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Captain Kirk is set to make a dramatic return in ‘Star Trek: The Last Starship’, a new flagship comic from IDW Publishing that brings the iconic character back from the dead. Known to longtime fans for his death in the 1994 film ‘Star Trek: Generations’, Kirk will now re-emerge in a storyline set in the modern Starfleet era—just in time to witness the collapse of the very institution he once served.
Launching on 24th September, the comic is written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, with artwork by Adrián Bonilla. Kelly and Lanzing, who previously earned an Eisner Award nomination for their Star Trek work, described the new series as a bold departure from previous entries. Lanzing said the story introduces a new crew, a new era, and an entirely different tone, emphasising that it’s designed to be literary, intense, and accessible—even to readers unfamiliar with Star Trek lore.
He explained that the comic unfolds during a catastrophic event known as The Burn—a galaxy-wide disaster that wiped out all active warp cores, claimed trillions of lives, and shattered the stability maintained by the United Federation of Planets for over 700 years. In this bleak new setting, Kirk—mysteriously resurrected—must lead a new crew and starship in a desperate attempt to uphold Starfleet’s ideals of unity.
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The creative team confirmed that Kirk will be the only familiar face in a cast otherwise made up of new characters. Kelly remarked that William Shatner’s portrayal of Kirk remains one of the most powerful in science fiction, and described the character as a “warrior poet” marked by both greatness and contradiction. He added that ‘The Last Starship’ would take Kirk into bold, unexplored territory as he confronts a crisis that threatens to erase his legacy.
‘The Last Starship’ to Lead New Wave of Star Trek Comics
IDW has been a longtime publisher of Star Trek comics, and ‘The Last Starship’ is intended to serve as the line’s new anchor. The launch follows the conclusion of several long-running series, including Kelly and Lanzing’s previous Trek title. Before ‘The Last Starship’ debuts, IDW will release the limited series ‘Star Trek: Red Shirts’ in July, followed by ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Seeds of Salvation’ in August, and ‘Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming’ in September.
The first issue of ‘The Last Starship’ will feature a main cover by Francesco Francavilla, with variant covers by Skyler Patridge and Michael Cho, along with full-art and foil editions for collectors.
