List of Comics

Battlestar Galactica has been adapted into comic book form since its inception, by a number of different publishers including Marvel Comics, Whitman Comics, Maximum Press, Realm Press, and Dynamite Entertainment. This article provides an overview of the publishing history and links out to individual articles for each series and issue.

Battlestar Wiki hosts articles on all officially-licensed comics through its separate continuity policy.

Marvel SuperSpecial 8

Re-imagined Battlestar Galactica 0

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics began its adaptation of Galactica with Super Special 8. Super Special was a magazine format comic book that featured different characters or adaptations each month. Issue 8 was produced just in time for the launch of the TV series in September 1978.

Marvel Comics Series - Issue 2

The Super Special adaptation was derived from an interim script of "Saga of a Star World", and some of the differences in the story are evident. This adaptation was also released in a tabloid format by both Marvel Comics and Whitman Comics.

Spurred on by the success of this adaptation, Marvel began a monthly comic series that ran from 1978 through 1980, and lasted a total of 23 issues. The first three issues, titled Battlestar Galactica, Exodus! and Deathtrap! respectively, consisted of a longer adaptation of Saga of a Star World, taking much of the art from the Super Special adaptation and expanding it by several pages.

The adaptation of the series continued in next two issues entitled Into the Void and A Death in the Family, which chronicled the story from the two part television episode "Lost Planet of the Gods".

Beginning with The Memory Machine, Marvel began publishing all new stories based on the characters in the series. From this point, the story began to depart from what was depicted in the series. According to letters pages within the publication, Marvel's contract with Universal Studios specifically did not allow them to use anything from the television series that followed "Lost Planet Of The Gods".

In the storyline that unfolded, a good deal of the comic took place in the magnetic void which the fleet first encountered in the TV episode "Lost Planet of the Gods". In the end of the TV episode, the fleet moves back into normal space, leaving the void behind, but in the comics the rag tag fleet remains in the void beginning in issue #4, with the fleet finally returning to regular space in issue #14. (This makes placing the episodes within the span of the TV series difficult, since much of the action could be surmised to have taken place between "Lost Planet of the Gods" and "Lost Warrior".)

In terms of tone, many of the Marvel comics had horror elements, a theme that was visited sparingly in the TV series. An incomplete list of monsters from the comic series would include a space vampire (issue #9), a carnivorous planet (issue #10), alien vermin (issue #15), a crewmember who transforms into a red ape (issues #17 and #18) and a monstrous shapeshifter (issue #21). Even the menacing and relentless Cylon Mark III in issue #16 owes as much of his origin to horror elements as he does to science fiction. Taken as a whole, Marvel’s Galactica is somewhat darker in tone than the series, but this not-so-subtle paranoia is arguable truer to the initial premise of the series than were some of the latter episodes of the television program.

Notably, the writers of the Galactica comic were quite willing to remove key characters from the dramatic mix for periods of time. From issues #6 to #12, Commander Adama is placed within a machine to help him remember the ancient writings he briefly saw on Kobol and, although we do spend some time in his dreams, he is effectively removed from commanding the Galactica for several issues, which of course sets up its own dramatic tension.

Another character who leaves the series for awhile is Starbuck, as part of perhaps the most effective story arc in the series. In this plotline the fleet stumbles upon Scavenger World, the dominion of the female space pirate Eurayle, who makes a deal to spare the Colonials if she can keep Starbuck at her side. The interactions between Starbuck and Eurayle are memorable, and the conclusion of the storyline, with a tremendous battle in issue #13, is a satisfying conclusion. At the end of the tale, Starbuck remains with Eurayle, and the fleet moves on without him, which of course sets us up for his triumphant return in issues #19 and #20.

Unlike both television series, the Galactica comic actually had a planned ending, with a series of plot devices being wound up in the final two part story of issues #22 and #23. In the course of solving a mystery, Lieutenant Jolly finds adventure and romance and helps in figuring out the long sought coordinates for Earth. A tongue in cheek adventure ably drawn and scripted by Walt Simonson this plotline provided a strong end for a memorable series.

Overall Review of the Marvel Series

One drawback to the Marvel Galactica comics are that, starting with #6, the series ignores the rest of the events of the television series and begins completely original stories (Marvel's contract with Universal specifically did not allow them to use anything from the television series that followed Lost Planet Of The Gods). This is too bad. As a result, the Marvel series lost a chance to further explore many intriguing characters such as Cain, Sheba, Count Iblis, The Enforcers, The Nomen, and Spectre. Ironically, #6 came out around the time that the series was canceled, so the timing was there to pick up where the television series had left off.

