Star Trek: Sons of Star Trek #1 Review: Entering the Final Frontier of Adolescence

Star Trek: Sons of Star Trek, the latest addition to IDW's recently revitalized line of Star Trek comics, shines the spotlight on the literal next generation of Star Trek characters. From writer Morgan Hampton, artist Angel Hernandez, colorist Nick Filardi, and letterer Clayton Cowles, the new series focuses on the children of some beloved Star Trek characters to show readers that adolescence is a tough period for everyone, even aliens growing up in a space station in the future. Thanks to some well-considered character work and a familiar Star Trek premise, the series' first issue quickly invests readers in these characters and their unusual circumstances.

Sons of Star Trek picks up in the aftermath of the "Day of Blood" crossover, which saw a cult led by the clone of the former Klingon emperor, Kahless, threaten to sweep a bloody path across the galaxy. Alexander Roshenko, son of Worf, joined Kahless's followers out of a yearning for belonging he did not find with his father or the Klingon Defense Force. and is currently residing in one of Deep Space 9's holding cells for his crimes. Jake Sisko, still processing the trauma of the Dominion War and losing his father for three years, is struggling to find purpose in the creative writing pursuits that were once his passion. Jake's best friend, Nog, became the first Ferengi to join Starfleet to change the galaxy's perception of his people but hasn't been awarded the respect he'd hoped for from his peers. The combined angst of three adolescent boys attracts the attention of Q Junior, who snaps his fingers and takes them away to a timeline where they're all Starfleet officers serving aboard the same ship, alongside some surprising but familiar faces, where they'll continue to relive the same crisis on repeat until they figure out whatever lesson QJ is trying to teach them.

With Star Trek usually being about people already exceedingly competent at their jobs, it isn't often that the franchise has focused on characters still trying to figure themselves out. That quickly establishes Sons of Star Trek as something excitingly outside the norm. Handled without care, the project could turn into a by-the-numbers YA tale, or feel like a Star Trek episode focusing on no one's favorite characters. Instead, Hampton deftly grounds the story in believable personal crises. Having been a war correspondent during the Dominion invasion, it's not hard to understand why Jake might wonder what purpose his made-up stories serve, and the pull he feels to remain with his recently reunited family indefinitely rather than pursue his own goals. It's also easy to hear some of Benny Russell in Ben Sisko's voice when he tells his son, "Writing isn't about creating the impossible. It's about creating the familiar so that all of us facing the impossible can get through another day."

Hernandez and Filardi are two veterans of the Star Trek line, and Sons of Star Trek represents some of their best recent work. Some attempts by the duo to imitate the intensely lit cinematography of Star Trek's streaming-era shows for projects tied to those series have felt flat and busy. The return to the more muted colors and natural tones of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine allows for Hernandez's bold, thick linework to stand out more from Filardi's carefully realized backgrounds. There's one page in the issue with a layout that might raise an eyebrow, looking as if one grid had been lain atop of another, but that's more than made up for by some great character work, remaining respectful of the actor likenesses and Star Trek's iconic alien makeup while still getting plenty of emotion and drama out of the facial expressions and use of shadows.

Star Trek: Sons of Star Trek #1 is a shining example of approaching a long-running series by combining the fresh and the familiar. Q Junior is unabashedly pulling from his father's bag of tricks by sending the mortals who have caught his attention to an alternate timeline to learn their lessons. However, the focus on Deep Space Nine's younger characters who were rarely the show's main focus stops it from reading like a retread. Add in the worthwhile themes underpinning the plot and the sense that these characters are on the brink of a breakthrough in their development, and you've got the makings of a memorable Star Trek story.

Published by IDW Publishing

On March 13, 2024

Written by Morgan Hampton

Art by Angel Hernandez

Colors by Nick Filardi

Letters by Clayton Cowles

Cover by Jake Bartok