In this review of Star Trek #28, the Lore War looms ever closer as Benjamin Sisko finds the key to moving forward may lie in Bajor’s ancient past.
Star Trek #28
Written by: Jackson Lanzing, Colin Kelly
Art by: Liana Kangas
Main Cover: Ramón Rosanas
Variant Covers: Tess Fowler, Jake Bartok
Page Count: 22 pages
Release Date: January 22, 2025
This review contains spoilers
Star Trek #28 picks up directly after the events of the previous issue as Captain Benjamin Sisko and the U.S.S. Theseus have evaded the massive universe-ending cataclysm launched by the renegade android Lore. In a desperate move, Sisko sends the U.S.S. Theseus into the only remaining refuge in the universe, the Bajoran wormhole.
An unseen narrator chronicles the life of Benjamin Sisko during his sojourn into Bajor’s distant past.
Benjamin Sisko awakens to find himself transported to the very early days of the planet Bajor. The only remnants from his previous life are his Starfleet uniform, his prized baseball and the disturbing visions involving the fate of his crew and his son Jake.
Sisko ignores the Bajorans’ inquiries, and instead pleads with The Prophets to end his suffering as dark visions continue to plague him. The Bajoran called Jilothi threatens Sisko, calling him an outsider, but the honorable Huntmaster Kai Aht’Han intervenes, welcoming Sisko and proclaiming that the outsider is now of Bajor.
Time passes and Sisko learns the Bajoran language as he teaches the people new words including “Prophet”, “Vedeks” and “Orbs” and spins tales of the stars above. Sisko continues his studies, immersing himself in Bajoran history while counseling Aht’Han on farming techniques. He is a favorite among the Bajoran children while silently vowing to somehow find his son.
Time passes and Kai Aht’Han’s village is raided by another tribe who fear what Sisko represents. Aht’Han and Sisko are wounded in the attack, but Sisko summons the power of the Bajoran Orb to share visions with his attacker, warning of the true danger posed by The Adversary (Lore). Sisko explains to his attacker that each of them carries an inner flame called “Pagh” that The Adversary does not have.
Time passes again and the Bajoran civilization continues to thrive with guidance from the ageless Sisko. Without warning Sisko vanishes, following the “old wise man in the cave” trope, but is continually tormented by visions of his crew and his son. A century passes and Sisko encounters a young Bajoran who comes seeking wisdom. This request causes Sisko to lash out in anger exclaiming that he has none to share. The young Bajoran convinces Sisko otherwise and Sisko returns to a happier existence living among the Bajorans. For a time.
More time passes and while Bajor flourishes, a dangerous movement targeting the faithful emerges called the “Pah-Wraiths”. Sisko confronts these murderous cultists and finally discovers the reason why The Prophets sent him to ancient Bajor, a world that cannot be destroyed by Lore. As Star Trek #28 ends, it appears that Sisko has decided to create the Bajoran wormhole itself.
Review
Star Trek #28 is another side quest on the path to the Lore War event, but it still holds an integral part of the mystery Sisko needs to solve in order to win it.
Writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing (Thunderbolts) are spot on with Sisko’s dialogue, and the narration evokes the feel of a classic poem. It is probably no coincidence that this story mimics the TNG episode “The Inner Light”, where Captain Picard lived an entire alternate life on an alien world.
However, it is also in keeping with the occasional episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine where Sisko interacts with The Prophets in various forms. The story is a meditative character study full of raging inner conflict.
The art and colors in Star Trek #28 from Tess Fowler significantly differ from the typically more realistic IDW Star Trek house style, but it is well-suited for this story. The ethereal, surreal quality of how ancient Bajor is depicted lends itself to Sisko’s arduous metaphysical journey.
The art focuses primarily on the characters rather than backgrounds. Various storytelling techniques are utilized to condense events into a single page or even a single panel. The art style and color palette shifts depending on the time period. Some images are calm while others are downright unsettling.
Clayton Cowles’ lettering utilizes a nifty scroll effect for the narration text, while black text is used for English and maroon for Bajoran. The single sound effect in Star Trek #28 follows the direction of the action down to its brutal impact.
Overall Star Trek #28 is a necessary story and it dovetails effectively into Benjamin Sisko’s experiences with the Bajoran Prophets. It is a quiet, contemplative, emotional journey, leagues away from some of the more recent action-oriented issues.
