What do you think?
Rate this book
StarCraft: Ghost Academy #1
StarCraft: Ghost Academy, Volume One: Blizzard Legends
Elite Soldiers known as ghosts are trained to use their special psychic powers for military operations, and one Ghost Academy cadet, Nova, must handle both her teammates and her own demons.
192 pages, Paperback
First published December 29, 2009
8 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 23, 2017
An amazing first volume starring iconic Starcraft character Nova Terra before her first mission as a Ghost, sequel/tie-in of the Colin Phash "trilogy"of tales in Starcraft Frontline miniseries, but there is just an opening reference with Colin's father so don't worry if you missex that one.
Storyline and well fleshed characters are a 5 star read, but the manga style art shifts from good to not good too much for my taste.
November 24, 2015
Starcraft: Ghost Academy. Cuenta la historia de Nova y Tosh, dos ghosts o fantasmas (unidad élite de las fuerzas Terran en el mundo futurista de Starcraft)
En el primer volumen conocemos los orígenes de Nova y cómo fue salvada de un grupo de pandilleros que se encuentran en los suburbios de Tarsonis para convertirse en una fantasma del Dominio Terran liderado por Arcturus Mengsk.
La historia narra sobre todo la capacitación que recibe en diferentes cursos para convertirse en una fantasma, al lado de sus compañeros de equipo, el Equipo Azul: Tosh, Lio y Kath; con los cuales le será muy difícil trabajar en conjunto pues Nova es muy hábil y orgullosa.
Muy entretenido conocer la historia de Nova cuando era joven y entrenaba así como de Tosh, un buen líder pero que finalmente sabremos (como en el juego) llega a tomar rumbo diferente.
En el primer volumen conocemos los orígenes de Nova y cómo fue salvada de un grupo de pandilleros que se encuentran en los suburbios de Tarsonis para convertirse en una fantasma del Dominio Terran liderado por Arcturus Mengsk.
La historia narra sobre todo la capacitación que recibe en diferentes cursos para convertirse en una fantasma, al lado de sus compañeros de equipo, el Equipo Azul: Tosh, Lio y Kath; con los cuales le será muy difícil trabajar en conjunto pues Nova es muy hábil y orgullosa.
Muy entretenido conocer la historia de Nova cuando era joven y entrenaba así como de Tosh, un buen líder pero que finalmente sabremos (como en el juego) llega a tomar rumbo diferente.
May 29, 2025
This is pretty mid. (Note: rated per my scale where 3/5 stars is "meh" vs. Goodreads' 3/5 is "I liked it" for some "we really wanted to skew ratings toward the GOOD interpretation, hence GOODreads" reason)
I don't really know what I expected going into this, other than I vaguely remember StarCraft is some kind of RTS but I don't know any of the lore or anything other than STARCraft suggests it involves at least SOME space travel. Haven't played it or anything to know.
This story doesn't help my understanding of it. I picked up this book mostly because it's a Book 1, so it should theoretically have a learning curve for complete newcomers. All I got by the end of this book was there's a sort of government-run Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters but it's a boot camp that drafts rather than enlists. Also like X-Men, their uniforms look painted on rather than like actual clothes, and their bodies are almost all ridiculously well-proportioned.
Like, look at the cover! What's THAT.
Now, to be fair, I started to like a couple of the characters by the end, but not enough to get past the story being otherwise completely forgettable. Aal doesn't help, nor does Lio (though at least Lio I expect a redemption arc). If you handed me the rest of the series FOR FREE (or for cheap, heck), then sure, I'd read the rest, but I will absolutely forget about this in a week otherwise.
I want to say recommended for fans of the game, but I actually have no idea. Maybe had this been about XCOM instead (a game I have actually played), I could recommend better.
I don't really know what I expected going into this, other than I vaguely remember StarCraft is some kind of RTS but I don't know any of the lore or anything other than STARCraft suggests it involves at least SOME space travel. Haven't played it or anything to know.
This story doesn't help my understanding of it. I picked up this book mostly because it's a Book 1, so it should theoretically have a learning curve for complete newcomers. All I got by the end of this book was there's a sort of government-run Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters but it's a boot camp that drafts rather than enlists. Also like X-Men, their uniforms look painted on rather than like actual clothes, and their bodies are almost all ridiculously well-proportioned.
Like, look at the cover! What's THAT.
Now, to be fair, I started to like a couple of the characters by the end, but not enough to get past the story being otherwise completely forgettable. Aal doesn't help, nor does Lio (though at least Lio I expect a redemption arc). If you handed me the rest of the series FOR FREE (or for cheap, heck), then sure, I'd read the rest, but I will absolutely forget about this in a week otherwise.
I want to say recommended for fans of the game, but I actually have no idea. Maybe had this been about XCOM instead (a game I have actually played), I could recommend better.
