Review: IDW’s Star Trek #59 Offers Truly Unique 50th Anniversary Story

Both crews of the prime and Kelvin timeline Enterprises encounter the same irregularity in space.


Star Trek #59 covers
Issue #59 sells for $3.99 at IDW

“Localized fluctuations in space time and anomalies.” Whenever these phrases are used in conjunction with a Star Trek story, fans know they are in for a time travel treat. In fact, the entire basis of the new Kelvin timeline, which IDW’s ongoing Star Trek series chronicles, was created based on an anomaly that Nero generated in the Prime timeline. As the calendar draws nearer to Star Trek’s official 50th birthday, Mike Johnson and Tony Shasteen present readers with a rare jubilee treat in Star Trek #59, one that could only be accomplished in the comic book medium.

Connection, part one of two, opens with the rarely used but clever split page story, in which two characters are experiencing moments at the same exact time. However, the character this time is only Captain Kirk, and that is where the fun truly begins.

Both Enterprise NCC-1701 encounter a phenomenon in space. Of course, Starfleet’s mission charter is one of exploration, and although probes are sent and crewmembers experience strange occurrences in both timelines, it is the mystery of the unknown that keeps them at their present course.

As noted before in other reviews of Shasteen’s art and storytelling, the artist expertly captures the likenesses of both crews, which is essential for any successful comic book story on a license property. Shasteen also takes full advantage of splitting the narrative on the page and two-page spreads to allow readers to compare the impact of similar events on both ships.

Two-issue stories do not give a lot of time for nuanced or character-driven storytelling, however Johnson does not really need to accomplish either in a story like this, which sets up the mystery and engages readers to find out what happens next month.

7 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

It’s also the series finale from what I’ve heard. Maybe because of the movie coming out and boborci not being involved in the film’s moving forward?

Look, that´s “ROM the SpaceKnight”, he´s one the most “Star Trek” like Marvel characters

This is crazy to me. The comics makes it PERFECTLY obvious that we are dealing with two universes with two Kirks, Spocks, Sulus etc and yet in the movieverse people are still arguing if they are in another universe or not? Its the weirdest, craziest disconnect I’ve ever seen. It sounds like a fantastic story though. I wish we got these kinds of stories in the actual movies but sadly its all destruction and photon battles in the films.