GATCHAMAN: GALACTOR

This comic-book expansion of the Gatchaman universe centers on archvillain Berg Katse.

Japanese animated series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman—or simply Gatchaman—aired in the late 1970s and early ’80s. It may be better known to Americans by the title of its dubbed and re-edited version, Battle of the Planets, but this latest comic iteration, from an American publisher, returns the characters and organizations to their Japanese names. This volume collects four comic-book issues, written by Orlando and illustrated by Lobo and Qualano. Berg Katse (called Zoltar in Battle of the Planets) is the commander of Galactor, an evil group whose mission claims to be in Earth’s best interest: By seizing all the planet's resources, they assert, humanity can be saved from itself. But when a poisoned meal nearly kills Katse, he must uncover who’s infiltrated his organization. It doesn’t take long for him to track down his would-be assassins: the last members of an organized crime family he thought he eradicated years earlier, shortly before founding Galactor. The gang’s plan has been years in the making—and they have a secret weapon: a mutant family member strong enough to take on Katse. This comic is created by a different team than the one collected in the recent Gatchaman Vol. 1, and it avoids most of that series’ problems. At one point, Katse goes undercover to infiltrate Galactor’s ranks and, in a few panels, it becomes hard to discern which character is Katse. Aside from this, however, the panels have room to breathe, and strike an ideal balance between dialogue and action. The color palette is cohesive, leaning heavily on the reds and purples of Katse’s outfit. Notably, the Science Ninja Team is absent from this comic, other than a brief glimpse at the start (in which someone in a fleeing crowd says, “I’ve seen all their vids—got all the bootleg DVDs,” in a knowing wink to longtime fans), but it never feels that anything is lacking. Instead, this work effectively fleshes out an established character with an absorbing, artfully executed backstory.

A thoroughly enjoyable side-story in a popular action-adventure franchise.