Book 19: The Zentraedi Rebellion

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

Don't be sacred because the title says Book 19. Since I am reading/watching the entire Robotech saga in chronological order this book (printed last) takes places after the 6th book (between the end of the Macross Saga but before the Sentinels).

Finally!!!! I did it! I finished reading Jack McKenny's Zentraedi Rebellion. It was a bit like eating cotton wool. As many of you know I dreaded this book quite a bit. It's not because it's bad, but it is not very action packed and it is kinda slow. I read it back when it first came out so I kinda knew what to expect. It is great for diehards because it fills in gaps between The Sentinels and the 2nd Robotech War. It answers many questions like:

1. Why did Max and Miriya leave Dana on Earth?
2. How did the Army of the Southern Cross come about?
3. Why did it take so long for the SDF-3 to launch?
4. How in the heck did Janice Em come about?
5. What's the deal with Lazlo Zand?
6. Why are there no full-sized Zentraedi in the 2nd War?
7. Who is the Wolff guy anyway?

...and many other questions. This is why I feel two ways about this book. It is a tad bit dull but it fulfills a need that the fan wants. I think I might have problems 'getting into it' because I'm not a big fan of the 2nd War or any part of the Southern Cross.

The Zentraedi Rebellion fills in the gaps after the destruction of the SFD-1 and start of the Expeditionary mission to Tirol. While Rick and Lisa are trying to get the REF's mission rolling we see how the surviving Zentraedi are having a tough time of it. Lots of bands of 'Malcontents' are forming and riots and segregation is happening all over the place. Miyria is caught up in it all. The Zentraedi Rebellion seems to be Jack McKenny's reinforcement of Eternity's Malcontent storyline from 1994. It is kinda cool to see how the two mixed together. Infact the events in Eternity's comics begin in chapter 23.

So I am not sure why Breetai and gang wanted to make his flagship look like the SDF-1. Surely that wouldn't fool the Masters. I am guessing that Carl Macek wanted something to 'harken back' to Macross.

The early, secret meetings between Moran, Leonard, and the rest of their cronies makes you think of how the South must have come together before the Civil War. Let's make sure to call it what it is... this whole Malcontent/Rebellion storyline is a analogue of the Civil War.

Jan Morrison (remember her, the former screen queen who Minmei defeated at the Miss Macross pagent) went on and became this sort of New Age hippie. Well, there is this bit at the beginning of one of the chapters that quotes her from her 'audio book'. I just found that funny. That's how I get most of my 'reading' done now-a-days.

As a side note, the comics and the Palladium RPG supplement: The Zentraedi Breakout came out the same year. I took a gander through it but there wasn't any sort of adventures based on the events in the comics. It does do a lot of RDF/Southern Cross blending which is a nice cross over.

The book mentions Conrad Wilbur and the Faithful (from the comics) which is a nice continuity touch.

The Bartley's are introduced here (including a 6 month old Rook). Apparently Rook is related to Lang. That is an interesting tid bit.

We are introduced to T.R. Edwards here, working as a double agent. I just don't care for this character. Sure, we need bad guys but he is too much like Breetai (with the face plate thing) and his reason for hating Hayes and Hunter is a bit much.

Good old Walmart is mentioned in Chapter 15.

We all know Zand is the protégé of Lang but he is super jealous of Lang's mind boost at the hand of the SDF-1's computers. Zand does everything in his power to give himself that same mind boosted advantage. We see him actually give himself Invid cockpit juice intravenously... yuck!

Towards the end of the book Seloy (the female Zentraedi pilot who delivered Miriya onto the SDF-1 to find and kill Max way back when, is the main protagonist of this book (at least of Miriya's part anyway). She pretty much hits the nail on the head when she predicts that in about 20 years the Invid will arrive.

One final thought, Seloy's child Hirano could have REALLY been something interesting to explore but for some reason they didn't.

If someone were going to follow my trek through the Robotech universe I'd almost advise them NOT to read this book in order. There are a few surprises in the Sentinels that would get spilled here. I won't mention characters or events (like character's deaths) but a few of the chapter intros (those little and sometimes not so little blurbs) and some content give away stuff. Jack McKenny assumes anyone reading this book already read The Sentinels and wouldn't think anything of it.

P.S. Someone uploaded it in PDF format if you want to read it...

Robotech (Comico Comics) #31-36

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

Robotech #31 (Comico 1988)

At the beginning of the comic the Masters and the Elders talk about the mission to send themselves on a twenty year trip to Earth. It's a nice band-aid to bridge the gap between the Macross Saga and The Southern Cross parts of Robotech. Although the decision to make this massive journey seems really rushed!

