Doug Murray

Oh my! The first graphic novel I've read from the Dead Reckoning imprint of the Naval Institute Press that is actually about the U.S. Navy! They are building quite the broad catalog of war history and historical fiction.

As a history buff, I was very interested in all the small moments shared about the various men who fought and died during the small section of the Battle of Leyte Gulf covered here. But the adapter has trouble paring down the 500 pages of what must be a very detailed history, cramming in dozens of officers, sailors, and ships into this 200-page graphic novel, even if they only get a panel or two at times. There is just not enough room for the epic scope they are attempting to achieve.

The art is fair, but too many of the men in uniform and caps look alike and I got a little lost regarding the positions of the various ships over the course of the battle.

Regardless of the technical flaws, I'm grateful for a chance to visit this moment in history and appreciate the heroism and sacrifice that led to American victory in the war.… (mere)

In Stargate: Daniel Jackson, Doug Murray and John Watson portray the titular archaeologist/philologist chasing a hidden Ancient treasure using a map he discovered on an urn in Iraq. The story itself likely takes place sometime prior to “Beachhead,” the sixth episode of the ninth season, based on the fact that Vala Mal Doran is not yet a member of SG-1 and appears in her civilian clothing, though Watson portrays her in SGC garb at the end. The basic plot easily fits into one of the self-contained stories from seasons 9 or 10, so it’s not necessary to place it exactly. Interestingly, artist John Watson consistently portrays General Landry from the rear or with his face partially obscured, which indicates Beau Bridges must not have given permission to use his likeness in this comic. While the story will provide some entertainment to fans of the franchise, both the art and the plot more closely resemble Entity Comics’ 1997 continuations of Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich’s original Stargate film. Like those comics, this should be viewed as a non-canonical story that fans can take or leave as they choose. While Dynamite’s Battlestar Galactica comics were fun adaptations with decent art, this Stargate SG-1 book shows a noticeable decline from the quality of the previous comic license-holder, Avatar Press, who hired writers and artists that better captured the look and feel of the series during the height of its popularity.… (mere)