Star Trek Launches Two New Webtoon Series Spanning DS9 and Voyager Universes

Star Trek is moving into the webtoon space with two new canonical stories that expand the universe in distinctly different directions. Paramount and Webtoon announced the pair this spring, marking the franchise's entry into the vertical-scroll comic format that has become a global phenomenon since its launch in South Korea two decades ago.

The first series, called Stargazers, arrives May 17, 2026, and takes place on Deep Space Nine in the years after the Dominion War. Written by Jarrett Melendez, who has worked on titles like Chef's Kiss and Young Men in Love, the story centers on Leon, a young man finishing school and figuring out his place on the station's Promenade. His circle includes Churi, a Bajoran friend; Ino, a romantic interest; and Kenga, a Changeling who works as a hairstylist and makeup artist. Leon has a dog named Alfie. The series is illustrated by Kisai Entertainment and will run 40 episodes total, with three free episodes available immediately and five more behind a Fast Pass paywall. At its core, Stargazers is a boys' love romance—a deliberate choice that echoes Deep Space Nine's own groundbreaking moment when Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn shared the franchise's first same-sex kiss in season four. Leon himself reads as bisexual through visual cues and his interactions with others. The plot weaves together his reconnection with Syrrik, a childhood friend now dealing with pressure from his Starfleet officer father, alongside a station-wide talent show meant to bring the diverse community together. Underneath this lighter premise runs a darker thread: a mysterious animal-smuggling conspiracy that creates mounting pressure on Leon and Syrrik as their relationship deepens.

The second series, Recollection, launches later in summer 2026 and takes a markedly different tonal approach. Written by Sam Maggs, a New York Times bestselling author known for Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins and Fangirl, this story follows a young woman who wakes up on a mysterious Federation vessel with no memory of who she is. She is one of eight people aboard—six other passengers and JAID, a holopilot who appears to be hiding something. As the group travels to a remote outpost searching for answers, a Vulcan recognizes the protagonist and gives her a device that triggers fragmented memories of her past. The mystery unfolds across 40 episodes, with Kisai Entertainment again handling the illustration. Where Stargazers embraces the lighter, more romantic side of Deep Space Nine's legacy, Recollection taps into the darker, morally complex storytelling that defined the series at its best.

Paramount's Head of Global Publishing, Amy Jarashow, framed the announcement as an evolution of how Star Trek tells its stories. "One of the most remarkable things about Star Trek is that, even after six decades, there are still new frontiers to explore, not just in story, but in how those stories are told," she said. "We're introducing Star Trek on a new platform with Webtoon, creating a uniquely immersive experience for our audiences." Ryan Lee, head of US content for Webtoon, added that the vertical-scroll format itself becomes part of the storytelling—each scroll can heighten tension, deepen relationships, and pull readers closer into the narrative.

The move represents a calculated expansion of the franchise into a medium that has proven particularly effective at reaching younger and international audiences. Webtoon, which began in South Korea in 2004 under Naver before expanding globally, has become a pipeline for serialized storytelling, mixing professionally produced originals with community-driven content. By placing Star Trek into this ecosystem, Paramount is not abandoning the core audience that has sustained the franchise for nearly 60 years; rather, it is meeting a different demographic where they already spend their time reading.

Neither series abandons what makes Star Trek resonate. Stargazers honors the show's commitment to representation and its willingness to find humor and warmth alongside its deeper themes—much like episodes such as "Take Me Out to the Holosuite" and "The Magnificent Ferengi" did. Recollection leans into the mystery and moral ambiguity that gave Deep Space Nine much of its power. Both remain canonical, meaning they exist within the official continuity of the universe. The franchise's next chapter, it seems, will be read one vertical scroll at a time.