IDW Publishing announced yesterday (via The Hollywood Reporter) that James T. Kirk was heading out on another mission where no person has gone before in Star Trek: The Last Starship, penned by the Eisner-nominated duo Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, with stunning visuals by Adrián Bonilla and vibrant colors by Heather Moore. Launching this September, this new Star Trek Universe series will see the legendary Captain Kirk make an unexpected return from the dead, just in time to witness the fall of the Starfleet he once cherished.
According to IDW:
This epic comic book series takes place during The Burn, a galaxy-wide disaster which caused the destruction of every active warp core, killing trillions and shattering the peace, stability, enlightenment, and mutual protection the United Federation of Planets provided for seven centuries. Facing a true wild west in space, a mysteriously resurrected Captain Kirk will lead a new crew and ship in a seemingly impossible effort to uphold Starfleet’s mission of unity across the cosmos.
For the uninitiated, The Burn is a cataclysmic event that occurred in the 31st century and is central to the storyline of Star Trek: Discovery‘s third season. The Burn was a galaxy-wide disaster triggered by the genetically altered Kelpien child, Su’Kal, who was born and raised in isolation on a dilithium-rich planet and has a unique connection to the substance due to in-utero exposure. When his mother dies, the intense emotions Su’Kal experiences cause a subspace resonance in which nearly all dilithium in the galaxy suddenly destabilizes and explodes.
The Burn destroys most active warp-capable ships across the galaxy and essentially wipes out Starfleet’s governing body, the United Federation of Planets, which had depended on dilithium as the key element for warp travel and starship power. As we see in Discovery, The Burn completely changes the political power structures across the galaxy and leads to isolationism and chaos across many worlds.
But what does Captain Kirk want with The Burn?
“The only familiar face is the one you’d never expect to see in this era: Captain James T. Kirk,” stated co-writer Kelly. “William Shatner’s iconic performance transcends borders – Kirk is one of the great characters of the modern fiction canon with a timeless actor to match. He was also the first Star Trek character we ever wrote – a leader and warrior poet with boundless tragedy and contradiction. Now, we’re honored to be taking this character into truly uncharted, groundbreaking territory in The Last Starship – as the Federation’s greatest pioneer must face down the inferno that threatens to consume his entire legacy.”
“Forget everything you know about Star Trek,” remarked Lanzing in the press release. “The Last Starship is a new crew, a new era, and a completely different tone; our aim is to be literary, intense, innovative, and most of all, accessible. We’re bringing you into the Federation’s darkest hour through the brilliant, noir-soaked lens of artist Adrián Bonilla with zero homework required.”
The Eisner-nominated writer added, ” Longtime Trek fans will have a deep and fascinating reading experience, to be sure – this is a pivotal moment in Trek history that’s never been even glimpsed before – but above all, The Last Starship is a dark and complex sci-fi you can hand to anyone. We’ve spent the last eight years celebrating all that Trek has ever been. Now, it’s time to rebuild it from scratch and discover all it can be.”
IDW’s Star Trek: The Last Starship #1 will feature a primary cover by Francesco Francavilla, a variant by Skyler Patridge, a foil variant by Michael Cho, and a Local Comic Shop Day variant by Malachi Ward. Check out the covers and a few preview pages below:
The debut issue of Star Trek: The Last Starship goes on sale September 24, 2025, with a pre-order deadline of August 18, 2025. Visit a comic shop near you to pre-order.
