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Star Trek: The Last Starship #5
Star Trek: The Last Starship #5
The Federation’s delegates have gathered. The Babel conference is on. Together, they aim to save Starfleet and bring peace to all quadrants. But while Captain Sato and the crew of the U.S.S. Omega have only experienced the passage of time as four months within their transwarp bubble, for the rest of the galaxy, it’s been 23 years. For 23 years, the delegates have been left to their own devices, to stew in their own machinations and to make new allegiances…and while the U.S.S. Omega may have brought them all together, the Burn has forced them apart. Not all want to broker peace, and someone who was once closest to Starfleet may become its greatest adversary…
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First published February 18, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 18, 2026
Five issues in, and two-thirds of the way into The Last Starship's second chapter, Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing's book is proving to be an indispensable part of Trek lore. With its focus on The Burn and subsequent events of the 30th Century prior to the arrival of the starship Discovery, the writers have found a rich, untapped vein of future-history to not only explore and boldly go, but to straight-up define.
This issue focuses on the 20-years in the making Babel Conference and the first official gathering of Federation diplomats in the wake of The Burn. Since starships can no longer be powered by dilithium, thus making warp travel if not impossible than potentially deadly, Captain Sato and the Omega crew have been ferrying diplomatic councils to Babel via transwarp. Time dilation being what it is, it's been a rigorous few months for Omega, but for everyone else it's been decades. Now, Sato hopes to help lead the way for the Federation to reunite it's celestial family and reforge bonds and commitments to one another. Needless to say, other people and organizations have differing plans and ideals for the post-Burn reality.
For Sato, the Burn is still a fresh wound. For those outside of the Omega, it's history and societies are crumbling in its wake. Intergalactic trade is ruined, economies are in freefall, and nobody really knows how to move forward without the technology their planets and lives have been built upon for centuries. Sato has had months to plan for the Babel Conference. His shadowy opponents have had years and years to conspire and build plans of their own.
Kelly and Lanzig have put together a richly complicated political thriller in this second chapter. While the previous issue was a deeply personal story focused on Wowie and the passage of years and loss to show how Earth is adapting to their new reality, this issue feels a bit smaller but no less richer. There's conspiracy and rivals jockeying for power, and Sato's optimism is forced to reckon with a new reality.
Adrián Bonilla keeps killing it on art duty, bringing his noir vibe to a planet considered paradise. An early panel recalls the visual aesthetic of Blade Runner, with powerful sunlight flooding a hallway and creating deep, dark shadows. An exterior splash page shows the beauty of Babel and what Sato and company have been building in their preparations for the conference, while another splash shows the visual craziness of the diplomascope. I really love the visuals Bonilla is bringing to this book each month and hope he's in for the long haul of this title's run.
One other thing I have to applaud this team on is their handling of Captain Kirk. In the months leading up to the launch of The Last Starship, the big advertising hook for this comic was, of course, the resurrection of James T. Kirk in the wake of The Burn. Kirk is a lager-than-life icon, and one would naturally expect this book to be his and his alone, dominating the bridge and taking charge. Kelly and Lanzig smartly upend expectations by doing the complete opposite. For all the fuss about bringing back Kirk, he's been a relatively minor character. Aside from an exciting end to the climax of chapter one, The Last Starship is a book, in its current form, that could exist entirely without the Kirk conceit.
Maybe that will change in future issues, but for the now the writers' focus has largely been on pretty much everyone else on the Omega. This issue definitely belongs to Captain Sato, showcasing his idealism and values, and the perpetually drugged-up Ferengi Doctor Zed gets some nice moments to shine. Zed has also been used sparingly, be he absolutely dominates the few scenes he gets, quickly joining the pantheon of quirky Trek med-staff like Bones and Voyager's EMH. It's safe to say, Star Trek has never had a doctor quite like Zed, and it's great to see him getting caught up in the action here, and to learn a bit more about how he wound up where he is.
Next issue, I'm expecting some sparks to fly, especially as one particular Discovery plot point comes into sharp focus and closes the issue with a proverbial bang. Man, this book is exciting!
This issue focuses on the 20-years in the making Babel Conference and the first official gathering of Federation diplomats in the wake of The Burn. Since starships can no longer be powered by dilithium, thus making warp travel if not impossible than potentially deadly, Captain Sato and the Omega crew have been ferrying diplomatic councils to Babel via transwarp. Time dilation being what it is, it's been a rigorous few months for Omega, but for everyone else it's been decades. Now, Sato hopes to help lead the way for the Federation to reunite it's celestial family and reforge bonds and commitments to one another. Needless to say, other people and organizations have differing plans and ideals for the post-Burn reality.
For Sato, the Burn is still a fresh wound. For those outside of the Omega, it's history and societies are crumbling in its wake. Intergalactic trade is ruined, economies are in freefall, and nobody really knows how to move forward without the technology their planets and lives have been built upon for centuries. Sato has had months to plan for the Babel Conference. His shadowy opponents have had years and years to conspire and build plans of their own.
Kelly and Lanzig have put together a richly complicated political thriller in this second chapter. While the previous issue was a deeply personal story focused on Wowie and the passage of years and loss to show how Earth is adapting to their new reality, this issue feels a bit smaller but no less richer. There's conspiracy and rivals jockeying for power, and Sato's optimism is forced to reckon with a new reality.
