First premiering in 1966, Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry has become one of the longest-lasting science fiction franchises of all time. The eternally endearing and enduring characters of Kirk, Spock, and the McCoy have become as synonymous with American culture as Superman's S-shield and the Bald Eagle.
With hundreds of issues to pour over, it can be intimidating to pick a story to start within Trek's long history of comic books. That's why the following has been compiled in no particular order to showcase some of the best and brightest tales ever told about the United Federations of Planets (in sequential art).
10 The Trial Of James T. Kirk Is A 3-Part Epic
The Trial of James T. Kirk is a three-issue story arc beginning in Star Trek #10 and ending in issue #11 by writer Peter David with artists James W. Fry and Gordon Purcell. A year before Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country forced Kirk to come to terms with his brewing racism and bigotry towards his decades-old foe, the Klingons, the ongoing title from DC did much the same on the printed page. While the seeds for the trial had been planted back in issue #7, it's in the main three magazines that the story hits its dramatic highs. For anyone who loved the topics of nationalism and vengeance played upon in VI, it's a fantastic read more than worth one's time.
9 The Legion Of Superheroes Blast The Past
Star Trek/Legion of Superheroes by Chris Roberson with art by Jefferey and Phillip Moy is one of several dozen franchise crossovers that IDW has put out over the last two decades. While the later crossover with DC's Green Lantern Corps may hold the higher marque value, the lesser-known Legion of Superheroes is a great foot in the door for anyone wanting to make the jump from Trek comics to the superhero genre.
With remixed versions of classic Legion baddies made up of Trek alien races and a multiversal plot, there is plenty to enjoy in this unexpected yet welcome addition to the history of crossovers for the U.S.S. Enterprise.
8 The Q Conflict Is Fanservice Gone Wild
Q is easily the biggest breakout character from Star Trek: The Next Generation outside of the main crew. Initially introduced as yet another all-powerful godlike entity that uses their omnipotence to play havoc with the by-the-book nature of the Starfleet crew, the lovably snarky performance by John de Lancie and future episodes that turned Q into less of a trickster and more of a wise teacher would endear the character to Trekkies all across the world. This is why he plays such a vital role in The Q Conflict, which is a franchise spanning crossover combining the crews of TOS, TNG, DS9, and Voyager by writers Scott and David Tipton with art from David Messina, Elisabetta D'Amico, Carola Borelli, Silvia Califano, and Giorgio Spalletta.
7 Debt Of Honor Was Written By An X-Legend
Chris Claremont is arguably the main reason most people like the X-Men. For 16 years he took a group that had fallen into obscurity, cancellation, and reprints and made them Marvel's premier superhero team. With such a legendary portfolio with the House of Ideas, it should come as no surprise that Debt of Honor – an original graphic novel by DC that shows Captain Kirk and the equally charismatic Romulan Captain T'Cel go on an adventure to stop the machinations of an alien threat that has been seen across Trek history – would be a hit. With wonderfully expressive art from Adam Hughes, this book is a solid send-off to the lore of the series up to that point.
6 Assimilation² Mixes Chocolate And Peanut Butter
While fans love to pit Trek against George Lucas' sci-fi adventure saga, Star Wars, the more apt competitor would be the BBC's flagship franchise, Doctor Who. Airing 3 scant years before the "The Man Trap," Whovians and Trekkies have been staunch rivals since at least the 1980s when the good Doctor made his first big splash in America. Therefore, it makes sense why they would crossover.
Assimilation² sees the Cybermen and the Borg team up against the 11th Doctor and the crew of the Enterprise-D. Written by Scott and David Tipton with Tony Lee as advisor and J.K. Woodward, The Sharp Brothers, and Gordon Purcell on art, this lovely mini-series is full of endearing fanservice and some wacky sci-fi action-adventure.
5 IDW's Mirror Series Finally Gives Fans Evil Picard (But Done Well This Time)
Throwing an evil cracked mirror version of the protagonist at the hero is an old-school storytelling trope and Trek has done it well more than its fair share. From ideological opposites like Khan and Kirk to Tom Hardy's Praetor Shinzon, a literal evil clone of Picard, the franchise loves to dabble in duality and the nature of who people are. Easily one of the best examples of this is TOS's "Mirror, Mirror," which pitted Kirk and crew against evil variants of themselves from a parallel universe. Thanks to IDW and its long-running Mirror series, starting in 2017's Mirror Broken by Scott and Dave Tipton with J.K. Woodward on art and continuing today in Mirror War, fans have finally gotten to see Mirror Universe Picard, complete with an evil goatee. Jean-Luc's doppelganger runs amok across dimensions and this ongoing tale is already some of IDW's best since licensing the franchise from Paramount.
4 Khan: Ruling In Hell Explains His Wrath
One of the biggest reveals in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is that the idyllic Eden-like world Kirk had left his adversary on, Ceti Alpha V, had become a Hellish desert after its sister world, Ceti Alpha VI, exploded. While Khan's motivations are perfectly summed up in the film, many fans wondered what his life was like and how he could have survived all that time considering how inhospitable it looked when Chekov came to visit. Scott and David Tipton, again, write this dark Khan solo story with Fabio Mantovani providing the art that beautifully captures Ricardo Montalbán's stoic and statuesque manner.
3 Star Trek/X-Men Is Stupidly Entertaining
Star Trek/X-Men is a bizarre Frankenstein monster of two of the 90s' most popular franchises being mixed together. Why on Vulcan would someone combine the two? Money.
With multiple series and a current feature film series, the Trek universe was at its peak of popularity in the 1990s, and anyone alive during the decade doesn't need to be told that the X-Men were kind of a big deal. Scott Lobdell with the artistic talents of Marc Silvestri, Billy Tan, Anthony Winn, David Finch, and Brian Ching created this so-bad-it's-good magnum opus, where every page is a nightmare of mismatched tones and styles. Is it high quality? No. Is it one of the best things Trek comics ever made? Absolutely.
2 Boldly Go Is A Great Continuation Of The Kelvin Timeline
When J.J. Abrams rebooted the Trek films with 2009's Star Trek, many fans were divided (as they always are) over whether this new movie strayed too far from the ever ill-defined "Gene's Vision." After 2016's Star Trek Beyond and the recent boon in series taking place in the Prime Timeline, it's up in the air as to whether fans will ever get a continuation of the Kelvin Timeline and its unique setting. Mike Johnson, Ryan Parrott, Tony Shasteen, Chris Mooneyham, and Megan Levens' Boldy Go ongoing title fills that gap with a story focused on the time between Beyond and the construction of the U.S.S. Enterprise-A, pitting classic characters in a new setting with an inexperienced crew.
1 Retrospect Is A Mournful Tearjerker
Star Trek Annual #3 by DC may very well be one of the best Trek stories ever written, even outdoing some of the all-time classics of the films and television series. Peter David with Ricardo Villagran and the legendary Curt Swan tell a beautifully melancholic tale focusing on the lovable Scotsman, Montgomery Scott, and his depression over the death of his wife, Glynnis. This solemn tale is the perfect comic to pick up if one has any love for Trek and especially for The Original Series.