Doesn't live up to its idea

Overall this story was a disappointment. While it tries to be a character study for Six, she spends most of the book as an amnesiac. It's hard to connect her character as seen here to her character at the start of the show - the events she undergoes don't seem to have any bearing on her. The way it's set up is also hard to square with the concepts of the Cylons as seen on-screen.

The art style is also a problem. There's very little resemblance between the characters and their screen counterparts, which makes the scenes with multiple Cylons hard to follow.

Not recommended.

An interesting angle on this story as it’s narrated from a Cylon’s point of view. The story starts with Eve waking up on a park bench remembering absolutely nothing about her past. Resulting flashbacks suggest that Eve was once a miner trapped in a cave in.

Eve is Cylon Six. She figures that out when she awakens in a resurrection tank.

The story takes place after the Cylons have revolted and taken human form, but before the main story in the series begins. And with the exception of one character none of the main human characters are present. The exception is Gauis Baltar who had a relationship with Six. This volume shows how that started.

The story is well written but it isn’t as interesting as the series. The art is fine, provided you don’t expect the characters to look much like the actors who played them in the show.

As I’ve admitted several times in reviews, I am a Battlestar Galactica fan. It all started back in the 1970s when, as a little kid, I sat in front of my family’s television set every week watching the original. Sure, it had its share of corny and ridiculous moments, but I loved every minute of it.

Certainly, my fandom went into hibernation for many years before Richard Hatch’s BSG novels in the late 1990s and early 2000s rekindled it somewhat. But, really, the love of all things BSG was taken to new heights by the SciFi series. The new, modern, and more serious tone of this show really pulled me in, making me anxious every week to see what was going to happen next with all my favorite characters (and, honestly, I found myself loving them all). Hell, I still binge watch the complete show every couple of years.

So, when I saw this graphic novel promising to take a closer look at Number 6’s early years in the Twelve Colonies I had to grab it.

As the story begins, Number 6 has no real memory. She recalls being a miner before tragedy strikes her group, leaving her the lone survivor. But her memories of this event are jaded, coming back to her in fits and starts, because she seems to be recalling multiple lives at the same time. Each one attempting to crowd out the life she is currently leading. The chaotic nature of her thoughts leading her into a mental health hospital to get help controlling her outbursts. The story progressing from there, as she slowly discovers who and what she really is.

For those unfamiliar with BSG, Number 6 is a complicated character, but throughout the tv series, her unique nature is slowly revealed with scenes of emotional feelings, near irresistible sexual seduction, and methodical Cylon brutality. Her evolving role a fascinating amalgamation to witness play out in her ongoing story. And that complexity is exactly what I was hoping this comic series would capture and explore.

Sadly, my hopes were dashed. The story dreamed up by Krul a huge letdown. The choppy storytelling horribly confusing. Number 6’s confusion and motives not very well detailed or explained. The whole story line more like a hodgepodge of memories, scenes, and reveals rather than a coherent start-to-finish narrative.

But the book has great art, right?

Well, the covers are amazing. I loved every one of them. Problem being that the interior art is not close to the same quality. Key characters are barely recognizable from page to page. The action scenes do not convey any sense of movement at all. The layout of most pages are disorganized and make you second guess whether you are following along correctly. At best, the art was serviceable, and that is the kindest description you can give it.

As a BSG fan, I really wanted to like this graphic novel, and it was nice to see Number 6 get her own story, even if it was a jumbled, chaotic mess, but this book was a disappointment on every level. From J.T. Krul’s story to the uneven artwork, Six disappoints — though I honestly hate to type that. Perhaps as a nostalgia read, this one is worth the time investment, but don’t pick it up expecting a great story or dazzling artwork, because you are not going to find either here.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

'Battlestar Galactica: Six' by J.T. Krul with art by Igor Lima and Rod Rodolfo is a mini-series telling the story of the Cylon known as Six. If you are vaguely familiar with the series, she was the one in the famous red dress.

I have seen a lot of Battlestar Galactica, but I've never watched the whole thing. I've seen enough to understand the character in this graphic novel and how Cylons work in this version of the show.

In this graphic novel, we meet different versions of Six. She is a mine worker trapped with other workers. She is a patient in a hospital that has violent flashbacks to her former self. She is many versions of the same person, but in all versions, she knows how to take care of herself. As she discovers the mystery of herself, she learns why she is who she is.

The problem is the whole thing comes across as pretty bland. The art makes it hard to differentiate characters at times, and while books of this type don't have to look like the tv actors that portrayed the characters, it can be a nice touch. The story is one I read through and I don't feel like it really added anything I needed to know about the character. The covers aren't too bad, and this graphic novel includes a cover gallery, but that's really know reason to read this.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.