I Can’t Believe It Either, But Star Trek Is Steadily Becoming the Gold Standard For Ambitious Comic Book Storytelling

As a fan of Star Trek in general, with a particular soft spot for Star Trek comics, I have considered IDW Publishing’s current ongoing run a true renaissance for the franchise – but now, I think it has started to take a step even beyond that, toward becoming a legitimate standard-bearer for ambitious comic book storytelling using classic franchise IP.

The franchise is steadily building toward next year’s major storytelling event, Lore War, which is set to be the culmination of over two years of patiently plotted storytelling, across two titles, Star Trek – written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing – and Christopher Cantwell’s Star Trek: Defiant.

I have been steadily more impressed with both series as they have progressed; like most readers, I thought the sweeping Day of Blood storyline was impressive enough, but as it turns out, it was just the first act in an even more sprawling saga.

Trek Comics Are Boldly Going Places I Never Expected – Including Letting Lore Blow Up The Universe

Star Trek #25 – Written By Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing; Art By Liana Kangas; Color By Lee Loughridge; Lettering By Clayton Cowles

The Star Trek franchise is, of course, first and foremost associated with television, but each of its television incarnations has, to some degree or another, been subject to the limitations of what a TV series of its era can do. Though Trek has a long history in comics as well, I would argue that IDW’s current series, Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant, are taking full advantage of the medium like no Trek comic has before. That is to say, both series are doing more than just pushing the boundaries of Star Trek stories, but warping past it.

The latest issue of Star Trek, the milestone twenty-fifth of the run, continues to explore the aftermath of Lore literally blowing up the entire universe using the Bajoran Orb of Destruction. If that sounds over the top, let me assure you it is, in all the right ways. What excites me most about this, though, is how this storyline has steadily built over multiple years, in a remarkable example of long-term comic book storytelling, one that I hope creators around the industry are taking note of.

IDW’s Trek Comics Have Added Dimensions To Franchise Lore (Not The Villain, I Mean Mythology)

Star Trek #25 Available Now From IDW Publishing; Star Trek: Defiant #20 Available October 23

One of the things I have enjoyed most about Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing’s Star Trek has been the way every issue has added to the tapestry of Trek canon, either by introducing novel ideas, or recontextualizing deep-cut pieces of classic lowercase-L lore. Each step of the way, this has consistently been in service of immersing readers in the authors’ take on the Trek universe, while furthering the ambitious overarching story of the series, which has focused on the interaction between the flesh-and-blood characters of the series and higher dimensional beings, such as Q, and the Bajoran Prophets.

First the rogue Klingon Emperor Kahless, and now Lore, have sought to destroy the “gods” of the Star Trek universe and ascend to their position. I thought the God War and Day of Blood storylines that occupied the first year of IDW’s Trek were thrilling reinventions of the franchise, bringing together an all-star cast to tell a fittingly epic story. The fact that it was, in fact, a warm-up for the even more cataclysmic Lore War event truly makes Kelly and Lanzing’s Star Trek at its best.

I’m Excited To Find Out How The “Lore War” Pays Off Years Of Hard Work – But What Comes After That?

Star Trek: Lore War – Coming In March 2025

I don’t take it lightly when I say Star Trek is becoming the high watermark for franchise comic book storytelling; Trek is competing for that distinction with the likes of Daniel Warren Johnson’s Energon Universe Transformers, and the end of the X-Men franchise’s Krakoan Era. I have focused on Kelly and Lanzing’s flagship title, but Christopher Cantwell’s Star Trek: Defiant is an equally great read, and equally important, and editor Heather Antos has shepherded the line through this entire incredible run. Overall, I believe this is the result of incredible hard work by the entire Trek team at IDW.

All that said, I can only hope it doesn’t end with Lore War. Two-plus years is a long time for most creative teams to spend on a series, but to me it feels like Kelly, Lanzing, and Cantwell are all just getting started, and it would be a shame if they moved on from Trek now. It has been a pleasant surprise watching Star Trek rise to a place of prominence as one of the shining examples of IP-based tentpole comic book storytelling, and I can only hope that the latest step in that journey is not the last for the creators who have worked so hard to make it happen.

Star Trek #25 is available now from IDW Publishing.

Star Trek (2022)

It’s stardate 2378, and Benjamin Sisko has finally returned from the Bajoran Wormhole omnipotent—but his godhood is failing with every minute. Sent by the Prophets on a mission to the deepest parts of space aboard the U.S.S. Theseus, he witnesses the unthinkable: someone is killing the gods. And only Sisko and his motley crew of Starfleet members from every era of Trek can stop them.