Dynamite Entertainment returned fans and readers to the worlds and characters of Stargate last month, with issue No. 1 of the Vala Mal Doran miniseries.

This week, another character finds the spotlight, with issue No. 1 of Stargate: Daniel Jackson. Written by Doug Murray and illustrated by John Watson, this issue includes other characters from "Stargate: SG-1," but sends Daniel on a mission only he can complete.

A sergeant has returned to Stargate Command after a tour in Iraq, where he found a shard with part of an address. Daniel is sent to investigate, as this could lead to more artifacts that are actually from the Ancients. While there, naturally, he gets into trouble, but is rescued by the Daedalus.

Daniel's findings lead him and Vala on a mission to steal a manuscript that contains pictures of artifacts with more Ancient writing, artifacts that were later destroyed. After studying the pictures, Vala and Daniel believe that the information gained could lead to a planet where the Goa'uld believed there to be an island of hidden treasure. Daniel leads Vala and Col. Mitchell to believe that he was not able to translate the address, but Gen. Landry realizes that Daniel has indeed determined the address, and allows Daniel to go on a solo mission to the planet.

This issue ends with Daniel arriving at the other gate to an armed, unfriendly looking group, including a Goa'uld.

The direction the story seems to be taking is intriguing, but the first issue itself seems to be superficial. In particular, the character of the museum examiner, Dr. Aziz, seems to be underused, and perhaps out of place. The situation with someone threatening Aziz and Daniel for treasures was not fully explained, and does not seem to fit with the rest of the story. Perhaps this scene will be tied in later somehow, but at this stage, it just seems as if it was thrown in so that the writers had a reason to bring in the Daedalus.

I also hope the fact of the dogs being at the museum is something that factors into the story later. It is possible that the writers have carefully crafted the story so that all of the little things do indeed come together at the end, but for now, many of them seem disjointed.

The artwork was nice, particularly on Daniel and Vala. There were a few panels in which I felt the faces were a bit off, but overall they were true depictions of the actors. The subdued colors and backgrounds were perfect for both Iraq and Stargate Command, and if the last page is any indication, this trend will continue.

I believe that despite the problems with the first issue, this story has potential. The last pages of the issue redeemed it somewhat, and I want to go along for the ride as Daniel gets out of this mess and finds out what is important about this planet.

Hopefully, the future issues will give more depth to this mystery, and help to propel the story forward without seeming contrived.