I was scrolling a slow morning when the relaunch hit my feed and landed like a pulse through the fandom. The main Star Trek comic—quiet for too long—had returned with a bold plan that pinches hope with anxiety. You and I both know that when an Enterprise gets a new captain, the universe shifts.
I’ve covered comics long enough to smell momentum when it arrives. I’ll walk you through what IDW is doing, why Seven of Nine at the helm matters, and where the side stories will steer the franchise’s next decade. Read this as if we’re standing at the rack together, because the choices here will matter to collectors, new readers, and the writers who want to redefine the future.
At my local comic shop the relaunch covers were arranged beside anniversary editions.
IDW is relaunching its main Star Trek ongoing to mark 60 years of the franchise, and they’ve handed the wheel to a new team that reads like a statement: Christopher Cantwell writing, Dennis Menheere on art, and Jodie Troutman lettering. Movies & TV broke the exclusive details and Gizmodo shared the artwork that accompanies the announcement—this is not a gentle restart. It’s a forward-facing move that wants attention and a long shelf life.
Who is leading IDW’s new Star Trek comic?
Christopher Cantwell is the writer charged with redefining the mainline book; Dennis Menheere provides the visuals; Jodie Troutman handles lettering. Cantwell’s pitch is precise: Seven of Nine captains the USS Enterprise-G on a top-secret mission beyond the known four quadrants to confront a power that could unravel the Federation. That setup signals political stakes and mystery, the mix that keeps readers turning pages.
At a panel last fall a writer joked about ‘what makes a captain.’
Cantwell’s quoted intention is to honor the franchise’s mythos while pushing it forward—an editorial posture that borrows authority from Starfleet’s own tradition. He says the book will shed aspects of the past while embracing Star Trek’s best qualities: ethics, community, and the tensions between them. As a reader, you should expect politics, philosophical friction, and character turns that will test loyalties.
When will IDW’s Star Trek relaunch launch?
The new ongoing and a sister series will roll out later this year, timed around the franchise’s 60th anniversary. IDW plans a mainline launch this autumn, and October specifically is mentioned for Star Trek relaunch activity. Before that, May will bring a celebratory one-shot—Star Trek: Celebrations 2026—and September will offer a 50-page 60th Anniversary Special with multiple creators contributing.
On my feed, conversations split between excitement and guarded skepticism.
Seven of Nine as captain answers a long fan question: where does the 25th-century Enterprise go next? Cantwell’s choice to center Seven is strategic—she carries legacy, charisma, and narrative potential. Seven becomes the compass in a storm, steering a crew through unknown physics and political fallout; that image alone promises a mix of character work and high-concept spectacle.
What is Star Trek: Zero Point about?
Alongside the main relaunch, IDW is releasing Star Trek: Zero Point by Charlie Jane Anders. Anders—a Hugo Award-winning novelist and Movies & TV co-founder—writes Raffi Musiker leading a crew guarding the Federation with a predictive AI that wears a familiar face. Anders promises an accessible story with ethical puzzles, artificial consciousness, and exoplanet adventure—she even name-checks authors like Becky Chambers and Martha Wells as tonal touchstones.
At conventions you’ll hear the same two questions: ‘Is it for new readers?’ and ‘Will it honor Picard?’
Both answers are baked into the launch strategy. Anders explicitly designed Zero Point to be newbie-friendly—no lore homework required—while the mainline links directly to the end of Star Trek: Picard by following Seven after that series’ final season. The editorial play is dual: build entry points for newcomers and serve a continuity appetite for longtime fans.
Practical note for buyers: single issues of modern licensed comics commonly retail around $4.99 (€4.65), and IDW’s multiple formats—one-shots, ongoing monthly issues, and a 50-page anniversary special—create clear collector pathways. If you track releases on platforms like Comixology or Midtown Comics, mark May, September, and October as key moments this year.
At the end of the day the test is simple: will readers keep turning pages?
If you like political sci-fi threaded with moral dilemmas and character-first storytelling, this relaunch promises both spectacle and argument. The creative team names—Cantwell, Menheere, Troutman, Anders—are authority cues that suggest IDW is serious about narrative weight and craft. Movies & TV and Gizmodo’s coverage already seeded the conversation; now the stories themselves will have to hold it.
I’ll be watching how the Armada of tie-ins, one-shots, and the Zero Point sister series interact. You should too—this feels less like a marketing reset and more like an editorial bet on the future of Star Trek comics. Will this new approach restore the mainline book to must-read status, or will it be another thoughtful experiment with limited reach?