With the limited series Star Trek: Red Shirts, IDW turned the Franchise’s comic book formula on its head, presenting a story set in Starfleet wherein the titular security officers were subjected to all manner of gory, brutal fates. Featuring an almost entirely new cast of characters (the vast majority of which did not survive all five issues), Red Shirts made a strong and immediate impression. And now, IDW has announced a sequel series: Star Trek: Red Shirts: Ghosts of the 21st Century.
Cover by Chris Shehan.
Star Trek: Red Shirts: Ghosts of the 21st Century
The sequel series will feature a change in the creative personnel. Ghosts of the 21st Century will be written by Gerry Duggan, who was behind one of (if not) the best runs in Deadpool history, and artist Scott Buoncristiano, whose work includes spooky stuff in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Currently, there is no word on a letterer or any additional members of the creative team.
Here’s the official description of the sequel series from IDW, which was initially announced at Popverse:
“On the Federation’s farthest frontier, red shirts don’t just die—they’re used. When conscripted security grunt Harry Deubert finds contraband hidden inside a fallen comrade’s body, he uncovers Section Null—a secret Starfleet directorate turning disposable red shirts into assets in a sprawling criminal conspiracy. Teaming with Lyna Taval, an Andorian officer with her own covert agenda, Deubert digs too deep…and becomes a target.
“Someone inside Starfleet Security is selling out the Federation. And once Deubert and Taval learn what red shirts are really for, there’s no going back. ‘I’ve not been able to enlist in Starfleet until now, but I can promise this new volume of RED SHIRTS is going to leave a very big bruise on Star Trek,’ said Duggan. ‘The Romulans have an insidious plot to destabilize the Federation, and it’s my privilege to help them and drop as many bodies as we can along the way. Set your phasers for fun, and see you in space.’
“‘I was over a month into a Star Trek rewatch when I was asked to do RED SHIRTS,’ commented Buoncristiano. ‘It’s one thing to watch this universe, but it’s another to be able to draw and create within it. Collaborating with Duggan and the crew at IDW is a blast, and I can’t wait for readers to see what we do to these poor, doomed Red Shirts.’
“The debut issue from the 5-issue limited series goes on sale, featuring covers by Chris Shehan and Chris Burnham, plus the first espionage homage variant by Malachi Ward. On sale July 22, 2026; pre-orders are June 15. Contact your local comic shop for more information.”
Cover by Chris Burnham.
Continuing the Carnage
The original run of Red Shirts was one of Comics Beat’s Best Comics of 2025.
For your easy reference, here are links to our reviews for all five issues:
Pre-order on June 15
Cover by Malachi Ward.
The first issue of Ghosts of the 21st Century arrives on July 22nd, 2026, with a pre-order date of June 15th, so consider getting in touch with your Local Comics Shop (LCS) now.
Keep up with all of The Beat’s Star Trek coverage here.
And for the rest of The Beat’s single-issue reviews, be sure to keep up with The Beat’s Wednesday Weekly Reviews column!
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