“Yesterday’s” Comic> Robotech: The Macross Saga #12

“This isn’t a drive thru!” “That’s okay, this isn’t a car.”

Robotech: The Macross Saga #12

Comico The Comic Company (June, 1986)

“The Big Escape”

ADAPTATION: Jack Herman

PENCILER: Mike Leeke

INKER: Chris Kalick

COLORIST: Tom Vincent

LETTERER: Bob Pinaha

EDITOR: Diana Schutz

Trying to figure out a way to escape their captors Rick, Lisa, and Ben come up with a plan to have Rick and Lisa kiss the next time their guard shows up and hope he’s as shocked as their interrogators and escape. Instead, Max comes to rescue them, kidding the pair about the kiss out of context. They’re separated but Rick and Lisa manage to see Rico, Konda, and Bron being Micronized, not aware that Dolza is sending them into Macross City to learn if they know anything about the protoculture factory aboard the ship. Commander Azonia provides a distraction to allow their top pilot, Miriya, to sneak a capsule containing the trio into a spot in the ship. Meanwhile, our heroes manage to commandeer a battlepod and escape before Azonia’s forces leave, contacting the SDF-1 for a ride home.

What they got right: We learn more about the Zentraedi. They don’t know how to repair their own ships since there are no maintenance crew, just soldiers and pilots. (That seems like an oversight on the Zentraedi’s part, if not the Robotech Masters.) We see Micronizing for the first time as our heroes learn they’re clones. This is also the debut of Azonia and Miriya, two female Zentraedi who will have an important role in the series. They also do a pretty good recreation of Max’s ship exploding from overheating considering how unfamiliar the Japanese art style was in the 1980s before the current anime/manga craze. I also like seeing Rick and Lisa bonding a bit.

What they got wrong: I once saw a video commenting that Minmei only had one song, and while I think they’re exaggerating “My Time To Be A Star” did get overused and she did have a very small discography. It doesn’t really feel right in a battle scene. Lisa falls apart too easily when the camera is destroyed during one of their escapes and switches back rather quickly. She’s more feminine that she wants to admit at times but she isn’t that weak with her emotions. Being upset is one thing but bawling seems a bit much, especially considering how fast she shifts back and later saves Rick.

Recommendation:  A good episode and a good two-part arc. Worth looking into.