“Yesterday’s” Comic> Macross

“Say, have you met my son?”

Macross

Comico (1984)

Let me explain what’s going on here. Carl Macek and Harmony Gold had brought over Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, but were short the full number of episodes they needed for a full weekday syndicated run (which was more than you need from the kids channels now). So they brought in two other shows and formed an original continuity we all know as Robotech. While Comico would have the Robotech license, they must have started with the Macross license, which would explain why this comic exists. Since next week I’ll be reviewing a comic based on the sequel, Macross II, we might as well catch up.

An alien ship crashlands on Earth, ending World War III to study this new technology. Years later, they prepare to launch the space fortress Macross but the ship automatically opens fire on a new force of aliens, the Zentraedi. While the giant cannon blows one of their ships into space dust, the new owners of the Macross, namely us, are no match for their large ships. As the Zentraedi launch their attack on Earth, a stunt pilot name Rick Yamata, who was visiting his friend and ace combat pilot Roy Fokker, is forced to take part in the battle, nearly getting shot down until he is forced to activate a special surprise of the fighter he was in…it turns into a robot!

We’ll be getting into Robotech far in the future, but at this point there is no difference between the same named Macross and Robotech episodes except for the names of some characters and the SDF. The story, while missing Rick’s crush-at-first-sight on Minmei in this adaptation, is faithful to the story I remember (I have not actually seen the original version of this episode, or the original English adaptation so that’s the best I can do.) It’s a good introduction to the characters and the situation, minus the whole “lost in space” angle.

One thing that bothered me about the Robotech comics continues here. I know that Comico was a very small company at the time, meaning their getting the Robotech license (DC had licensed Revell’s Robotech model kit line which were taken from Macross, which is connected to Harmony Gold using the name later) was rather a surprise given what the series would become for 80s kids. However, the art was never quite right, like they were trying to emulate the art style but not quite succeeding. This is the fate of most American “manga style” comic, really.

This is a good start to the story, but it’s only the start. The main reason to get this comic today are fans of Super Dimensional Fortress Macross or Robotech wanting to see what the adaptation would have been like had the original show produced enough episodes to make quota. Otherwise, it’s fair enough but you may want to spend your time hunting down Comico’s later Robotech comics to see where the story goes, or track down either version on home video. Next week: Macross II: The Micron Conspiracy. I will have to produce some kind of explanation for newcomers, won’t I? Time is not going to be on my side as it is, but I’ll think of something.