There are few Star Trek staples that have continued as long as redshirts, the authentic “security” of federation ships, as well as the cannon feed that will be wiped out first. Now IDW has all the comics about them in missions where they are all red shirts, but can one person go up to the top and become the hero of this story? Judging by the number of deaths in the first issue, it’s likely no one is alive!
Star Trek: Red Shirt #2 begins with papers related to all main characters and details their age, gender and some important details. The first page features most of the characters in this issue, while the second page shows two X dead in the face. I’ve seen a solid data page because it suggests that details are scheduled.
From there, this issue is taken from where we left off. The crew must get data before they can get the pirates (or any threat), and some red shirts are already dead. During Webster Cromarty and during Midge Dematrio, the writer Christopher Cantwell offers us a lot of character development through their dialogue. The characters shine very well throughout the matter, from the torture mission in which Ensign Chip Miller and his entire crew lost, to the alien lieutenant colonel Zakley, who is all testosterone. They may be red shirts, but Cantwell gives you a sense of their humanity and legacy.
The trauma that leads to the red shirt is pretty bad.
Credit: IDW
After interpersonal team building, this problem sets the team to find the answer and fully aware that there is a threat in the jungle. Humanoid type threats, alien type threats, and fauna threats. Cantwell and artist Megan Revens have not given up on violent deaths and are taking them seriously by everyone, but it shows how quickly the red shirt is taken away from the board.
The final chunk of pages leans against the fast-thinking Star Trek we know and love, and the red shirt doesn’t know who’s messing around with them, but isn’t disappointed. They cannot die without doing anything to their fellow red shirts.
Much of this issue occurs at night, bringing muddy black and green tints that penetrate everything, but the overall art is good. Levens’ art comes in a slightly simpler style, except for the expressions that may be exposed to middle-grade reader comics. However, when it comes to Gore, pay attention to the details and various deaths are good.
Star Trek: Red Shirt #2 leaning towards a dark and funny premise with an astonishing mind, offering readers both the horrifying red shirt ending and the authentic sense of those who these characters go beyond uniforms. The muted color palette and tone shifting of art are not always mesh, but this issue has managed to care for the Starfleet’s most consumable crew.
“Star Trek: Redshirt” #2 offers a horrifying ending mise
Star Trek: Red Shirt #2
Star Trek: Red Shirt #2 leaning towards a dark and funny premise with an astonishing mind, offering readers both the horrifying red shirt ending and the authentic sense of those who these characters go beyond uniforms. The muted color palette and tone shifting of art are not always mesh, but this issue has managed to care for the Starfleet’s most consumable crew.
Use phenomena/data pages skillfully to tone and track the character’s fate.
Christopher Cantwell gives the red shirt an incredible depth and humanity. Characters are often dismissed as disposable.
A powerful combination of character development and Star Trek style problem solving.
Megan Levens balances his expressive face with a brutal, memorable death scene.
If you rely heavily on nighttime settings, the palette becomes overly dark and muddy.
Art style can sometimes feel out of place for such a serious book.
