Battlestar Galactica: Echoes Of New Caprica & Star Trek: The Next Generation Vol. 1 - Manga Review

The aspect of Tokyo Pop seems to integrate well with pop culture. The key is to maintain a consistent experience but make it work differently within the whole.Battlestar Galactica: Echoes Of New Caprica The element to maintaining consistency is the balance of the personas established on-screen with extraneous storylines while offering a different perspective in terms of the interpretation of the art of the character. Some characters you can tell are maintained but others are kept vague, presumably because of copyright issues. The first story is set on New Caprica has Laura Roslin trying to run her school and maintain some kind of routine. Dean Stockwell's character who looks more like a portly version of Michael Knight's boss on the 1980s TV series “Knight Rider” is trying to make Roslin stop teaching Colonial history. Sheturns it into a standoff about the safety of the kids in her class. Colonel Tigh, working in the background, knows that the rebels have to hit the Toasters. The progression here seems different in terms of the possibility of treating Maya (who turns out to be a Cylon) or her adopted daughter any differently due to what happens later in the series. Baltar's impression as the President is actually drawn much more as a caricature which is obviously a purposeful choice but also almost too much in your face. Also the biting sarcasm of Baltar is not as represented as it should be. The views of Sharons and the Sixes also are much different in their designs which might create some boundary issues. The resolution of this particular story also is not very impactful.The second story of this volume follows the inception of a plan by Tom (played in the series by Richard Hatch) to purge and inter the violence against New Caprica betrayers in a swift and quick action. After his friend Jorad seems to get cold feet on the endeavor, Tom enlists Tigh to help take care of the problem. Mirroring the later Cassie airlock execution, Jorad tells Tom that he only did it for his children. You see a brief moral dilemma for Tom's character. The story was written by Hatch and it plays quite well as during the airlock you begin to see his failings distort. The problem is at times the writing is too verbose when it should simply be used to accentuate the action.The third story in the Battlestar contingent by comparison is too reaction delayed and also covers some of same ground as the series. However some scenes with Kara (aka Starbuck) especially when she is sitting in bed before grabbing for her liquor bottle gives her a gist almost of Roland from “The Gunslinger”. Her concern is even more accentuated because she finds Kacey, the girl that she seemed to mother on New Caprica, wandering around the ship. The story meanders about but especially in the aforementioned image and frames of her isolated in a crowded area, the possibilities are heightened.Star Trek: The Next Generation Vol. 1 With the inset of the retread of years lost, the first story “Changeling” examines the similarities and talks about the aspect of Wesley Crusher and his immaturity at the time. Wesley in his would-be state represents the future. But it would have been better relegated if he had the approach of Chris Pine's Kirk in the new “Star Trek”. Here, Wesley must go through different representations of himself in the holodeck to ascertain his evolution although his last transformation into a hot girl seems a bit much. “Sensation”  by comparison in tone seems more like a TOS episode. The aspect of a misunderstood or misplaced race asking for help but outmoded by what can or what needs to be done is the key in this perspective. I was always a little weary of Deanna Troi as an effective crew member since her interpretations are for the most part too subjective. Her eventual connection to the ethos of the colonists through meditation (which allows her to see the structured hallucinations affecting the colonists) is quite clever although it would be interesting to see it live action with today's special effects.“The Picardian Knot” has Picard suffering from would-be withdrawal after a mind meld that happens with Sarek before the story begins. The character structure is out of mode for how he functions. The Neutral Zone angle including an assassination attempt and an artifact left by the assailant seems too contrived. Even though there is a sweet ending, it is lazy storytelling. “Loyalty” in conclusion is one of those oratory filled Star Trek episodes that makes one think of “12 Angry Men” as a structure piece. Nothing action wise happens in general with the exception of erstwhile framing of story. However like TNG episode “Conspiracy”, the aspect of cutthroat politics makes for good dialogue, deft scene structure and interesting pace. Despite a lack of standalone capability, like “Lost”, this simple script about a man not present gives a good perception of psychology and command structure.The key with adapting good sci-fi into the manga world is to allow different artist perceptions within the structure of what one knows. While “Battlestar” has its moments of poignancy, TNG's adaptation especially within tales like “Loyalty” show a more inherent understanding of the universe.