Dynamite is proud to show the first look at black and
white interior pages for Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck #1, a New York Times
bestselling author Tony Lee (Doctor Who, Star Trek: The Next Generation,
Superboy) will spotlight the origin of a beloved sci-fi character in the
upcoming Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck four-issue miniseries, based on the
NBCUniversal television show. With covers by Sean Chen and interiors by Eman
Casallos, Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck #1 will be released this coming
November! The first issue of the four-part Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck
miniseries is solicited in the September Previews catalog for preorder by
retailers worldwide.
Here's some words from Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck
writer, Tony Lee!
I was eight years old when Battlestar Galactica came to
the UK. My older brother Kevin took me to see the theatrical cut of 'Saga of a
Star World' at my local cinema, as I'd been a massive fan of Star Wars the year
before. And from the moment Patrick MacNee started talking about 'life, out
there, across the universe'... I was hooked. I didn't want to fly an X-Wing
anymore - I wanted to fly a Viper.
I was the kid at school who understood why Templeton Peck
(Face) in the A-Team credits always looked confused as a Cylon walked past in
an amusement park. I was the kid who sought out the cloaked Starbuck action
figure over an Action Man doll, and had an entire range of Battlestar Galactica
books and comics, including the hard to find Look In strip, and I was the kid
who turned off 'Galactica 80' when it was shown that Starbuck had been left
behind, and that Apollo had simply disappeared.
I wanted a Daggit.
I've always liked the scoundrels. Han Solo and Starbuck
taught me a lot about life between them, so I probably owe a whole load of
broken relationships and split lips during my teen years to them both.
When Nick Barrucci came to me with a suggestion to doing
a Starbuck story, I jumped at the opportunity. Bar the fact that he was an
amnesiac child after the attack on Umbra, we don't know much about Starbuck's
history, mainly because we only had thirteen episodes (and a flash back
Galactica 80 special) to learn about him. I wanted to fill in these gaps. I
wanted to see the Starbuck that existed before the show. How did he meet
Apollo? Why does Adama treat him like a surrogate son? Who taught him to smoke
and gamble and womanise? What shaped the man we know, and more importantly, why
did the Cylons attack Umbra that fateful day? That right there was when I knew the
story I wanted to tell.
Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck is more than an origin
story. Although the first episode starts with Starbuck aged around six, by the
time we reach the second issue we're two years before the Cylon attack on
Cimtar that started the series, and Starbuck is investigating a conspiracy
within the Quorum that links to his past, is framed for murder and forced on
the run, with only his closest friends giving assistance as he finds himself
embarking on a one-man war against the entire Cylon Empire.
Anyone who reads my Doctor Who comics knows that if I
can, I like to fill my book with nods to the fans while keeping the story fresh
for new readers, and Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck is no different. You can
read this with only the vaguest clue to what's going on in the show, and you
can read far more into this as a fan of the original series. There's even a nod
or two back to the re imagined version!
I have a tick list, and writing Dirk Benedict's Lt.
Starbuck was definitely near the top of it. I've only met Dirk a couple of
times over the years, and was very much looking forwards to meeting him at the
Galacticon / Comicpalooza festival this year in Texas, as we were both guests.
Unfortunately I had to pull out of attending, but my friend Frazer Hines (Jamie
in Doctor Who and another attendee) made sure to send me a photo of him and
Dirk, cigars in mouths. So hopefully I'll get a chance to give him a comic at
another convention down the line.
