“Yesterday’s” Comic> Robotech Warriors #1

“But ma, you said I could have a pet!”

Robotech Warriors #1

(continues from the #0 flip side of Return To Macross #15)

Academy Comics, Ltd (February, 1995)

“Here There Be Dragons”

WRITER: Bill Spangler

ARTIST: Byron Peneranda

LETTERING: Alphabet Soup

Breetai travels to the planet to investigate the potential Invid sighting. However, he’s shot down and finds himself tied down by the local “Micronians”. Thanks to a translation implant he makes contact with the natives and learns from his interrogator, Chun’Da, that he’s on the planet Rel’Nar, led by Tal’Yo, who believes Breetai is tied to the monsters attacking the city. Instead he offers to fight the monster and seems to do well until two Invid shock troopers manage to overwhelm him and take him away.

What they got right: From some of the bonus material in this story (I’ll come back to that) I think Spangler is using the Klingons of the Star Trek franchise as a template of how to approach the Zentraedi and given their warrior culture origins that does make a form of sense. The fight between Breetai and the monster is cool. And I like some of the cultural aspects seen here, like the Rel’Nar usage of the comma in their naming structure.

What they got wrong: But some of the additions to Zentraedi I’m less impressed with. Jack McKinney, who wrote the novels, is the one given responsibility for the “real” name of the Zentraedi, T’Sentraedi (which the Zentraedi glossary at the end of book roughly translates into “noble warrior” (or if you want a more exact translation, warrior noble)) but I don’t think that was a necessary addition. I understand giving them their own curse words but if the language is being translated already for us the reader do we need to see the Zentraedi word for “die”, which forces us to stop reading and go to the back of the book to know what they’re saying? That’s only one occasion and these things are supposed to enhance the story, not take us out of it.

Recommendation: A strong start and the teaser points to the Genesis Pit (the Invid Regis’ genetic testing ground) showing up next issue. So far it’s worth checking out.