This past week, IDW released the final chapter of Star Trek: The Last Starship. Written by Trek veterans and comics duo Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly with art by Adrian Bonilla, The Last Starship explored one of Star Trek’s darkest time periods, the one hundred-year era known as “The Burn.” Introduced to audiences in the third season of Star Trek: Discovery, The Burn was a mysterious event that destroyed almost all of the dilithium crystals throughout the galaxy, causing widespread death and destruction and pushing the Federation to the brink of extinction. Thanks to Discovery, we know the Federation endured, but we never knew how until this mini-series.
Most known to fans as the series that resurrected Captain Kirk, The Last Starship is actually an exploration of what happens to a utopian society when pushed to the brink of extinction. When hope is at its lowest, will that society hold onto their ideals or will the pressures of survival convince them to compromise those same values? In this series, Lanzing and Kelly reveal the origin of the villainous confederation from Discovery: Season 3, the Emerald Chain. When I watched Discovery, I had assumed the chain was a loose confederation of pirates and worlds, cut off from the galaxy with nowhere else to turn. The Last Starship flips that assumption, portraying the Emerald Chain as the result when the Federation’s morality is compromised in the name of security and survival. Believing she could form a coalition better suited to survive the burn, Solara a former Starfleet officer, creates the Emerald Chain with former Federation worlds. This addition to the law reframes Discovery’s Season Three conflict (for the better) into a civil war, pitting two plans for the future of the Federation against each other. You can better understand the hatred the Emerald Chain has for the remnants of the Federation. The Emerald Chain turned its back on the Federation and ended up a fascist dictatorship, while the remnants of Starfleet survived without compromising their values.
The Last Starship is a journey and origin story for the new society the Federation becomes after the defeat of the Emerald Chain. The Federation of this far future had grown arrogantly complacent over centuries of peace. When the Burn happened, they felt inclined to react rather than act. Kirk’s return and decisions throughout this series act to remind this Starfleet of its indominable spirit. Captain Sato’s journey on the other hand shows that Starfleet can’t wholly abandon the wisdom gained since Kirk’s days. Sato is emblematic of the Picard school of Starfleet Captains, power through compassion and understanding. Only when the two halves of Starfleet’s “soul” come together in this final chapter can the Federation be saved and set on a newer more solid path.
I really enjoyed this series and its insights into the core beliefs of the Federation. I just wish we had more than twelve issues to spend with these characters. I feel like I would have wanted to further dive into the bridge crew of the Omega, especially Doctor Zed, the Ferengi doctor, who was so pivotal in the climax of the series. Only Commander Wowie got his own spotlight issue, a series highlight. I guess it’s a testament to the phenomenal character work Lanzing and Kelly accomplished that makes me want more. Hopefully, IDW will allow Lanzing and Kelly to return to these characters in the future.
Adrian Bonilla once again showcased why he was the perfect choice for this series. There is so much emotion in his pencils. Most of what the reader gleans of Captain Sato’s personality is expressed through Bonilla’s depiction of the weary explorer. Nowhere is this ability to capture emotion better seen than when Solara makes a pivotal decision near the end of this issue. In just a few close-up panels, Bonilla allows readers to see into Solara’s heart. We feel her wrestling with her choice. Lee Loughridge’s colors complement Bonilla’s pencils, giving us a darker-hued palette with spots of color, that really captures the despair filled world of the burn. Clayton Cowles again chooses to showcase the Agnes Borg Queen’s unique speech through font and color, providing extra flavor for the character.
The Last Starship felt like it had an indie spirit throughout its run. It never shied away from giving us a different glimpse of the Star Trek galaxy that we had not seen before and gave us characters filled with heroism and flaws. And like all good pieces of science fiction, Star Trek in particular, it pointed a mirror at our own everyday world and the challenges we currently face as Americans. And yes, Kelly and Lanzing provide a satisfying and emotional conclusion to the story. Let’s hope we don’t have too long of a wait before their next Trek project.
Creative Team: Jackson Lanzing (Writer), Collin Kelly (Writer), Adrian Bonilla (Artist), Lee Loughridge (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Click here to purchase.
