Battlestar Galactica: Six by J.T. Krul

Genre: Science fiction

Series: Battlestar Galactica

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment (December 27, 2016)

Author Information: Twitter

Length: 120 pages

My Rating: 2 stars

As I’ve admitted several times in reviews, I am a Battlestar Galactica fan.  It all started back in the 1970s when, as a little kid, I sat in front of my family’s television set every week watching the original.  Sure, it had its share of corny and ridiculous moments, but I loved every minute of it.

Certainly, my fandom went into hibernation for many years before Richard Hatch’s BSG novels in the late 1990s and early 2000s rekindled it somewhat.  But, really, the love of all things BSG was taken to new heights by the SciFi series.  The new, modern, and more serious tone of this show really pulled me in, making me anxious every week to see what was going to happen next with all my favorite characters (and, honestly, I found myself loving them all).  Hell, I still binge watch the complete show every couple of years.

So, when I saw this graphic novel promising to take a closer look at Number 6’s early years in the Twelve Colonies I had to grab it.

As the story begins, Number 6 has no real memory.  She recalls being a miner before tragedy strikes her group, leaving her the lone survivor.  But her memories of this event are jaded, coming back to her in fits and starts, because she seems to be recalling multiple lives at the same time.  Each one attempting to crowd out the life she is currently leading.  The chaotic nature of her thoughts leading her into a mental health hospital to get help controlling her outbursts.  The story progressing from there, as she slowly discovers who and what she really is.

For those unfamiliar with BSG, Number 6 is a complicated character, but throughout the tv series, her unique nature is slowly revealed with scenes of emotional feelings, near irresistible sexual seduction, and methodical Cylon brutality.  Her evolving role a fascinating amalgamation to witness play out in her ongoing story.  And that complexity is exactly what I was hoping this comic series would capture and explore.

Sadly, my hopes were dashed.  The story dreamed up by Krul a huge letdown.  The choppy storytelling horribly confusing.  Number 6’s confusion and motives not very well detailed or explained.  The whole story line more like a hodgepodge of memories, scenes, and reveals rather than a coherent start-to-finish narrative.

But the book has great art, right?

Well, the covers are amazing.  I loved every one of them.  Problem being that the interior art is not close to the same quality.  Key characters are barely recognizable from page to page.  The action scenes do not convey any sense of movement at all.  The layout of most pages are disorganized and make you second guess whether you are following along correctly.   At best, the art was serviceable, and that is the kindest description you can give it.

As a BSG fan, I really wanted to like this graphic novel, and it was nice to see Number 6 get her own story, even if it was a jumbled, chaotic mess, but this book was a disappointment on every level.  From J.T. Krul’s story to the uneven artwork, Six disappoints — though I honestly hate to type that.  Perhaps as a nostalgia read, this one is worth the time investment, but don’t pick it up expecting a great story or dazzling artwork, because you are not going to find either here.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

Purchase the book at Amazon