Robotech: Rick Hunter #1 Review

 

Writer: Brandon Easton

Artist: Simone Ragazzoni

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Deron Bennett

Cover Artists: Inhyuk Lee; Derrick Chew; Simone Ragazzoni; Josh Burcham; Nahuel Grego;

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 2, 2023

 

Five years after the destruction of the Super Dimensional Fortresses SDF-1 and SDF-2 by the Zentraedi warlord Khyron, the United Earth Government decides to explore deep space to learn more about the aliens and their Robotech Masters. In a stirring ceremony, Senator Moran promotes Captain Rick Hunter to the rank of Major General and assigns him to lead the expedition. Despite his daring exploits, Rick yearns to put the war behind him and devote his future to exploration. Will he achieve peaceful coexistence with Earth's neighbors? Let's fly into Robotech: Rick Hunter #1 and find out! 

 

 

 

Story

Soon after the ceremony, Zentraedi terrorists attack Japan. Rick wishes they could have intervened, but they are decommissioning their aging fleet faster than the next-generation prototypes roll off the assembly line. His friend Commander Stirling—stationed on the Robotech Factory Satellite—calls but gets interrupted by General Anatole Leonard of the Southern Cross. The rogue Zentraedi hiding in Australia possess the last remaining Hyperspace Fold Engines anywhere near Earth. Leonard tasks Rick with finding the stolen battleship and bringing the Hyperspace engines home. 

 

 

 

Robotech: Rick Hunter #1 throws a lot of information at you quickly. Along with the state of the Veritech development, there are also politics and personal agendas. The discovery of Rick’s lost journal further enriches the story as it reminds him of his late brother Roy. I enjoyed Rick’s childhood memories and the life lessons he took from them. Still, as I know little about the franchise, I wished Easton had concentrated on bringing me up to speed on What's Happening Now and saved the experiences that shaped Rick until later. 

 

 

 

Art

The first page of Robotech: Rick Hunter #1 shows scenes from the war that Humanity is still recovering from. Present Day scenes crackle with energy, whether they portray Zentraedi Battle Pods and Power Armor attacking Yokohama or Rick and Grant running through their base. Some page composition and camera views may demand concentration. Rick and Stirling’s youth contrasts with their lofty responsibilities, but they're appealing characters that young readers will like.  

 

 

 

Bryan Valenza’s appealing colors bring personality to characters and settings, although the tones lean more toward gray than I'd prefer. Thus, when Simone Ragazzoni packs pages with visuals, colors blend more than contrast. While fun and energetic, Deron Bennett’s sound effects could also contrast more. The uppercase black lettering in white dialogue balloons seems a little small. Older readers—or those who stare at computers all day or stress their eyes by not getting enough sleep—should schedule Robotech: Rick Hunter #1 for a morning briefing.

 

 

Final Thoughts

While we yearn to follow our dreams, we must first address everyday demands. Robotech: Rick Hunter #1 suggests we focus on our footsteps as we tread the rocky road toward our destination.

 

Rating 7.5/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Three Things To Love About The Big Bang Theory

In a recent episode of "The Big Bang Theory," the boys meet a doctor who's attracted to Leonard's fiancee Penny. Just like them, the doctor loves comic books and Sci-Fi movies. Unlike them, he's a urologist to filmmakers and movie stars. He invites them to his house, where he shows them actual movie props from grateful patients. Then he locks them inside, and hurries back to Penny's apartment to pitch a little woo. Leonard and his friends barely notice, so enraptured are they by his movie props, as well as his selection of video games. 

Incidentally, the urologist is wonderfully played by Billy Bob Thornton, who can currently be seen in cinemas in the thought-provoking drama "The Judge."

As a fan of Sci-Fi movies and old arcade games, I thought I would share my personal favorites from the urologist's collection.

1. Favorite Alien: To Thornton's right is a Martian from the movie "Mars Attacks." It's a comedy/action movie that stars great actors like Michael J Fox, Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Danny Devito, Martin Short, Glenn Close, and even music legend Tom Jones. It's wacky, wonderful, and best of all, a grandmother who everyone thinks is crazy saves the day! Plus, it features these great Martians. If you haven't seen it, go out and get it! You've got to watch this movie!

2. Favorite Robot: To Sheldon's left is Robby the Robot. He's one of my favorite robots ever, and not just mine. Lots of filmmakers have included him in short, cameo roles in their own movies. His first movie was "Forbidden Planet," which also starred Leslie Nielson in a serious role. It's a standout 1950's Sci-Fi movie, and while the plot may move a little slowly by today's standards, it's still well worth watching.

