Atomic Fangirl

Nutshell: It’s great to see the classic gang together again! But I wish the way the characters think would also be brought to the 21st century. Athena is still “the little woman”, and that should be embarrassing to modern writers. But apparently not around here.  BSG: TAG left me wishing that Dynamite had let it’s writers dig past the TV show basics and into real character depth.  Grade: C+

Story:  Athena has the con, but it’s a long way from a boring night shift.  Adama and the gang think they’ve finally found earth.  But not if the Cylons can help it.  Boxey finds there’s really no place to just be a kid, until Adama helps him out.  And Baltar sees things a bit differently than the rest of the folks in the Colonies.  But you’d guess that, wouldn’t you?

Thoughts: In BSG: TAG, the issues, whether a one shot or arc, feel like the old series. This reboot is obviously created by folks who loved the series. Gotta say it’s good to see the ol’ gang. The triangle helmets, felderkarb, and man-whore Starbuck. It’s all back. Even Muffit! Always wanted a mutant looking robotic space dog.

The art is well done, but nothing spectacular.  Pretty but not awe-inspiring.  (Let’s face it; sci-fi art has had the bar set with Saga, Trillium, Prophet, et al.) Plus, with the lettering?  The bright turquoise letters signifying computer-speak is tough to see on my Kindle. A shade or two darker would have been perfect. Kudos for the idea though. Differentiating between who’s where and how characters are hearing others by tweaking dialogue bubbles? Always a thumbs-up.

Then there are the stories.  Yes, they have that great TV show vibe.  But they could have done so much more with this reboot.  Seriously, Adama considers stepping down AND DOESN’T EVEN THINK ABOUT ATHENA AS AN OPTION? Oh wait – is this 1978? Are these re-prints of issues printed during the show’s run?  Nope.  It’s just that sexist.  What could have been handled by a single panel — or even bubble of dialogue — is tossed aside.  Le sigh.

Love the cover gallery!  Especially since they’ve included stuff like the #6 cover by Chris Eliopoulos. Li’l Starbuck & Li’l Cylon playing Atari. Adorable! In fact, all of his “Calvin and Hobbes” covers are fantastic. (Ditto Ken Haeser’s kid covers. Dying for a print of his #12 “toaster love” variant.)

Subscribe or Shelve:  If you’re a fan of Old School BSG, this will bring back memories.  But unless you’re a young’un that isn’t up for much more than the threat of violence or big “boom” panels?  There’s more riveting stuff out there.

Publication 411: Collects (Classic) Battlestar Galactica #6-12, and Battlestar Galactica Annual 2014. Hit shelves January 20th, 2015.

[NOTE: I received a copy of this title pre-publication via Netgalley.  I received no compensation for my review. Feldercarb!]