Legacy Review #05– ROBOTECH Novel 3 (Homecoming)

Release Date: March 1987

Author: Jack McKinney

(James Lucerno and Brian Daley)

Page Count: 205 pages

(includes Chapter 1 from Battlehymn)

INTRODUCTION

The third of the six-book series covering the “First Generation” of the Robotech franchise; at least as portrayed to North American audiences. Thus continued my rabid obsession with continuing the novelization of the anime I once enjoyed on Saturday mornings, and playing the Palladium Books ROBOTECH RPG years later.

REVIEW

Episode Counter. The first book encapsulates the events from the first four episodes.

• S01 E12 – The Big Escape

• S01 E13 – Blue Wind

• S01 E14 – Gloval’s Report

• S01 E15 – Homecoming

• S01 Ep16 – Battle Cry

• S01 Ep17 – Phantasm

• S01 Ep18 – Farewell, Big Brother

Synopsis. The SDF-1 is within reach of their target, Earth looms large in the viewports of the bridge. The Zentraedi armada is still ever present, and still harrying them. After the display of affection by Rick and Lisa for Commander Dolza (and subsequent escape), Breetai and his advisor Exedore are removed from command. Azonia, a female general of repute is enshrined with the mission of capturing the SDF-1 intact. Can she keep the SDF-1 from making it to the atmosphere? Better yet, can she control Khyron’s murderous ambitions?

Zentraedi Plots. As the SDF-1 tries to bully its way home, Azonia has other plans. Her star pilot, Myria, and her Quadrono battalion of Power Armor, present a much different and formidable foe. Myria’s first official mission in close contact with the RDF, much to her dismay, is a deliberate diversion to allow for the covert insertion of a trio of micronized Zentraedi spies. This provides the reader some cultural interplay, and some amusing moments as these witless spies find themselves among the Macross City civilian populace. I can’t stress enough how much more palatable this plot arc is in the novels compared to the anime.

Earth’s Cold Welcome. Our first views of the Earth in a post-SDF-1 space fold event is one of military oversight. A committee of senior officers and oligarchs entrenched with the war machine now run the world by fiat. They are not happy with Capt Gloval’s report on the enemy, choosing to ignore the "preposterous claims" of millions of space craft the Zentraedi have available; the very idea is too shocking to accept. The SDF-1 is mostly quarantined, the crew and civilian inhabitants too jubilant at the moment to realize or care too much. When the friction of being quarantined does bubble to the surface, obvious results ensue; the citizens blame the military for a decision that can’t help but be pinned on the them. Fisticuffs ensue.

Emotional Entanglements. Rick pilots Minmei to her parents, the meeting with the family strained by the classified nature of the SDF-1’s travels across the Solar System, and Rick’s waning attachment to Minmei. Lyne-Kyle is introduced as a foil for Rick’s romantic attachment, but also a trigger for Lisa who once again is struck by the memories for her ex-lover Karl Riber. The book further commits to Rick and Lisa having more face time, developing an interesting parallel but also against each other. Rick begins to assume the more professional role of a leader for his Vermillion Wing, while Lisa begins to understand life outside of her duty once again exists, and may be worth it. The climactic moment for Lisa is the incident whereby Rick is seriously wounded at her hand; she launched a massive missile salvo to cripple Khyron’s cruiser and end the attack, clipping Rick in the process. It’s obvious where these two are going, but the ability to infer body language and emotion through the page is infinitely more palpable and appreciated over the anime. We also see the first contact between the Bridge Bunnies and the three Zentraedi spies, in what reads as a well-paced comical interlude.

Khyron’s Bold Move. In a pique of rage, Khyron sends his cruiser straight to the SDF-1. The battle once again finds Capt Gloval anticipating the attack and pushing through. It’s almost as if Gloval finds this ‘human styled’ and 'reckless' adversary easier to forecast and counter appropriately. Azonia allows it, intent on blaming Khyron for any failure, or taking credit for the capture. Meanwhile, ace Zentraedi Myria is on the hunt for the ace Veritech Pilot, none other than the intrepid Max Sterling. The two commit to a combat sequence that does equally well portraying the combat as well as both characters’ reactions to the other. The battle ends with Myria’s withdrawal after Khyron barely escapes defeat; he escapes in his Battle Pod, his cruiser destroyed.

Emotional Damage. It’s not often that shows targeted for children/young adults presents something as serious as the death of a character. Often relegated to nameless goons and a bloodless scene, this book ends with a relatively slow-burn that leads to the death that will have obvious implications for Rick Hunter. The projection of the final few chapters provides the reader with a very compelling end-arc for Roy Fokker, the book ending with Lisa consoling a sobbing Rick.

CONCLUSION

We start to see much more of the political side of the conflict, from both perspectives. The Zentraedi are obviously here to recapture the SDF-1, but we only have hints of the true reason. Why haven’t they launched an all-out blitz that would surely gain entry to the ship’s interior and win the day? Something about gaining independence from the Robotech Masters; and they don’t seem to want these Robotech Masters to know. On Earth, the military committee that runs the planet is too frightened of losing control that they fail to realize the true scope of the Zentraedi problem. Like most dictators, they view decisions through the lens of whether they retain command and control or not. Capt Gloval has the unenviable position of having to explain this and manage the reaction of those who don’t or can’t understand this dynamic.

Like the previous book, we see a much-expanded cast of characters with some level of interconnectivity. New Zentraedi characters are at the fore, including three spies within the SDF-1. Claudia and Roy get much more attention, for obvious reasons, while the duel between Max and Myria sets up future conflicts.

Current Assessment (8/10). While there remains a constant stream of action throughout the book, there are a surprising number of political discourse and new characters that provide some new interactions and ways of examining the Macross series. This presents a much more nuanced setting for the reader, certainly more so than I recall when I first read this series. Where the return to Earth should have been a celebration, the obvious threat remains, but one that only the United Earth Defence Council and the crew/civilians of the SDF-1 seem aware of. Sure, there remain the Veritech battles and mecha swarms, but this is a much more subtle set of details than I would expect from a children’s anime or its novelization. Covering a not-insignificant number of the anime episodes, the book is a flash to read, and ends with a suitably somber note that was saddening, yet executed in a most satisfying way.

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