With Khan now in possession of one of the most powerful rings in the emotional spectrum and the Green Lanterns rapidly running out of juice, things aren’t looking good for the good guys on the pages of IDW’s second pairing of their Star Trek license and the Green Lantern Corps.  This week the fourth issue in the series hit the stands and let’s just say that the crew of the Enterprise has gone from the frying pan straight into the fire.

Fueled by Atrocitus’ ring, Khan and his followers prove the be more than a match for the Enterprise crew and Hal Jordan, who’s ring finally runs out of gas in a most inopportune moment.  Thankfully for them all they get some help and turn the tide before Khan can take his final revenge and Captain Kirk and company, but in the aftermath the state of things for the Green Lanterns looks dire as no one has any power left to deal with Khan.  Khan gets in one great piece of dialogue comparing Hal and Kirk which is a nice wink and a nod to how much these two are cut from the same cloth, especially the Chris Pine version of the Enterprise’s commander.

Of course there’s the larger problem of Sinestro and the race to get to Oa that looms over everything and writer Mike Johnson does a great job of showing how Sinestro’s ability to prey on those who don’t know who they are dealing with.  The scenes between Sinestro and the Guardians is delicious to watch unfold because you have a good idea of what his end game is and where he’s going with it.  Needless to say the Green Lanterns’ worst nightmare is unleashed by the end of the issue and Johnson has really set the stage for what is sure to be an exciting conclusion over the next two issues.

Angel Hernandez has done a consistent job throughout this second crossover.  He continues to display his grasp of the Kelvin Universe timeline characters and while I’m not a big fan of the hair styles on John and Guy, and Kilowog’s overall look, at least they are maintain their continuity from issue to issue.  I really like his rendition of Oa and the central battery.  I’m still unimpressed by his inability to portray power rings constructs as something more three dimensional, and there’s one spot in this issue where the Enterprise’s phasers look nothing like what they should.  But otherwise the art does its job.

Star Trek / Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds #4 is the next exciting chapter in the second DC/IDW crossover series.  The stakes are raised and the odds are stacked against the crew of the Enterprise and Earth’s Green Lanterns, which is when they rise to the occasion.  Eight out of ten lanterns.