Before I review this graphic novel, I have to make a confession – I love Battlestar Galactica. Whether it is the original show from my childhood in the 1970s, the different comic versions (Yes, even the Image ones), the Richard Hatch novels, or the 2004 reboot, I just love them all. Somehow the story of this fleet of survivors outrunning the Cylons and searching for a lost earth has never failed to capture my imagination. So when I picked this comic collection up, I had no doubt that I’d love it. I mean, it is BSG, after all!

In The Adama Gambit, our rag-tag fleet is still running, desperately trying to keep ahead of the relentless machines, when they find themselves in an unexplored and unstable region of space where a mysterious object resides. An artifact that soon begins to give members of the fleet dreams of earth, prompting Commander Adama to halt the fleet until a full examination of the object can determine if it is indeed a beacon or portal of the lost colony.

But things are never easy in BSG. Every decision to stop running increasing the odds that the Cylons will find and destroy the fleet. And soon, Apollo and others begin to question Adama’s refusal to abandon the artifact — an internal dispute that finds the fate of humanity hanging by a thread and Adama himself wondering if it is time for him to allow the next generation to assume command of the fleet.

Pretty standard Battlestar Galactica story I know some of you are thinking to yourself, and I can’t disagree. But what makes this comic collection a worthwhile read is the sections that focus on a single character and their personal issues. We have one comic that shows Athena leading the fleet, proving that she is far more than just a pretty face and a case of nepotism run amok. Another focuses on Adama questioning his worth to humanity going forward. Boxey is highlighted in another, as he tries to live a normal life aboard a battlestar. And finally, there is the Baltar issue, which allows one to see how he could betray humanity to its murderous children. Each of these stories being well worth a read for any BSG fan.

The only thing that I did not completely love in this comic collection was the art. Honestly, it was a bit up and down. Sure, the combat scenes were generally well drawn, full of action, and very detailed, and the closeups of the characters were true to life, but somehow, the panels of people walking, talking, and moving around just seemed stagnant to me. Just my opinion though.

To get to the point, I like Battlestar Galactica: The Adama Gambit. It was about BSG, had some good stories, stayed true to the original BSG characters, and had enough plots and action going on that I never got bored with it. Maybe, it isn’t the second coming of Stan Lee or Jack Kirby, but it is better than a lot of the standard superhero fare I’ve tried lately.

I received this book from Dynamite Entertainment via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank Dynamite Entertainment for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the old series, an electrical storm sees them going off course and encountering some strange goings on, many of the crew are having unsettling dreams of the 13th Colony, more commonly known as earth. They are still being pursued by the Cyclons and Commander Adama begins to doubt his usefulness as a leader when he puts the crew in jeopardy over his obsession with earth. Two other stories centre around the aftermath of the battle with the Cylons and feature young Boxley and the origins of villainous Balter are revealed.

To start off with the bad, the art was all over the place in the first couple of issues. Some of the drawing was terrible, it was as though a pre schooler had drawn the characters features. It was so inconsistent that I nearly put this down and DNF'd, however due to the engaging storyline I kept reading and thankfully the art vastly improved although I've certainly viewed graphic work that I enjoyed more.

The draw card for this was the story itself, the battle with the Cylons was done well, keeping me flicking the pages to see what happened next. I loved the storyline about Commander Adama having a crisis of faith in his abilities, when he finally put himself into action it made it all the better. The story with Boxley was a nice inclusion that dealt with the reality of war and the sacrifices that people make for what it right, I really liked this one, it was kind of touching and added a little more depth to the story.

Apart from the issues with the artwork I did really enjoy this one, much more than I expected to.

Recommended.

I must admit, that I had the new series in my mind when I saw this graphic book on Netgalley and was a bit disappointed when I saw that it was about the original tv-series. But as I read on I discovered that I actually enjoyed the volume more than I expected that I would do.

I would probably understand and appreciate the volume more if I had more knowledge about the original series, but since I have seen most of the new version (managed to not see the last season somehow) did I understand quite a lot anyway.

3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

Trying to get used to the fact that Starbuck is a man now..but it feels so weird...

Btw I searched tumblr for Starbucks gifs and found this:

Why haven't I seen the original show? lol

Oh, this is about the old show...well that will be ok I guess...:)