April 2, 2018
Enjoyable first instalment. The characters are given sufficient time and plot to become well developed and likeable.
April 19, 2023
This was my first forray into StarCraft, not having played the game or anything. So I was confused somewhat, but there are interesting enough ideas that could get me interested in the world.
May 25, 2011
Before I review this book, I have to mention that I'm no expert on comics or manga. I read things because they sound cool, and I review them based on the artwork and the storyline. Secondly, I've never played StarCraft and didn't realise this was a media tie-in until after I bought it. Try not to headdesk too much, gamers!
Despite my inexperience with manga, the first thing I noticed was that this doesn't look like a manga at all! The artwork is more like a comic, with hints of traditional manga style in the characters' hair and facial expressions. The content is also much more dense than a manga - each page is crammed with meaningful, uber detailed panels, and there aren't 50 pages of pointless motorbike riding *cough* Biomega *cough*. It's basically a comic bound and sold as a manga.
I enjoyed the artwork as a whole, but took issue with the way female characters were drawn - basically, they all had gigantic boobs. I couldn't take Nova and Kath seriously, it really detracted from their badassery. Seeing young Delta with a large-ish chest was just plain disturbing. I feel so awkward when female characters are drawn this way, it's like I'm looking in on some teenage boy's wet dream.
While reading I noticed there were a lot of gaps in the mythology, and I just assumed it was because I hadn't played the game. It's not until the last page that the author mentions a previous book, and even then I had to look online to see where this fits in the series! There needs to be some indication of series order on the cover/first few pages for n00bs like me.
Despite this confusion, I really liked the storyline and mythology. I picked this up at a con because it sounded cool, reminiscent of Nikita mixed with River's evil academy in Firefly. I found the history of the Dominion, Zerg and Confederacy really intriguing, and I want to learn more about the 'race traitors' and other alien species. I also loved how the book opened and closed with letters, it's an unusual device but I like how it changes up the narration.
As far as characters go, I love Lio! He's so kooky, and the glimpses we got into his backstory seem tragic. I'm indifferent to Nova, she's generally inoffensive but her inability to work in a team annoys me. I think Delta is adorable, but Dylanna needs to die a fiery death. Aal is wonderfully sleazy, and Kath is also inoffensive but generally quite useless. Emperor Mengsk is somewhat of an enigma, I'm guessing we won't see him until the very end.
Overall: I loved the mythology and characters, but unfortunately can't rate this book higher due to issues with series order. If you've played Starcraft or read the previous books, you'll get a lot more enjoyment out of this text. It has a great premise but ultimately fails as a standalone book, and I can only hope the next 2 books fill the gaps in my knowledge.
Despite my inexperience with manga, the first thing I noticed was that this doesn't look like a manga at all! The artwork is more like a comic, with hints of traditional manga style in the characters' hair and facial expressions. The content is also much more dense than a manga - each page is crammed with meaningful, uber detailed panels, and there aren't 50 pages of pointless motorbike riding *cough* Biomega *cough*. It's basically a comic bound and sold as a manga.
I enjoyed the artwork as a whole, but took issue with the way female characters were drawn - basically, they all had gigantic boobs. I couldn't take Nova and Kath seriously, it really detracted from their badassery. Seeing young Delta with a large-ish chest was just plain disturbing. I feel so awkward when female characters are drawn this way, it's like I'm looking in on some teenage boy's wet dream.
While reading I noticed there were a lot of gaps in the mythology, and I just assumed it was because I hadn't played the game. It's not until the last page that the author mentions a previous book, and even then I had to look online to see where this fits in the series! There needs to be some indication of series order on the cover/first few pages for n00bs like me.
Despite this confusion, I really liked the storyline and mythology. I picked this up at a con because it sounded cool, reminiscent of Nikita mixed with River's evil academy in Firefly. I found the history of the Dominion, Zerg and Confederacy really intriguing, and I want to learn more about the 'race traitors' and other alien species. I also loved how the book opened and closed with letters, it's an unusual device but I like how it changes up the narration.
As far as characters go, I love Lio! He's so kooky, and the glimpses we got into his backstory seem tragic. I'm indifferent to Nova, she's generally inoffensive but her inability to work in a team annoys me. I think Delta is adorable, but Dylanna needs to die a fiery death. Aal is wonderfully sleazy, and Kath is also inoffensive but generally quite useless. Emperor Mengsk is somewhat of an enigma, I'm guessing we won't see him until the very end.
Overall: I loved the mythology and characters, but unfortunately can't rate this book higher due to issues with series order. If you've played Starcraft or read the previous books, you'll get a lot more enjoyment out of this text. It has a great premise but ultimately fails as a standalone book, and I can only hope the next 2 books fill the gaps in my knowledge.
