I stood in a quiet comic shop aisle and felt the gap where new Star Trek TV used to be. You’ve probably noticed the same silence—the streaming flood has slowed just as the franchise nears a big birthday. I read a press release and realized comics are about to try and fill that space.
I’m going to walk you through what that means, who’s involved, and why this anthology could matter more than it seems.
At a shop counter a clerk slid the preview across the table before I even asked
The 60th anniversary comic isn’t a care package; it’s a 68-page anthology from IDW that gathers seven standalone stories across Star Trek timelines. Think original-series slices, a Harry Mudd yarn, a Lower Decks offbeat take, and a few surprises stitched to newer corners like Starfleet Academy.
Comics legend Brian Michael Bendis tackles Sulu with art by Michael Gaydos. Original-series writer David Gerrold (yes, the voice behind “The Trouble With Tribbles”) writes a Mudd piece. Mike McMahan, the mind behind Lower Decks, contributes his own story with art by Mike and Laura Allred. It’s a relay baton passed between eras, handing familiar beats from one creator to the next.
What is in the Star Trek 60th anniversary comic?
It’s a one-shot special: seven short stories, 68 pages, plus a prelude that previews IDW’s relaunch. Contributors include Bendis, Gerrold, McMahan, and a flag-raising preview from Christopher Cantwell and artist Isaac Sánchez. Expect references to TOS, TNG, Enterprise, Picard, The Animated Series, and newer titles like Starfleet Academy.
At my desk, I bookmarked The Hollywood Reporter quote from Cantwell
Cantwell says his prelude asks the single question every fan whispers now: “What’s next?” His line frames the anthology not as a nostalgia exercise but as a handoff from established threads—Picard—to something designed to soar into the future. That’s deliberate: IDW isn’t just celebrating the past, they’re testing hypotheses about the franchise’s next direction.
The issue also previews the publisher’s flagship relaunch later this year from Cantwell and Sánchez, so this special functions as both celebration and market probe—a prism refracting decades of storytelling into possible futures.
Who is behind the new Star Trek comics?
IDW is running the show, working with a mix of veteran TV writers and comics creators: Bendis, Gerrold, McMahan, Cantwell, Gaydos, the Allreds, and Sánchez. The writing roster signals a deliberate blend of nostalgia and comedic/new-wave voices, and the art choices suggest visually distinct corners for each tale.
At a thread on social media, dozens of fans argued over what matters most
You’ll see the usual stakes: continuity fidelity versus bold reinvention, character focus versus franchise-wide spectacle. I want you to notice the emotional hooks here—the anthology taps curiosity by offering slices from multiple eras, and it uses authority names to calm the nerves of long-time fans while nudging others toward new beats.
If you’re keeping score: the special goes on sale September 2; the franchise’s 60th anniversary lands September 8, 1966 to 2026; and Strange New Worlds season four arrives this summer. The timing is intentional—publishers often place anniversary singles to measure demand ahead of bigger relaunches.
Read it for Sulu and Mudd and the Allreds’ art, but watch it for the Cantwell preview: that’s where IDW signals the kind of stories they believe will carry Star Trek forward.
So which of these stories will steer the franchise to a future you want to live in?