Star Trek #27 begins in a bleak place. Despite the U.S.S Theseus‘ best efforts to halt it, the destruction of the universe is complete. Only the Theseus remains…and Ben Sisko is becoming painfully aware that he must return to Bajor. But before that, he and the Theseus’ crew have one last supper, where they commune as Starfleet officers…and as people.
That human element is present throughout Star Trek #27, and it’s a large part of why Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly have excelled at writing Star Trek. They understand that whatever era or whatever characters Trek follows, it’s their inherent humanity – even the androids and aliens among them – that keep people invested. The duo show that in the small moments: a conversation between Sisko and Beverly Crusher, romantic tension between Lily Sato and fellow operations officer Descheeni, and Scotty literally singing the crew off during their dinner.
Lanzing and Kelly’s script also hones in on the turmoil that Sisko is feeling. After all his fights to save creation, and reuniting with his family, he’s lost everything. The opening pages showcase this perfectly: Sisko is standing solemnly in his quarters, holding his prized baseball. Then, with a surge of fury, he slams it down onto his desk. Later, he addresses his crew not as “Captain”, but as “Ben”, a warmth surrounding his usually serious countenance.
IDW Publishing
Such a deeply human script deserves an artist who can bring that humanity to life, and Mike Feehan is more than up to the task. Feehan provides two standout pages: one with a menagerie of panels surrounding Sisko’s baseball, showing the crew of the Theseus as they deal with reality being lost, and a final moment where the Theseus streaks into space. In both pages, he not only displays characters goring through a range of emotions, whether it’s rage or resolve, but he also shows how they deal with the end of the world. Do you find comfort in the arms of a loved one? Do you have one last drink? Do you throw yourself into your passions? All of that is on display and more.
Interestingly enough, another artist boards the final page, and it’s a unique shift. Tess Fowler and Lee Loughridge present a realm that feels less like a comic page and more like a richly colored tapestry, as Sisko finally returns to Bajor. Following this is a page that Clayton Cowles has designed to look like a well-worn piece of parchment, further underlying the mythic tones this comic has taken.
Star Trek #27 not only delivers a deeply human story, but it also has the artwork to match. With Sisko returning to Bajor, and the Lore War storyline on the horizon, this comic is ready to explore a whole new frontier.
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