IDW Publishing has announced that Captain James T. Kirk is coming back from the dead for Star Trek: The Last Starship, which will see the iconic Starfleet captain resurrected in the 31st century as the United Federation of Planets faces its greatest threat to date.
Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing with art from Adrian Bonilla, Star Trek: The Last Starship “takes place during The Burn, a galaxy-wide disaster which caused the destruction of every active warp core, killing trillions and shattering the peace, stability, enlightenment, and mutual protection the United Federation of Planets provided for seven centuries. Facing a true wild west in space, a mysteriously resurrected Captain Kirk will lead a new crew and ship in a seemingly impossible effort to uphold Starfleet’s mission of unity across the cosmos.”
“Forget everything you know about Star Trek,” stated co-writer Lanzing. “The Last Starship is a new crew, a new era, and a completely different tone; our aim is to be literary, intense, innovative, and most of all, accessible. We’re bringing you into the Federation’s darkest hour through the brilliant, noir-soaked lens of artist Adrián Bonilla with zero homework required. Longtime Trek fans will have a deep and fascinating reading experience, to be sure – this is a pivotal moment in Trek history that’s never been even glimpsed before – but above all, The Last Starship is a dark and complex sci-fi you can hand to anyone. We’ve spent the last eight years celebrating all that Trek has ever been. Now, it’s time to rebuild it from scratch and discover all it can be.”
“The only familiar face is the one you’d never expect to see in this era: Captain James T. Kirk,” added co-writer Kelly. “William Shatner’s iconic performance transcends borders – Kirk is one of the great characters of the modern fiction canon with a timeless actor to match. He was also the first Star Trek character we ever wrote – a leader and warrior poet with boundless tragedy and contradiction. Now, we’re honored to be taking this character into truly uncharted, groundbreaking territory in The Last Starship – as the Federation’s greatest pioneer must face down the inferno that threatens to consume his entire legacy.”
Star Trek: The Last Starship #1 will go on sale on September 24th 2025.
