The Star Trek universe is about to get even bigger with the upcoming launch of the comic book series Star Trek Defiant.
What is Star Trek Defiant?
Announced by IDW Publishing during its Star Trek comics panel on Saturday at New York Comic Con, Star Trek Defiant is described as a darker and edgier Star Trek comic book series that spins out of the previously announced, new flagship Star Trek comic book series, which will be released later this month.
Written by Christopher Cantwell, with artwork by Angel Unzueta, Star Trek Defiant will center on Worf after he steals the USS Defiant (the ship from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) following a falling out with Captain Benjamin Sisko during his mission aboard the USS Theseus. Worf’s hand-picked crew for this mission includes B’Elanna Torres, Spock, Ro Laren, and Lore. ComicBook.com reported that Torres’ involvement in Worf’s crew is quite intriguing since her husband, Tom Paris, is aboard the Theseus.
“I’m THRILLED to follow the new flagship series from Trek masters @cpkelly & @JacksonLanzing & @RamonRosanas,” Cantwell wrote on Twitter, referring to Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing who write the scripts for the new Star Trek flagship comic book series, and Ramon Rosanas, who creates the artwork for the comics. “And yes, ST: DEFIANT is part of the same MASSIVE story that we’re all crafting together. Expect crossovers and epic events. Expect #StarTrek comics like never before.”
I’m THRILLED to follow the new flagship series from Trek masters @cpkelly & @JacksonLanzing & @RamonRosanas.
And yes, ST: DEFIANT is part of the same MASSIVE story that we’re all crafting together. Expect crossovers and epic events. Expect #StarTrek comics like never before. pic.twitter.com/GdNnaI9KQz
— Christopher Cantwell (@ifyoucantwell) October 8, 2022
In a follow-up tweet, Cantwell thanked Heather Antos, the editor of Star Trek comics under IDW Publishing. “I am incredibly grateful to editorial mastermind @HeatherAntos for including me on this dream come true journey,” Cantwell tweeted. “I wish us all ‘Qapla’!’ and I hope you dig it.”
And I am incredibly grateful to editorial mastermind @HeatherAntos for including me on this dream come true journey.
I wish us all “Qapla’!” and I hope you dig it. pic.twitter.com/HuFyejbUf2
— Christopher Cantwell (@ifyoucantwell) October 8, 2022
When will Star Trek Defiant come out?
Star Trek Defiant will debut in March 2023, about five issues into the new flagship Star Trek comic book series, which will kick off on October 26th.
The new era of Star Trek comics
The new era of Star Trek comics, including Star Trek Defiant and the new flagship Star Trek series, takes place between the end of Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001) and the film Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). And in an interview with ComicBook.com last September, Kelly and Lanzing said that they are given ample leeway to come up with original stories within the given timeline.
“We are, for the first time in a Star Trek comic, really, outside of the Q event and things like that, treating Star Trek as a living universe where anyone can show up,” Lanzing told the website. “So, if you have a favorite character from Star Trek, there is a good chance that they’re going to show up in this book somewhere.”
Kelly added, “They’re giving us a lot of access to all the toys, with the understanding that at the end of it, we will put the toys back in the box. There is about a year and a half here of Star Trek timeline that is untouched, and within this, we can make all sorts of trouble as long as we put the characters that need to be back in the box for Nemesis.”