Star Trek: Red Shirts #2

Star Trek: Red Shirts #2

by Christopher Cantwell, Megan Levens (Artist)

After weathering the deaths of their crewmates, the Red Shirts who survived hurtling to Arkonia 89 in torpedo casings have rendezvoused with Lieutenant Cromarty in his underground base. Their to bed down and wait for enemy spies to take the bait they’ve laid in a data disk at the base of a subspace antenna. But little do the Federation officers know, they aren’t the only ones looking for unsuspecting prey…

Genres: Star Trek, Comics, Science Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2025

Reviews

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The special mission to Arkonia 89 in the second issue of "Red Shirts" sees more of the red shirts dying off one at a time, as they must deal with a giant monster and unidentified spies while guarding top-secret Federation intelligence.



Christopher Cantwell's story picks up in this one, while artist Megan Levens ratchets up the violence and gore. This is pretty dark stuff for Star Trek. I like it.

[The Void Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Star Trek: Red Shirts #2
Written by Christopher Cantwell | Art by Megan Levens

The redshirts are dwindling, and the paranoia is rising. Issue #2 of Star Trek: Red Shirts ratchets up the tension with a claustrophobic setup that feels equal parts espionage thriller and doomed survival tale. After surviving their torpedo-tube drop to Arkonia 89, our unlucky crew reunites with Lieutenant Cromarty in a subterranean hideout that’s less safehouse, more pressure cooker.

Cantwell’s writing continues to balance gallows humor with genuine dread. The mission—baiting enemy spies with a data disk—is simple enough, but the execution is anything but. The lurking threat isn’t just external; mistrust and trauma simmer among the survivors, and Levens’ expressive art captures every twitch, side-eye, and breakdown with sharp precision.

The pacing is tight, the stakes are high, and the question looms: who’s next? With each panel, the series leans harder into its central conceit—these characters were never meant to survive, but they’re doing it anyway, and it’s terrifying. The body count climbs, but so does the emotional weight.

A strong second issue that deepens the mystery and sharpens the knives. If the first installment was a wink at Star Trek’s expendables, this one is a grim nod to their humanity.

Happy reading and live long and prosper 🖖 📚

[Rob Vitagliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, beware, readers, this one gets a little more gruesome, especially with the fate of one of the main red shirts. Yeesh. One of the more graphic deaths I've seen from a Trek character.

Other red shirts start getting picked off like we're in a horror movie, but there's still some left by the end of this one.

Also, the Romulan revealed at the end of the first issue is exactly who you think he is, if you read the flagship run of Star Trek and the spinoff Defiant. I bet Cantwell was excited to bring one of his characters back for another adventure.

Overall, I'm really enjoying this one and look forward to the next issue.

[AJ Easterday · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really not sure how long this series can last with all the characters dropping like flies so fast.

I do find it interesting how critical this story is of Starfleet. I wonder if that's building to anything big.

[Arjun Rajkumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing a nice story arc with art on point!