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By Various (Titan Books)
ISBN: 1-84023-945-X
This follow-up edition once again features the cream of Marvel’s early 1980s talent pool in a pithy series of adventures featuring the last vestiges of stellar humanity and their flight for survival. The main body of the volume features a drama of political intrigue as the charismatic leader Adama submits to a memory recall device in search of clues to a safe harbour for his refugee fleet. Sadly this device traps him in a debilitating coma, and whilst incapacitated, members of his ruling council attempt a coup. Only his faithful warriors can save him from murder.
Reprinting issues #6-13 of the Marvel series, Roger McKenzie’s script zooms along (even with fill-in tales from Bill Mantlo – ‘Shuttle-Diplomacy’, and Tom DeFalco – ‘This Planet Hungers’ breaking the narrative thread). The illustration, by Rich Buckler and Klaus Janson, Sal Buscema, Pat Broderick and Walter Simonson ranges from efficient and creditable to just plain pretty.
Undemanding yet tremendously readable, the only quibble must be that the modern TV series that made this stuff eligible for republishing bears so little resemblance to the characters and scenarios collected here. Still, that’s this contemporary world of ‘Branding’ for you.
© 2005 Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. All Rights Reserved.