September 4, 2024 (Ok, that’s not todays date, today is May 20, 2024) This is the day to mark your calendar!  Star Trek #500 will be here… and what a ride it will be!

IDW Publishing will mark its landmark 500th issue of Star Trek. The oversized anthology comic will feature seven stories from different eras of Star Trek. It will serve as a prelude to a big Trek universe crossover event planned for 2025. 

Some huge names are involved in the production of this book.  Patton Oswalt, Chris Cantwell, Mags Visaggio, and more. Here’s the official release fo for the bog event:

Celebrate IDW’s 500th issue of Star Trek comics (and an early Star Trek Day!) with this landmark oversized anthology issue! This collection of seven short stories spans through fan-favorite eras of the beloved franchise from Lower Decks to  Strange New Worlds legacy characters from The Next Generation and the original series, written and illustrated by Star Trek comics veterans and new voices alike. Plus, don’t miss out on the prelude to 2025’s big Star Trek and Defiant comic crossover event written by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Christopher Cantwell!

Ok, going to buy it is the easy part, so what’s the hard part? 

Deciding which of the AMAZING covers you want to collect! 

Star Trek #500 has four different variant covers. They showcase the crews from 58 years of Trek, since the days of Kirk, to Pike in Strange New Worlds. 

Cover A is by Joëlle Jones:

Cover B by Jake Bartok. 

Cover C by JK Woodward:

And a Cover Variant by Chris Fenoglio. 

I admit that I’m particularly interested in the Q, with comics and ‘action figure’ collection.  But like Spock, I will make the only logical choice and collect them all! 

Here’s what Heather Antos, IDW group editor, had to say about the upcoming special issue of Star Trek:

The sending to print of any single comic is a feat in and of itself. To hit a landmark like 500 issues with any franchise is a true accomplishment to be celebrated. This Star Trek Day IDW is excited to present not only a look back at some of our favorite characters and series from over the years, but also a look forward on what is to come in the future for our Eisner-nominated Star Trek and Defiant series. If you’re only getting one Star Trek book this year, this is not one to miss out on!

In addition, Jackson Lanzing, who are co-writing the prelude for the big Star Trek event coming in 2025, shared the following sentiments.

In Star Trek #400, we began a journey that changed the face of Star Trek comics and carved out a whole new line for readers of every generation. I don’t think any of us could have imagined what would follow. From all the incredible interlocked series to the first Star Trek summer event to the first Eisner nominations in Starfleet’s history. Now, one hundred issues later… it’s time to push things even further.

From Picard in the Academy, Lower Decks once again in Human form, to the Borg dog!  It’s going to be along 3.2 months to wait for this.  

For even more goodness from the creators of this milestone adventure, please visit https://nerdist.com.