by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.Com)
Welcome back to my year long look into the world of Robotech! This post is going to start out with Academy Blues #1-2, then jump over to Tempest #1, and then back to Academy Blues #3. If you are wondering why I am splitting these up you just need to refer to my post about the reading order of Robotech for 2012. This format is chronological to the storyline and Tempest is set between the 2 issues of Academy Blues 2 and 3. Let's get going!
Academy Blues #1 (1995 Academy)
Sean Bishop is the artist again and this comic looks great. He really has a nice grasp on the look of Robotech. Many of the character art is DEAD ON to the cartoon. His skill is unsurpassed.
The first page has Lisa remembering the past and the type setter used cursive writing for those few thought bubbles and it was really hard to decipher.
The title art is a 2 page spread of the SDF-1 with Lisa looking down on it from atop a building (the academy possibly). It's a nice visual but the SDF-1 looks a little out of proportion.
In the grand scheme of things the early days of the Robotech Academy would have probably gone a lot like we see it here in the comic. Classes about a whole lot of useless information that will be be forgotten by the beginning of the next semester. After the reappearance of the aliens in 2009 I figure things would have changed dramatically. From the massive loss of life and the quickly reduced forces of the RDF, classes (post Pluto space fold) were probably few and far between. New recruits probably got fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants training and quickly thrown into battle. Long gone were the days of boring lectures and useless information.
Academy Blues #2 (Academy 1995)
Tavisha Wolfgarth takes over as artist in this next issue about Lisa and the Robotech Academy. I enjoyed his art. It certainly leans more towards traditional Japanese Manga in style.
Lisa and the rest of the crew of the bridge (sans Sammie who is too young for the academy at this point) continue through the Robotech Academy. Lisa writes Karl telling him about the trials and tribulations that she must face.
Lisa talks with someone called Rolf which I assume is Rolf Emerson again (as we have seen in previous issues) but the new artist draws him differently here.
The interview that we saw with Cark Macek back in Return To Macross is repeated here so there is nothing new to read.
Tempest #1 (Academy 1995)
This is the first (at least chronologically) comic drawn by a chick. Michelle Birchfield does a passable job but the characters don't look very anime'ish. This comic is a one shot of Roy Fokker.
The panels range from crude to quite beautiful. I couldn't say she was good at any one particular aspect (character vs. mecha) since the quality ranges around. Several of the pages actually have very little are on them at all! Take a gander at pages 10-11.
On page 22 a single shot from a gun somehow blows up a Veritech... really?
Before I could even blink the comic was over! Woman steals Veritech, Roy chases woman. Woman and Roy crash on island. Woman tries to kill Roy and for no real explained reason woman kills herself. That's all! I just don't know why they would bother releasing this. If I had the rights to release Robotech comics (or any comics for that matter) I'd do a lot of planning and make sure each comic I released was worth reading, buying, and worthy of the Robotech name.
Academy Blues #3 (Academy 1995)
Laz Berry takes over for this issue as artist. Ouch! I would have to say this is my least favorite artist. Infact I had a hard time figuring out characters here. The action doesn't come across well either.
Gibson's writing isn't as good as Spangler's either. This issue disappointed me after I got somewhat involved with the previous issues of Academy Blues.
One more bitch (sorry). The lettering here is good but the bubbles and placement in bubbles is really bad.
The story happens around some sort of spy device planted on the beach that (I think) Rolf discovers and a small firefight (I think) breaks out with some spys who were working as guards in that area. Like I said the action was really hard to follow. The rest of the issue was Lisa moaning on and on about it. What a whiner! :) I kid I kid!
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