The Day of Blood concludes epically in Star Trek Issue #12. The plot threads established over a year ago when this series first premiered have finally come to a head. When Benjamin Sisko returned in Issue #1, fans were hesitant to welcome back such an iconic character. But when it soon became clear that this series would become the ultimate team-up of Star Trek characters, this series really hit its stride.
When we last left the crew of the USS Theseus, they were engaged in a climactic battle against the Red Path. Worf’s son Alexander was on the verge of death while Sisko fought Kahless one-on-one. In the words of the late great Majel Barrett, “And now the conclusion…”
Sisko vs Kahless… Fight!
The biggest and best moment of Star Trek Issue #12 is when Sisko defeats Kahless. Sisko’s very soul is being torn apart by the Bajoran Orb of Destruction and so he calls out to the Prophets, begging them for their help and guidance. However, they are anything but helpful and simply tell Sisko that he has failed them. The Prophets are, as usual, completely unhelpful. One has to wonder if their intentions are good, or if they are simply using Sisko as a pawn in a much larger and hidden game. But despite their vast power, Sisko proves them wrong.
We see a series of quick cuts as Sisko sees all the members of his crew (Beverly Crusher, Montgomery Scott, Tom Paris, Spock, and many more) working together to harness the Bajoran Orb of Creation to save his life. Sisko, instead of finding salvation from the gods, finds it in his crew. It is ultimately their teamwork that saves the day, rather than any divine intervention. Sisko rallied this crew of legends over the past twelve issues, so to see them all come together in this moment to protect the man who brought them together is very inspiring and satisfying. One could infer that this would shatter Sisko’s faith in the Prophets, but that is yet to be determined.
Evil Daughters, Evil Brothers
One moment from Star Trek Issue #12 that was rather unexpected was the return of everyone’s favorite Human/Romulan hybrid, Sela. She somehow snuck aboard the Theseus and finds a recovering Martok in sick bay. She injects him with the toxin of the Ceti eel (the same eel from The Wrath of Khan) to make him more agreeable and reveal his secrets. This series just keeps pulling all the legacy characters out of the woodwork. Sela’s plans are unclear, but it would not be surprising if she is after more Romulan domination. She is as mustache-twirling a villain as Star Trek gets. She is also most likely here to set up the next arc of the series, now that this one has finished. And speaking of mustache-twirling villains, the issue ends with the tease of Lore, who appears to be picking up the remnants of Kahless’ army.
There are many wonderful little character moments towards the end that are reminiscent of the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3. Tom and B’elanna share a playful romantic moment, Spock and Data lament about the joys and pains of family, and Sisko and Worf make up after their falling out a few issues back. It is great to see Sisko and Worf’s friendship further explored, as these two developed a deep bond during the events of Deep Space Nine.
Far beyond the wormhole
One of the largest concerns about bringing Sisko back was whether this story truly warranted his return. Sisko left for the wormhole in 1999 and has not been featured in a story set after that event since. Twelve issues later, it’s still unclear whether or not Sisko was absolutely needed to tell this story. It was certainly interesting to see him brought back and watched as he interacted with all the characters and dealt with returning from a place beyond time and space, but sometimes what happens to characters after they leave our television screens is better left to the imagination. But bringing him back was a great excuse to bring so many characters together “on screen” at the same time, a feat which would be impossible in any other medium.
While this series is not over, it does feel like a natural conclusion to many character’s arcs. It will be curious to see how the series continues after this, now that Sisko’s main purpose has been fulfilled. It is always dangerous for a story to overstay its welcome, where the writers have to start finding things for the characters to do. Time will tell if this series will continue boldly or lose all power to its proverbial warp core.
Issue #12 Preview
Issue Credits
Writers: Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing
Artist: Angel Unzueta
Colorist: Marissa Louise
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Design & Production: Neil Uyetake
Group Editor: Heather Antos
Editorial Assist: Vanessa Real
Coming up in Issue #13…
In Issue #13: Arc three of the acclaimed Star Trek ongoing series starts here! Captain Benjamin Sisko’s quest to defeat the killer of gods is at an end, and the Prophets beckon him home to the Celestial Temple. He’s earned his rest, but when Starfleet requests his help to stop a familiar foe, the Tzenkethi Coalition, from launching the largest fleet in their history, Sisko and the Theseus’ crew set out to once again save the galaxy. But there’s a reason this species of spiritually rich, reptilian lizard birds has twice defeated Starfleet in battle. They’re xenophobic, ruthless, and innovative…and confronting them on their home turf, a planet thought to be an organism itself, is as good a death sentence as any.
Release Date: October 25, 2023
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