Star Trek: Lore War: Shaxs’ Worst Day
Written by: Ryan North
Art by: Derek Charm
Lettered by: Clayton Cowles
Design & Production: Neil Uyetake
Published by: IDW Publishing
Release date: May 28th, 2025
During the previous crossover event between the two ongoing IDW Franchise comics, Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant, we enjoyed Star Trek: Day of Blood: Shaxs’ Best Day. But that was years ago, and may have been in an alternate dimension. Soon, Star Trek: Lore War: Shaxs’ Worst Day will arrive at your Local Comic Shop.
In advance of the issue’s release, Comics Beat is proud to present a special advance review of the one-shot. Plus, we’re also including five delectible unlettered preview pages. Since the issue doesn’t arrive until May 28th, 2025 and we want you to be able to enjoy the issue’s surprises for yourself, we’ve endeavored to avoid spoilers.
However since the Final Order Cut-off for Shaxs’ Worst Day is Monday, April 21st, 2025, you’ll want to contact your LCS ASAP to ensure a copy is waiting for your when it is published. Pick up the phone now, Bear Pack, because you’re going to want a copy of this fascist-killing follow-up for yourself!
From Day of Blood to Lore War
Previously, in Shaxs’ Best Day, we got to see Shaxs slaughter wave after wave of fascists. This was on Qo’nos, which had been overtaken by a civil war started by the zealot Kahless II and his goons. Naturally, Kahless II had designs to take over the whole galaxy. But standing between him and his goals was the fascist-slaying machine, Shaxs. The entirety of this one-shot depicted Shaxs slaughtering fascists, before escaping by literally catching a ride on (top of) a Starfleet ship.
But that was all during the Day of Blood event. Now, we’re in the Lore War event. As you may already be aware, this is a big crossover event between the Star Trek and Defiant comics. It serves as a climax for both, bringing both series to a conclusion with the forthcoming Star Trek: Lore War: Omega one-shot.
In Lore War, Data’s titular evil “twin brother” has remade the entire universe in his image. This has transformed Starfleet into a fascist “peacekeeping” force, sort of like in the Mirror Universe. In the process, many of our familiar heroes have been transformed into fascist-supporting ghouls. This includes Shaxs, who has become Pah-wraith Shaxs, one of the authoritarian regime’s most brutal and effective enforcers.
Star Trek: Lore War: Shaxs’ Worst Day
In Shaxs’ Worst Day, we get a direct sequel to Shaxs’ Best Day. At the outset of the issue, Shaxs has his memories restored (this is included in the one-shot’s already-released issue description).
As those who watch Star Trek: Lower Decks know, Shaxs loathes fascists, in an outspoken way. Remember, in Lower Decks Season 2’s “wej Duj,” he screamed: “Fighting fascism is a full-time job!” So naturally, he is overcome with self-loathing at having been transformed into an authoritarian enforcer — as any decent and moral person would be.
From here, Shaxs embarks on a secret mission, the details of which I will not elaborate on here for spoilers’ sake. But suffice to say, Shaxs is once again pitted against a legion of fascist foot soldiers. And while they may “just be following orders,” Shaxs has a very personal bone to pick with each of them after having been transmogrified into the thing he hates more than anything else: a fascist. And while Shaxs is a softie on the inside, when he goes on a fascist-killing mission, we all know it is bad news for anyone on the side of fascism.
“That’s what happens to fascists, fascists!”
In the ensuing issue-length bloodbath, Shaxs cuts a messy path through dozens of fascist goons. This includes both familiar (but corrupted) characters and unfamiliar characters alike. You’ll enjoy the familiar cameos and guest appearances, some of which are wholly unexpected. And you’ll enjoy the violence Shaxs unapologetically inflicts on these fascists even more.
Speaking of which, Derek Charm’s art is ideally suited to this story, just as it was for Shaxs’ Best Day. In both issues, Shaxs dispenses gory comeuppance to wave after wave of fascists. It’s unclear whether or not this violence would have been, well, so much fun if it was depicted more realistically. As it stands, characters can be sliced in half and/or decapitated, dismembered, etc. without the gore becoming a distraction.
And after writing ten issues of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Shaxs’ Best Day and the graphic novel Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way, it’s no surprise Ryan North has the comedic Franchise comic script down pat. Like his preceding work, Shaxs’ Worst Day has a nice balance of comedy, action, Star Trek references and weird sci-fi ideas. As usual, his bottom-of-the-page notes add another comedic layer to the issue, with a couple being all-time-great examples of this characteristic trope. And I also spotted a personal reference in a certain ship’s name, which I will avoid specifically mentioning but which I wholeheartedly enjoyed.
Plus of course, you can expect Clayton Cowles to reliably provide excellent lettering. From dialogue balloons to LCARS screens to every KRAKOOM sound effect, Cowles delivers the goods. And all three creators come together for a final page that will knock your socks off (if you’ve already slipped them back on after they were previously knocked off while reading earlier pages of the issue).
Crash landing at your LCS on May 28th
You won’t want to miss Shaxs’ Worst Day when it arrives at your LCS at the end of May. And if you felt like I wrote “fascist” too many times in this review, well, I agree. Fortunately, Shaxs himself will teach you what to do when there’s too many fascists when you pick up the one-shot in five short weeks.*
*Weeks may seem longer if you are currently living under a fascist regime.
Star Trek: Lore War: Shaxs’ Worst Day arrives at your LCS and/or local public library beginning on May 28th, 2025. However the FOC is April 21st, 2025, so contact your LCS about the one-shot immediately.
Read more great reviews from The Beat! And keep up with all of The Beat’s Star Trek coverage here.