Despite this problem, the Marvel series had great potential because comics were better equipped for science fiction stories than television was back in 1978 (unlike today when relatively inexpensive CGI special effects allow television to do sci-fi/fantasy series such as Bablyon 5, Xena, and Hercules that wouldn't have been possible even 10 years earlier). The range of stories in the Galactica television series were limited because there was not enough time on a weekly TV schedule to shoot special effects scenes. In comics, artists can easily create entire universes and blow them up at will. This advantage should have led to better stories than what we saw on the television episodes, but overall the TV series was still much better what Marvel gave us. The main problem was the writing. It was consistently average, and too often mediocre. Only 5 issues - #11, 12, 13, 16, and 19 - are above-average.

The adaptations of Saga Of A Star World and Lost Planet Of The Gods are okay, but nothing special. 3 issues simply wasn't enough to do justice to the pilot episode, and neither were 2 issues enough for Lost Planet (Note: The only noticeable difference between the comic and the televison series is that Serina dies on the planet Kobol, but this was probably done to shorten the story more than anything else.) Issue #6 has Adama submit himself to a device called The Memory Machine in an attempt to remember the coordinates of the planet Earth that he had briefly seen on the planet Kobol before Cylon fire destroyed the writings. In #7, a revolt causes the machine's controls to be damaged, thus trapping Adama inside the machine (Removing him after that would have destroyed his sanity). Adama is trapped inside the machine until #12, and there is a great deal of monotony inbetween. #8 and #10 are devoted entirely to stories from Adama's past (which Adama is reliving due to the Memory Machine). #8 is a forgettable story of Adama and Tigh as young warriors. #10 is better, as it involves a major battle with Cylons that involves Starbuck and Apollo. #9 - "Space Mimic", however, is hands down the worst issue of the entire series (an alien shape-shifter boards the Galactica and assumes the identity of Adama).

The Marvel series hits a crescendo with #11, 12, and 13. The Colonial fleet discovers a gigantic alien ship (if you could call it that) called Scavenge World. It inhabitants are various kinds of aliens who capture starcraft and dismantle them for their own private use. Starbuck is captured and receives, without trying, the romantic interest of Eurayle, the beautiful human female empress of Scavenge World. He tells her of the pursuing Cylons and gets her to agree to spare the Colonial fleet in exchange for helping Scavenge World lead the Cylons into a trap. Eurayle has mind control powers which she says can free Adama of the Memory Machine, but only if Starbuck agrees to remain behind with her. Starbuck accepts her offer, and she manages to free Adama just as the Cylons attack. The space battle is particularly gripping as Lucifer (now the Cylon leader; he makes a comment that implies Baltar is dead) has a Cylon basestar attempt to ram the Galactica head on. This is an exceptional story that never could have been done on the television series due to its limited special effects.

The series falls apart after this story. The Cylons don't appear again, except for a single advanced Cylon in #16 and an illusional battle with Cylon raiders in #21 (Don't ask). What's frustrating is that Marvel does things that the television series should have done -- the compelling Sire Uri sticks around and is the perfect foil for Adama -- Boomer, Athena, and Jolly are each featured in their own individual stories -- yet it fails to do them in a compelling fashion. Of the remaining stories, only #16 and #19 are particularly memorable. In #16, Apollo comes across an advanced Cylon (The Mark III) in an advanced Cylon raider. This is turns out to be a legitimately gripping story.

1. 19 deals with Starbuck's escape from Scavenge World. It is very funny as Starbuck embellishes everything to make it look like he had a friendly parting with Eurayle. As he tells his version, the reader is allowed to see the actual events that occurred: Eurayle learns of Starbuck romancing other women, and she tries to kill him; he barely escapes with his life. #20 has Eurayle and other Scavenge World ships pursuing the fleet, but it never gets interesting. The last two issues, #22 and #23, comprise a two-part story that centers around Jolly trying to uncover civilian piracy within the Colonial fleet. Jolly gets a love interest, but the story doesn't even tread water. In #23 the Galactica finally uncovers the coordinates to Earth. The series ends with the Colonial fleet using new technology to hyperwarp to Earth.

This is a let-down ending. Talk about ending with a whimper instead of a bang. Couldn't there at least have been a final battle with the Cylons? We know the Colonials will reach Earth, but we aren't even allowed to see what Earth is like. Oh well, at least the Marvel series ended with some sort of closure, unlike the TV series.