The Masters talk about Khyron being their last hope meanwhile on Earth, Khyron seems to still be obeying the Masters... I find that silly since we all know Khyron was just power mad, why would he still do the Master's bidding?

I am noticing as the series progresses the art is getting better. The artist are starting to get a handle on the look of the characters.

On page 15 we get to see the male power suits. I am not sure I have even seen them in the comic series so far. Maybe, but I can't be sure.

The bottom frame of page 16 has Minmei look daggers at Kyle, I love it!

On page 18 a Spartan is getting it's ass handed to it (as usual). Too bad, it's such an awesome mecha.

On page 20 Goval talks about the Masters discovering the secret of Protoculture 500,000 years ago... hummm. It was supposed to be only like 30 or 40 years ago. Maybe this is what Harmony Gold has kicked the comic series out of canon...

The last frame on page 25 looks great, excellent hero shot.

Robotech #32 (Comico 1988)

The back cover of this comic is kinda rough by showing us a Zentraedi getting gunned down by a Gerwalk.

On page 5 Rick just shoots first and asks questions later, not very hero like.

The last frame on page six is the inside of Rick's Battloid. This is a cool shot, we never see this!

On page 14 there is this RDF person who looks very hairy!

In this whole issue Rick looks very different. It's like they gave his drawings to someone new to the character. He looks... cartoonish (if that even sounds right).

Rick continues to treat Lisa like crap. What a turd.

I don't remember Kyle 'sacraficing' himself in order to save the SDF-1 from the hands of Khyron but on page 21 that what he basically says. That doesn't fit his character.

On page 23 there is a tribute to Markalan Joplin who worked as writer on the majority of the Robotech Comics (including all the rest of the series that had not been released yet). He died in 1988 of an AIDS related illness.

In the diversion scene (on the show) the Battliod pilots lights the Zentraedi's cigarette with his cannon... it is not in the comic. I always thought that was funny.

I never understood how any force could hold up against being absolutely surrounded by MAC II Monsters. That should have blown Khyron and his guys to crisps.

On page 29 the Zentraedi says 'Macek's Eyes!', lol.

Robotech #33 (Comico 1988)

On the ad for the Sentinels episodes it says at the bottom, 'VHS only, no Beta'... lol!

I don't know what's going on in the last frame of page 7, It looks like they blurred out part of Lisa's face on purpose but I don't know why.

On page 12 the women get their Lush on...

I know I have pointed this out in the past but I find it funny that uniforms the old Internationalist Army had very similar the RDF ones years later.

I like the enemy fighters on page 18.

How can Lisa not see Roy Fokker as a playboy... talk about blind!

So you assume that once Rick has his epiphany about Lisa loving him he would really do something about it, make sure it happens. Shortly after this comic he seems to give up again. What's with that dunce!?

On page 34 in the letters column they talk about Protoculture Addicts! Awesome! You know how much I love that mag!

Robotech #34 (Comico 1988)

 I doubt very much that Lisa would be singing a Minmei song.

Page 2, featuring 'Macho-Man' Hunter.

Rick is a selfish sob!

The character art in this issue is hit and miss. Sometimes the characters look great, sometimes they look like... herp-a-derp.

At the top of page 11 is Janus-Rick.

I'm super confused at what is happening. I always thought that the restaurant was at the airport but Rick is driving a car back to the airport to head back to New Macross. I won't even bother with the fact that Rick got a car out of nowhere!

Rick is so versatile. He has never been shown to drive a Destroid and poof! there he goes. What a guy!

At the bottom of page 16 we FINALLY see a Spartan being USEFUL!

Ouch! Minmei has some harsh words for Kyle on page 26. This marks the exit of Lynn Kyle (for now... mwa ha ha ha).

Robotech #35 (Comico 1989)

They almost got this comic out in time for Christmas. Too bad. The cover shows a kinda goofy looking Khyron holding a Christmas bag with some of the women of Robotech.(god I love those commercials!)

How is there a Zentraedi worker (working on Khyron's engines)? I thought there weren't any of those guys.

On the 2nd frame of page 5 there's a dwarf! Also, it appears the former spies have ditched the dry cleaning business for retail...

On the last frame of that same page they appear to be standing in front of some toys from Astro Boy, the Argo from StarBlazers and something else I can't figure out.

On page 9 we see Rick wearing some lovely house slippers.

What in the world say people would give up (on page 10)... their 'eyeteeth'?????

