The Star Trek franchise continues to thrive over at IDW Publishing, especially with the series Star Trek: Defiant. Sci-fi fans might remember the U.S.S. Defiant as the signature starship from the ’90s TV series Deep Space Nine. In this IDW ongoing comic book, Worf steals the Defiant to save the Alpha Quadrant from the mad Klingon Emperor Kahless. Joining him are iconic characters like Spock, B’Elanna Torres, Lore, and Ro Laren. Now, Afro Samurai artist Takashi Okazaki makes his Trek debut with a set of variant covers for Star Trek: Defiant issues #22-25, part of a story loosely inspired by Lone Wolf and Cub called “No Old Warriors.” You can check them all out right here:
On getting to work in the Star Trek franchise, Takashi Okazaki said “I’m very honored to be able to draw the cover for this series! DS9 has been my favorite series ever since it first aired in Japan, and I also love Klingons, so drawing it was just fun! I would be happy if the fans liked them wearing samurai-style armor.” Klingons have a long tradition in Trek lore of samurai inspiration, so this is a match made in Sto-vo-kor. (That’s Klingon heaven, by the way.)
Here’s what Star Trek editor Heather Antos said about the upcoming Defiant arc:
“Christopher Cantwell’s pitch for this arc was Lone Wolf and Cub meets Klingon honor ritual. Immediately the thought of doing samurai-Klingon covers danced in my mind. Never in a million years did we think we’d get the creator of the legendary Afro Samurai to do a cover for us, let alone FOUR. Let alone the fact that Takashi Okazaki also just happens to be the BIGGEST Star Trek and Klingon fan. Are you kidding?”
Variants will be available for Star Trek: Defiant issues #22, #23, #24, and #25. Christopher Cantwell writes Star Trek: Defiant #22, with illustrations by Angel Unzueta, and it goes on sale January 8, 2025.
