In this review of Star Trek: The Last Starship #5, Sato’s confidence in the future of the Federation is on shaky ground. Will he have reason to feel more secure soon? Find out in this review.
Star Trek: The Last Starship #5
Written by: Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly
Art: Adrián Bonilla
Main Cover: Francesco Francavilla
Variant Covers: Michael Allred, Francesco Francavilla
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: February 18, 2026
This review contains spoilers
Star Trek: The Last Starship #4 left off on Babel and Star Trek: The Last Starship #5 picks up in the same place, as Captain Sato prepares for a conference that will determine the Federation’s fate. He enlists Zed, the Omega’s doctor, to stand with him, monitoring the proceedings because he knows the Ferengi is good at careful observation.
Sato leads the conference surrounded by delegates from Ni’Var, Andoria, and Tholia, just to name a few. He begins to speak about trust between delegates and the importance of basing the conference on need rather than desire. There is immediate contention between various representatives about the presence of the Borg Queen and Kirk.
Each world then proceeds to detail their requests, all of which revolve around the use of dilithium. Sato calls for a recess. At the same time, the crew aboard the Omega conduct routine scans of surrounding space and detect the presence of dilithium in a number of ships in orbit of the conference.
During the recess, Zed meets with Kishka, the Ferenginar delegate, trying to discover any secrets he can. Kishka does have a secret to hide and threatens Zed with his granddaughter’s life.
Moments before the conference is set to resume, Solara pulls Sato aside to ask for five minutes at the central podium. As his former first officer, Sato trusts her, so he agrees. With the short time granted to her, Solara abruptly calls for an Emerald Chain to govern rather than the Federation. She indicates that the Chain has a supply of dilithium and isn’t afraid to use it.
As the conference quickly falls into chaos, a massive warp signature is detected by the Omega. Its warp bubble is erratic and the issue concludes right as the ship drops out of warp.
Analysis
Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly give us another issue that’s light on action, but filled with political intrigue. At the end of the previous issue, we were shown that Solara was somehow involved with the Emerald Chain and we didn’t have to wait long to find out how. The double cross she pulls off creates a dramatic turn for the upcoming story. Sato realized that things were hanging by a thread for the Federation, so this is only going to make matters worse. With the increased potential for a second Burn, the stakes are even higher.
Upon a first readthrough, I was slightly disappointed that there wasn’t more action this time around, given that it was also absent in the last issue. After going back through this one, I’ve changed my mind. We’re now set up for the story to go in a variety of directions. Plus, it looks like there will be enough action taking place with the arrival of this mysterious ship and the use of warp engines. I’m thinking that the crew of the Omega will be able to prevent another Burn, but until more details emerge about these ships, it’s hard to tell how that will happen.
Adrian Bonilla and Lee Loughridge are back for artwork duty in Star Trek: The Last Starship #5. Bonilla has been a mainstay throughout the series, so the illustrations remain as good as ever. Loughridge is back for another issue and maintains the same look found in previous issues. In this one, I especially liked design for the conference. Having the three rings – Founders, Expansion, and Frontier – set up as a gyroscope surrounding Sato at the center was visually interesting.
Final Thoughts
Star Trek: The Last Starship #5 does a good job of setting up a dramatic turn that promises more action and excitement in upcoming issues. If you’re looking for a series that balances action and intrigue, grab this title. Have fun, comic lovers!
