My Rating
“Prisoners”
Gunfire erupts nearby the infirmary ward as cave spelunker turned mecha pilot, Hyer, races towards the hanger bay with the boy named Terry Pierce. He has just discovered that Colonel Merek ordered Doctor Conover to torture of the young boy in order to learn more details about the events from three days earlier on the South Pacific Island. What Hyer doesn’t know is Merek has plans to kill him and the boy. The Robo-units will bond to whomever stands closest once the current pilot dies. It’s time for Colonel Merek to choose a loyal soldier to replace what he considers weak individuals.
Elsewhere at a secret military base, Novosibirsk – central Russia, Captain Rezkova has just been summoned to a newly constructed hangar facility now home to the mecha unearthed at Tunguska. Being the first engineer to touch the metal plating of the alien war machine, Hana has become bonded to the robot just as the others across the globe. Inside the facility she realizes how far the military scientists have come at duplicating the technology. Captain Rezkova calls these constructs “Tarnofsky’s monsters”.
Who was piloting the underwater mecha that rescued Jack Pierce and his friends from the U.S. Navy destroyer? Is Hyer the only mecha pilot with a telepathic connection to a Robo-unit? Where is the secret underwater base called Deephold? Collect the series to find out!
Reviewer Notes
Uh oh, Hyer has just realized the U.S. military is not just a job, or an adventure. Sides are redrawn as new players are introduced to the global mecha community. What about the mysterious pilot of the Naganata Robo-unit? I’m assuming it’s the Japanese woman who jumped to her death the year before.
This issue is auctioned packed but we are missing just one thing, color. Yes, you guessed it, this issue is in black and white. Right up front on the inside cover we are informed this is due to deadlines not being met. Ah, the good old days of indie comic book publishing. You have to remember, Dark Horse Comics was still quite small on size. When one of their artists fail to meet a deadline it can screw up the entire chain of production. No fears though, the penciling and inks more than make up for it.
I originally read this series back in 1987, so can’t remember if it switches back to colored pages at some point. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Oh, the woes us Gen-X’ers had to endure. I’m giving this issue four out of five stars
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