by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)
Here we go back on a stretch of Return to Macross comics. If you are totally confused about what this is then be confused no more! This is my 2012 tour of the Robotech Universe! I used SuperMecha8's timeline list to begin reading/watching my way through the events in the Robotech universe in chronological order.
It's April and I am still in the pre-lauch part of the Robotech timeline. Fist we started off with the events pre-landing of the SDF-1 on Macross Island and have been slowly moving along, watching the island become a teeming city with all the issues a teeming city has. Let's continue!
Return To Macross #27 (Academy 1995)
The first thing that caught my eye was a spelling error on page 13 (yeah, I know... nit picky).
It looks like we are rehashing the story from several issues back when Roy is asked to join the Lumerians. The woman he kinda has a thing for was killed but she left a message for the rest of her people to capture Roy and try to get him to join them again.
Last time Roy tricked them into thinking he would join them and it appears the EXACT same thing is happening again. I hope this goes somewhere different.
Return To Macross #28 (Academy 1996)
Wes Abbot is back and his stuff looks different. It looked very manga-ish before, now it seems to have a realy cartoony feeling. I guess he wanted to try a different approach or something.
Wait wait wait! What in the Mayor Luan is going on here?! What happened to the story line from the last issue?! Roy was taking Lumerian ship while getting the Lumerians to abandon it to 'fight another day'. I figured this story would go somewhere... wtf???
This issue starts out with Roy trying to get Claudia to forgive him (what's new). Infact it seems like that is all that happend between Roy and Claudia. I can't remeber one time where he wasn't getting into do-do with her.
The story jumps to a serious situatution where Roy is out searching for survivors to a crashed shuttle. Oh, there are the Lumerians!
Return To Macross #29 (Academy 1996)
Yikes! That cover art! I HONESTLY think I could have done better... I can't draw for crap! Ok, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Knowing the power of the Internets I'm sure the artist will probably read this at some point. I apologize... I'm just being picky.
Check out page 12... Roy (I guess that's him) is just a head sitting on a torso... no neck!
Oh my gosh! This is just painful! Look at Leonard on page 16!
Well before I even get to thinking about it... this comic will 100% be the stinky winner of the 1st quarter's 2012 Robotech 'worse art in a comic' award. I'm sorry if I make the artist feel bad but this honestly looks like something I drew (which isn't' saying much).
The story is coherant though (which can't be said of some of the more recent stuff). Claudia's old flame shows up on the island and it tips her affections away from Roy. It turns out her old flame is wrapped up in some shady stuff.
Return To Macross #30 (Academy 1996)
We are back to the Birchfields and man what an improvement! I complained about them before but not now...
In this issue Gloval has a flashback of his youth in the Internationaists army. Their uniforms are strikingly close to the RDF ones.
The terrorist guy can shoot smoke out of his hand... cool!
What's wrong with Admiral Hayes in the first frame of page 17? He seems to have a crick in his neck.
Page 18 has some confusing speech bubble layouts. I hate when I get all lost on what is being said becasue I don't know which one to read next.
Towards the back of the comic is the Robotech Reporter where Malibu talks about their titles and news and such. They mention the passing of Brian Daley of Jack McKenny fame. That's sad. I didn't realize that he and James Luceno were working on Galaxy Rangers, thats' one of Chris' favorite cartoons!
Return To Macross #31 (Academy 1996)
Dusty Griffin is the artist in this issue. He draws structures and vehicles very well but seems to have a hard time with the human form. Not that I'm complaining, I'm still coming off the low of RTM #29 so this guy is Lenardo Divinci to me...
There is a nice two page panel to open this comic of Invid attacking the SDF-1 (presumabily during Zor's final hours). Nice artwork! I did notice that several of the Invid look like direct copies of the art from the Roleplaying guides (which was probably a direct copy from the Japanese 'This is Animation' book for Mospeada.
Look at the guy playing the sax in the street on page 9... te he.
On page 10 there is a nod to Akira in some guy's jacket with a photo of a pill on it. Claudia is apparently having gravity issues in the same frame.
On page 16 you can see the Dadelus in the water in the top left corner of the frame. This is one of the few times you ever get to see it in the water (what it was built for). It does look like it's riding a little low there...
Anyway this issue is the continuation of the Salamander hacker and the people paying him (who just happen to be an old flame of Claudia's). Salamander is working off shore on a casino ship looking to get ahold of Admiral Hayes' itenary for his arrival on Macross Island... I'm sure they want to throw him a surprise party or something...
Return To Macross #32 (Academy 1996)
The art in this issue reminds me of some Role Playing Game books. I wonder if Dusty Griffin ever illustrated any?
Lisa has some deadly looking fingernails on page 13. Also, Admiral Hayes was named in an eariler issue and here you can see his name again. I never saw his name before these comics so I wonder if the Academy guys officially got to name him.
On page 14 Claudia comes into their (Lisa's and Claudia's) apartment in the middle of story that she is telling her beau, but the wording is wrong... I think the word 'the' is missing.
The Return to Macross series is really treating Roy Fokker like a putz. He is constantly drunk now and he acts more and more pathetic when it comes to Claudia. Poor Roy.
Return To Macross #33 (Academy 1996)
The character's looks veer wildly in this issue. Lisa looks real homely on page 7.
On story element I am digging in this particular story arc is the impending Typhoon. It is like a dark cloud (literally) shadowing everything that is happening. It menaces but at the same time it gives some reality to the whole situation.
On page 11 the 'Bree Bree' sound and the way De Salva is moving made me think that he was pulling his pants up at first! lol. I thought: 'ut oh, De Salva and Salamander are up to no good'.
Salamander seems more like a character out of Cyberpunk or NetRunner than Robotech.
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