Jason is an award-winning journalist whose writing career dates back to when he developed the ability to use a crayon. He, most notably, worked previously as a "professional fan," as he likes to call it, at CinemaBlend, for which he wrote about anything and everything under the pop culture umbrella... especially Batman. His passion for the art of cinema began even earlier, stemming from repeat viewings of The Wizard of Oz.
This initially led him to pursue a career in filmmaking -- and even work briefly in the industry as an extra in the straight-to-video family film, Alice Upside Down -- before deciding that his talents would be better served discussing and showing appreciation for the various forms of entertainment he is passionate about.
Only recently did the latest series in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, premiere on Paramount+ in Jan. 2026. However, the coming-of-age drama is already receiving its own comic book spin-off.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Lost Contact is set to deliver a new, out-of-this-world tale set in the final frontier when IDW Entertainment releases the first issue this spring.
Based on the official synopsis, exclusively shared by Nerdist, the comic follows characters that fans of the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy TV show should already be familiar with, such as Caleb Mir (Sanro Rosta), Genesis Lythe (Bella Shepard, Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané), and Tarima Sadal (Zoë Steiner). When embarking on a simple, routine mission on an uninhabitable planet, the team of young, aspiring space explorers suffers an unexpected storm that cuts off communication with their teachers aboard the Athena, forcing them to rely on their education and each other to survive.
Writing Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Lost Contact is Layne Morgan, who is best known as a writer for The CW's The Vampire Diaries spin-off, Legacies. However, this is not her first foray into comics, as she has an apocalyptic teen sports story called Run also coming out. Based on her words to Nerdist, she also has an affinity for this beloved franchise.
It’s such an honor to be able to play around in the massive Star Trek universe. I think that’s been the most exciting part for me. This is my first time getting to work on a really big IP like this, and getting to do so in a world that is so rich with canon, fans, stories, and passion has been a dream. I love the kids of Starfleet Academy and absolutely loved getting to find little pieces of these new, already rich characters to explore in this story, and the setting and situation to do it in. I tried to find a real problem for them to face that felt like an homage to classic TV I grew up on and is hopefully one that Trek fans will enjoy for that reason, too. It feels like saying this could so easily be lip service, but it isn’t. Reading the Starfleet Academy show scripts in preparation for this, I was just so excited. It’s exactly the kind of world I love to write in. It felt like LOST CONTACT came so easily out of it. I honestly just can’t wait for other people to share that excitement, and I hope they love the cadets as much as I do.
The comic features artwork by Spanish illustrator Coralí Espuna, who recently published a graphic novelization of the stage musical Mar i Cel, and Nora Serrano, whose main background is in 3D animation and visual effects. Some of Serrano's most notable credits include It: Chapter Two and Wonder Woman 1984.
Editor of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy — Lost Contact, Cassandra Jones, has nothing but wonderful things to share about the comic's creator, praising Morgan's ability to write "complex interpersonal dramas." Jones also lauded Espuna and Serrano's combined artistic efforts as "both painterly and unique."
The TV series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy was created by Gaia Violo and follows young Starfleet cadets in training struggling to navigate typical adolescent worries as they unravel the secrets of space exploration. The cast also includes Academy Award winner Holly Hunter as Captain Nahla Ake, Paul Giamatti as Nus Braka, and Late Show host Stephen Colbert as Starfleet Academy's Digital Dean of Students.
Star Trek Has A Long Comic Book History
Image via IDWStar Trek: Starfleet Academy – Lost Contact is actually one of several upcoming Star Trek comics coming out at a very special time for the popular franchise. The year 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of when creator Gene Roddenberry's original Star Trek series first premiered, changing the sci-fi genre forever with its wondrous tales from where no one has gone before.
The franchise’s legacy in comic book form is only one year shy of that same milestone. Gold Key Comics launched a Star Trek run in 1967, and wound up becoming the one source to find more adventures following the USS Enterprise crew after NBC cancelled the show in 1969.
The following decade, Marvel Comics began publishing its own Star Trek stories before the property was passed down between multiple publishers, including even DC, until IDW Entertainment became the franchise's home for illustrated stories in 2006. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Lost Contact is only the latest tie-in comic book published in tandem with a TV series release through the label, which has also put out a Star Trek: Lower Decks spin-off.
IDW also recently published a comic called Star Trek: The Last Starship, which takes place after the cataclysmic event known as "The Burn," as depicted in Season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery. The series depicts the struggles of the remaining members of Starfleet and sees the mysterious resurrection of Capt. James T. Kirk (originally portrayed by William Shatner).
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Lost Contact #1 goes on sale on April 15.
Release Date January 15, 2026
Network Paramount+
Showrunner Alex Kurtzman, Noga Landau
English (US) · 