In this review of Star Trek: The Last Starship #11, Admiral Sato carries out Doctor Zed’s plan to save the Federation, but can the Ferengi’s monumental efforts succeed?
Star Trek: The Last Starship #11
Written by: Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly
Art by: Adrián Bonilla
Main Cover: Francesco Francavilla
Variant Covers: Jake Bartok, Francesco Francavilla
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: September 16, 2026
This review contains spoilers
The plan for the T’Galatheon Gate, which was first introduced in Star Trek: The Last Starship #10, is fleshed out to start this issue. The station will use power from Starfleet’s remaining ships to create a distortion field around the space-time anomaly that destroyed Deep Space Hope.
Admiral Sato coordinates the efforts to carry out the mass evacuation of Federation citizens after Kirk recommends doing it all at once. Unbeknownst to them, the Emerald Chain leader has planted a bug in the room, allowing her to listen in on the plans.
Doctor Zed, in command of the Gate, activates the station to test the distortion field. When he confirms it works and is ready to receive the fleet, he drops the field.
Right on time, the fleet of around a hundred Starfleet vessels warps in, but just as Zed is about to give the order to re-activate the field, the Emerald Chain arrives. They open fire on the T’Galatheon Gate, destroying it.
Star Trek: The Last Starship #11 closes with Sato giving the order for all ships to fire upon the Emerald Chain.
Analysis
Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly are wrapping up this series with intensity. We’re left with the Federation’s last hope destroyed and the entirety of the fleet preparing for a final battle. If the deck was stacked against Starfleet before, the odds just got significantly worse.
This tense situation should make for a fantastic finale, though. Will Starfleet prevail? We can all assume it will, but the action and excitement should be at an all-time high for the series, which has already had plenty of thrilling occurrences.
It looks like Zed died when the Gate was bombarded. While we don’t get explicit confirmation of this in Star Trek: The Last Starship #11, we can see him slumped in the command chair with flaming ruins all around. In the opening issues, I didn’t think his character would play such a major role, but he’s been one of my favorites to follow through this journey, so I’m saddened by his apparent loss.
Kirk and Agnes having a romantic relationship is still a little weird, but I suppose it fits with the ladies’ man reputation he’s acquired over the years.
Valqis and Sato share a poignant moment while the Gate is first tested. The Admiral visits with her and asks about her piercings. When she reveals they represent memories, Sato reminds her not to bury herself in the past because it doesn’t allow you to live for the future.
Lanzing and Kelly have done well with spreading around moments like these throughout the series and it’s made the overall story more compelling. There’s plenty of action involved, but we also get more great character moments.
The artwork in Star Trek: The Last Starship #11 from Adrian Bonilla remains excellent. There are a few spreads that capture the scope of the evacuation, the Gate, and the fleet of ships. Lee Loughridge uses darker colors in the first half of the issue while the planning and preparation are being conducted. Once the Gate goes active, there are more blues bathing the pages, giving a greater feeling of hope. At the very end, the panels are filled with fiery yellows and oranges as the chaos erupts with the Emerald Chain’s attacks.
Final Thoughts
Star Trek: The Last Starship #11 leaves us on the cusp of a massive final battle between the Federation and the Emerald Chain. There’s been no lack of excitement in this series and the finale looks to be just as exciting. Have fun, comic lovers!