The only real positive thing that can be said about the last 8 or so issues of the Marvel series is that there is a noticeable improvement in the artwork, particularly the illustrations of the Galactica. Still, it's not enough to save the stories. The cancellation of the TV series certainly had something to do with the decline in the comic's readership, but the biggest factor had to have been the poor writing. The Marvel series had the potential to produce better stories than the TV series did, but sadly it failed.

In closing, the Marvel Comics Battlestar Galactica series is poor overall. Like Galactica 1980, it is best left forgotten. I would recommend it only for the most fanatical of Galactica fans.

SuperSpecial Adaptation

Marvel Super Special 8: Battlestar Galactica

Marvel Comics Monthly Comic Book

Marvel Comics Series - Issue 6

• Battlestar Galactica
• Exodus!
• Deathtrap!
• Into the Void
• A Death in the Family
• The Memory Machine
• All Things Past and Present
• Shuttle Diplomacy!
• Space-Mimic!
• This Planet Hungers
• Scavenge World
• The Trap!
• Collision Course!
• Trial and Error
• Derelict!
• Berzerker
• Ape and Essence
• Forbidden Fruit!
• The Daring Escape of the Space Cowboy
• Hell Hath No Fury!
• A World for the Killing!
• Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair
• The Last Hiding Place

Titan Books Marvel reprints - trade paperbacks

• Saga of a Star World by Roger McKenzie, Ernie Colon and Walt Simonson
• The Memory Machine by Roger McKenzie, Klaus Janson, Walt Simonson and Tom DeFalco

Look-In Magazine

Look-In Magazine, a UK based publication for children, published a serialized comic strip featuring Galactica from October 20, 1979 through October 11, 1980. The four untitled storylines spanned 52 issues, and contained 13 two page chapters per storyline. A very solid composition throughout, this incarnation of the rag tag fleet has been largely overlooked.

1. Storyline 1 (issues 1979 #43 to 1980 #3)
2. Storyline 2 (issues 1980 #4 to 1980 #16)
3. Storyline 3 (issues 1980 #17 to 1980 #29)
4. Storyline 4 (issues 1980 #30 to 1980 #42)

Grandreams Annuals

The UK company Grandreams came out with two Battlestar Galactica hardcover annuals, which contained short text and comic book stories. Far inferior to the Look-In strips, these comics were aimed primarily at children.

Battlestar Galactica Annual

COMIC STRIPS:

1. Battlestar Galactica [adapts ep. 1-3]
2. Chess-Players of Space
3. Bane of Baal Farr
4. Amazons of Space

SHORT FICTION:

1. Doomsday Rock
2. Swamp World
3. Hijack in Space

Mission Galactica Annual: The Cylon Attack

COMIC STRIPS:

1. Part One: Switch in Space
2. Part Two: Planet of the Cyclops
3. Part Three: Skirmish Beyond Skafrax
4. Part Four: Final Showdown

SHORT FICTION:

1. Dice With Death
2. Enemy Within

Maximum Press

War of Eden 1

For a very long time, Battlestar Galactica did not appear in comics. Finally, in July of 1995, Maximum Press (a Rob Liefeld imprint) published a miniseries that continued the Galactica mythos, and ignored the storyline from Galactica 1980. This miniseries is also known as the War of Eden.

This series was popular enough that it encouraged Maximum to keep going, and soon more miniseries appeared. Apollo’s Journey, The Enemy Within, and Starbuck all published as three issue series in 1995 through early 1996. Journey’s End, the final four issue series, broke many Galactica conventions. For example, there is a depiction of Galactica traveling back through time back to the destruction of the Colonies. This was not to last, however, and after the publishing of a compendium volume in early 1997, Maximum announced it would cease publishing comics based on Battlestar Galactica.

War of Eden

1. War of Eden #1
2. War of Eden #2
3. War of Eden #3
4. War of Eden #4

The Enemy Within

1. The Enemy Within #1
2. The Enemy Within #2
3. The Enemy Within #3

Starbuck

1. Starbuck #1
2. Starbuck #2
3. Starbuck #3

Apollo's Journey

1. Apollo's Journey #1
2. Apollo's Journey #2
3. Apollo's Journey #3

Journey's End

1. Journey’s End #1
2. Journey’s End #2
3. Journey’s End #3
4. Journey’s End #4

Asylum (monthly anthology series)

1. Issue #1: Baptism of Fire, Part #1
2. Issue #2: Baptism of Fire, Part #2
3. Issue #3: Baptism of Fire, Part #3
4. Issue #4: Athena’s Quest, Part #1
5. Issue #5: Athena’s Quest, Part #2
6. (No BSG story in issue #6)
7. Issue #7: Athena’s Quest, Part #3
8. Issue #8: First Date
9. (No BSG story in issue #9)
10. Issue #10: The Rebirth of Cy, Part #1
11. (No BSG story in issue #11)