Bionic fans: Richard Anderson, who later achieved world-wide fame as Oscar Goldman, played a crew member aboard Captain Nielson's spaceship.

3. Favorite Game: I used to play lots of games in arcades, but the one video game I really enjoyed, but haven't found a good way to play since I "grew up," is Donkey Kong. So it was nice to see Leonard really enjoy playing it too. You know, if a urologist locked me in his "fun room," I wouldn't mind spending a few hours in it, if I could play Donkey Kong too.

That is, as long as he didn't use the time to hit on my girl.

Well, there you have it, three things that I loved about a recent episode of "The Big Bang Theory." Did you see this episode? If so, what was your favorite movie prop, character, or game? Please let me know. I'd love to hear from you.

Dragon Dave

The Cybercraft Orbiting Laboratory

Not all that many years ago, space missions were the exclusive purview of the government.  Recently, businesses have begun venturing into space.  Virgin Galactic’s SpaceshipTwo rocket plane has completed several test flights, and is scheduled to launch later this year.  Last month, SpaceX’s Dragon spaceship transported necessary supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), and returned to Earth successfully.  The Anteries rocket, the biggest private-sector rocket ever produced, blasted into orbit early this week.  Using its Cygnus cargo carrier, Anteries should start supplying the ISS soon. 

Ordinary people like you and me are even pursuing their own space ventures.  Take, for example, Sarah Thee Campagna of Cybercraft Robots.  She scours through the “detris of daily life,” searching for “fragments of diassembled Robots, Rayguns, and Spaceships.”  She attempts to reconstruct these extraterrestrial relics, much like archeologists attempt to reconstruct earlier human civilizations through the artifacts they unearth, so that she can study the history and culture of the cosmos. 

This little fellow is negotiating for a starring role
in the sequel to the film, "Batteries Not Included."

While most Robots are peaceful,
they often carry Rayguns for their own protection.

Although she visits Earth often, she spends most of her time aboard her orbiting laboratory, where she regularly meets robots from other civilizations.  Just as a Martian might pause in his working day to study our rovers, she hails passing spacecraft, and attempts to communicate with their occupants.  After they leave, she constructs models of the robots she’s met, as a record of those encounters.

According to Sarah:
"The Spiderborg enjoyed a long career
starring in nightmares all over the Milky Way.
Now that he is semi-retired, he restricts his terrifying appearances
to private parties and dark alleys."

At the Cybercraft website, you can see photographs of these amazing robots.  You can also watch a short video, shot aboard her private space station, and see how she makes her reconstructions.  You can even support her research by “sponsoring” a robot.  To thank you for your one-time "donation," Sarah will "give" you a model of one of these interesting visitors to our world.  

Remember, while space may be open to everyone, it still costs a lot to operate a space station.  And that's before you consider all her rocket trips up into orbit.

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links

Cybercraft Robots

The Anteres' maiden flight

The SpaceX Dragon’s last mission

SpaceshipTwo’s recent test flight

Everybody’s Comin’ to Kennedy Space Center

Guests line up for photographs outside
Kennedy Space Center's new entrance.

There’s a place that celebrates mankind’s greatest feats, and champions all we’ve yet to accomplish.  That place is Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and if you haven’t come here yet, you're really missing out.

Some hot new rides of the future.

When it comes to space flight, there’s so much history to celebrate.  Audacious engineers, who designed powerful rockets like the Redstone, Atlas, and the Titan.  Brave pilots, who climbed into the tiny Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo capsules, and blasted into orbit and beyond.  Designers who took the original rocket planes like the X-1 and the X-15, and transformed them into the Space Shuttle.  What’s next you ask?  How about more trips to the Moon and Mars aboard the Orion capsule, or flights high above the Earth aboard the Lynx Mk. II from XCor Aerospace, and the Sierra Nevada Corporations’ Dream Chaser?

"No, honestly, I'm not makin' the rabbit ears this time."

Not enough, you say?  Well then, why not learn about NASA’s robots?  They fly through space, and tell us about other planets we could visit.  There’re some on Mars right now, such as the rover Curiosity, helping us to prepare for manned missions there.  Some are as cute and amiable as they come.  You never know: you’re next best friend might just be a robot.

When this baby goes boom, you'll hear it.

Still not enough?  Wait, there’s more!  You can hop on a bus and see the launch pads for the moon missions and the Space Shuttles.  You could get an in depth look of the biggest rocket ever ignited, the Saturn V.  You can see all sorts of informative and entertaining programs on current space efforts, such as the International Space Station.  You can watch IMAX 3-D movies.  You'll learn about NASA’s programs, as well as those of the Russians.  You can even touch a moon rock!

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Spaceman."

Still not convinced?  Bored with static displays like you find in museums?  Think the latest Hollywood productions make NASA’s movies pale by comparison?  Well, how about the opportunity to meet a spaceman? 

I asked Wendy Lawrence all kinds of questions,
and she answered them all!

You can even talk to a real life astronaut, such as Wendy Lawrence, who flew on four Space Shuttle missions!

"Why don't you two stand next to the
Shuttle Launch Experience?"

People travel here from all over the world, because there’s so much to see and do here.  Visitors come from all walks of life, because the hopes and dreams of space exploration unite mankind.  So if you’ve not yet visited Kennedy Space Center, the question surely must not be if, but when you’ll visit.  ‘Cause like I said, everybody’s comin’ to Kennedy Space Center.  Why miss out on a great thing like that?

And now, for the commercial...

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries
Understanding Kimi Raikkonen: Part 6

Related Internet Links

Kennedy Space Center

Astronaut Wendy Lawrence’s biography

My Robot Advisors

My phone has been ringing off the hook these past few weeks.  When I answered, I heard a prerecorded endorsement for a political candidate.  These politicians and citizens, who have never met me, felt sure that I shared their concerns about a particular issue.  Some of them referred to me by name, as if I was a long-time friend.  While such messages are known as robocalls, I know they're not really made by robots.  Instead, they came from a machine called an autodialer, which uses complex algorithms to impersonate people and personalize messages. 

Yet the name is evocative, and I could not help but wonder: how might my favorite robots vote, if we allowed them to?  Or better yet, how might they advise me in navigating the confusing promises and propositions?

Even if I could understand R2-D2’s noises, I’m not sure how interested he’d be in elections.  He seems more task-oriented.  Give him a problem, and R2-D2 will find a way to tackle it.  This makes him great in a crisis, but when it comes to complex decision-making as to what’s best for society, I have a feeling he’d be less help.  Unfortunately, his friend C-3PO wouldn’t be a great help either.  He’d be too worried about the worst-case scenario of any proposal.  I think he’d also be too busy calculating the odds against any particular candidate keeping his or her promises to assess their relative merit.  While I could use C-3PO as a sounding board to confirm my own anxieties, I’m not sure he could help me vote for a person or issue. 

On the other hand, WALL-E is a true innocent.  As such, he would grasp the hope associated with every issue and politician, and argue that I should vote for those who promise the most positive change.  Seeing the best in everyone and everything, I’m sure he would urge me to endorse a host of radical agendas each election cycle.  While I love him, I know that I cannot ignore my suspicions regarding the potential dangers surrounding each candidate or issue.  Further muddying the waters is the knowledge that too much change isn’t a good thing.  Instead of delivering a promised utopia, too many grand ideas, schemes and revolutionary changes to how we organize and run our society might actually bog down our political, social, and financial systems, making it impossible to get anything (whether it be good, better, or worse) accomplished.

So, in this scenario, I suppose I would have to turn to K-9.  Assuming that Doctor Who or Sarah Jane doesn’t need him, I think he could be of great help.  His personality seems ideally suited to analyze the propositions and the candidates.  With his ability to assess strengths and weaknesses of proposals, and the records, personalities, and associations of candidates, K-9 could advise me how best to vote, given my concerns about what I’d like to see occurring in my society.  Yes, give me K-9 on voting day: I cannot imagine a better advisor.

The sad thing is that, regardless of how I vote, who comes into power, and what proposals become law, the result always seems to a constant slew of half-measures.  At best, these changes allow our society to continue functioning.  But usually, they leave us no better off, and often they affect us so adversely that I find myself closing my eyes, clutching my head, and wishing I hadn’t voted in the way I did.  It is then that one robot's voice rises above the rest.  “Danger, Will Robinson!” cries the General Utility Non-Theorizing Environmental Control Robot B9 (usually referred to The Robot in “Lost in Space”).  “Danger!  Danger!”

Regardless of whom I chose or how I vote, every day the evolving political process prompts B9 to repeat his warnings.  Sometimes I wish Dr. Zachary Smith would reprogram B9 to only alert me to the most pressing dangers.  But then, I don’t need K-9 to warn me against trusting Dr. Smith.

Dragon Dave