1987: Robotech in Special 3-D

Robotech in 3-D (1987),
Robotech Special (1988) by Markalan Joplin, Mike Leeke, Thomas A. Tenney, Mike Chen et al

These are the final two Robotech comics I have to do for this blog series.

First off, we have the Robotech in 3-D issue. They’ve chosen the bit where the aliens attack Earth, which is a good choice — lots of fighting and stuff.

But it’s so text heavy! And as you can see on the pages above, barely any 3D-ing going on.

Easier to read with the blue filter?

Anyway, there’s other pages where things 3-D more, and that’s fun, but there’s also many pages that barely budge.

They also do some bits where they use the different channels for they “blinkey” effect, which is fun. But headache-inducing.

Aww!

But… is this just a reprint of a Robotech issue? It’s now been a couple of months since I read the series, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen these scenes before. But were they redone for this edition?

*pops into the other room to check*

Nope, the original issues had artwork by other people, and this special compresses what happened over several episodes into one issue.

It’s not awful — but for a 3-D issue, there’s just so much text, and now I have a headache. The things one does for blog.

There’s just so many pages that don’t “pop” at all, too, so even on that level it’s a disappointment. I’ve read more than my share of 3-D comics (dozens and dozens) over the years, and this one just isn’t very well done.

Onto Dana’s Story — this is based on the bridging episode between Macross and Robotech Masters. The episode was apparently done by splicing together clips from the two different Japanese cartoon series, and then putting together an overall plot by adding new dialogue.

Comico didn’t want to publish this at the start of the Robotech Masters series (where it fits chronologically) because it contains spoilers for Robotech: The Macross Saga, which makes sense.

I wouldn’t call this book “good” or anything, but it certainly reads more coherently than you’d think a cobbled-together clip show would be. So perhaps Markalan took some liberties and told a better story than what was in the clip show?

This issue probably has the best artwork of any Robotech series, courtesy of Thomas A. Tenney.

If you’ve read the rest of the Robotech series, this book consists mostly of scenes you’ve already read before. But done better, perhaps.

The end! Tada!

Protoculture Addicts #1, page #29:

No! You are not dreaming. It
has been done! Comico has finally
released in August 1987 the first
Robotech in 3-D.
You just have to put on the
“special 3-D glasses” and the
MIRACLE happens. The Robotech
world jumps literally to your eyes (no
kidding!). As you go through Booby
Trap, the first episode of the Macross
Saga, you will discover the characters
and the action of Robotech as if you
were there yourself. The adaptation is
very good and even if some little details
have been omitted, it follows quite well
the plot of the original TV series. The
artwork done by M. Leeke (pencils) and
M. Chen (inks) is impressive,
particularly in the realism. Some funny
details, like the flying chair when Rick
crashes through a building (p. 31) catch
the reader’s interest even if you
sometimes have a strange feeling of
de ja-vu. Note that the cover is one of
the best they have done. But the most
interesting feature of ROBOTECH in
3-D is, of course, the 3-D effect (by Ray
Zone) which is truly one of the best.
The effect is at its peak in the aerial
scenes and in the “de-fold” frames.
Unfortunately, it was a “one-shot” issue
and Comico never made a sequel.

Amazing Heroes Preview Special #5, page #100:

This special project will be a re-telling of
the first issue of Robotech The Macross
Saga, which was originally published by
Comico in the Fall of 1984, and which now
goes for big bucks.
It is a re-telling, not a reprint, and will
rectify many of the inconsistencies
between issues #1 and #2 of the Macross
run, as well as tying the Robotech graphic
novel to the series.
The 3-D is processed by Ray Zone who
calls it “ideal for 3-D: it is visually dynamic
and beautifully detailed.” Completists,
take note!

I knew it!:

Without the restriction of available footage Joplin manages to create a better version of the story, so I would recommend fans check this comic out if they find it. Sometimes playing with the adaptation yields storytelling benefits and I enjoyed this presentation better than the episode it adapts.

And: