Writers: Christopher Cantwell
Art: Ángel Unzueta
Colors: Marissa Louise
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Cover: Malachi Ward
Publisher: IDW
Price: 4.99
Release Date: August 2nd, 2022
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The Dispatch
STAR TREK: DAY OF BLOOD #1 thrust the crews of Theseus and Defiant into a dysfunctional alliance against Kahless’s forces. Now they all face death if their mission fails. So the stakes have never been higher as STAR TREK DEFIANT #6 sets out to deliver an unforgettable entry in the new STAR TREK crossover.
“Day of Blood” continues in STAR TREK DEFIANT #6 and tracks the multiple story threads begun in STAR TREK: DAY OF BLOOD #1. Sisko and Worf travel toward the Spire of Kahless hoping to stop Kahless directly. As they do so, Spock joins Scotty aboard Theseus as Romulan ships commence their attack on the vulnerable science vessel. Meanwhile, Crusher, Sela, and the Orion struggle to make their way through the rapidly deteriorating capital city until they find Chancellor Martok locked in combat and on the verge of death. Elsewhere, Data and Lore fight through Red Path followers on their way to find Koroth, the cleric and scientist responsible for creating the Kahless clone that is leading the assault on Qo’nos. Finally, Ro, T’Lir and Sato make a run on the capital city’s comm systems. Tom Paris and B’elanna work on repairing Defiant.
The situation grows more desperate by the moment, and there’s no telling which of these groups, if any, will succeed. STAR TREK DEFIANT #6 moves at a breakneck pace. At the end of STAR TREK: DAY OF BLOOD #1, the crews of Defiant and Theseus are scattered in several different locations trying to save themselves and the Klingon Empire from Kahless’s Red Path forces. Cantwell checks in with every member of both crews as they struggle to survive and fight back. With the exception of Spock and Scotty aboard Theseus, the blended personnel from each crew are all in some level of conflict with each other. These are mostly superficial and excessive. Worf and Sisko’s interaction is by far the most effective. And it’s also deadly serious.
Worf’s animosity toward Sisko continues to grow. He distrusts Sisko because of his time with the Prophets. Worf is uncertain whether Sisko has a greater goal that is too high minded and abstract to let him handle the immediate battle at hand. This conversation takes place as the two men follow the original’s Kahless’s path on the quest that took him to the site of the spire. It’s hard not to see Worf’s distrust of Sisko and his fight against Kahless as an outgrowth of the same motivation–especially with the two following the original Kahless’s path.
Cantwell includes a clever piece of retroactive character development for Worf. He opens STAR TREK DEFIANT #6 with a personal log entry that took place in the aftermath of a battle in the Dominion War (as seen in the Deep Space Nine episode “Sacrifice of Angels”). Kahless’s influence had been waning for years. As it did so, Worf’s faith in him faltered. He was reminded more and more that this Kahless is a clone of the original. Sisko’s connection to the Prophets plays into the same idea. Worf’s animosity can be seen as a loss of faith in Sisko just as he lost faith in Kahless.
The Art & Letters
The art is a significant reason why STAR TREK DEFIANT #6 moves as fast as it does. Characters almost always appear in motion, creating a sense of urgency. This in turn suggests how fast Kahless’s own forces are advancing in their goals. Another instance where Unzueta’s art significantly adds to what Cantwell’s script is trying to convey is in the appearance of the Spire of Kahless. When Worf and Sisko approach it, the scale suggests a massive structure, purposely ostentatious in its size. The spire offers a visual representation of Worf’s quest to defeat something both powerful and legendary.
Louise’s coloring adds to the devastation and destruction seen on the Klingon homeworld. Orange skies full of smoke contrast with darker, brick-like buildings. Yellow flames shine brighter than all of that. Cowles uses red dialogue bubbles and font any time Klingons speak in their own language and switches back to normal black and white bubbles and font when the Klingons speak English. The choice adds menace to the Klingon language and in turn Klingons themselves.
Final Thoughts
The “Day of Blood” crossover is an intense story. It hasn’t let up at any since the first page. This issue balances the story’s action and fast pace with a lot of dialogue. It features a few significant exchanges such as the one between Sisko and Worf. STAR TREK DEFIANT #6 is the series’ best issue to date.