Review on Issue #1 of TOS BSG Comic?

spcglider · November 2nd, 2006, 07:23 AM

Hey all,

Anybody read the first issue? Any reviews? Its been VERY quiet about it here. You'd think that it would merit a little more yakkety yak.

Me? I read it and was pleasantly surprised.

As with any first issue, there are bits here and there that don't ring true, but overall it was a fair shot at a first issue. I know it will only get better.

The art was probably the largest concern for me. I've been in email contact with the artist and he says that he had to do all of his own research for how things looked, so he apologizes for the innaccuracies that are there. He didn't have a lot to go by!

To that end, I've been supplying him with lots of images OF EVERYTHING. He should have a pretty darned big morgue file to pull from now.

I have to push kudos at the author Rick Remender... he's trying really hard to keep the script true to the original show. I haven't heard back from him, but I wrote about the first issue. I asked if he had started off with a "lost warrior" story as homage or if it was a convenient place to start to kick off the series. I know he intends to give us WAY more than just that. In his last email to me, he asked if there were any unuresolved issues from the show that I'd like to see dealt with. I gave up a few suggestions, but on the whole, I don't tend to reflect on what's happening behind... I want to see the next step. I want to see where the fleet takes me next week.

So, here it is. A new thread devoted to opinion about the new comic.

Okay folks, let 'er rip! I want to know if you agree or dis-agree. Liked it or didn't like it. Loved it or hated it. So start talking!

-Gordon

:colonial

gmd3d · November 2nd, 2006, 07:41 AM

I have to get it first

I have seen some ART for BSG comics .... and what I saw looks great ...its a comic I will be buying ..
Should ask him to come here .. I am sure there are a large number of issues that oh a few people would like to get their teeth into......

Eric Paddon · November 2nd, 2006, 09:35 AM

I think what's dampened interest in the comic is the fact that Dynamite is so adamant that they will never do any post-HOG stories meaning everything is going to be stuck in the middle of the series itself. If they aren't going to venture into fresh territory the whole problem with the comic book becomes one of "what's the point?"

KJ · November 2nd, 2006, 09:58 AM

Agreed!

KJ

Dawg · November 2nd, 2006, 10:22 AM

I agree as well, but will be looking for it. If it is of good quality and faithful to the show, even a limited-run effort deserves our support.

I am
Dawg

peter noble · November 2nd, 2006, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Paddon

I think what's dampened interest in the comic is the fact that Dynamite is so adamant that they will never do any post-HOG stories meaning everything is going to be stuck in the middle of the series itself. If they aren't going to venture into fresh territory the whole problem with the comic book becomes one of "what's the point?"

I'm sure the mini written by one of the Lost writers takes place after HOG.

As for the comic itself, it was fair.

Tha figures were excellently drawn but the tech wasn't very good.

There were niggles I had, Apollo not being a lefty, "frack" being used in the context of the f-bomb and Starbuck and Tigh calling Adama when they should have addressed him as Commander.

And why would a Cylon be carrying edible supplies?

I'll buy the series but it better improve pretty quickly.

martok2112 · November 2nd, 2006, 01:04 PM

For anyone else who would like to address concerns over the comic...not that I'm sure it'll do much good...but here's the thread that several of us had some active participation in, which is being moderated by one of the writers (I believe)...

http://www.dynamiteentertainment.com...4&page=2&pp=10

Respectfully,
Martok2112

jewels · November 2nd, 2006, 01:15 PM

I think any reference to cylons having edible supplies would come from the novels....the term was "consumables" as far as I remember. (I remember thinking it was a cute word choice when I saw it).

gmd3d · November 2nd, 2006, 01:37 PM

Thanks for the link Steve .. going to hop over there now

bionicbob · November 2nd, 2006, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter noble

As for the comic itself, it was fair.

Tha figures were excellently drawn but the tech wasn't very good.

There were niggles I had, Apollo not being a lefty, "frack" being used in the context of the f-bomb and Starbuck and Tigh calling Adama when they should have addressed him as Commander.

And why would a Cylon be carrying edible supplies?

Well I just read issue one and I have to admit I was a bit disappointed.

The art was good I thought but I had alot of issues with the story.

None of the characters rang quite "true" to me, all just a little off. I too had a serious problem of Starbuck addressing Adama inapropriately. Also the lack of use of proper Galactica-speak (using terms such as "weeks" instead of sectars...etc).

