Star Trek: Defiant Vol. 1

Star Trek: Defiant #1-4

by Christopher Cantwell, Ángel Unzueta (Artist)

Spinning directly out of the Star Trek ongoing comic series, Defiant adds to this bold new storytelling future! Someone is killing the gods. But Benjamin Sisko’s Prophets-guided dealings of the higher cosmos has led him to forget about the very real casualties on lower ground. But who is this new enemy? Worf of House Martok has put together his own crew aboard the U.S.S. Defiant in hopes of defeating the dangerous messiah behind this genocidal cult. The Dirty Dozen meets Star Trek in this new series from the creative minds of Chris Cantwell (Iron Man, Namor, Star Obi-Wan) and Angel Unzueta (Iron Man, Star Poe Dameron, The Flash)! An exciting stand-alone story, Star Defiant can also be read along with the events of Star Trek, Vol. 1: Godshock for the complete experience!

Genres: Star Trek, Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Fiction

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2023

Reviews

[Isabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

I am mad. Netflix and Paramount are throwing a hissy fit because of this Warner Bros. business and Paramount is recalling all their Star Trek content to make it exclusive to Paramount+, a streaming service no one has or knows exists. It is also a streaming service not available in my country, nor are there plans to make it available here any time soon. So books and random pirated clips online are going to be my only Star Trek access for the foreseeable future after 8th January 2026 (yes I am counting down). Whoopee.

This book is riddled with Star Trek callbacks and I can’t tell if it’s fan service or not. Worf, Spock, and B’Elanna pick up Ro Laren with the Defiant to chase the Crystalline Entity, are unknowingly being trailed by Denise Crosby’s Sela, raid Section 31 headquarters to steal Lore’s head, and meet Orion pirates using Gorn venom as a weapon. Oh and also they are tracking down Alexander, Worf's son, who has joined a cult hooked on a new version of the Jem'Hadar's ketracel-white. Out of the 6 (or 7) main characters in this story, only one of them is original. If you didn't know where all these things came from I still think you could enjoy this, because the art is amazing and the story is engaging enough on its own, but like with any media tie-in fiction, knowing the source material elevates the book.

So do I think this and books like it can sustain me until Paramount remembers New Zealand is a country? Maybe. Probably. But yeah... it's just not as good as the real thing. I might have to revert back to DVDs. Or join a pirate crew. Both of which I am seriously considering.



Also I’m glad Ro and B’Elanna finally got to swear, even if it was bleeped out.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got reeled into this when the author was a guest on the official Star Trek podcast (hosted by the awesome Tawny Newsome and what's his name). He sold it, big time! Of course, since I wanted to understand what I was reading here, first I had to read that other Star Trek comic which wasn't a huge problem (LOL, my reading stats always appreciate easy reads/compiled volumes).

I'm not incredibly into team-ups - LOL, shut up, brain! - I'm totally sure it's completely plausible that all these peeps gathered for this action-y tale. Beyond that one section where Spock nattered on and on and on and on, it was a pretty tight, action-y story that kept my interest. Undoubtedly helped by the gorgeous art. Everybody was beautifully rendered and I may have ended up with an extra appreciation for Worf's form, in particular. LOL!

Onward to reading the next Star Trek volume!

[Paweł Dembowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fajnie, że wyszedł w Polsce kolejny komiks z uniwersum Star Treka; szkoda, że zupełnie bez sensu wyjęty ze środka serii (Defiant to spin-off serii komiksowej zatytułowanej po prostu „Star Trek” z 2022 i mocno nawiązuje do wydarzeń z niej) i przez to nie sprzeda się najlepiej i reszta serii nie doczeka się polskiego wydania.

Poza tym niestety polskie tłumaczenie jest pełne błędów, i to czasami takich, które zupełnie przeinaczają sens oryginału. Próbowałem czytać wersję polską, skoro mam ją na papierze, ale w pewnym momencie przekład zirytował mnie na tyle, że dokończyłem w wersji oryginalnej (akurat jest dostępna w ramach Humble Bundle z masą startrekowych komiksów).

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

honestly rad as hell. i think b'elanna and ro should kiss while being enemies about it

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very unexpected crew take the Defiant on a hunt for some very powerful enemies. I do like the banter between Lore and Spock.

