A week out from Halloween, Redjac’s brand of Star Trek-themed horror comes to an end in Star Trek: Holo-Ween Issue #4! Last week left us with Redjac bringing Armus into the fold, setting up a big grand finale. Having Armus alongside the Next Generation crew, as well as Redjac and Scotty, set up an interesting dynamic. We had some big emotional rematches set up, with the villains that feed on fear!
But how will Picard and his crew fend off Redjac once and for all? Does Scotty’s inclusion become important? And how does this wrap up our novelty spooky season celebrations? All of that and more in this review of the latest adventure of the USS Enterprise!
WARNING: Spoilers below for Star Trek: Holo-Ween #4, you’ve been warned.
The Last Stand
The return of Armus last week is something that really excited me. Although “Skin of Evil” isn’t exactly a fan favorite, it’s easily one of the coolest monsters of the early Next Generation. Armus’ inclusion, dragging back up the death of Tasha Yar, and feeding on the fear Redjac is so gleefully generating, could’ve been amazing. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a fake-out.
They spend most of the issue with Armus being a goo monster terrorizing the ship. Considering how emotional this moment could have been, it’s a little disappointing in the rematch respect. Their shared connection to Armus is mentioned, though not really explored in impact. However, this is countered with Armus terrorizing the corridors of the Enterprise. There’s a lot of give and take here, and while there’s more they could’ve done, I find myself mostly satisfied.
The rest of this ramps up the action again. We’ve got more classic monsters versus Jack the Ripper, which frankly never gets old. Compared to the other issues, Redjac has quite a physical presence here. The terror at long last moves off the holodeck, which sees some of the more creative scares of the series. We really get the feeling that the whole ship is in danger, flashing through all our favorite rooms. The way the stakes ramp up before the final fight marked some of the best work in the series.
Freedom
However, not all of the series’ unexpected returning characters are wasted. Scotty’s work in the finale here is delightful. It really leans into his personal battle with Redjac in “Wolf in the Fold” without ever being heavy-handed. Although IDW handles the character regularly in the mainline Star Trek series, I think this could be the best work I’ve ever seen them do with him.
The rest of the crew on the bridge are delightful. The dialogue really feels like the characters have been a reliable constant throughout the series. However, it’s especially true of these final few scenes. In all seriousness, this is quite a strong conclusion in all respects. The cuts to Data on the holodeck, Redjac parading around the bridge, and Picard giving an all-time great speech. For a mostly goofy Halloween series, this became a classic Next Generation adventure.
The end of the comic, which sees the crew happily enjoying Halloween is what I’ve been waiting to see for years. Star Trek is a franchise that doesn’t lend itself too easily to Earth holidays, with the franchise being beyond most of our traditions. Halloween is one that mostly makes sense, and seeing Troi, Worf, and Data join in is beyond fun. The dynamic these characters share here is just as magical as it is on-screen. Their Halloween celebrations have been nothing short of delightful!
Star Trek: Holo-Ween Issue #4 Preview
Conclusion
Holo-Ween was both an ambitious and fun miniseries. It was great to see IDW Publishing branch from monthly to weekly releases, and this was a lovely occasion to do it. This is a format I really wouldn’t mind being used for other events or anniversaries in the future. Any of these issues would’ve felt out of place outside of October, and they all came out at just the perfect moment.
While sure, the “cat and mouse” style of storytelling led to some repeated beats, there was a lot of fun to be had here. Nowhere else will you find a story that sees Starship crews fending off non-corporeal manifestations of evil, all while dressed as classic monsters. Sure, it’s specific, but it’s delightfully camp. I’d love to see Sequeira tackle another Trek story in the future. This was a great effort, and I cannot recommend it enough for some fresh addition to your Star Trek Halloween list.
Star Trek: Holo-Ween #4 is out now from IDW Publishing! You can pick up a copy from all good comic book stores. You can also order it both physically and digitally from Amazon and IDW’s website. For all Star Trek reviews, news, lore, and more, be sure to follow the team here at Trek Central!
Star Trek: Holo-Ween Issue #4 Credits
Writer: Christopher Sequeira
Artist: Joe Eisma
Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Design & Production: Neil Uyetake
Group Editor: Heather Antos
Editorial Assistant: Vanessa Real
Don’t Miss Out…
One series has ended but don’t worry, there are still plenty more NEW Star Trek comics on the way! These include the new ongoing series Star Trek: Picard’s Academy, with issue #2 out November 8. Plus the ongoing Star Trek (New Adventures) with Captain Ben Sisko & the crew of the USS Theseus. Issue #14 is out And if you’re missing Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, then issue #3 of the current mini-series ‘The Scorpius Run’ is out next week (November 1).
More From Trek Central
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🔥 – REVIEW – Star Trek’s ‘Very’ Short Treks
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