November 26, 2010
I've heard of the StarCraft universe, but until now I haven't really read or played anything from it. This review will be from a newbie's standpoint, as one quick scan of the net shows that this is a franchise that's very well fleshed out via games, novels & such.
The plotline of this manga follows a group of trainees at an academy designed for psychics of various flavors. Nova is one of these trainees & unfortunately she doesn't really seem to play well with others- most of the testing she does with her group finds her leaving to do her own thing, which often hinders the success of the rest of her team. The team spirit is already at a low, but it's when the higher ups add in the playboy son of the finance minister that the team begins to have some real troubles.
While I'm sure that there's a ton of stuff I'm unaware of because I'm not familiar with the series, I was able to enjoy this book & pick up on a lot of the character dynamics. The book is easy to read & I really liked the amount of detail put into the series.
The artwork is nice, although at times I couldn't help but feel like the anime-esque style seemed to hamper the emotions of some of the characters. I love manga, but at times I couldn't help but feel like it didn't fit as well as it should have with this story. There's times where something obviously serious was going on & it just felt watered down, which kept me from getting into the story as much as I would have liked.
The main star of the book is Nova, so the scenes with or about her were given the most attention when it came to art & story. If the rest of the characters had been given that royal treatment, this would easily have been a better book.
(ARC provided by amazon vine)
The plotline of this manga follows a group of trainees at an academy designed for psychics of various flavors. Nova is one of these trainees & unfortunately she doesn't really seem to play well with others- most of the testing she does with her group finds her leaving to do her own thing, which often hinders the success of the rest of her team. The team spirit is already at a low, but it's when the higher ups add in the playboy son of the finance minister that the team begins to have some real troubles.
While I'm sure that there's a ton of stuff I'm unaware of because I'm not familiar with the series, I was able to enjoy this book & pick up on a lot of the character dynamics. The book is easy to read & I really liked the amount of detail put into the series.
The artwork is nice, although at times I couldn't help but feel like the anime-esque style seemed to hamper the emotions of some of the characters. I love manga, but at times I couldn't help but feel like it didn't fit as well as it should have with this story. There's times where something obviously serious was going on & it just felt watered down, which kept me from getting into the story as much as I would have liked.
The main star of the book is Nova, so the scenes with or about her were given the most attention when it came to art & story. If the rest of the characters had been given that royal treatment, this would easily have been a better book.
(ARC provided by amazon vine)
April 17, 2024
I guess it was ok.
LOVED the original Starcraft. Starcraft 2 not so much.
This comic tells the origins of Nova. It was ok I guess, but hardly memorable.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2009] [192p] [Comics] [Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★☆☆☆ StarCraft: Ghost Academy, Volume 1
★★☆☆☆ StarCraft: Ghost Academy, Volume 2
★★★☆☆ StarCraft: Ghost Academy, Volume 3
-----------------------------------------------
Supongo que estuvo bien.
AME el Starcraft original. Starcraft 2 no tanto.
Este comic cuenta los orígenes de Nova. Supongo que estuvo bien, pero dificilmente memorable.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2009] [192p] [Comics] [No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
LOVED the original Starcraft. Starcraft 2 not so much.
This comic tells the origins of Nova. It was ok I guess, but hardly memorable.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2009] [192p] [Comics] [Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★☆☆☆ StarCraft: Ghost Academy, Volume 1
★★☆☆☆ StarCraft: Ghost Academy, Volume 2
★★★☆☆ StarCraft: Ghost Academy, Volume 3
-----------------------------------------------
Supongo que estuvo bien.
AME el Starcraft original. Starcraft 2 no tanto.
Este comic cuenta los orígenes de Nova. Supongo que estuvo bien, pero dificilmente memorable.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2009] [192p] [Comics] [No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
July 19, 2016
El universo de Starcraft me encanta, me fascina, me atrae muchísimo, y esta primera entrega de esta trilogía me ha permitido acercarme un poco más a él y conocer más particularmente un tema que me interesaba muchísimo tanto por su protagonista (Nova Terra) como por la conexión que tiene con mi personaje favorito (Sarah Kerrigan), además de contar partes de la historia en las que no estaba muy puesta y mostrarme la juventud de personajes que sí había tenido la oportunidad de conocer antes (Tosh).
April 20, 2011
Well.. interesting.
November 6, 2011
I loved this manga. It was top notch. Of course I loved the PC game as well so I am biased. Bias or no, this story was well rendered and I am keeping it in my permanent collection. =)
November 14, 2013
This is the beginning of Sarah's Kerrigan training in the Ghost Academy. Will give you an hindsight in her growth and personality.
July 7, 2015
Loved the characters and the art style D:
Not bad for a comic D: Now for the next issue D:
Not bad for a comic D: Now for the next issue D:
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews