There’s a moment in Star Trek #32 where Lore, feeling the impact of his core four minds being disconnected (and thus, losing his godhood), launches into a profanity-laden rant. In the middle of said rant, he shouts, “I made a perfect universe! Why is this happening?!” His brother Data has a simple, yet profound response: “Even in your cosmic power, you will never be able to make a perfect universe…because every universe you create will have you.”
The idea of making a better world runs throughout Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing’s script: Sisko is determined to set things right. Worf, despite not knowing if Sisko’s plan will work, backs him up every step of the way. Data finally defies his brother, and notes that he actually feels joy in doing it. They also get some help from their allies, as the minds Lore was using to reshape the universe are finally freed – leading to a spectacularly emotional moment where Tom Paris reunites with his wife, B’Elanna.
Star Trek #32 once again has Davide Tinto to thank for delivering some pretty epic imagery. Whether it’s the Borg/Maquis fleet raining down destruction on temples celebrating Lore, or Shaxs waging a one-man war against Starfleet (which you can check out more of in the excellent Star Trek: Lore War – Shaxs‘ Worst Day one shot), Tinto sells the idea of this being Sisko and co’s last stand against Lore. The biggest moment comes in the last pages, when Sisko pulls out his “secret weapon” to save the universe. To say any more will spoil the surprise, but the way Tinto and Lee Loughridge work to bring it to life results in a glorious set of images.
IDW
The best moments, though, come when Sisko and Worf confront Lore. Lore, having godlike power at this point, tries to tempt Sisko with the idea of reuniting with his wife Jennifer and his son Jake. Everyone on the creative team is firing on full cylinders during this moment. Lanzing and Kelly present Sisko with the ultimate temptation. Tinto draws his eyes going wide with shock, while Clayton Cowles has his words trailing off, as he struggles with whether or not to accept Lore’s “gift”. Finally, Loughridge’s muted color palette can’t dim the way Sisko’s eyes light up when he first seees Jennifer. Even though he lost her years ago in the “real” universe, this moment shows that a part of him will always love her.
Star Trek #32 technically isn’t the end of the Lore War storyline; this month will also see the release of the Star Trek: Omega one-shot which closes the book on Lore’s reign alongside Kelly and Lanzing’s run. But this issue is a great example of why their Trek run has been amazing: they’ve managed to get the mix of optimism, space-faring, and epic, often world-shaking stories that made me fall in love with this franchise. Worf puts it best in one page: “There must never be a final frontier.” That could apply to Star Trek as a whole; as long as creators like Kelly and Lanzing (alongside Tinto, Loughride and Cowles) are out there, we’ll still keep getting great stories in this universe.
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