“Yesterday’s” Comic> Robotech Masters #11

Dana hates playing monkey see, mecha do.

Robotech Masters #11

Comico The Comic Company (October, 1986)

“Deja Vu”

ADAPTATION: Mike Baron

LAYOUTS: Neil D. Vokes

PENCILER: Sam Kieth

INKER/LETTERER: Keith Wilson

COLORIST: Tom Vincent

EIDTOR: Diana Schutz

Sean attempts to see Marie but she kicks him out of her room. Meanwhile, Dana is having nightmares about the red Bioriod pilot currently in custody. Nova believes a more human environment would help Zor’s amnesia so he’s moved to the hospital. Dana comes up with scheme to get in to see him and get some answers about him and the strange draw she feels through her Zentraedi heritage, and drags the rest of the 15th into her crazy plan, which Sean uses to get closer to Marie. She can’t get any answers out of him either, but Bowie uses Musica’s song as a “clear out” alert and that starts to spark something with Zor. Dana escapes just as Nova comes in. Now Dana has more questions than answers.

What they got right: There are a few things the comic improves on, using the advantage of not relying on stock footage, like Zor’s memories making more sense to his altered character. Also, the scene where Dana confronts Zor has slightly better pacing here. Leonard still wants to kill the aliens but isn’t so obsessed with it that he wants Zor dead because Emmerson makes him see how valuable he is. In other words Leonard is more willing to listen to reason here than in the episode.

What they got wrong: The episode makes it appear that Marie was playing hard to get with Sean after overhearing him flirt with the nurse as he tried to get in to see her, and was actually worried she went too far and chased him off. Dana, who was coming in to see her, is told that Marie also blamed her, which she did say, and made Dana think she was mad at her as well. This is completely gone from the comic, which is too bad as it was a good character moment and makes it easier to believe Marie went along with Sean’s plan to go to the roof for some fresh air, not just because Dana needed the room to get to Zor’s room on the floor above.

Recommendation: Between the two I think the episode did the better job despite some minor tweaks by the comic. So I lean towards the episode on this one.