Adrián Bonilla keeps killing it on art duty, bringing his noir vibe to a planet considered paradise. An early panel recalls the visual aesthetic of Blade Runner, with powerful sunlight flooding a hallway and creating deep, dark shadows. An exterior splash page shows the beauty of Babel and what Sato and company have been building in their preparations for the conference, while another splash shows the visual craziness of the diplomascope. I really love the visuals Bonilla is bringing to this book each month and hope he's in for the long haul of this title's run.
One other thing I have to applaud this team on is their handling of Captain Kirk. In the months leading up to the launch of The Last Starship, the big advertising hook for this comic was, of course, the resurrection of James T. Kirk in the wake of The Burn. Kirk is a lager-than-life icon, and one would naturally expect this book to be his and his alone, dominating the bridge and taking charge. Kelly and Lanzig smartly upend expectations by doing the complete opposite. For all the fuss about bringing back Kirk, he's been a relatively minor character. Aside from an exciting end to the climax of chapter one, The Last Starship is a book, in its current form, that could exist entirely without the Kirk conceit.
Maybe that will change in future issues, but for the now the writers' focus has largely been on pretty much everyone else on the Omega. This issue definitely belongs to Captain Sato, showcasing his idealism and values, and the perpetually drugged-up Ferengi Doctor Zed gets some nice moments to shine. Zed has also been used sparingly, be he absolutely dominates the few scenes he gets, quickly joining the pantheon of quirky Trek med-staff like Bones and Voyager's EMH. It's safe to say, Star Trek has never had a doctor quite like Zed, and it's great to see him getting caught up in the action here, and to learn a bit more about how he wound up where he is.
Next issue, I'm expecting some sparks to fly, especially as one particular Discovery plot point comes into sharp focus and closes the issue with a proverbial bang. Man, this book is exciting!
February 19, 2026
Star Trek: The Last Starship #5 — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
By Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Adrián Bonilla (Artist)
Just when you think the galaxy is finally pulling itself together… it absolutely does not. Issue #5 slams the door on any sense of stability and delivers a finale that’s equal parts shocking, tragic, and thrilling. Kelly and Lanzing have been building tension across timelines and political fault lines, and here it all snaps—beautifully, catastrophically—right when hope feels within reach.
The setup alone is a powder keg: the Federation’s delegates reunited at the long‑awaited Babel conference, the U.S.S. Omega emerging from its four‑month transwarp bubble only to discover that 23 years have passed for everyone else, and the Burn reshaping alliances in ways no one could have predicted. What follows is a masterclass in political sci‑fi drama. Old grudges resurface, new agendas collide, and the people who were once Starfleet’s closest allies may now be its most dangerous adversaries.
Bonilla’s art amplifies every twist—expressive, cinematic, and perfectly tuned to the emotional weight of the story. The visuals make the stakes feel immediate, even overwhelming, as the Omega crew tries to navigate a galaxy that moved on without them.
And that ending. Brutal. Inevitable. Completely gripping. It’s the kind of finale that doesn’t just raise the stakes—it flips the entire board and dares you to imagine what comes next.
A phenomenal issue that proves this series isn’t afraid to take big swings. If this is where we’re leaving off, the next chapter can’t come soon enough.
Live long and prosper 🖖 🚀🪐📚
By Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Adrián Bonilla (Artist)
Just when you think the galaxy is finally pulling itself together… it absolutely does not. Issue #5 slams the door on any sense of stability and delivers a finale that’s equal parts shocking, tragic, and thrilling. Kelly and Lanzing have been building tension across timelines and political fault lines, and here it all snaps—beautifully, catastrophically—right when hope feels within reach.
The setup alone is a powder keg: the Federation’s delegates reunited at the long‑awaited Babel conference, the U.S.S. Omega emerging from its four‑month transwarp bubble only to discover that 23 years have passed for everyone else, and the Burn reshaping alliances in ways no one could have predicted. What follows is a masterclass in political sci‑fi drama. Old grudges resurface, new agendas collide, and the people who were once Starfleet’s closest allies may now be its most dangerous adversaries.
Bonilla’s art amplifies every twist—expressive, cinematic, and perfectly tuned to the emotional weight of the story. The visuals make the stakes feel immediate, even overwhelming, as the Omega crew tries to navigate a galaxy that moved on without them.
And that ending. Brutal. Inevitable. Completely gripping. It’s the kind of finale that doesn’t just raise the stakes—it flips the entire board and dares you to imagine what comes next.
A phenomenal issue that proves this series isn’t afraid to take big swings. If this is where we’re leaving off, the next chapter can’t come soon enough.
Live long and prosper 🖖 🚀🪐📚
February 21, 2026
Great Series! Love it! More Kirk Please!
This series is great. The characters are terrific and the writing is strong! I love the art as well, it feels so fresh, and so exciting! I’m really hoping to see Kirk central to more stories. Keep up the FANTASTIC work!
This series is great. The characters are terrific and the writing is strong! I love the art as well, it feels so fresh, and so exciting! I’m really hoping to see Kirk central to more stories. Keep up the FANTASTIC work!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews