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\nBy Mike Baron, Neil D. Vokes, Ken Steacy & various (Comico)
\nISBN: 978-0-93896-500-8<\/p>\n
\nBy Mike Baron, Neil D. Vokes, Ken Steacy & various (Comico)
\nISBN: 978-0-93896-500-8<\/p>\n
Robotech<\/strong> was a minor comics phenomenon of the 1980s based on some rather deft marketing of assorted Japanese fantasy exports. Whilst American TV company Harmony Gold was cobbling together and re-editing three separate weekly science fiction anime series (Super Dimension Fortress Macross<\/strong>, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross<\/strong> and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA<\/strong>) US model-kit company Revell was selling Japanese mecha kits based on the aforementioned Fortress Macross<\/strong>, Super Dimension Century Orgus<\/strong> and Fang of the Sun Dougram<\/strong> as Robotech Defenders<\/strong>, complete with an all-new English language tie-in comic produced by DC Comics.<\/p>\n A copyright clash resulted in the DC title being killed after two issues after which TV produced Carl Macek and Revell went into limited partnership in a Macross<\/strong> co-licensing deal which saw three shows translated into an 85-episode generational saga wherein Earth was rocked by successive alien invasions decades apart and only saved from annihilation by a fortuitous spaceship crash which had allowed humans to master extraterrestrial Robotechnology<\/em>.<\/p>\n The American TV hybrid and mecha toy range naturally led to Role Playing Games, novels, an animated movie, art books and comicbooks which have been semi-continuously in print since 1984.<\/p>\n The premise revolved into The Macross Saga<\/strong> – First Robotech War <\/em>a desperate conflict with giant Zentraedi warriors seeking to retrieve a crashed space craft; Robotech Masters<\/strong> – Second Robotech War<\/em> wherein Terrans battled a fresh wave of Zentraedi, come to discover what happened to their lost fleet and Robotech Masters<\/strong> or Third Robotech War<\/em>, with enemies becoming allies to confront an even greater foe: the horrendous Invid<\/em> – from whom the Robotech Masters originally stole the near-magical, cataclysmic, semi-spiritual power source Protoculture<\/em>, reverentially worshipped as the Flower of Life and the motivating force behind all Robotechnology\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.<\/p>\n Comico produced separate titles set twenty years apart (Robotech Macross Saga, Robotech Masters <\/strong>and Robotech the New Generation<\/strong>) from 1984-1989, after which Eternity Comics, Academy Comics, Antarctic Press and WildStorm took up the perennial favourites in their turn.<\/p>\n In 1986, at the height of the furore Comico produced an original oversized 48 page European album format graphic novel plotted by Carl Macek which filled in the heretofore unknown backstory; telling the story of that fateful First Contact when a starship crashed on the island of Macross. It was scripted by Mike Baron, illustrated by Neil D. Vokes & Ken Steacy (with painted colour by Tom Vincent and lettering by Bob Pinaha)\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n In ‘Genesis: Robotech’<\/em> far away on the other side of the universe SDF-1, a two kilometre long spacecraft is seeding desolate worlds with a unique plant. Unconventional and rebellious Philosopher-Scientist Zor is attempting to grow the energy-rich Flower of Life in soil not sanctioned by his Robotech Masters, over the protests of dutiful warrior-commander Dolza.<\/p>\n This allows the insidious Invid to track them and attack, fanatically attempting to wipe out the Zentraedis who stole their sacred bloom and daily desecrate its holy purpose\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Although temporarily driven off, the Invid fatally wound Zor but not before he dispatches the ship on a pre-programmed jaunt across the universe to a world only he knows of\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n On orders from the enraged Masters Dolza returns Zor’s body to the homeworld so any useful information can be extracted from his cells whilst Field Comander Breetai is ordered to take a fleet and follow SDF-1. If Zor has been seeding worlds in secret both the ship and its destination must be found\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n It is 1999 on planet Earth and a third global conflict is about to erupt. Brush-wars, resource squabbles and border-skirmishes are occurring everywhere. In the sky above the Pacific fighter pilot Roy Fokker is engaged in another deadly dogfight with mercenary T.R. Edwards which once more ends inconclusively\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Returning to the aircraft-carrier Kenosha<\/em> Roy meets Senator Russo, Admiral Hayes and his own Commander Gloval who have an intriguing plan to end the faux-war before it ends humanity\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Meanwhile in America a little boy named Rick Hunter is learning flying tricks with his grandfather that will one day save the world when the sky is set ablaze by a vast object. Destined to crash far out in the North Pacific, in its thunderous passing the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153meteor\u00e2\u20ac\u009d triggers storms and earthquakes, disrupts electronic communications and causes global panic\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n All over Earth hostilities cease and a military task force led by Gloval and Fokker, with arch enemy Edwards representing the once-opposition, explore the downed SDF-1, which has crashed on a barren rock once used for atomic testing.<\/p>\n On board the humans discover wonder, horror and the potential to create a golden age on Earth, but unbeknownst to them Breetai’s pursuing force is closing in\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Although designed as an in-filling prequel this is a classy traditional sci-fi romp which happily stands on its own merits for new readers whilst providing added narrative value to any readers – or indeed viewers \u00e2\u20ac\u201c familiar with the greater saga it introduces.<\/p>\n Fun and adventure in the grand old space opera manner and superbly easy on the eye, it’s about time these 1980s epics were revisited by a more comics friendly readership. By Mike Baron, Neil D. Vokes, Ken Steacy & various (Comico) ISBN: 978-0-93896-500-8 Robotech was a minor comics phenomenon of the 1980s based on some rather deft marketing of assorted Japanese fantasy exports. Whilst American TV company Harmony Gold was cobbling together and re-editing three separate weekly science fiction anime series (Super Dimension Fortress Macross, … <\/p>\n
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Robotech\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u201e\u00a2 Revell, Inc. \u00c2\u00a9 1986 Harmony Gold, USA, Inc.\/Tatsunoko Production Company, Ltd. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"