2022 has been a banner year for Star Trek in both television and comics, and the stakes for the entire franchise have been redefined. This year saw the second season of Star Trek: Picard, the third of Star Trek: Lower Decks and the second half of Prodigy’s first season; it also saw the premiere of Strange New Worlds, which drew nearly universal acclaim from fans and critics. Just as the franchise returned to form on television, it made a roaring comeback in the comics as well.

This year, IDW published the landmark Star Trek #400. This book served as a touchstone for a reinvigoration of the franchise in comics. It seeded a number of exciting and forthcoming titles as well as being a glorious celebration of Star Trek history. This book led into the launch of the new Star Trek series, which is changing the face of the galaxy and giving DS9's Sisko a shocking second life, and set up the upcoming Star Trek: Defiant - which will see Worf lead a team of heroes and villains - and the Day of Blood crossover.

Related: Star Trek Promises Blood With Upcoming Crossover

Star Trek Established Stronger Bonds Between the Shows and the Comics

star trek picard stargazer comic

Star Trek’s policy when it comes to licensed tie-in media such as comics, novels and video games is that they are secondary to the shows and movies. Comics and novels have long been free to tell their own stories (as long as it does not violate established continuity), but can be trumped at any time by a show or movie story. This has led to a number of classic comics and novels being rendered out of continuity, which has the overall effect of cheapening those stories and lessening reader interest in seeking them out.

Yet 2022 saw greater ties established between the shows and the comics, thanks in part to the two sharing creators. For example, Kirsten Beyer, who has worked on Picard and other Trek shows, is a regular contributor to IDW’s line of Star Trek comics. It's clear that IDW's new comics are meant to be considered full Star Trek canon, filling in gaps between TV seasons and establishing the fates of celebrated heroes like Benjamin Sisko, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, and Data's evil 'brother' Lore. They've even answered longtime questions, such as showing why Worf returned to Starfleet after taking on an ambassador role, and confirming Data was actually rebuilt between his movie death and Picard.

Related: Star Trek Confirms Jonathan Archer's Dark Enterprise Legacy

IDW has launched titles based on newer entries into the franchise, such as Discovery, Picard and Strange New Worlds. In some cases, these comics form a link between seasons. For example, the recent Star Trek: Picard: Stargazer, co-written by Beyer, formed a bridge between the show's second and third seasons. Likewise, Strange New Worlds: The Illyrian Enigma, picks up the thread from the show’s season one finale. Finally, other tie-in media are getting the comics' treatment as well. For example, the forthcoming video game Star Trek: Resurgence received a prequel tie-in comic.

IDW's New Titles Tell a Universe-Shaking Story

the cover for Star Trek #1 from IDW

Star Trek #400 also marked the beginning of a new line of Star Trek comics, ones that will tell original and epic stories. The aforementioned Star Trek #400 featured a story starring ascended human Gary Mitchell, that laid the foundation for a new ongoing series, one starring Benjamin Sisko and a crew cobbled together from across various incarnations of the franchise. Beginning in November, the new Star Trek series - from Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing and Ramon Rosanas - sees Captain Benjamin Sisko, recently returned from a sabbatical with the godlike Prophets, up against a mysterious force killing other godlike beings in the Star Trek universe. To help Sisko in his mission, Starfleet gives him a new ship, the USS Theseus and a new crew.

Related: Star Trek: Every Member of Sisko's New Crew (& Their Original Generation)

Among Sisko’s new colleagues are Data, Tom Paris, Beverly Crusher and Scotty. The first issue wasted no time in communicating just what was at stake. After assembling his crew, Sisko and the Theseus encountered a nest of the immensely powerful Crystalline Entities - and watched helplessly as they were slaughtered wholesale. The next issue introduced another powerful race, the Shapers of Sardakesh, who lived deep and unbothered in Klingon space, while issue three promises Q will take a side in this jaw-dropping conflict. These series showed that not only are the Star Trek comics canon, but they're changing the face of the galaxy by wiping out some of its most powerful species.

The Time Has Come for the Star Trek Multiverse

Throughout 2022, Star Trek began leaning into the idea of a multiverse. The concept was nothing new to the franchise, going back to the Original Series and the introduction of the Mirror Universe. However, with the introduction of the Kelvin universe in 2009 as well as other realities briefly glimpsed, the franchise began to truly explore this idea, such as in Discovery’s third season. This year the comics seized on this opportunity, releasing an entire line of titles set in the aforementioned Mirror Universe, which worked to flesh it out even further, showing it as fertile ground for amazing stories. Fans were treated to dark visions of Geordi LaForge and Reginald Barclay, which drove home how truly complete the Mirror Universe is as its own world. The comics made it clear that the Mirror Universe is no longer simply a threat to the Prime Universe, but a setting worthy of its own sagas.

With fan-favorite heroes returning, cross-media stories that add to canon, and a god-killer unleashed on the universe, 2022 saw Star Trek comics step up their relevance to the franchise and offer fans not just tales equal to what they can find elsewhere, but must-read Star Trek adventures. What's more, 2023 seems set to capitalize on this accomplishment in some big ways.

Related: Star Trek's Mirror War Finally Sets Up Troi's Revenge on Riker

Star Trek Comics Will Boldly Go in 2023

star trek defiant worf ro laren lore spock

IDW has announced or teased a number of exciting projects for 2023. Star Trek #400 hinted that the Kelvin universe, which has not been seen since 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, will be returning with new comic adventures. Even more exciting is the launch of the Star Trek: Defiant miniseries, to be written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Angel Unzueta, will be a spin-off of the recently launched Star Trek comic. The new series, described as "The Dirty Dozen meets Star Trek," will star Worf as he leads a new crew against a false messiah who is taking advantage of the chaos unleashed by the god-killer. It promises to be the ground-level counterpart of the cosmic Star Trek, and a big part of the dark new Day of Blood comic crossover.

The resurgence of Star Trek comics is one of the most surprising comic book stories of 2022. This rebirth of Trek comics has been spurred on by the franchise’s return to form on television and the greater connections that now exist between the two. In addition to excellent comics based on the shows, IDW has also released some truly compelling original Star Trek titles which raise the stakes for the franchise as a whole.

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