[James Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The strength of this story is that it features a nice cross-section of characters from the TNG era of Trek, and you get to see them interact. Admittedly, not a lot really happens beyond that, except to help setup events in IDW's ongoing Trek series. (B)

[Monita Roy Mohan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a ton of fun. Love the ragtag group of characters, most of whom don’t actually trust one another. Loved seeing B’Elanna in the mix—she’s so angry, and righteous. I didn’t like that she and Ro were at each other’s throats, but at the same time, they’re two sides of the same coin but have lived really different lives, so some amount of animosity is understandable.

I loved the action—some of Spock’s monologues were too verbose and at times incongruous, but I do like his wise and balanced perspective here.

The art is so much better here. The characters closely resemble the actors and the interiors look amazing.

Can’t wait to get to the rest of the series.

[Rob Vitagliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this storyline as individual issues, and I gave an emphatic five star review to issue #1.

I've read a decent amount of Star Trek comics, though certainly not all of them. I can say without a doubt, this is the best first entry of any storyline that I can remember. Though I still don't agree with how Worf and Sisko left things on the Theseus in Star Trek #5, the issue that led to this spinoff, I can't argue with what it's doing for the storyline. I don't want to spoil too much, but Worf assembles quite a crew to follow him on this mission, though you can see all but one of them on cover A. The art is fantastic, and the mood is dark and secretive, but somehow not in a negative way. Throw in a briefing by another returning character that I won't name, interactions with crew members from at least three different series, and a sarcastic and witty Worf, and this is setting up to be a series I will very much look forward to reading each issue of.


The second issue wasn’t quite as exciting as the first, but the art is still spectacular and the intrigue certainly continues. The covert affairs the crew engage in remind me of the “Star Trek: Away Team” game that I thought was seriously underrated. The Section 31 station where Lore is held looks really neat, and there’s a nice little nod to a species seen in an early TNG episode. I also like the return of the Orions, as some of them look quite good in comic form, and the mention of a dangerous substance from the “Generations” film is a nice bit of Trek lore, no pun intended. 


The third issue is action packed, with a space battle that's mostly one sided, mixed in with up close combat with a few of our heroes and the terrific looking Orions. There are two voiceovers throughout, one who is revealed at the end, and the other telling an Orion folk tale that carries throughout the issue and fits with the ending well.


Issue four is more about dealing with the fallout from issue three. Spock thinks about the potential consequences of rebuilding Lore throughout the entire book, and I have to think that something awful will happen at some point relating to that. Worf fights through his injury (obviously as a reader you know he won't die) and Torres and Ro continue to snipe at each other. It also brings back an old TNG adversary that should certainly shake things up going forward. Overall this issue doesn't bring anything new to the table save for one revelation about the makeup of Kahless' cult, and I'm a bit concerned that this series is losing a little steam, but I still enjoyed reading it. 

Overall, I felt that the story wasn't as exciting as I expected after the first issue, but I find myself still looking forward to each book and hope the story comes to a head in the upcoming Day of Blood event.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This graphic novel collects issues #1 - #4 of Star Trek: Defiant comic. The premise is some style of an alternative history (or, alternative future, depending on what is 'current' for Star Trek). In it we get a collaboration of characters from all series - TNG, DS9 and Voyager, as well as TOS in form of Spock.

Story: Kahless II, a clone of Kahless wages a bloody war across the galaxy with help of 'Red Mist' that makes Klingons even more aggressive. To combat this, Worf and Spock steal the Defiant, collect a ragtag crew and set out to save the galaxy. The whole thing feels like the Mirrorverse without actually being the Mirrorverse.

I have to admit I found the basic premise hard to buy into. The plot feels larger than life and there are multiple plotlines going through simultaneously. This makes it even less believable that one crew could do much and it's not clearly explained why it would not be possible to work within the system for answers. The main pull, having characters from all series in one go, doesn't appeal to me either - it feels too much like fan service.

It's a shame as the writing is quite good - I feel each character does behave as themselves, as long as you buy into the premise. Lines are good and feel the part - if you ignore the new 'edgy' Star Trek where it's now possible to swear. Some of the ideas in this alternate world are interesting, but the whole just does not mesh.

Art is decent and even good - you can recognize all characters comfortably by appearance. Most of the action (of which there is perhaps too much) is well drawn and feels dynamic. I like the little inserts of logs and reports both as giving a 'trek' feel, and also help in providing exposition to the story itself.

