Licensed properties are hot in the comics world right now. Publishers hope to bring in new readers who are willing to follow their favorite characters from the screen to the page, and Dynamite Entertainment is one publisher that offers both original creations and licensed properties lines. Starting in 2006, they have brought us titles that are based on both the original 70's series and the current SciFi Channel series. They have looked at events from both series, as well as told us the origins of some of our favorite characters and given us a look at what came before the cylon attack that kicked off the current TV series. These wonderfully talented writers and artists have a hard task indeed – to tell compelling stories, stay within series continuity, and stay true to the characters.

All of the BSG titles that I have seen to date have been top-notch, but the one that stands out in my mind is Battlestar Galactica Season Zero. Readers got a first look at Season Zero as part of last year's Free Comic Book Day, and I knew from that small issue that big things would be coming. Writer Brandon Jerwa has taken us to a time two years before the cylon holocaust, and Adama and Tigh are taking their crew on Galactica's first mission. Through this story, Jerwa is able to show us some of the events that make these characters who they are now as we watch them on the screen. The story also takes us to events even earlier, when Adama served on the Columbia, and we see him as the viper pilot “Husker” and we get a look into events that caused him to form such loyalties to friends and crew, and even some events that molded him into the risk-taker and controversial commander he would become. Jerwa has very expertly taken characters we have come to know and given them even more depth and background. This can be difficult, juggling canon with new stories, but he has definitely succeeded. The characters of course have a “younger” voice, but there is no doubt that they are the same people.

We also get a look at Adama's family life, another important chapter in the story that is this wonderful character. Zak is alive and in flight school, and we see interaction between Zak and Lee, between the brothers and their father, and between Adama and his wife Carol Anne, particularly after Zak's death. Of so many aspects of these people's lives on which Jerwa could have chosen to focus, this was perhaps the best choice as it is to integral to the later relationship between Lee and Adama. In later issues, we are introduced to Tyrol, Gaeta, Starbuck, and other important characters from the TV series. Jerwa tells us the story of how Tigh came to feel the way he does about Starbuck, and we learn some of why she flies the way she does. Issue six wrapped up the initial storyline, and a new one started in issue seven. While they tie together, much like one story arc in the TV series does tie to those before, this one starts a new chapter. The big introduction in this issue is that of the “skin jobs” - Boomer, Number Six, and Cavil most notably (although as expected, Boomer's status as a cylon is not revealed, at least not yet). If Jerwa continues to write as compelling a story as he did with the first arc, I think fans will continue to read, and perhaps the series will be extended beyond the current 12-issue plan (it has already been extended from 6 issues to 12 due to the fan response).

The artwork is excellent. The artistic team has changed a bit as the series continues, but the talent of the main artist, Jackson Herbert, definitely shines. Herbert has the challenge that any artist faces when drawing for a licensed property such as this – making the characters resemble the actors as closely as possible. He definitely meets this challenge, and I truly enjoy his artwork. As you might expect, not every image is a perfect reproduction, but I never have the problem of not recognizing the character that I have had in the past with some artists. The covers are also well done. As with many licensed properties, there are generally multiple covers by multiple artists, along with one photo cover from the TV series, for each issue. Cover artists Stjepan Sejic, Adriano Batista, Stephen Segovia, and Jackson Herbert have created some wonderful images, and all are very talented. Unlike a problem I see with some comic covers, the characters are recognizable, and the scenes depicted on the covers (except for the photo covers of course) are good at either foreshadowing the story to come in the pages or being general and not actually depicting a scene that is NOT in the story. I tend to like the original covers better than the photo covers, as I am drawn to the artwork, if you'll pardon the pun. Not that photos are not artistic, but I prefer the original creations, and how they can be used as part of telling the story, rather than being stock photos.

In addition to Season Zero, I encourage those interested to checkout these other titles: Battlestar Galactica (both new and classic), Battlestar Galactica Origins, Battlestar Galactica Zarek, and Battlestar Galactica Cylon Apocalypse. The new BSG title has a particularly griping story about Boomer and how she deals with being a cylon in a human world. Origins gives us 4-issue stories with background on integral characters, starting with Baltar and now looking at Adama. Zarek was a 4-issue mini-series that gave the background of this secondary but important character. The classic title, as well as Cylon Apocalypse take us back to the original TV series and characters that started it all. Oh, also, readers may like the Battlestar Galactica Pegasus One Shot. All of these titles are also created by very talented teams of writers and artists, and are worthy of fan attention.

While this may be the final season of Battlestar Galactica as it is currently known on TV, and we know that there is a possible prequel series in the works, Caprica, I believe it is through novels and comics that BSG may truly get to live on after this season is over. I for one would like to continue to enjoy the stories of these characters, and perhaps we will. So say we all.

BSG Season Zero photo property of Dynamite Entertainment