So Lisa shows up at Rick's and somehow on a snowy, cold night Rick leaves the front door open?!

At Dr. Watson's Pub the bartender Frankenstein will be glad to serve you. Geeze, there goes Claudia again, drinking it up!

On page 23 Max seems to 'hate to admit' that Rick is right. What a jerk! lol.

At the bottom of page 24 we see the side of the SDF-1 and the Prometheus. It is at an angle but I though it was always sitting correctly and being used. Probably just an oversight on the artists part.

AWESOME! On page 25 we FINALLY see the SDF-2 back to back with the SDF-1. This is the ONLY time I have ever seen this!!!!! WOW!!!!!!

Robotech #36 (Comico 1989)

Lisa looks strange at the bottom of page 4, also I see some color-changing uniforms again...

On the next page Gloval says that they 'let' Khyron have that Protoculture he stole last time he raided New Macross. This is new to me.

FINALLY! Lisa gets it out (on page 8). It has taken YEARS but it happened, sheesh.

How in the world did Khyron get so close to New Macross and no one pick him up on radar or something?

Another shot of the SDF-2 back to back with the SDF-1.... ahhhhhhh.

On page 16 Minmei is in a shelter with some familiar faces... including the NEVER AGING Jason. He should have aged 8 years since we first saw him on Macross Island. Must be all that space travel that stunted his growth.

Nothing of the final assault makes sense (physics wise). Since (in the series) the SDF-2 didn't exist on screen it was easy to miss but in the comic here Khyron shoots the SDF-2 first but somehow he is in front of the SDF-1... how can he be in front of both ships? Did he fly around in a big circle to get a shot of the SDF-1? On page 14 the ships are back to back then on page 17 the SDF-1 is rising out of the water in front of the SDF-2. So confusing. Must be Robotechnology!

Ok, the final scenes on page 25 are awkward. I like the show's version better, more bittersweet less talking.

Oh man, the last couple of pages are really strange. Not sure we really needed them.

And that is it for the Macross Saga (comic book style)! On to more Robotech!

Robotech Episodes 25 - 30

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

Episode #25 Wedding Bells

Out of all of the events of Robotech (with all it's weirdness including the dinosaurs in that episode of the New Generation) the battle between Miriya and Max in the park then the sudden marriage proposal is the most unbelievable. Sure, it's dramatic and makes good action but it stretches things a bit.

The sword fighting with knives is a bit much too. Oh well... lol.

The cafe place everyone is hanging out in is pretty cool, lots of windows. Rick acts like a total ass then totally turns on a dime when Miriya shows up. Women have that affect on him.

Within a day Miriya goes from queen bitch to a petite, polite bell when introduced to Rick.

My wife just made the observation that Breetai sounds like Moltar from Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

Of course Minmei has to butt into the wedding. She is such an attention hog.

Well, the final order comes down from Dolza to destroy the SDF-1. It's about time. When people rush from the wedding the door sounds like the doors from Star Trek. Also when the guy tells Max that he doesn't have to go into battle the person running in front of him repeats again and again.

Who in the hell who let Miriya into a Veritech? A: she is a non-combatant B: she is a former alien spy.

When the Zentraedi leave after the battle Gloval says a few line and his hat is HUGE! Also when they show the bridge the 'B' team is on duty but when the order to return is given it's Claudia. I guess she showed up at the end of the battle or something.

"You cooked the coffee pot!" I love that line. Also, why is Rick sleeping in his uniform?

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
Bloopers:

Episode #26 The Messenger

When Breetai's ship shows up it still has the hole from the Dadelus attack in the front. That's cool that they remembered it.

The scene with Exedore in the conference room was cut from my 6 episode FHE VHS version of the show. When I finally got the Laser Disc version of the series I got to see this. I laughed so hard! I can't believe I missed out on this scene for so many years! When Exedore gets up and sings Stagefright I just about pee my pants!

Does Lynn Kyle ever change clothes? Stinky old hippie.

The UEG are just dying to fire off their Grand Cannon. Even with peace on the horizon.

Gloval's hat isn't the only thing that seems to have grown, his collar is giant! He could go hang gliding with that thing!

Azonia tells Breetai that the 'main fleet' is going to show up. I thought Breetai had the 'main fleet'...

The UEG base at the Grand Cannon is huge. There is a highway and what looks like a virtual city down there.

Of course Minmei breaks into a song in the conference room... sheesh!

Here it is! The big one! Things are getting serious... then, oh man the episode ends.

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
Bloopers:

Episode #27 Force of Arms

You can tell this was the original end of the series. The animation is EXCELLENT.

