In this review of Star Trek: The Last Starship #12, the Federation faces annihilation at the hands of the Emerald Chain. Can Sato and Kirk stop them before it’s too late?
Star Trek: The Last Starship #12
Written by: Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly
Art by: Adrián Bonilla
Main Cover: Francesco Francavilla
Variant Covers: Adrián Bonilla, Hernán González, Francesco Francavilla
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: October 21, 2026
This review contains spoilers
The series finale opens with the battle between Starfleet and the Emerald Chain raging on. With the T’Galatheon Gate hanging on by a thread and a few crew members, including Zed, surviving, Valqis comes up with a plan. She coordinates the fleet to maneuver the remaining ships to the gate while holding off the Emerald Chain.
Sato beams over to the Omega with Kirk and Jurati. The admiral opens a channel to the lead Chain ship, hoping to get a message through to Solara. His plan succeeds and Solara sacrifices herself to destroy the Emerald Chain ship.
Sato then has Kirk and Jurati use all their nanites to assimilate him into the Omega so he can directly control the ship. They beam away, leaving the borgified Sato in control of the starship to deal with the remaining Emerald Chain vessels. He’s able to succeed in destroying them, giving the Federation the chance it needs to survive, but not without sacrificing himself in the process.
As the issue concludes, people flock to a memorial statue of Sato, honoring the fallen hero. Kirk and Jurati, now mostly human again, stare off at a beautiful sunrise on the horizon, dreaming of their future together.
Analysis
Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly wrap up the year-long series with big sacrifices leading to hope for the Federation.
Solara and Sato both make the ultimate sacrifice in order to help save the Federation. Solara, as an old friend of Sato, could do nothing else to help, as she is now old and enslaved by Osyraa. Sato, realizing his time is at an end, gives everything he has to reach the goal of safety for the Federation. He becomes the symbol of hope for the survivors.
Kirk and Jurati’s story concludes with the two more or less giving up their Borg enhancements and living only for each other. Their future is wide open now, thanks to Sato refusing to allow them to sacrifice themselves.
After Star Trek: The Last Starship #11, I thought Zed was a goner, so I was thrilled to see he survived the destruction on the station. While several characters had good arcs throughout the series, Zed’s is probably the one I enjoyed the most. At the end, we see him with his child in front of Sato’s statue, another reminder about living for the future.
Adrian Bonilla and Lee Loughridge continue to work their magic to close out the series. There’s nothing different in the style of this one compared to their previous issues, but it’s full of action and energy. They really made the most of page space with spreads and splash pages filled with detail. The transformation of Sato into a fully Borg form looks incredible.
Final Thoughts
Star Trek: The Last Starship #12 finishes on a major high note. The Federation survives the onslaught of the Emerald Chain. We get to see the character development stages fully completed. If you missed out on this series or wanted to wait for the whole thing to be done before reading, definitely add this to your read list. Have fun, comic lovers!
Star Trek: The Last Starship #12
IDW Publishing Reviewed by Jeremy BonnetteFinal Thoughts
Star Trek: The Last Starship #12 finishes on a major high note. The Federation survives the onslaught of the Emerald Chain. We get to see the character development stages fully completed. If you missed out on this series or wanted to wait for the whole thing to be done before reading, definitely add this to your read list.
