James Anthony (2)

Stargate SG-1: P.O.W. collects the stories “P.O.W.” and “First Prime,” written by James Anthony Kuhoric with art by Renado Guedes, and “Know Your Enemy,” written by James Anthony Kuhoric with art by Jorge Correa, Jr. Avatar Press and Pular developed these stories to launch their Stargate SG-1 comics license, carefully setting each story within the show’s continuity while also introducing newcomers to the franchise. “P.O.W.” takes place between the seventh and final episodes of season one; “First Prime” after the first episode of season two; and “Know Your Enemy” takes place before the eighteenth episode of season two.

In “P.O.W.”, Kuhoric and Guedes focus on SG-1 working to rescue Colonel Jack O’Neill, who was captured by Skaara/Klorel. They ably capture the team dynamic of the first season while also re-telling the events of the Stargate movie and the pilot episode, “Children of the Gods,” portraying O’Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson in the movie storyline as they appear in the television show. Just as the writers of “Children of the Gods” worked in a MacGyver reference, so too does Kuhoric as he portrays O’Neill telling a fellow prisoner, “Hey… buddy, I have a plan to get us outta here. All I need is a rubber band, a paperclip, and a…” In their second story, “First Prime,” Kuhoric and Guedes portray Bra’tac coming to terms with the unorthodox fighting style of SG-1. Both stories strike the right note of character with Guedes’ art accurately portraying the actors and adding a level of depth not commonly found in most comic book art. In the final story, “Know Your Enemy,” Kuhoric partners with Jorge Correa, Jr. to show SG-1 attempting to steal a data crystal from Apophis. Little do they realize, Apophis has also studied their methods. Correa, Jr. uses a more traditional comic book style, but one that also accurately represents the actors and works well with the story.

My only complaint about Avatar Press’s time adapting Stargate SG-1 was that it was so short. They told stories that accurately represented the characters and tone of the television series with great art that captured the characters’ likenesses. This was the only comic storyline to appear in a collected edition, so those looking to read “Fall of Rome” or the “Aris Boch” and “Daniel’s Song” one-shots must track down the individual issues. For anyone just discovering or re-watching Stargate SG-1, these comics are worth tracking down to compliment the experience.… (meer)