FINALLY! Rick tells Minmei he loves her... took you long enough.

We get to see the inside of the MAC II Monster here. When it walks it ruins the deck...that sucks.

The Earth is practically wiped out. It kinda sucked that we don't see much close up action of that happening, it's such a big event you'd think more detail would be shown. They even reused SDF-1 landing footage. There are some appropriate reaction from everyone but it could have been drawn out a little longer. Its shortness kinda sucks some of the life out of the event. The audio editing (with Minmei's song) is kinda bad.

The death of the army guy and the little girl is chilling and horrifying. Time to get little Johnny another appointment with the shrink.

The use of Minmei's singing (and kiss) to disrupt the enemy forces is brilliant.

Every one's lack of emotional distress at the near destruction of Earth is a little distracting.

After the break there are some excellent shots of the RDF forces getting ready to attack.
The 'We Will Win' song fits the final battle perfectly. This was a great decision on the part of the US team.

Having to watch your parent get blasted away like Lisa does sucks!

How in the world is Lisa the only person still alive in the whole of the UEG base. That place was giant.

That was an ship from Orguss on the deck of the SDF-1... how did that get there?

It's sad to see Macross city get blasted.

When the SDF-1 enters Dolza's main base you can see Dolza standing in front of the big screen for just a moment then he vanishes.

The SDF-1 falls to Earth, bruised and battered. It's an awesome final image.

This was supposed to be the end of the series but it became so popular that more episodes were ordered. It was a very fitting ending but it would have been much better spread out over a couple of episodes, it seemed so rushed (the animation still rocked)!

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
Bloopers:

Episode #28 Reconstruction Blues

We pick up 2 years later in this episode. The residents have left the SDF-1 and are now seem to be the bulk fo whats left of civilization. Fitting considering clivilization sent them off to be a sacrifice during the final battle.

The voice actor for The New generation's Rand is the voice of Bobby and his lines are delivered like someone about to go to sleep.

For some reason Rick and Lisa STILL have not hooked up. They have this weird relationship that makes Rick look like a bastard. Lisa hangs around while the uncaring Rick goes about his business.

Rick remembers Roy's speech 'on the day he signed up' but we see the day Rick met Roy on the day the SDF-1 originally took off. All that battle caused Rick some memory issues.

Minmei sings a song you hardly ever hear during the series while she is in Granite City. Something about 'making the right moves at the right times'. It's not on the Robotech soundtrack so its really rare. Oh yeah, then there is Lynn Kyle with that same freaking purple suit!

During Minmei and Kyle's fight, Minmei finally sounds grown up. Gone is the loopy young girl and in her place is a serious and slightly depressed young adult.

At the end of the New Portland battle there is a shot of the Zentraedi invasion into the SDF-1 from wayyyy back eariler in the series. It was really out of place.

Now 'Admiral' Gloval talks to Rick about putting the Zentraedi into a quarantine area like the SDF-1. This got me thinking about the size of the SDF-1. In earlier episodes it looks to be fairly small when you compare it to a ship like Breetai's and if you remember the size of the carriers it uses as its 'arms' you can get a scale of of the ship. A full size Zentraedi would take up a lot of room in the SDF-1. In fact it doesn't seem like you could get very many full size Zentraedi inside the SDF-1 at all.

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
Bloopers:

Episode #29 The Robotech Masters

We begin this episode with a boring scene with the Robotech Masters. This is an early taste of the boredom headed our way during the 2nd Robotech war that is just a few episodes away.

Afterwards we get the narrator for a while in a rather depressing monologue.

Oh, look Kyle is wearing something different, what an early Christmas gift! After they have their spat in the car Kyle is 'kind' enough to let Minmei off at the city line... what?! What a turd!

During the RDF meeting Lang is talking but it's someone elses voice. It is obviously Lang but I guess they didn't want him to be the one that argued with so they changed his voice.

When Minmei is thinking about Rick she has a very different memory of what happened in those episodes.

Minmei gets up in the morning and walks about Macross. There is this nice direction where we see all these characters going about their morning rituals/jobs. Rick is running and the former spies are delivering their laundry. Rico now has glasses, that is a cool that the artist have changed a character's look. You usually don't see that sort of thing. Did I mention that met the voice actor that did the part for Rico AND I got him to autograph my Robotech novel Force of Arms?

Bam! Minmei runs into Rick and Lisa, what a soap opera moment!

The voice of Destroid pilot Dan is also the voice of Rand. That guy was working overtime.

