Comic Book Review – Star Trek: Red Shirts Issue #4

      Villordsutch reviews Star Trek: Red Shirts #4…

      Have you ever been engrossed in a book and suddenly thought, “This could make a fantastic film!”? Your imagination begins to cast your favorite actors, setting them in position, and then you envision the perfect director — someone capable of beautifully translating the text to the big screen.

      Well, that's exactly where I am with Star Trek: Red Shirts, as this IDW Publishing comic series makes me eager to see it adapted in some form. However, I can't shake off a nagging voice in the back of my mind warning me, “Someone will ruin it with whispering and hugs! And then they’ll cast Jack Black and Kevin Hart!” So perhaps it’s better if I stick to reading my comics. I realize that this might have already hinted at the direction of this review, so my apologies for the early movie thoughts.

      We left off with Star Trek: Red Shirts #3, marked by the surprising intrusion of the Klingon Empire into an already harsh conflict. The Klingons successfully beam up both Ensign Raad and Ensign Miller, aiming to execute their own form of punishment, detached from Starfleet’s overarching schemes. With the Romulans now in possession of the Starfleet data disc filled with technical secrets, it falls upon the remaining members of the security team on Arkonia 89 to make one last courageous effort to reclaim the stolen information. However, when two of the three warring factions share a mutual adversary, the outlook for the surviving Red Shirts becomes grim.

      I can’t emphasize enough how strongly I endorse Star Trek: Red Shirts. It’s not just one of the most surprising and unexpectedly delightful Star Trek series I’ve encountered in quite a while, but it also brings a level of sheer brutality, maturity, and raw realism that’s woven throughout both Starfleet and the Federation’s legacy — the kind usually concealed unless you’ve watched that thirty-year-old series called Deep Space Nine, in which case you’ll recognize that Starfleet can sometimes get rather messy.

      Christopher Cantwell is again firing on all cylinders in this issue. We’re presented with three factions: some crossing lines, all incredibly powerful, some valiant, most aggressive, and one particularly tragic. What Cantwell has managed to compress into these pages is remarkable. Complementing that narrative with both visceral and emotional impact is the outstanding work of Megan Levens. Her particularly “bloody as hell” moment this month features a truly gruesome death scene, amplified by Ensign Miller’s clever improvisation. I found myself silently exclaiming, “Oh my god,” as a Klingon met an honorable end heading to Sto-vo-kor.

      However, I’m beginning to feel a sense of dread about where this story may be headed. Without being overly pessimistic, I doubt this remarkable battle — regardless of its outcome — will leave a lasting impression on anyone in Starfleet.

      I’ve mentioned this several times, but if you thought this series — as I initially did before reading — would just be a series of Red Shirt misadventures, you’re mistaken. Very mistaken. This is a must-read. Star Trek: Red Shirts is the best Star Trek we’ve seen in a long time.

      Rating: 10/10

      @Villordsutch