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Death of major Robotech character brings Titan’s smash-hit first to explosive close, new arc announced

By John Freeman on September 21, 2017

Robotech #5 Cover E: Funeral For A Friend Variant

A major character will be killed off in Titan’s new Robotech series, Harmony Gold USA and Titan Comics has announced, paving the way for a stunning new arc penned by fan favourite writer Brian Wood (DMZ, Briggs Land) and legendary Transformers scribe Simon Furman.

The critically acclaimed and sell-out comic series, which launched in August, takes into account every iteration of the Robotech series, and casts a fresh eye over classic characters from the iconic 1980s sci-fi anime.

Robotech #5 Cover A: Jen Bartel

Robotech #5 Cover B: Cosplay Wraparound Variant

Now, the series (written by Brian Wood with art by Marco Turini) is set to scale new heights with a dramatic first season climax that will change the face of Robotech forever… including the death of a major member of the team! But will it be Rick Hunter, Lisa Hayes, Lynn Minmei, Roy Fokker, Claudia Grant or Henry Gloval who pays the ultimate price?

All will be revealed in Robotech #4 (on sale October 25, 2017) or read the story in full in Robotech Volume One (on sale 13th February 2018) – a must-have collection for Robotech fans!

Robotech Volume 1 Cover: Artgerm

Following this hotly-anticipated finale, the next chapter in Titan’s Robotech comic saga will see Simon Furman join writer Brian Wood to chronicle the ongoing adventures of the SDF-1!

The new second arc kicks-off on 13th December with issue #5 and finds the inhabitants of Macross City reeling from recent events and mourning the loss of a beloved friend. However, it’s not long before they are forced to head to Mars in an attempt to escape the advancing forces of the mysterious Zentraedi!

Robotech #5 Cover C: Action Figure Variant

Robotech #5 Cover D: Blair Shedd

The issue debuts with a fantastic cover by Jem and the Holograms artist Jen Bartel (Wicked and the Divine, Doctor Aphra), plus, variant covers by Blair Shedd (Ghostbusters, Doctor Who), an Action Figure variant, a stunning wraparound cosplay variant, and a shocking ‘Funeral For A Friend’ variant!

First airing in the USA in 1985, Robotech was the gateway to anime for many fans – capturing their imagination with its epic generational storyline involving war, romance, and, of course, the transforming Veritech fighters that defend the Earth against extra-terrestrial attacks.

Produced by Harmony Gold USA, the original 85-episode series delved into humanity’s struggle against a series of alien invasions, from the gigantic Zentraedi to the mysterious Invid, battling for control of advanced alien technology that crash-landed on Earth.

• Robotech #5 hits stores on 13th December 2017 and is available to order from October PREVIEWS. Robotech Volume 1 (ISBN: 9781785859137) is available to pre-order now through August PREVIEWS catalogue (order code: SEP171940)

The world-famous animated epic returns to comics with a classic transforming-jetfighters-versus-giant-aliens adventure!

Return to the fan-favourite Macross Saga that began the classic Robotech franchise, as hotshot Veritech pilot Roy Fokker and skilled rookie Rick Hunter are pulled into an intergalactic war when the Earth is invaded by the insidious Zentraedi!

• All TV episodes are now available on Crackle, Amazon Prime & Netflix.

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.