If the idea of an edgier, alternate-world Star Trek appeals to you, give this a try. It's definitely not a bad comic, just not my cup of tea. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spinning out of IDW's other Star Trek series, Defiant sees Worf unite with some unsavoury characters and familiar faces as they fly under the radar to do the jobs no one wants to do. First on their list - work out what the hell is going on with the Klingons lately, as the Day Of Blood looms over them.

I never expected to be reading two Star Trek series that I'm enjoying this much, honestly. Chris Cantwell puts his characters through the wringer both mentally and physically, and that's just in the first few issues that bring the team together. Once we get on track towards Day Of Blood, things get even more painful for all involved, sweeping in some continuity without ever making you feel like you need to have watched every episode of Star Trek ever to understand it.

On art we have Angel Unzueta, who was also one of Cantwell's frequent collaborators over on Iron Man, so they work pretty well together. Unzueta manages to nail the character likenesses without making it seem like he's just photoboxing, which is always appreciated.

Star Trek: Defiant makes its case for existing separate to the main book within minutes of opening the first issue, and continues to do so for the entirely of this first volume. A good looking book that's equal parts action and character study, just like all the best Star Trek is.

[Joseph R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worf and Spock reluctantly team up to hunt down Kahless II, a renegade Klingon who wants to reunite the empire. Kahless is killing god-like beings and somehow taking their powers, thus providing an ultimate weapon for conquest. The Federation is not on board with this grand conspiracy, so Worf and Spock (who are on board) steal the USS Defiant to complete their self-assigned mission. A few other familiar faces join their crew as their adventures go on.

While the story is interesting, it does have a lot of parallels with Picard Season 3, maybe too many. The dramatics feel a bit like reruns from other stories and make the overall narrative less interesting than it should be. Also, this is part of some other concurrent stories (as referenced by footnotes) so it has the MCU problem of keeping up with a large variety of narrative threads. If you are a die-hard Trekkie, you'll get everything (though, you have to have read other contemporary comics). Otherwise, some surprise twists and character revelations are not so surprising. A reader can't say, "Wow, that person came back!" when they don't know who that person is and how they connect to the others.

Mildly recommended. I wasn't impressed enough or hooked by the story to keep reading. Would be two stars, but Worf and Spock are cool enough to give it an extra star.

[Ashe Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this series was happening thanks to a user on the Star Trek Online subreddit and I'm glad I checked it out. I think it's an interesting premise. Worf and Spock stealing the Defiant to stop Kahless II. Some familiar faces show up. Some new faces show up. The story is definitely a comic book story or a video game story, which is fine, I went in expecting that. If you're expecting proper Trek, definitely temper those expectations. That's not to say there aren't Trek moments here or there. The writer does a good job of getting the vibes right for the characters as portrayed in this strange, hostile universe.

And, of course, I could never resist a story centered around my favorite ship from my favorite Trek series. Gets a solid 3.75 stars, mostly because the full arc required me to read another series as well. I did not.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the dynamic between Worf and Spock. It works surprisingly well and it's one combination I wish we'd seen on screen.

So this is the "darker" side of this new Star Trek series, gathering together a bunch of misfits led by Worf. Some of the characters I'm a little hesitant around.... do we really need Lore? It's like Brent Spiner demands as much screentime in these comics as he got in the movies.

Aside from that, it's nice seeing the Defiant again (sorry I find the Theseus ugly as hell), as well as some of the other characters. The story itself will make little sense without having read "Star Trek Godshock" first, but if you enjoyed that you should also like this one.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love TNG and DS9 (and maybe some ST:Voyager)...

Then BOY is this a series for you.
Worf goes rogue and enlists the aid of Spock, B'Elanna Torres, Ro Laren, and some positronic parts on a 'Section 31' style mission to stop the bad clone of Kahless. It wouldn't be a Worf story without the Defiant, so of course that's the ship they're using.

It pushes all the buttons for ST lovers and the art is spot on with likenesses of all the major players. It all sets things up for the 'Day of Blood' crossover between the newest 'Star Trek' series and this one.
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Bonus: Klingon adrenaline, eh? That stuff looks dangerous AF.

