Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Writer: Tony Lee
Artist: Aneke
Release Date: 20th August 2014

Caprica is lost. Baltar’s Cylonic Knights have laid waste to the planet, forcing survivors to flee into the far reaches of space in search of a new home. Aboard the Aethership Galactica, Archduke Adama plans his revenge, resigned to the loss of his son, Apollo, who is missing, presumed dead. Unwilling to give up hope of finding her brother, Lady Athena travels to the Rising Star to seek help from the legendary Starbuck.

There have been numerous attempts to marry fictional universes with the Steampunk aesthetic over the years, with varying degrees of success. This particular crossover seemed like a perfect fit, and I was excited at the prospect of seeing how it would turn out. But after reading through the issue several times, the title increasingly feels like a misnomer. In my head I had envisioned something akin to Kastuhiro Otomo’s ‘Steamboy’, with lighter than air Vipers battling Cylonic Raiders for supremacy of the skies, and the Galactica as a gargantuan airship, but aside from one very small image of a aethership with sails, the results are a little underwhelming. I don’t believe there is enough here to qualify the title of the book given the distinct absence of steam/wind powered machinery.

In any artistic style there are a fundamental elements that are key in order to stay true to the concept, and BSG 1880 is more of a mishmash of different genres and art styles. Although there are some nice touches in the character design, particularly the Cylonic Knights (created using the ‘Babbage Device’), overall it’s diluted by the addition of pirates in the last third, and a strong traditional sci-fi theme throughout. Tonally the book has a garish technicolour hue, which doesn’t help its cause from a visual standpoint.

Each of the main characters from the TV show are introduced over the course of the issue, and already it’s beginning to feel a little crowded. There is no room for any real development at this point, and perhaps a few introductions could have waited until the next issue. Apollo and Starbuck garner the most attention, the latter exhibiting a strong ‘Han Solo’ vibe; a loveable rogue complete with a hairy sidekick named Muffit, and claiming to have the fastest ship in the aether. He even owes money to a local warlord, which sets up the issue’s cliffhanger ending. There a few scenes which begin with a strong emotional edge, but any drama or tension is quickly diminished by light-hearted throwaway dialogue.

A sound idea in theory, but sadly it feels like more of a gimmick.

Rating: 2/5

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PREVIEW ARTWORK.

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The writer of this piece was: Martin Doyle
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