“Some believe there may yet be brothers of man, who even now fight to survive…”
I was excited to see that Dynamite was bringing back the original Battlestar Galactica universe. As cheesy and silly as the original series was, it was after all a groundbreaking series in many areas, mainly special effects. With kids completely crazy over Star Wars and the era of big budget special effects beginning, Battlestar Galactica was a dream come true for science fiction fans. Okay so enough with the history lesson, let’s get to the review.
Firstly I want to say that I wasn’t overwhelmed by this book but it does have a lot of things going for it. One of the things that threw me immediately is that it combines the original BSG and Galactica 1980 storylines. For the uninitiated, Galactica 1980 was the bastard stepchild of BSG and a punch in the junk to the fans. Using one of the most ridiculous characters to come from that series to set up the major plot point of the book was disappointing. However if you can get past that little annoyance the book is pretty enjoyable.
Secondly I felt that the book was rushed and was over before it really gained any momentum. Mission accomplished by writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning who left me wanting to buy the next issue to find out what the hell happens next. There was a lot of set up leading into the story that could have been cut down a bit, but I did have a feeling of nostalgia being introduced (again) to characters and events from the original series. That above all is why I enjoyed the book overall.
The cover, drawn by none other than Alex Ross was spectacular as always and does a great job of setting the tone of the book and capturing the original cast. The other interior artwork as usual for nearly all Dynamite’s comics is top-notch and very detailed especially in the large space battles. I did feel however that some of the art slipped a bit, especially when it comes to the characterization of Commander Adama, who was captured perfectly in the first few panels, but became nearly unrecognizable in later panels. But perhaps I am being a little too critical.
“The Cylon-Colonial peace accord. Man meeting machine. The Battlestars Atlantia, Acropolis, Pacifica, Triton and Galactica. The inhuman treachery of the Cylons. The valiant defenders. The impossible choices.”
Ultimately, I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next few issues. I can’t say that this time whether this will make it onto my monthly pull list, but it definitely has potential if this story arc proves to be as interesting as I initially found it. I’ve enjoyed what has been done with the BSG remake under Dynamite’s influence and I have no doubt they can make this book as equally enjoyable. Being a nostalgic guy, I like it when things from my childhood are re-imagined in comics…if they are done properly.
I despise having to give anything a rating, like thumbs up or thumbs down or so many stars out of 5. It’s so cliché and overdone by, well almost everyone so I avoid doing it whenever possible. If asked what my opinion of Battlestar Galactica #1 is, I’d have to honestly and wholeheartedly say that if you were a fan of the original series you should like this book. If you are a comic purest and find it necessary to pick it apart panel by panel, then you’re less likely to enjoy it. For a first issue it wasn’t horrible by any standards. Fans will like it, those not familiar with it will find it a little confusing and a bit campy.
Writer: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Art: Cezar Razek
Genre: Science Fiction
