Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #15 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The disgraced Cardassian tailor Elim Garak is confronted with his past as an assassin with the Obsidian Order. While on DS9's promenade, Garak comes face-to-face with a face he supposedly killed during the days of the occupation of Bajor. Later that same day, Garak experiences a massive headache that puts him into a coma. 

Rushed to the sickbay, Dr. Bashir discovers that Garak's neural pathways are deteriorating at an accelerated rate. The space station physician has never seen a neurological disease this aggressive and he vows to find a cure. Meanwhile, Garak continues to see the woman he long thought dead before immediately experiencing more violent episodes. With Constable Odo and the rest of Deep Space Nine's security team unable to detect the presence of this living 'ghost', Garak faces his own mortality. These experiences might in fact be hallucinations brought about by a deadly brain disease of which there is no cure!

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #15 was the last issue the series based on the TV show of the same name. DS9 was a part of Marvel's second run at the Star Trek franchise. In 1996, Marvel formed an imprint in cooperation with Paramount Pictures to produce works based on the motion picture studios' catalog. While Paramount Comics did publish a few comics of franchises such as Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible film series, Star Trek was the driving force of the imprint. 

Along with the series based on Deep Space Nine, Paramount Comics also released monthlies based on The Next Generation and Voyager. Star Trek Unlimited was an anthology that featured the Enterprise-D along with adventures of the Original Series crew led by James T. Kirk. Star Trek: Early Voyages went even further back in time and covered the untold missions of the Captain Pike tenure. 

The early to mid 90s was not a safe time for comic book publisher; even one as established as Marvel. With a proven talent like Swamp Thing's Len Wein as Paramount Comics' EIC and talent like Dan Abnett and Al Williamson among the members of this modern day bullpen, the future of Star Trek comics appeared rather bright. Yet, for one reason or another, but mostly decreased sales, the imprint folded by the end of 1998. A miniseries continuing the adventures of the Deep Space Nine crew was promised on the letters page of this issue. However, it along with several other promised projects never came to be. Only Star Trek: Untold Voyages, a 5-issue miniseries focusing on the events between Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan was produced before Paramount Comics folded. The Star Trek franchise would not return to comics for another 8 years with the debut of IDW's Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between.

The script to this issue was penned by Andy Mangels (Star Trek: Section 31: Rogue) with Michael Martin. Pencils by Greg Scott (Fantastic Four: Heroes Return).

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #48 (Last Issue of a Series) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.