Also, this comic seems to be aimed directly as already well versed Galactica fans, the comic does nothing for newbie readers, there is no recap of previous events or proper introduction of each characters. If you had never seen Galactica before one would have a hard time understanding who and what was going on.

But my biggest issue was the story itself, now I realized it is only the FIRST issue, but so far it comes across as a direct remake of the storyline from the new Galactica tv series. In the first season, female Starbuck has to go back to the Colonies to recover the Arrow of Apollo to help find Earth and runs into a hunky resistance fighter. And what happens in the first comic issue? Hunky male Starbuck has to go back to the Colonies to find an ancient artifact to help find Earth and runs into a sexy resistance fighter. On the surface, a bit to uncomfortablely familiar.

Also, why are they using the new TV series logo on the comic cover and not the original classic series logo?

Anyway, I will give it another issue or two, hopefully the series will improve but so far I was disappointed.

spcglider · November 2nd, 2006, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter noble

I'm sure the mini written by one of the Lost writers takes place after HOG.

As for the comic itself, it was fair.

Tha figures were excellently drawn but the tech wasn't very good.

There were niggles I had, Apollo not being a lefty, "frack" being used in the context of the f-bomb and Starbuck and Tigh calling Adama when they should have addressed him as Commander.

And why would a Cylon be carrying edible supplies?

I'll buy the series but it better improve pretty quickly.

You nailed exactly the items I mentioned to Rick in my email.

-G

spcglider · November 2nd, 2006, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bionicbob

Well I just read issue one and I have to admit I was a bit disappointed.

The art was good I thought but I had alot of issues with the story.

None of the characters rang quite "true" to me, all just a little off. I too had a serious problem of Starbuck addressing Adama inapropriately. Also the lack of use of proper Galactica-speak (using terms such as "weeks" instead of sectars...etc).

Also, this comic seems to be aimed directly as already well versed Galactica fans, the comic does nothing for newbie readers, there is no recap of previous events or proper introduction of each characters. If you had never seen Galactica before one would have a hard time understanding who and what was going on.

But my biggest issue was the story itself, now I realized it is only the FIRST issue, but so far it comes across as a direct remake of the storyline from the new Galactica tv series. In the first season, female Starbuck has to go back to the Colonies to recover the Arrow of Apollo to help find Earth and runs into a hunky resistance fighter. And what happens in the first comic issue? Hunky male Starbuck has to go back to the Colonies to find an ancient artifact to help find Earth and runs into a sexy resistance fighter. On the surface, a bit to uncomfortablely familiar.

Also, why are they using the new TV series logo on the comic cover and not the original classic series logo?

Anyway, I will give it another issue or two, hopefully the series will improve but so far I was disappointed.

Not having watched most of the new show, I didn't notice a parallel.

If all of the references and information I've passed on to Rick and Carlos are getting used, you should see a marked improvement in the following issues.

I urge you to let the creative time have some time to settle in.

I have to admit I was a little taken aback at the use of the new show logo as well. But that's an editorial choice... shouldn't be blamed on Rick or Carlos.

And thanks for posting the link to the other board. I'm running there right now!

-G

KamikazeAthena · November 20th, 2006, 11:04 PM

I have to agree with all of the comments here. I liked it but... (insert the previous comments of others.)

Also, I thought that Starbuck was actually a little too cocky. He needs to come down a notch or two.

The cover art drawn by Dave Dorman is fab! Yeah, I have seen the pic of Dirk before but the artist "captured it." The cover for the second one that is drawn by the same guy is even better. I would love a poster of that!

I did not catch the GINO story line. GRRRR..... I saw the thanks to Ron Moore and that made me suspicious. Now I know why. Maybe Dynamite should just pull him out of the mix.

I will check out at least the next few issues, regardless.

Dy

Eric Paddon · November 21st, 2006, 09:49 AM

If Glen Larson is not properly given credit in the comic book, then they may have just opened themselves up to some serious legal trouble.

skippercollecto · December 7th, 2006, 05:58 AM

I have acquired the second issue of Dynamite Entertainment BG comic. The overall story is about Starbuck and Boomer crash-landing on a planet that used to be Sagittarian, but has been taken over by the Cylons. There are two different front covers, but the one I got is very silly and has nothing to do with the story. These are my comments.
1. This is very much a post 9-11 story. One of the comments by one of the survivors says this, "We have transformed the basement of this trade center into a makeshift stronghold." Those words and the accompanying drawing would never have been in the imaginations of the writers of the original Marvel Comic books. They're actually a little chilling.
2. Why is it that every BG comic ever written (and I suppose all comics based on TV shows or movies) show the female characters as much bustier than they are in real life?! Serina's about to fall out of her dress!
3. There are odd typos, such as Muffet and Zach, and the Earth time terminology, such as week, is annoying.
4. On the other hand, the back cover, which is a promo for issue #3, is the best drawing in the book.

spcglider · December 7th, 2006, 11:48 AM

I sent an email to Rick about the amazing number of typos in this issue...especially in the conversation between Serina and Apollo on page 11. They were all editor's nightmare typos too... words that were mis-spelled but still were valid words otherwise so an automated spellchecker didn't catch them.

