IDW crossover Q series and Picard prequel

IDW have announced two big new Star Trek comics due out next year.

The biggest of those is a new six-part multi-series crossover event, The Q Conflict, which will bring together the crews of TOS, TNG, DS9, and Voyager (sorry Enterprise, Discovery, and the Kelvin timeline!). The series will be written by many times crossover experts Scott and David Tipton, with art by David Messina, one of IDW's first ever Star Trek artists, returning to Trek for the first time in years!

The series is due to start in January. Here's how they describe the series in the announcement press release:

When a dispute between godlike beings threatens the galaxy, it will take all of Starfleet’s best captains to stop them. James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, Kathryn Janeway, and Benjamin Sisko must go head-to-head in a competition rigged by the arrogant Q and his nigh-omnipotent cohorts.

The first issue will be available in multiple covers, including connecting A and B covers by David Messina, and retail incentives by George Caltsoudas and J.K. Woodward. The artwork for Woodward's cover (or maybe covers if the image is split rather than a wrap around) is what IDW have used to announce the series:

The second new title, also due in January has been hinted at before, a Picard prequel set on the Stargazer. This one shot will be part of the IDW 20/20 series, which spans multiple IDW titles in celebration of the publisher's 20th birthday - Other issues will dive 20 years into the past or future of Ghostbusters, My Little Pony, Jem and the Holograms, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

This series will also see some major returning talent, with Peter David (who's also been away from Trek for a long time) down to write it, and J.K. Woodward on art duties. Here's how IDW describe the book:

Twenty years before he took command of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, Jean-Luc Picard sat in the captain’s chair of the U.S.S. Stargazer. Picard served with distinction aboard the Stargazer for many years on his way to becoming the most respected captain in Starfleet. But in this early mission, Picard shows us a vulnerable side as well as glimpses of the brilliant tactician he would become.

To keep track of all the latest Star Trek comic releases, hit the comics button on my 2018 schedule page. You can also find reading lists for several Star Trek comic series on my Trek Collective Lists site.