Writer Ryan North is ending his run on Star Trek: Lower Decks this week with the finale to a two-parter in Star Trek: Lower Decks #6. The time travel tale has sent the crew back to the Titanic before it crashed into the iceberg. Thanks to quick thinking, they can observe time changes and not be eradicated from the timeline, but how long before they mess everything up even worse than the time travel bandit?
North does it once again with a jam-packed issue of hijinks, quips, and plot progression. A staple of his run on this series has been keeping you entertained and the story moving. The issue opens where we left off on the Titanic, where we learn that most of the crew has no idea what happened there. A tiny problem, given it could crash into an iceberg at any moment! Soon, they’re being bumped into, literally, by the culprit behind the time crimes, and the plot thickens from there.
As the cover suggests, dinosaurs do factor into this issue reminding us North is addicted to the animals. Dr. Doom has one, he got his start with them, and now they’re in a Star Trek adventure!
That means more time jumping, but before that can happen, our characters work things out with Star Trek’s greatest weapon: Words. These scenes allow North to utilize most of the cast, play into time travel tropes, and throw in some slamming comedy. Even the reveal of who is messing with the time stream plays with familiar tropes, reminding us we’re in on the joke with North. Do these scenes feel a bit long by comparison to the action? Sure, but there’s some fun to be had.
Gotta love a bonk joke.
Credit: IDW
The footnotes, which continue to add nuance, comedy, and commentary, are all about fun. They never miss.
A highlight is a three-panel montage showing us how time travel can really mess things up. A viking with a tricorder, Shakespeare with a phaser, and so on, and so forth. Artist Jack Lawrence not only excels at getting the likenesses of the cartoons perfect, but the comedy works on all levels. The sci-fi stuff does, like when the crew goes back in time without a portal, but it’s good old science.
Star Trek: Lower Decks #6 is a fitting, zany conclusion to Ryan North’s run, packing in smart gags, deep-cut Trek references, and time-travel chaos—all without losing the heart and humor that made the series work. While some scenes linger a bit too long in the dialogue, the combination of strong comedic timing, clever twists, and Jack Lawrence’s expressive art makes this finale a joy for fans of both Star Trek and absurd sci-fi.
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