as Malibu and Wildstorm, also published Star Trek comics before the rights arrived at IDW.
IDW Kept Star Trek Alive During Its "Wilderness Years" In the Late 2000s
IDW Took Major Creative Risks With Star Trek--And It Paid Off
When IDW obtained the license, the Star Trek franchise had gone dormant. Both Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: Nemesis failed to land with a larger audience, resulting in Paramount retreating back to dream it up all over again. The end result was 2009’s JJ Abrams-helmed Star Trek, which would become a formative influence on the franchise moving forward. During this time, IDW published a variety of miniseries starring the crew of The Next Generation as well as a series of one-shots spotlighting the franchise’s many aliens.
After Star Trek premiered in theaters, IDW launched a new series featuring the Kelvin crew in classic adventures–the first big swing the publisher would take with the franchise.
After Star Trek premiered in theaters, IDW launched a new series featuring the Kelvin crew in classic adventures–the first big swing the publisher would take with the franchise. This series was followed by Star Trek: Boldly Go, which continued the Kelvin team’s adventures post Star Trek: Beyond. IDW also published a highly acclaimed series of books set in the fan-favorite Mirror Universe as well as Star Trek: Year Four and Year Five. These bold and innovative titles set the stage for the revitalization of the Star Trek comics line in 2022.
"The God War" Kicked Off a New Era for Star Trek Comics
Both Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant Told One, Epic Story
IDW kicked off its line-wide restart with the anthology book Star Trek #400. Created to celebrate 400 issues of Star Trek comics at IDW, the one-shot’s final story sowed the seeds for what colloquially came to be regarded as “the God War.” A month later, Star Trek #1 debuted, officially kicking off IDW’s exciting new era of Star Trek comics. Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and drawn by an all-star roster of artists, Star Trek sets the bar extremely high for future comics based on the franchise.Star Trek owed its success to a handful of factors. First, Lanzing and Kelly are hard-core fans, having worked on previous Trek projects for IDW, including operating as “show-runners” for Year Five. The duo brought a deep knowledge of the franchise to bear, culling the book’s cast from across Star Trek history. They also peppered some truly deep cuts throughout the story, as well as in the text pieces that would become a hallmark of IDW’s new Star Trek line. All of these came together to create a singular Star Trek comic experience.
Then, just a few months later, IDW caught lightning in a bottle again with the debut of Star Trek: Defiant, written by Christopher Cantwell. A spin-off of Star Trek, Defiant was darker, grittier and examined the ground-level fallout from the cosmic happenings in its sister title. The Defiant crew, led by Worf, was also gathered from across Star Trek’s storied history, and included Lore, who would go on to become the line’s central villain. Both Star Trek and Defiant were telling one sweeping story, and it led to the biggest comics' crossover in franchise history to date: Day of Blood.
Playing out across Summer 2023, Day of Blood was far from the first Star Trek comic book crossover, but it was by far the most exciting. Kahless II, the book’s first antagonist, began killing the gods of the Star Trek universe, and it was up to Sisko, Worf and their respective crews to stop it. The heroes were successful in turning back Kahless’ crusade, but then Lore absconded with the Klingon’s technology. Ironically, Lore was able to do what Kahless could not: kill the gods. In the process, Lore destroyed the multiverse.
Now, IDW’s Star Trek comics line is nearing its endgame with the Lore War. All the seeds that Lanzing, Kelly, Cantwell and their collaborators have been planting will come to fruition in the Lore War. After destroying the multiverse, Lore has rewritten reality in his image, and now Sisko must find a way to reverse the damage. Unfortunately, Sisko himself is a prisoner of Lore, and it has, interestingly enough, fallen on Kahless to stop the evil android. This will bring the story full circle, as it began with Kahless, and will seemingly end with him as well.
Where Does IDW Go Once the Lore War Is Over?
How Does IDW Top the "God War" Storyline?
The entire runs of Star Trek and Defiant have been a meditation on the relationship between mortals and gods, keeping in line with the franchise’s exploration of the human condition.
After nearly three years of epic Star Trek stories from IDW, it raises questions over what the publisher’s next move with the franchise will be. IDW recently re-upped their license to produce Star Trek comics through 2029, but remained coy on long-term plans. Both Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant took Trek comics to new places while also honoring the spirit of the franchise. The entire runs of Star Trek and Defiant have been a meditation on the relationship between mortals and gods, keeping in line with the franchise’s exploration of the human condition.
Star Trek: Redshirts will be written by Defiant scribe Christopher Cantwell.
Star Trek and Defiant raised the bar so high, in fact, it might be impossible to surpass, and IDW is perhaps acknowledging this fact in their forthcoming titles. This week, IDW announced three new Star Trek limited-run titles: one focusing on the “red shirts,” as well as minis for Strange New Worlds and Voyager’s 30th anniversary. No mention has been made of a new ongoing in the vein of Star Trek or Defiant. For most of its time with the franchise, IDW only published minis, so, in a way, this is a return to their classic model of releasing titles.
There Are Still Many Star Trek Stories Left to Tell in Comics
Star Trek: Enterprise Desperately Needs a Comic, As Does Prodigy
After 18 years of producing Star Trek comics, there are still many stories left for IDW to tell. A few Star Trek shows, such as Enterprise and Prodigy, still have not had their own series, and this is an injustice that needs to be quickly corrected. Furthermore, IDW should not give up on the idea of another Star Trek ongoing, as the flagship title and Defiant proved the format is as sustainable as a parade of miniseries, and offers more opportunities to tell big, epic stories that move the franchise forward.