NOTE: "Athena's Quest" was originally titled "Apollo's Quest"

Battlestar Galactica: The Compendium

1. Baptism of Fire (compilation)
2. The Rebirth of Cy, Part 1 (unfinished)

Battlestar Galactica: Special Edition

1. Athena’s Quest (compilation)

Realm Press

In 1998, Realm Press brought Battlestar Galactica back to comics again beginning with their Battlestar Galactica Search for Sanctuary single issue special. Other one shots were subsequently published. Later, Realm introduced a monthly comic titled Battlestar Galactica Season 3. This series only ran for three issues before it was canceled, and shortly thereafter Realm abandoned the project altogether.

The Realm series was notable for its use of airbrushed art and its attempts to remain faithful to the look and feel of the Original Series.

Battlestar Galactica, Season II

1. Issue 1: The Law of Volahd, Part 1 (2 alternate covers)
2. Issue 2: The Law of Volahd, Part 2
3. Issue 3: Prison of Souls, Part 1 (2 alternate covers)
4. Issue 4: Prison of Souls, Part 2
5. Issue 5: Prison of Souls, Part 3

Battlestar Galactica, Season III

1. Issue 1: No Place Like Home (3 alternate covers)
2. Issue 2: Hades Hath No Fury (4 alternate covers)
3. Issue 3: Fire in the Sky (3 alternate covers)

The New Millennium

1. Fear of Flying / Favorite Son / Tales of the Pegasus: Chapter One, Daddy’s Girl (3 alternate covers)

Eve of Destruction

1. Prelude I: Nostalgie De La Boue / Prelude II: Daughter of Elysium

Search For Sanctuary

1. Search For Sanctuary, Part 1
2. Search For Sanctuary Special Edition

1999 Tourbook

1. Dark Genesis (3 alternate covers)

Battlestar Galactica Special Edition

1. Centurion Prime (2 alternate covers)

Gallery Special

1. The Care and Feeding of Your Daggit / Masquerade

Cancelled one-shots

1. Colonial Technical Journal, Volume 1
2. Dire Prophecy (2 alternate covers)
3. Darkest Night (2 alternate covers)
4. Battlestar Black and White (2 alternate covers)
5. Cylon Dawn (2 alternate covers)
6. No-Man’s Land (2 alternate covers)
7. Minor Difficulties (anthology of short tales)

Dynamite Entertainment

In May 2006, Dynamite began releasing a comic series based on the Re-imagined Series. The comics are set within the framework of the show and, at at first were set between the episodes "Home, Part II" and "Pegasus".

Beginning in late September 2006 Dynamite began releasing an Original Series continuation series.

In October 2006, a miniseries focusing on the Re-imagined Series character Tom Zarek was released, focusing on Zarek's past.

In September 2009, a miniseries focusing on a "re-imagined" Galactica 1980 was released. In 2010, a sequel, Galactica 1981, will follow the events of Galactica 1980.

Re-imagined Series

Re-imagined Battlestar Galactica Issue 8

The first series of issues based on the Re-imagined Series written by Greg Pak and pencilled by Nigel Raynor. The storyline appears after the events of "Home, Part II" and before "Pegasus" and significantly diverge from the Re-imagined Series' timeline of Season 2.

1. Battlestar Galactica 0
2. Battlestar Galactica 1
3. Battlestar Galactica 2
4. Battlestar Galactica 3
5. Battlestar Galactica 4
6. Battlestar Galactica 5
7. Battlestar Galactica 6
8. Battlestar Galactica 7
9. Battlestar Galactica 8
10. Battlestar Galactica 9
11. Battlestar Galactica 10
12. Battlestar Galactica 11
13. Battlestar Galactica 12

All thirteen issues have been collected in the following trade paperbacks:

1. Battlestar Galactica Volume I (Issues #0 - #4)
2. Battlestar Galactica Volume II (Issues #5 - #8)
3. Battlestar Galactica Volume III (Issues #9 - #12)

Battlestar Galactica: Zarek

This miniseries explores the history of Tom Zarek.

1. Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 1
2. Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 2
3. Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 3
4. Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 4

Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero

Adriano Batista cover for Season Zero 1.

Written by Brandon Jerwa and penciled mainly by Jackson Herbert, this series chronicles the first mission of Galactica under the command of Commander William Adama, dealing with terrorism in the Twelve Colonies.

1. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 0
2. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 1
3. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 2
4. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 3
5. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 4
6. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 5
7. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 6
8. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 7
9. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 8
10. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 9
11. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 10
12. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 11
13. Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 12

Battlestar Galactica: Pegasus

Brandon Jerwa wrote an one-shot comic based on Admiral Helena Cain and Pegasus, the events to which occur prior to the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.

1. Battlestar Galactica: Pegasus

Battlestar Galactica: Origins

Fabio Laguna cover for Battlestar Galactica: Origins 3.

Origins is a comic book series that explores the beginnings of various important Re-imagined Series characters, including Gaius Baltar, William Adama, Kara "Starbuck" Thrace and Karl "Helo" Agathon. Issues #1 through #4 deal with the life of Gaius Baltar, while issues #5 through #8 reveal the history William Adama and issues #9 through 11 focus on Kara Thrace and Karl Agathon.

1. Battlestar Galactica: Origins 1
2. Battlestar Galactica: Origins 2
3. Battlestar Galactica: Origins 3
4. Battlestar Galactica: Origins 4
5. Battlestar Galactica: Origins 5
6. Battlestar Galactica: Origins 6
7. Battlestar Galactica: Origins 7
8. Battlestar Galactica: Origins 8
9. Battlestar Galactica: Origins 9
10. Battlestar Galactica: Origins 10
11. Battlestar Galactica: Origins 11

All the issues in this series have been collected in trade paperbacks:

1. Battlestar Galactica Origins: Adama (#1-4)
2. Battelstar Galactica Origins: Baltar (#5-8)
3. Battlestar Galactica Origins: Starbuck and Helo (#9-11)

Battlestar Galactica: Ghosts

Cover to Battlestar Galactica: Ghosts 1.

Written by Brandon Jerwa, this four issue mini-series consists of new characters outside of the Battlestar Galactica "mainstream" who are part of the Ghost Squadron, a black-ops team struggling to survive after the wake of the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.

1. Battlestar Galactica: Ghosts 1
2. Battlestar Galactica: Ghosts 2
3. Battlestar Galactica: Ghosts 3
4. Battlestar Galactica: Ghosts 4

Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War

Cover to Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War 1.

Written by Joshua Ortega and Eric Nylund, this four issue mini-series tells the tale of the Cylon War decades before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.

1. Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War 1
2. Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War 2
3. Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War 3
4. Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War 4

Battlestar Galactica: The Final Five

Mel Rubi cover to Battlestar Galactica: The Final Five 1.

Written by Seamus Kevin Fahey, David Reed and Nigel Raynor, this four issue event ties directly into the events of the final episodes of the Re-imagined Series.

1. Battlestar Galactica: The Final Five 1
2. Battlestar Galactica: The Final Five 2
3. Battlestar Galactica: The Final Five 3
4. Battlestar Galactica: The Final Five 4

Classic Battlestar Galactica

Dave Dorman cover to Classic Battlestar Galactica 1.

Dynamite produced a short-lived comic book run based on the Original Series. Beyond both this and the Cylon Apocalypse series, Dynamite has been focusing on comics based on the Re-imagined Series.

1. Classic Battlestar Galactica 1
2. Classic Battlestar Galactica 2
3. Classic Battlestar Galactica 3
4. Classic Battlestar Galactica 4
5. Classic Battlestar Galactica 5

Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalypse

Cylon Apocalypse 1

A four-part mini-series written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach that details the story of the Colonials' discovery of a virus that can destroy their Cylon foes and how they try to weaponize it.

1. Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalypse 1
2. Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalypse 2
3. Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalypse 3
4. Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalypse 4

All four installments of the series have been collected in the Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalypse trade paperback.

Galactica 1980

"Galactica 1980 1"

A "re-imagined" Galactica 1980 written by Marc Guggenheim was released September 2009.

1. Galactica 1980 1
2. Galactica 1980 2
3. Galactica 1980 3
4. Galactica 1980 4

Galactica 1981

A sequel to the Galactica 1980 comics, taking place a year after the end of that series, will be released in late 2010.

Tokyopop

In April 2009, Tokyopop released a manga edition entitled Battlestar Galactica: The Manga -- Echoes of New Caprica, with stories by Emily Salzfass, Richard Hatch and Mike Wellman, and art by Chrissy Delk, Christopher Schons and Anthony Wu. This first volume contained three stories:

1. "Teacher's Pet" (writer: Emily Salzfass, artist: Chrissy Delk)
2. "Shelf Life" (writer: Richard Hatch, artist: Christopher Schons)
3. "Visitation" (writer: Mike Wellman, artist: Anthony Wu)