The vastStar Trekuniverse, which started as one television series in the 1960s, has expanded to the world of movies, video games, table-top games, novels, and comics. Since the firstStar Trekcomics were published soon afterThe Original Seriescame out, there have been a huge number ofStar Trekcomics that are set in various periods in theStar Trektimeline.
Some comics are cross-overs between other sci-fi series,such asDoctor WhoorPlanet of the Apes.Others deal with alternate universes, such as the infamous Mirror Universe, as well as other timelines. There are a few of these that stand out as great comics, and that everyStar Trekfan should read.
10Star Trek: Voyager — Seven’s Reckoning (2021)
The firstStar Trek: Voyagercomic in over a decade,Seven’s Reckoningis set around the time of the events of the show’s fourth season. The crew of the USS Voyager stumble upon a reptilian alien race that is in the middle of a class war — a revolution of the working class against the upper class.
Seven of Ninefinds herself in the middle of the conflict. There, she is faced with the choice of helping the aliens and breaking the prime directive, or going against her newfound humanity and leaving the lower class to suffer.
9Star Trek: Khan Ruling In Hell (2011)
Khan Ruling in Hellis anOriginal Seriescomic that explores the events of Khan and the Augments while in exile on the planet Ceti Alpha V. This comic is set between the events ofTheOriginal Seriesepisode “Space Seed” and the feature film,The Wrath of Khan.
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Khan Noonien Singh is one ofStar Trek’s most iconic villains, and many fans might wonder at which point this proud warrior turned into a raving madman.Khan Ruling in Hellprovides reasoning for the dramatic shift in character.
8Star Trek: Year Four — The Enterprise Experiment (2008)
Taking place in the aftermath of the classicOriginal Seriesepisode, “The Enterprise Incident,” theYear FourStar Trekcomic series follows the adventures of Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew in the fourth year of their five-year journey. This comic is filled with references toOriginal Seriesepisodes, and it fills gaps in the timeline in a very natural way.
The story itself is also gripping, with theintroduction of Section 31for the very first time, as well as Romulan, Klingon and Federation conspiracies abound.
7Star Trek: Crew (2009)
Star Trek: Crewis a prequel toThe Original Seriesand follows the story of one ofStar Trek’s most famous female officers — Number One — as a cadet before she serves asCaptain Christopher Pike’sright-hand-woman on the USS Enterprise. This comic serves as a biography of the much-loved character, playing off eight years before the events of “The Cage.”
InCrew,Number One is sent on a pedestrian mission on an uncommissioned starship. However, things go wrong and this ends up being one of the most dangerous missions of her Starfleet career.
6Star Trek: The Last Generation (2009)
The Last Generationis an interesting comic as it is the first to play out in the Myriad Universe. In this Universe, Starfleet has ceased to exist after the Klingons have conquered Earth. It is up to Jean-Luc Picard to lead the resistance against the Klingons and reclaim Earth with the help of Data, who has scrutinized the timeline and realized that things are not as they should be.
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This comic is a fresh take onStar Trekand the characters fromThe Next Generation,without resorting to portraying their evil doppelgängers, as Mirror Universe comics tend to do.
5Star Trek Discovery: Succession (2018)
The Mirror Universe and the Mirror versions of the USS Discovery Crew play a large role inStar Trek: Discovery.The comic,Succession,is directly related to the events ofSeason 1 ofDiscovery,where Michael Burnham and some of the crew travel to the infamous Mirror Universe.
The comic explores some political issues within the Terran Empire, especially regarding who takes over the throne and how succession takes place. The comic gives some context to supporting characters, like Emperor Georgiou, and the inner workings of the violent Terran Empire.
4Star Trek: The Next Generation — Mirror Broken (2018)
Another Mirror Universe comic,The Next Generation—Mirror Brokenfollows the story of Mirror Picard and his crew on board the ISS Stargazer. The ruthlessCaptain Jean-Luc Picardis on a mission to get his hands on the galaxy-class warship, the ISS Enterprise-D, and stops at nothing to do so.
As is usual for Mirror Universe stories, this comic is filled with plots, schemes and betrayals on the parts of the Stargazer and the Enterprise crews. Fans witness the deeds of the evil counterparts of the much-loved characters fromThe Next Generation.
3Star Trek: Spock — Reflections (2010)
Based on one ofStar Trek’s most famous characters, Mr. Spock, theSpock—Reflectionscomic explores Spock’s decision to stay on Romulus among one of the Federation’s worst enemies, the Romulans. An elderly Spock returns to the Federation to secretly pay respects to his fallen friend, Captain Kirk, and thinks back on the events that led up to this moment.
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Reflectionsis a contemplative prequel to theStar Trek: Countdowncomic, filled with flashbacks of Spock’s life as he reminisces in the aftermath of theStar Trek Generationsfilm.
2Star Trek: Mission’s End (2009)
As the title suggests,Mission’s Endis anOriginal Seriescomic that depicts the final mission of theUSS Enterprise’s five-year long journey under the command of Captain James T. Kirk.
This miniseries resolves important questions that the television series leaves unanswered, such as why Spock and McCoy retired from Starfleet, how Captain Kirk was promoted to Admiral, and so forth. This is a nostalgic comic for fans ofThe Original Series,as it shows the return of much-loved classicStar Trekcharacters.
1Star Trek (1989)
In the 1980s, DC took over theStar Trekcomics license and ran with it for over ten years. One of the best during this time is the 70-issue series that was published in 1989. This series is set right after the events of the 1989Star Trekfilm,The Final Frontier,and fills many gaps in the adventures of Captain Kirk and his crew aboard the Enterprise-A.
The 1989 series stands out, as it fits very well inStar Trekcanon, and it keeps the characterization ofThe Original Seriescrew intact.
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