Apollo was found in the DESSERT? What is that, some sort of kinky "colonial warrior" hazing ritual? LOL!!

Anyway, I'm sure they'll correct that stuff for the compilation.

As for storywise, I was a little surprised at the familiarity with which serina referred to Starbuck... and the advanced level of the relationship between Apollo and Serina. I mean, this is all taking place VERY SOON after the destruction. These characters would still be getting to know each other... the fleet would still be a very fragile entity. The warriors would still be checking ships out for Solium leaks and such. Nobody would be settled in yet.

The plot concerning Starbuck and Boomer is pretty much a standard "lost warrior" story. Can't say I'm too thrilled with the post 9-11 overtones either, but I'm not sure they are completely concious on the part of the writer. I may be wrong.

I tend to agree though... any conscious attempt to make THIS property reflect the NEW property would be a monumental mistake. As it stands, I see confusion at the comic shops simply because the Banner on the cover of BOTH books is exactly the same. Comic shop flunkies are stacking them all together like they were ONE title.

WE WANT OUR OLD BANNER BACK!!! At least something DIFFERENT.

-G

Eric Paddon · December 7th, 2006, 02:44 PM

You can not have an advanced relationship between Apollo and Serina *before* they get to Carillon, which evidently is what's happening in this storyline and is another classic case of how these people have no clue when it comes to the simple realization that stories set during the episodes ultimately undermine the episodes themself.

martok2112 · December 7th, 2006, 03:18 PM

I'll have to reread the story, but I'm pretty sure this takes place after Carillon.

Eric Paddon · December 7th, 2006, 04:11 PM

If it takes place after Carillon then that only opens up another can of worms that even more damages the credibility of the story, because if the action is taking place on one of the original 12 Colonies during the initial occupation phase, then why has Adama, whose first priority is to find safe haven for his people, suddenly doubling back toward the Colonies? There would be no rational reason for Adama to do this, and LPOTG is quite clear on the subject that the Cylons haven't discovered the Fleet since Carillon.

martok2112 · December 8th, 2006, 09:01 AM

Well, Tommy has made it clear that the official word is that the Cylon Apocalypse story coming up is not post-HOG.

Eric Paddon · December 8th, 2006, 11:51 AM

The very nature of that kind of plot taking place before HOG means the integrity of the episodes are compromised completely from my standpoint.

spcglider · December 8th, 2006, 04:02 PM

I have to agree. It takes a whole lotta jig dancing to tell tales in-between an already set-in-stone timeline.

I'm willing to let them make their mistakes, though. One of the great arguments for TOS Galactica was that it was never allowed to "settle in" and develop. I'll give this at least that sort of chance.

One of two things will happen. Either they'll manage to interweave successfully or they won't. They will succeed or they will flash off in a heartbeat. But I intend to support them with my readership until they do.

-G

Eric Paddon · December 8th, 2006, 04:10 PM

The *only* stories you can tell coherently during the episodes IMO are low-key inside the Fleet stories, and not big-scale epic battles that would require a re-examination of everything that happens in subsequent episodes, especially if done before "Living Legend." How for instance can you then still have Tigh say to Adama in "Hand Of God," "We haven't dared tangle with a baseship since we fled the Colonies." That very line itself is at the heart of why Adama decides to take the initiative of attacking in that episode because he is "tired of running" and the fact that he's been trying to avoid fights since the Destruction.

These people at Dynamite are the most clueless people I have ever come across when it comes to understanding what makes TOS work. And I have to admit that I am not prepared to let them make mistakes of this kind, because coming on the heels of Hatch's novels with their disregard for everything that happened before, my patience is long exhausted with people who end up getting paid money to do TOS stories and then turn out efforts that are below amateurish in terms of their preparation jobs, especially in contrast to any kind of official Star Trek property that ever gets made.

spcglider · December 8th, 2006, 05:18 PM

And to any number of Star Trek fans out there, the same argument can be made for their favorite property as well. In my opinion, Star Trek Enterprise was possibly the worst sci-fi series ever made... simply because it was done by people who think they know better. Talk about clueless!