Ugh, Khyron is back. Geraro's voice has changed from way back when he was overseeing the gravity mines on Mars.

At the concert that Rand voice actor is back as some usher or something.

Exedore makes a gross over exaggeration when he says that the Robotech factory can make ships that can destroy the Earth in one shot, we never see any of that later.

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
Bloopers:

Episode #30 Viva Miyira

The boosters attached to the shuttles are gigantic!

Are you telling me that the RDF developed a special pod for Max and Miriya's kid?

Before Breetai folds in space we see some computer screens and there is English on the screen and it is utter gobble-de-gook. You can read some of it but it is just junk.

Ugh... more Roboteh Masters.

I like how Miriya asks if she and Max will ever be able to touch lips again.

Then we see Miriya flying with Dana just sitting on her lap... how dangerous!

I don't want to rag on the series but at this point you can tell it's just a some tacked-on stories to keep it going. There is no real emotional connection to what is happening because there is no real threat. The RDF seems to be going out of it's way to find trouble. The writers did what they could, eh?

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
Bloopers:

Book 3: Robotech: Homecoming

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

Welcome to the next part in my 2012 Robotech Experience, a quick review of the third book in the Del Ray books series adaptation of Robotech episodes 13-18. If you need to start from the beginning to find out more about my year long look at Robotech, click here.
This next six episodes (I have been basically watching/reading six episodes at a time since the books cover that much each volume) I decided to read the book first, then watch the show then read the comic. I want to see how I perceive it when I experience it in that order.
In the last review I went on and on about how I had a memory of reading this series of books and was impressed as to how closely the followed the show BUT in this reading (it's been years since I read them last) I got this nasty surprise. For some reason it seemed like the books didn't follow the action quite as closely as I had remembered. Well... lo and behold it's happened again! This book seems to be following the shows very closely. I think I figured it out! I think that Brian Daley and James Luceno each wrote alternate books. One of those guy's style was very 'loose' and one was very 'strict' when it came to adapting the show. There, I hope that covers it. BTW, I happen to like the closer following of the cartoon.
This book picks up where the last one left off. The cartoon is added to by having a bit of suspense added to the return of Lisa, Rick, Ben, and Max. This wasn't in the show but it gave a nice buffer of new material which basically caught the reader up to the current events.
After the escapees make it back the book focuses on the spies. This is some great stuff and I'm glad the writer that sticks to the cartoon got this part. There is some really funny stuff here.
After they make their transition into Macross city it is noted that their pod 'dissolved'. I guess that would be the smart thing to make happen since it might have been discovered.
Minmei's rise to stardom happens here and the more popular she gets the more we hate her. She hits this point where she has made it to the top and she begins to level out and become more human (not such a flighty air head) as she yearns for the simple life again.
Earlier on in the book the SDF-1 needs to change into a giant robot mode to fire the guns. Once again Macross city is destroyed in many places (this time with Rico, Konda, and Bron in the middle of it). Wouldn't the engineers on the SDF-1 have figured out what parts of the city would be destroyed from the first transformation and NOT rebuilt the city in those areas? Just asking...
Also there is a bit of a visual misstep of the author during the transformation. I am assuming they watched the show on VHS when they were writing this book so the detail on the screen wasn't as crisp as it would be in the DVD age. When the author describes the transformation there is a spot where 2 giant servo motors join and cables snake out to attach themselves to the motors. In actuality you can make out the cables snaking out are infact guys in space suits. I didn't realize this until I saw the DVD many years later.

Vern (the tall skinny buddy of the Mayor) is finally given a last name here. He was always just a background character there to get the dialogue going. He name is Vern Havers. I guess that was the author's creation.

'Gloval's Report' and 'Phantasm' are MERCIFULLY cut waaaaayyyyyy back for the books. Those have to be the most tedious episodes to sit though.
Captain Kramer (much like Vern Havers, a plot device) bites the big one in this book. He is talked to and mentioned a couple of times during the first 12 episodes and I guess the author noticed that he wasn't mentioned again in later episodes. He death helped explain why Roy didn't receieve proper medical care (leading to his death) since he was distraught and left the hospital. P.S. I think he name was Kramer after script editor Steve Kramer.
That is the end of this book. Knowing the backgrounds of the two authors I am guessing that Brian Daley wrote this book (an all subsequent books that are very close to the cartoon in action). James Luceno was a Vietnam Vet and I am guess his writing style is the one that has a lot of military jargon in it. That jargon appears in the books that are more 'loosely based' on the action in the episodes. Both are fine, I just take a shine to the closer representation of the show.