Red Shirts Get a Reappraisal
IDW’s new comic 'Star Trek: Red Shirts — Ghost of the 21st Century' promises to explain the franchise’s classic 'red shirt' expendable trope, offering a playful, lore‑heavy take for fans. For readers who enjoy franchise riffs and bite‑size reinterpretations, comics like this are an easy way to see how classic sci‑fi properties are being reframed today. (comicbookmovie.com)
IDW is publishing a five‑issue limited series called Star Trek: Red Shirts — Ghost of the 21st Century, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Scott Buoncristiano, with the first issue scheduled to go on sale July 22, 2026. (yahoo.com) The plot opens when conscripted security guard Harry Deubert finds contraband hidden in a fallen crewmember and uncovers “Section Null,” a secret Starfleet directorate that, the publisher says, is turning disposable red shirts into assets—Deubert then teams with Andorian officer Lyna Taval and becomes a target as the conspiracy unfolds. (leagueofcomicgeeks.com) The “red shirt” label refers to an old Star Trek shorthand for expendable security or support crew who frequently die on away missions, and IDW’s first Red Shirts miniseries in 2025 already treated that trope as a brutal, character‑driven story rather than a punchline. (screenrant.com) IDW expanded its Star Trek line with multiple limited series beginning in 2025 and is positioning this new Red Shirts volume as part of its 60th‑anniversary publishing slate for the franchise. (idwpublishing.com) IDW has released preview art and a first‑look solicitation that credits cover artist Chris Shehan, lists the issue at $4.99, and describes the book as a standard single‑issue format (roughly 28 pages). (leagueofcomicgeeks.com) (mycomicshop.com) Gerry Duggan is best known for runs on Deadpool and other mainstream comics, and he described the new Red Shirts volume as one that will “leave a very big bruise on Star Trek,” while artist Scott Buoncristiano has credits on genre titles including Buffy and Creepshow; both creators are presented as the new creative team continuing the darker Red Shirts line first launched by Christopher Cantwell and Megan Levens in 2025. (yahoo.com)
