This week sees the release of Star Trek #29 and the end of the current When the Walls Fell story arc. At the end of the previous story arc, The Pleroma, Lore had successfully detonated his weapon built around the Bajoran Orb of Destruction, setting off a chain reaction that would destroy all of time, space, and the multiverse. Fortunately, with a clue from Wesley Crusher, the crew of the Theseus was able to escape the destruction, at least momentarily.
When the Wall Fell has seen the crew of the Theseus attempt to cope with the cataclysm Lore caused and desperately search for a way to reverse it. Here at issue #29, Captain Sisko, trapped in an alternate version of ancient Bajor, is determined, no matter how long it may take, to reach the Prophets and convince them to intervene.
Over the course of this issue, Colin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing present the reader with a deep character study of Benjamin Sisko that showcases his sheer willpower and determination. As many fans of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine know, Sisko can be single-minded in pursuing his goals, even skirting the outer edges of Federation and Starfleet law and morality. The Sisko in this issue is at the end of his rope. His crew, his ship, his family are all gone, and the responsibility to save literally everyone has fallen solely on his shoulders. Two previous episodes of Deep Space Nine come to mind here: “For the Uniform” from Season 5 and “In the Pale Moonlight” from Season 6. Kelly and Lanzing capture that intense focus Sisko had to capture Eddington and his willingness to walk in the morally gray areas for the sake of the greater good. In “For the Uniform,” Sisko poisoned an entire planet just to get at Eddington, and “In the Pale Moonlight,” he used trickery to fool the Romulans into committing to the war with the Dominion. That sense of moral ambiguity plays out in this issue, as Sisko pushes the ancient Bajorans into helping him complete his mission to reach the Prophets, often employing questionable methods to do so. On more than one occasion while reading this issue, I questioned Sisko’s choices and wondered if there wasn’t a better way forward. In the end, the reader is left still pondering these questions, an aspect all the best episodes of Deep Space Nine had in common. Kelly and Lanzing really understand what fans appreciated the most about Deep Space Nine and Sisko’s character.
I can’t leave any review of this issue without acknowledging the jaw-dropping art from Tess Fowler. Her watercolor style perfectly evokes the mystical, almost fairytale quality of the story. I don’t want to spoil too much, but there are scenes involving the celestial temple and the wormhole that are simply mesmerizing as her art captures the full grandeur of the power of the Prophets. Letterer Clayton Cowles makes some great choices for this issue in choosing a different font to symbolize when characters were speaking Bajoran. And his placement of the square thought balloons is unobtrusive and allows the reader to fully take in Fowler’s visual work.
Star Trek #29 is the perfect lead in to the next Star Trek crossover, Lore War. Our heroes could not be in a lower place, and the stakes can’t possibly be any higher. I would recommend that any Star Trek fan who wants to jump into IDW’s Star Trek universe should at least go back to the beginning of the Pleroma story arc in order to fully appreciate the events of this current issue. Of course, I would recommend picking up all the back issues, because this series has been a lot of fun all the way through, along with its sister book, Star Trek: Defiant. Kelly and Lanzing originally drew me in based on their inspired cast of characters, but they have proven that they have a firm grasp on what made each of these classic characters likeable in the first place. For anyone wanting to jump back into the era of 1990s Star Trek, this is the book for you.
Creative Team: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing (Writers), Tess Fowler (Artist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)
Publisher: IDW Publishing
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