[Joel Jorden · Rating 5 out of 5]

If IDW's current Star Trek series is its answer to the Avengers or the Justice League, then Star Trek Defiant is its Suicide Squad. After a falling out over tactics and sacrifice with Captain Sisko, Worf disavows Starfleet, takes command of the USS Defiant, and recruits a crew of Starfleet rogues (including B'Elanna Torres, Spock, Ro Laren, and a certain Soong-type android) to rescue his indoctrinated son Alexander from the ranks of Emperor Kahless and prevent the Klingon emperor's war against the gods.

A promising start to the second IDW Star Trek series taking place in the years between Insurrection and Nemesis, bending (or breaking) the rules of Starfleet for the greater good.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This spins out of Star Trek, Vol. 1: Godshock. A rogue group of Klingons are murdering anyone they consider to be Gods. Worf and Spock leave Sisko's crew and steal the Defiant to go on their own hunt for the Klingons because Worf's son, Alexander, has sided with the zealots. B'Elanna Torres of Voyager, Ro Laren, and Lore also get sucked into the crew. The story is kind of so-so. This does lead into the Day of Blood event.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beyond having a basic grasp of the premise of what is going on in the Star Trek mainline comic and having read Shaxs' Day of Blood tie in, I went into this pretty cold (I'd have read the mainline volumes leading into this, but they were not as conveniently available as this was). The premise seems kind of over the top and this team-up feels a bit pulled out of nowhere (maybe with context it would be less so), but it was entertaining and I thought the characters were more or less as I'd expect them to be.

[Zane Brumley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following Godshock, I had to see what Worf was up to once he fled. The stakes continue to ramp up during Worf's adventure, and he assembles an impressive cast of Star Trek alum: Spock, B'Elanna, Ro Laren, and Lore. This messy group steals the Defiant, and then the drama ensues from there. The art captures the likeness of our characters, though it isn't as emotive. Though the story is less substantial than Godshock, I still greatly enjoyed this run, and I'm liking that Worf is facing some consequences for being Starfleet's greatest deadbeat dad.

[Shannon Schmelzle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good.

I really liked the art here. Though Lore's deadface almost made me shutter a few times. The plot is a little slow, but moving fast enough to keep my attention. I did find it a little irritating that we introduce a character and never reveal her name. Like, what's the point? If we are hiding her name, give her a fake one. It was just distracting.

I definitely think this book is a little weaker than the main IDW Star Trek ongoing, but it is an interesting enough spin off.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Trek: Defiant Vol. 1

Worf absconded aboard the stolen 'U.S.S. Defiant', defying Captain Sisko's orders in order to try and save his son from the galactic jihad begun by the clone of Emperor Kahless. Joining him on his Black Ops mission are some old comrades and some older enemies.

The artwork is never less than good, but the likenesses of Worf and B'Elanna in particular are striking. Action artwork is drawn and coloured well and the pages flow together well.

[Louis Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jolly good fun, this book! Great cast of characters and intriguing dynamics between all of them. More B’Elanna is always good. I didn’t enjoy that B’Elanna and Ro kept fighting, though I do understand it.

Art is beautiful and really does justice to the interiors of the Defiant and the lovely characters.

Can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more. I am a huge Trekkie, but always grown when it is TNG teams up with Spock (again) to save the galaxy. Worse it is a Worf centered story and they keep bringing back more cameos like Lore. Worf at least finally admits he is a terrible father. I hope things pick up a lot in the next volumes.

[Phil McNelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the Theseus had a motley crew, but this one takes the cake. A fantastic who's who line up from across the TNG/VOY/DS9 era, but a more gritty, covert story than the main Trek comics. Can't recommend it enough.

[Ruben Van Egmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Defiant Vol. 1 fares much better than Godshock, this team of misfits and legends are well written, unlike godshock this was a fun read and managed to maintain it's pace very well, dialogue isn't bloated and the art style is actually really tight.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was better than I expected. There’s some fun “space pirates” stuff and great stuff with Sela, Lore and Spock. Very propulsive.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this but it’s kind of a weird wonderful mess. Worth reading.

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worf tries to stop Kahless from destroying the universe.

[Wouter Dhondt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the cast in this series. Looking forward to read more.

[Kira Concepcion · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it such a good read

This is worth buying. All the characters are written correctly. The story moves are good pace and the artwork is great.

[Billy Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, great art!