Review: Battlestar Galactica: Folly of the Gods TPB

Based on the original Battlestar series, this trade paperback from Dynamite collects the Folly of the Gods story in one volume, in a story that adds to the only time that the show moved away from its wagon train across the stars theme and into true sci-fi.

Originally, Â BattlestarÂ was played with more than a nod to the book Chariots of the Gods by Erik von Daniken, the allusionÂ played into the introduction of each show as read by the incomparable late Patrick McNee.Â McNee would later turn up in the show with a truly over the top performance of Count Iblis.Â This series takes the story one step further as the last humans in the universe encounter an evil greater than the Cylon threat.

The Galactica and its rag-tag fleet come across a suddenly “now you see me” black hole and before you can say “this sounds like the end of The Black Hole movie” Adama takes the fleet straight into it’s heart.Â What follows is a maze like story with suddenÂ character changes and re-appearance that falls into the realm of “I did this!”Â It’s no great surprise as to who the villain is, after all the title of the story isi t’s own nod back to the show.Â With Iblis, however, you get the option of “checking out” on the logic of the story.Â Why worry about the inclusion of Baltar when Iblis could just “decree it”.

Cullen Bunn is one of the busiest guys in comics, with The Shadow, X-Books and his work on Dynamite as well as Image.Â For the most part, I enjoy Bunn’s work, especially when working with licenced characters.Â Here, he is not afraid to maybe try a couple of new things, new ideas.Â The manner by which Adama escapes his prison may not quite work, feeling as it does that it is a riff from the other trek through the stars show.Â But at least he is trying something new.Â This isn’t the only sci-fi idea that makes it way into Galactica;Â building evil robots out of humans is straight out of Doctor Who.Â Despite all that and the alluded to elements of Iblis powers that may seem a tad lazy, the story is entertaining enough with the characters at least sounding like their TV counterparts.

Sounding like them may be one thing as apart from a few panels, the majority of the art work fails to resemble the characters.Â In fact, the art by Alex Sanchez is helped out massively by Bunn’s script, without which I wouldn’t be able to tell Apollo from Sheba!Â I mean, since when did Lucifer have lips?Â Where Sanchez does excel is giving the book an overall look of the 70’s velour loving Battlestar.Â The colors, a painted affair by Daniela Miwa and SalvatoreÂ Aiala Studios give the book an almost 2000 AD look, which I have to say I didn’t mind at all

With a conclusion that is a little surprising, regardless of it’s similarities to elements of the reboot, “There are those that believe, that there is story in here, about those out there”, and you know what?Â They are kind of right.

Writing – 3.5 Stars
Art – 2 Stars
Colors – 3.5 Stars

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Cover: Alex Sanchez
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Art: Alex Sanchez

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network