by Matt Sernaker, Editor-In-Chief,
No one wants to be a “red shirt”. The expendable character trope made it into the pop culture zeitgeist, with these tragic and easily forgotten characters living forever in infamy… Thanks to the creative minds at IDW Publishing, readers will get to explore a unique take on these heroes in the new mini-series: Star Trek: Red Shirts.
The collected edition features all five issues from the epic mini-series, showcasing a previously unexplored corner of the Star Trek Universe. Featuring an incredible creative team of Christopher Cantwell (writer), Megan Levens (artist), Charlie Kirchoff (colorist), and Jodie Troutman (letterer), the story focuses on the unsung heroes of Trek and a mission that could change the balance of power in the galaxy…
Set in The Original Series (or TOS) Era, an elite group of Red Shirts is tasked with a mysterious mission to the isolated planet known as Arkonia 89. These officers were informed that this might be a one-way mission, but the risk to the Federation is so great that they might be asked to make the greatest sacrifice of all to protect Starfleet’s secrets. Don’t get too attached, because no one is safe is this unique character-driven narrative.
When it comes to IDW Publishing’s take on the Star Trek Universe, we’ve learned to expect the unexpected. The Trek books have been nothing but consistent over the last few years, and Christopher Cantwell’s incredible storytelling in Star Trek: Defiant is a case in point. The covers alone are worth the price of admission, but every single page of this story is packed with classic Trek elements (the bold concepts, the bright colors, and the ridiculous surprises). The release of Red Shirts demonstrates a clear opportunity to branch out and explore new corners of the Trek Universe, boldly taking us where we’ve never gone before…
Star Trek: Red-Shirts is a fresh addition to the world of Trek, filled with wild concepts and interesting (yet expendable) new characters.
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives Star Trek: Red Shirts – 4.5 out of 5 fun ways to lean into a trope.
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