Have you seen any of the prequels to Star Wars? Just having a grotesque amount of money (and more than a decade of prep time) doesn't necessarily insure a good story... continuation or otherwise.

Like I said, I'm going to give them some time to settle in. Two issues is hardly a fair sample. If we judged all of The Next Generation solely on "Encounter at Farpoint", that series would have been flushed before it even got started. And it turned out okay.

-G

PaulGTweed · December 13th, 2006, 11:50 AM

In the second Classic BSG issue Starbuck and Boomer use the term dog. Shouldn't they have said Daggit. 'Top Daggit' or 'old wardaggit'.

WarMachine · December 13th, 2006, 12:55 PM

Well, I haven't seen the comics, so I don't feel that I can justify substantial comment on them. However, from the comments of those who have seen them, I probably won't bother.

That said, I have no issue with simply retelling the Classic story in a comic format...Yes, Marvel already did it, but they aren't going to reprint anytime soon, and honestly, I lost interest in them after the started to wildly diverge from the storyline following LPOTG.

Why? Simply, because there is an entire generation of new viewers out there who have only been spoon-fed tales of how much CBSG "sucks", so don't bother - they deserve to know better, as more than a few here can attest.

Within that context, I would not be able to countenance any whacko-deviations, but a little more development in places (and some story tweaks) are probably in order, and wouldn't do violence to the concept - AS LONG AS THEY ARE HANDLED CORRECTLY!

After that? It depends entirely on how the copyright issue is laid out, i.e., whether they are allowed to do anything after HoG. If they aren't, and I were in charge, I wouldn't even bother with the property at all, or I would run a alternate Colonial setting, either from the Pegasus, or another Battlestar...

...But the deal would need to be pretty sweet for me to try it.

Dawg · December 13th, 2006, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarMachine

That said, I have no issue with simply retelling the Classic story in a comic format...Yes, Marvel already did it, but they aren't going to reprint anytime soon... <snip>

Um, you'd be mistaken....

http://www.amazon.com/Battlestar-Gal...e=UTF8&s=books

This volume also contains some extras, some of them from people you know. And there is a following volume as well.

I am
Dawg

WarMachine · December 13th, 2006, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg

Um, you'd be mistaken....

http://www.amazon.com/Battlestar-Gal...e=UTF8&s=books

This volume also contains some extras, some of them from people you know. And there is a following volume as well.

I am
Dawg

I stand corrected - on that point

More seriously, I stand by my other points.....

Dawg · December 13th, 2006, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarMachine

I stand corrected - on that point

More seriously, I stand by my other points.....

Of course.

What drives me nuts is how a universe with such promise has recieved such shoddy treatment over the years. There are times I think Universal wouldn't know how to treat a hot property if it came up and bit them on the hiney and handed them an instruction book.

And I won't get into the idiot reviewers and commentators who refuse to admit BSG was pretty darn good for 1978 and insist on judging content and effects by 2006 standards.

I have to go back to work now.

I am
Dawg

Eric Paddon · December 13th, 2006, 02:13 PM

WarMachine, it isn't a question of their not being "allowed" to do post-HOG stories, it's a question of them purposefully deciding not to do so for what has to rank as the dumbest rationale I've ever heard from anyone, that because too many people in the TOS fanbase have their own ideas of what should happen, they would not be able to please everyone but "core" TOS fans, so therefore they decide that stuck-in-a-rut storytelling that constantly undermines the very premises of the original episodes themself is somehow a better way to go.

These people are even worse than Richard Hatch's ghostwriters when it comes to not having a clue about TOS and its appeal. Frankly, given the incredible arrogance of the powers-that-be at Dynamite that I've seen on their message boards, they approached this project from the perpsective of condescending disdain for TOS that's been fostered by those responsible for another nameless show, namely that TOS is only to be regarded as a guilty pleasure in which neato FX is all anyone liked about it, so therefore let's just do FX-laden stories and keep all the characters forever locked into their stereotyped templates, since by their reckoning you couldn't possibly get a good TOS story that explores the characters and the rich nuances that TOS fans know exist in the series and in storytelling potential.

I've written them off as a lost cause, and the only recourse I have is to not waste a penny on anything they put out.