“Yesterday’s” Comic> Robotech: Wings Of Gibraltar #1

I’m hoping the paint job is a prototype as well.

Robotech: Wings Of Gibraltar #1

Antarctic Press (August, 1998)

WRITER/ARTIST: Lee Duhig

EDITOR: Herb Mallette

Rick and Max are sent by Captain Gloval to visit the RDF Weapons And Research Base Gibraltar, hidden in the asteroid belt. While their pilot, Lt. Kinley, goes to get some grub Rick and Max meet with two of the scientists, Dr. Janek Chase and Professor Evelyn Ashland, who show them the new Super Veritechs and a prototype Veritech Interceptor Series 2. While the boys drool over both the new fighter and the professor, they also meet test pilot Lt. Commander McGavin, who flew with Roy during the last human war. What none of them know is that a captured drone is secretly able to send an update out to Breetai, who makes the mistake of sending Major Calen to do reconnaissance of the area. The mistake is that Calen considers Khyron as his inspiration and opts to blow the place up instead.

What they got right: There is a lot of thought put into how Gibraltar functions independently and when it does need some help from Earth. They’ve also been learning from the SDF-1‘s accident when it comes to studying how the fold system works. I like the design of Interceptor.

What they got wrong: While the art is usually rather good there are a couple of panels that look like Rick and Max are given a chibi look. That could be an art mistake but if it’s intentional it doesn’t quite match Macross or Robotech despite being a visual trope of anime. The media references like “Japanimation” and Ashland making a James Bond reference that doesn’t quite work when Chase is demonstrating a weapon to Rick and Max seem a bit off, especially the “Japanimation” reference, that just there as a nod to the history of anime in the West, and Rick and Max start rattling off anime names.

Recommendation: Despite being exposition heavy this is a good start to the story. Recommended if the rest of the miniseries goes well.