Dynamite have been doing good work mining licenses out of the past, but it’s possible the fumes are getting to them. They’ve announced Battlestar Galactica: 1880, a steampunk Cylon invasion, and in an interview with Bleeding Cool writer Tony Lee made sure to talk up connections to Star Wars and Pacific Rim as well. There’s also a furry. I swear, if the internet could convince them we all liked Teddy Ruxpin again, the Aethership Galactica would discover a planet of ursine/Soundwave hybrids.
Tony talks about asking UK steampunks what they don’t want to see, and how he won’t have any useless cogs cluttering up the place. Unfortunately that seems to have been taken as a single requirement rather than a general instruction against cliches. Unless the physics of the Aether require that any collarbone without a Y-chromosome be constantly exposed to the air. And the “no silly cosmetic parts” rule doesn’t seem to prevent “lightbulbs sticking out of shoulder armor”. Or to the giant, useless cog sticking out of the Pacific Cylon’s right elbow.
There’s always a chance this could turn out to be a brilliant spacebuckling adventure, written with enough love and energy to resurrect the word “romp” one more time. We hope it does. But a pitch of “it’s like THIS thing that already exists but with THAT fad that’s very popular right now” doesn’t inspires faith in creativity.