Comments on: Tokyopop’s TV Science Fiction: Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: The Next Generation

By: Tokyopop Stops Publishing: And Then There Were …? » Manga Worth Reading

Tokyopop Stops Publishing: And Then There Were …? » Manga Worth Reading — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 15:36:40 +0000

[...] were always trying new things — digital releases, print-on-demand, price experimentation, comics adapting sci-fi TV shows. On the one hand, that kept them limber and flexible, able to experiment; on the other, that gave [...]

By: Ed Sizemore

Ed Sizemore — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:38:56 +0000

Well, the manga is available for purchase, so I’ll let you decide for yourself. Your mileage may vary.

Haven’t read The Bell Jar. Did read Catcher in the Rye and didn’t like it or find the main character sympathetic. Maybe that will help you determine how close our tastes are.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:46:17 +0000

C’mon, the B-star manga can’t be that bad. It’s a grimdark show, perhaps you came into it with the wrong expectations. Sort of like reading “The Bell Jar” and complaining that none of the characters were sympathetic?

By: Laurie

Laurie — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:48:53 +0000

I dont know, I tried watching battlestar but I just couldnt.

On top of the fact that TP gives low page rates and late with the payment I dont expect for anyone really experienced to work on the book, or work hard on it.

The arm on the ST cover makes me ache in pain

By: MangaBlog » Blog Archive » Quick Tuesday update

MangaBlog » Blog Archive » Quick Tuesday update — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:16:39 +0000

[...] Ed Sizemore takes a look at Tokyopop’s licensed manga based on TV sci-fi shows Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek at Comics Worth [...]

By: Best TV Licensed Comics? » Comics Worth Reading

Best TV Licensed Comics? » Comics Worth Reading — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:50:30 +0000

[...] thought struck me after reading Ed’s Battlestar Galactica review … what are the best licensed [...]

By: jdh417

jdh417 — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:07:28 +0000

“This book made me question the appeal of the television series. I didn’t find any of the characters likable.”

Ed, speaking as someone who watched the show regualarly, you nailed it.

By: Ed Sizemore

Ed Sizemore — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:46:57 +0000

Lyle, Thanks for correcting me on where the stories fit in the BSG timeline.

Lyle, Tommy & Dave, BSG is still on my Netflix queue just a little further down now. I wanted to give myself some time away from this GN before watching it. Thankfully, other incredible books (which I’ll review shortly) helped to purge these two from my memory.

By: Reading Over Shoulders

Reading Over Shoulders — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:32:10 +0000

[...] Ed Sizemore over at Comics Worth Reading had to suffer through two popular TV show adaptations to get these reviews. [...]

By: Johanna

Johanna — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:15:06 +0000

No comment on BSG — I haven’t seen it — but yes, Alan & I shared a house when I was living in New Jersey. So strange for me now to see him referred to as an expert (which he certainly is) when I remember the guy eating cereal on the couch! His writing about television is excellent.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:42:33 +0000

I’ll throw in my 2 cents backing up what those others (and surely there will be more…) are saying about BSG. Don’t let it put you off the series. It’s worth your time although The Difficult Third Season does meander a bit. I’ll leave it to others less distracted at the moment to explain why.

BTW, Alan Sepinwall (whom I think Johanna mentioned in another post a while back as an old friend) has been recapping each episode for some time now and the recaps are probably archived in his blog. Good stuff – always looked forward to his insights following the new episodes. I’m looking forward to re-watching the entire series – maybe this summer – and re-reading all the reviews after.

By: Tommy Raiko

Tommy Raiko — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:12:32 +0000

As bad as the BSG GN may be, it’d be a shame if you let that color your expectations for the series itself. That’d be like blaming a child for not matching his/her parents’ standards. (OK, that happens all the time too, but it’s not really fair…)

Battlestar Galactica is probably the most ambitious, important, and relevant science-fiction television since, I dunno, Babylon 5 or Deep Space Nine. A poorly-executed licensed product shouldn’t cause you to lose faith in the source material. Honest.

Keep it in your Netflix queue, please…

By: Lyle

Lyle — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:20:13 +0000

Actually, it sounds like the BSG GN is set during the series’ “one year gap” when the season finale jumped forward a year. IIRC, that came at the series’ midpoint but is a good part to fill out.

Your impression of the series does match what it could be at its worst, but overall most of the characters are supposed to have a mix of qualities and failings. Roslyn’s wisdom is often tempered by her stubbornness and you are supposed to question if the Cylons or the humans are the good guys (in the end, both have to realize they were wrong to keep perpetuating violence on each other). It sounds like the GN missed the nuances, which is what BSG is all about.