Villordsutch reviews Star Trek: Red Shirts #5…
From day one, Star Trek: Red Shirts has never pretended things would end well — it’s given us Romulan disruptors melting faces, gruesome transporter accidents, a planet so inhospitable it practically tries to murder you on sight, and on occasion does. The kind of missions that leave even seasoned officers staring into the void. This finale doesn’t soften a single blow. It drags you straight back into the catastrophic disaster of the Away Mission, into the awful truth that being the backbone of Starfleet means bleeding for a cause most people will never even hear about. It’s brutal, and exactly the kind of closing chapter this series has been daring us to survive.
This is it. Our final two Security Officers — Miller and Raad — have hit their no-win scenario. Held hostage by Romulans, paraded in front of Klingons, and with the Starfleet “Disc of Secrets” just out of arm’s reach. Can they complete their final mission? Will either of them walk away to tell the tale of The Battle of Arkonia 89? It all comes down to this: honour, secrets, and trusting the officer beside you.
What the actual flip!? I honestly think this is the first time, while reading a Star Trek comic, that I’ve blurted out language that would make a sailor blush. Once again, Christopher Cantwell delivers an issue of Star Trek: Red Shirts that lodges itself firmly in your brain. And the worst part is, I can’t even tell you what caused my colourful outburst without absolutely wrecking this closing chapter of what has been an outstanding series. I’d love to — I want to climb the tallest hill and scream about this unbelievable Trek rug-pull. Everyone deserves to know what I now know. But, in a spoiler-free nutshell: this issue is heartbreaking, jaw-dropping, and utterly amazing.
I may have given away my feelings already, but honestly, I couldn’t hold it in. This entire series has been something special. From Christopher Cantwell’s perfectly brutal storytelling, to Megan Levens’ unbelievable artwork, to the constantly fantastic colours from Charlie Kirchoff, who has bathed each issue with a palette of bright, beautiful and gore. And I’m absolutely adding Jodie Troutman’s lettering here — subtle choices snuck into bubbles that your brain catches before your eyes do. I could thank every single person who made this series sing, from the cover artists to the “Sharpener of the Pencils,” but if I did, I’d be here all day. So thank you, all of you.
Now though… I don’t know what to do. It’s over. Five months have flown by, and one of my new Star Trek loves has snapped its back cover shut for the final time. Star Trek: Red Shirts has been one of my biggest surprises of the year. I did not expect, in any way, to get this level of quality in both story and art from what had essentially become an internet sci-fi nerd joke. But here we are, saying goodbye to one of the greatest slices of Trek I’ve ever read in comic form.
If you’ve missed any of this, I’m genuinely sorry for you — it’s been brilliant. Keep an eye out for the TPB in the near future. If you’ve been here for the whole ride, I’m sure you’ll agree: it’s been fantastic from start to finish.
SEE ALSO: Exclusive Interview – Christopher Cantwell and Megan Levens discuss Star Trek: Red Shirts
Rating: 10/10
@Villordsutch
