Star Trek: THE LAST STARSHIP #11 (IDW PUBLISHING)
I knew I was jumping into a story that was already well underway, but The Last Starship #11 did a surprisingly good job of letting me pick up where things were and run with it.
I didn’t know every character or exactly how the story had reached this point, but I was never completely lost—and by the time I reached the end, I was curious about what had come before and what is to come.
Let’s talk STAR TREK: THE LAST STARSHIP #11 by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Adrián Bonilla, Lee Loughridge & Clayton Cowles (IDW Publishing)!
STAR TREK: THE LAST STARSHIP #11 by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Adrián Bonilla, Lee Loughridge & Clayton Cowles (IDW Publishing)
*** spoiler free reminder ***
The Federation is in shambles, and the survival of an entire civilization is hanging in the balance. We’re seeing Starfleet officers who have never even experienced the Federation at its peak, with the events of the Burn seemingly having happened long enough ago that its aftermath has become the reality they’ve inherited. There were definitely moments where I found myself thinking, “Okay, I really need to know how we got here.” Rather than being a barrier, though, that curiosity made me want to go back and read the first ten issues. Issue #11 feels like the apex of a much larger story, and now I want to see how it all unfolded.
It also doesn’t take long for The Last Starship to remind you that, yes, this is Star Trek. You’ve got Kirk making bold strategic decisions, the fate of the galaxy resting on the Federation, warp cores, transporters, and even references to the Burn. Survival stories fit remarkably well within Star Trek, especially when the thing being fought for isn’t simply the survival of a ship or a crew, but the survival of the Federation itself.
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Visually, the book has its own distinct feeling. I particularly enjoyed the way the ships are portrayed as they travel through space, while the use of color helps emphasize just how grim the situation has become. The artwork reinforces the feeling that this isn’t the bright, optimistic Federation we’re accustomed to seeing. Something has been lost, and the visuals help communicate that without needing to spell it out.
The biggest surprise for me, though, was how quickly the issue pulled me along. I was turning pages because I genuinely wanted to see what happened next. Despite walking into the story at such a critical point, the issue gives you enough to understand where things are and lets you run with it.
By the time I reached the end, my bigger takeaway wasn’t necessarily about one particular character. It was about the larger story. I wanted to know how the Federation got here, what happened after the Burn, and how this story ultimately comes together. That’s the best compliment I can give Star Trek: The Last Starship #11 as someone experiencing it for the first time: it made me want to go backward.
I want to read the first ten issues and experience this story from the beginning. I want to see how the Federation reached this point, and I absolutely want to see where it goes next. If you’re already invested in The Last Starship, issue #11 feels like a major payoff. But even coming into the story this late, I found enough here to make me want to discover the whole thing.
FINAL GRaDE: 9
I came into issue #11 late, but I left wanting to know what happened before I got there. This was a phenomenal read!
Let me know your thoughts on STAR TREK: THE LAST STARSHIP #11 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!