by Kevin Gaussoin, Editor-in-Chief
Fans of any series of Star Trek, or any take-offs like Galaxy Quest or John Scalzi’s novel Red Shirts are all loving this series.
Christopher Cantwell (and the Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing brain trust) recently finished off their years-long intertwined love letter to Star Trek characters and then what? Where do you go after the Lore War epilogue? Colin and Jackson went on to once again write Star Trek on hard mode with The Last Starship. Not to be outdone, Cantwell took on what on its face seemed deceptively simple: Star Trek: Red Shirts. Just write the Star Trek version of Strikeforce: Morituri, right?
I mean, it’s not not that. But it’s so much more.
Star Trek: Red Shirts threatens to be a horror movie worth of endless deaths of starfleet security officers, each dying in more inventive and shocking ways. It’s not not that either.
Star Trek: Red Shirts #5 is the conclusion of the goriest episode of Star Trek: The Original Series that could have ever been, but never was. While it’s set in the time of “Those Old Scientists” and so some of the musical cues that fans will no doubt hear in their minds will include those dramatic high tremolo strings with brass surges and aggressive percussion but fans may also imagine some sharper percussive stingers and darker harmonic clusters that of course stem instead from the time of Deep Space Nine. Yes that’s a bit of a spoiler, but unless you’re both a Trek fan and a composer, you probably won’t be spoiled. Just know that the inevitable musical accompaniment in your mind is your imagination rewarding you for reading a great Trek story.
Cantwell is joined by Artist Megan Levens and Colorist Charlie Kirchoff. This team kind of reminds me of Darick Robertson and Tony Aviña from The Boys, and not just because of all the graphic violence and gore, but because in all ways, they are killing it. Any great comic book needs a great art team that can tell the story clearly even before the letterer (in this case, Jodie Troutman, excellent job there too) shows up to float the words on top of the pictures. They have done an amazing job. Any great comic book likewise needs a great editor to make sure that each creator is right for the particular job and fits well with not just the story, but each of the other creators as well. Once again, Heather Antos has assembled an ideal team to tell this Star Trek: Red Shirts mini series story that combines horror, suspense, espionage, and of course sci-fi into a tale worthy of Those Old Screenwiters like Gene Coon or DC Fontana.
Without spoiling anything, let me conclude with this: Star Trek: Red Shirts’ last page is a master class in sticking the landing. You may not have imagined the matching musical cues for the reveals I mentioned earlier, but I promise you will at the final panel.
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives Star Trek: Red Shirts #5 five out of 5 five-year missions.
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