Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck 4

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Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck #4 An issue of the Dynamite series.
Issue No.	4
Writer(s)	Tony Lee
Illustrator(s)	{{{illustrator}}}
Penciller(s)
Inker(s)	Eman Casallos
Colorist(s)	Davi Correia (pages); Adriano Lucas (cover)
Letterer(s)	Joshua Cozine
Editor(s)
Collection Design	{{{designer}}}
Cover Artist(s)	Sean Chen
Adaptation of
Published	Feburary 2014
Collects
Collected in	Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck
Reprints
Reprinted as
Pages	{{{pages}}}
ISBN	725130209306
Population	0 Survivors
Special	{{{special}}}
Chronology
Previous		Next
Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck 3	Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck #4
Purchase
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Summary

FINAL ISSUE!!! The origin of Lt. Starbuck concludes, told by #1 New York Times best-selling author Tony Lee! On an ice world in the middle of Cylon space, Starbuck and Apollo race to free Athena before Osiris can use her in his vendetta against Adama - but are they too late to save the colonies from Cylon invasion?

Plot

As with the previous two installments, this issue is set entirely two yahrens before the attack at Cimtar.

• On the ice moon Thrace, Athena is imprisoned in the "abandoned" mining center's holding cell. Diana informs her that Athena will die anyway, regardless of whether or not Adama resigns and destroys McKintosh's Umbra data.
• Diana has begun a melt-down of the fusion reactor, which will not only kill Athena but wipe out Osiris's and Diana's proof of a connection with the Cylon.
• Diana further taunts Athena, reminiscing of her memories of Athena's time in the Academy, and how Athena should have focused her efforts on learning Vipers and battle tactics instead of computers and com-systems.
• When Diana leaves, Athena uses her scorned electronics knowledge to identify the Grayson model door pad use a thread of bare chronium from her uniform's braiding to short out the control pad.
• Apollo and Starbuck land on Thrace, observing Cylon Centurion loading tylium into their Raider.
• Starbuck apologies to Apollo for his pursuit of the information on McKintosh's pendant. Apollo points out that Osiris would still be on the Quorum of Twelve and the Cylons would be one step closer to wiping them out, to which Starbuck notes that Osiris is still on the Quorum and it is the Warriors who are on the run.
• Apollo notes that this will soon change, and with the Cylons prepping to depart, this distraction affords them the opportunity to enter the "abandoned" mine. Instead of planning a careful way in, Apollo decides to go in laser blazing, taking a leaf from Starbuck's book.
• Meanwhile, an intruder alarm blazes as Athena makes good her escape. Nearby, Athena overhears Diana screaming to a Centurion saying that the intruders are of no concern as the reactor will explode within microns.
• When the Centurion departs, Diana calls out Athena from hiding. Tired of Diana's taunting, Athena attacks Diana.
• Apollo and Starbuck enter the security room. Starbuck discovers that the reactor is rigged to blow, and also finds Athena in a fight with Diana on the monitors.

Notes

Nods

• The ice moon of Thrace is a nod to Kara "Starbuck" Thrace from the Re-imagined Series.
• President Adar's statement regarding his being "a terrible judge of character" regarding Osiris is a nod to Adar's misplaced trust in Baltar, as well as his final words in "Saga of a Star World" before Atlantia is destroyed at Cimtar.

Errata

• As with other entries in the Dynamite Entertainment comics, a mix of Re-Imagined Series and Original Series terminologies occurs:
  • The backgrounds of the Viper bay on battlestar Galactica are those of the hangar deck from the Re-imagined Series.
  • The Warrior uniforms feature shoulder patches on both shoulders, but it should only appear on the right shoulder on Warrior uniforms.
  • The Vipers depicted are visually more in line with the Re-imagined Series Mark II Viper than the Original Series counterpart.
  • Civilians wear contemporary clothing (modern suits with ties, vests, tank tops, red dresses, t-shirts) as opposed to the distinct Egyptian-esque clothing designed by Jean-Pierre Dorleac.
  • In the background during Adar's ceremony commemorating the actions of Apollo, Starbuck, Adama and Baltar, a large wall plaque for the "Office of the President" features the Colonial seal from the Re-imagined Series. The plaque is directly reminiscent of the one first featured in President Richard Adar's office in "Epiphanies."
• Terminology issues:
  • After Adama destroys a Raider pursuing Zac, he tells Zac to stop whining, and noted that "he used to be the same way about spiders." The term for "spider" established in "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I" is "crawlon."
  • The word "toaster" is used to describe Cylons, which is a term used in the Re-imagined Series. The Original Series coined the term "tinhead" in "The Living Legend, Part I."

Analysis

• The treasonous motives of both Osiris and Diana are not in any way fleshed out, in keeping with the tradition of established story telling in the series proper. There is a vague insinuation of power acquisition, and perhaps it could be argued that the Cylons also agreed to spare Osiris' colony of Aeries (assuming that the Cylons gave them the same deal as the one they gave Baltar), but this is paper-thin as motivation.
• The ending scene of the comic implies that Baltar was recruited by the Cylons before Starbuck resurrected the threat of McKintosh's Umbra recording.

Questions

• Why would anyone betray their homeworlds to the Cylons?
• When was Baltar recruited by the Cylons?
• What is Baltar's plan to bring about the downfall of the Colonies in two yahrens? (Answer)

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Apollo engages the Cylons outside of the tylium mine:

  Starbuck: What the frack are you doing?

  Apollo: Taking a leaf out of your book! Leaping in with both feet!

  Starbuck: That's with girls! Apollo—That's with girls! Not Cylons!

Gallery

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  Colorized cover.
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  Page 1
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  Page 4
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  Page 5

External links

• Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck #4 at Dynamite Entertainment

Re-imagined Series definition: mineral that can be refined to a powerful fuel, see: tylium

Original Series definition: a highly combustible fuel (see: tylium) ^{(TOS: "Fire in Space")}

Original Series definition: an all-purpose term for Colonial soldier and Viper pilot (see: Warrior)

Re-imagined Series definition: derogatory term for Cylons in general