There are times in the military tradition when the only thing left to fight for is honor. Victory is not possible and barring a miracle on the order of divine intervention, long-term survival is most unlikely. The only thing left is to fight to the death and take as many of the enemy with you when you depart as you possibly can.
In this book the soldiers of the Cadian 71st are battling with the alien Tau with the minor goal being control of the planet Baltar III and the larger goal being the dominance of space and the defense of the Imperium. Their situation is one of constantly being tested, finding themselves in situations where battling to the end appears to be the only option.
Captain Hawkins is the prime officer character in this tale of the battles of the 71st and he has a difficult time suffering fools gladly. To him a civilian official is a dandy and he has a bit of a sullied reputation as he once punched a superior officer for issuing a suicidal and stupid order. The job of the Cadian 71st in battling the Tau is made even more difficult by the treason of the Imperium planetary official and Captain Hawkins must be careful not to cross the line again. However, his primary concern is to keep his unit alive as they bear the brunt of attack after attack as the Tau are determined to destroy the 71st.
This is a war comic that satisfies the definition of the term "graphic novel" in all possible ways. It is war at its' dirtiest, distilled down to the fundamental battle for survival. Yet it is also war in its' most noble form, where men lay down their lives for an ideal, the continued safety of the Imperium and for the honor and glory of their units.