This week, Skybound delivers the sixteenth issue of Void Rivals, the series that first introduced readers to the new Energon Universe of titles. Full disclosure, this is the fourth time I’ve tried to sit down and write this review. I’ve been a fan of this series ever since I finished the first issue, and there is so much I want to talk about that I keep losing control of my article. Suffice it to say, Void Rivals is chock full of plot twists and cliffhangers, with new wrinkles thrown into the narrative with every issue. Writer, creator, and overall architect of the Energon Universe Robert Kirkman seems to derive a sense of joy from subverting his readers’ expectations at every turn. I’m completely hooked.
This series has come a long way from its initial premise of two enemies fighting to survive together on a desolate asteroid and has grown into a grand science fiction epic. Kirkman’s now-expanded cast and concept centers on two societies grappling with a difficult truth and all the wonders and dangers that come with that realization. You may wonder how this all ties into the larger G.I.Joe and Transformers series. After reading the first few issues, I realized how important this series is to the wider story of the Energon Universe. With Void Rivals, Kirkman does all the heavy world-building, introducing the reader to the wide breadth and deep history of the Energon Universe. There are also multiple connections to the other properties to be found. Autobots Hot Rod and Springer are introduced and have become members of the supporting cast. There is even a greater thread that links the origins of the warring civilizations to ancient Cybertron. The Zertonians and Agorians have Energon receptors on their foreheads, and the Zertonians worship an ancient Transformer named Zerta Trion. Kirkman has also set up the Quintessons – the creators of the Transformers first introduced in the 1980s in The Transformers: The Movie – as a major threat looming in the background. If a reader is looking to learn more about the history and background of the new Energon Universe, this series is a must read.
In the current issue, Solila – in her quest to discover the whereabouts of Zerta Trion – has reactivated an ancient supercomputer that isn’t so happy to be back in service. The previous issue ended with Solila’s discovery of this ancient supercomputer and, in true Void Rivals fashion, it doesn’t end up being the earth-shattering discovery we had been led to believe. This really exemplifies why the series is such a fun read. Darak, meanwhile, is back in Agoria hoping to connect with a group calling themselves “Unifiers” who want to spread the truth that Zertonians and Agorians are one species. They are hunted by both of their governments and work in secret in support of unity. Outside of the main characters, this issue also centers on a contingent of warriors from Cobra-La led by Pythona. As someone who grew up in the ’80s and watched the G.I. Joe movie until the VHS tape was worn out, I’m so excited about how Kirkman and the other writers of the Energon Universe have worked this faction into the new continuity. I dare any other ’80s kid not to shout “Cobra-lalalalala” in their head as these warriors leap into battle.
Lorenzo De Felici handles the art duties and choreographs an excellent action scene between Cobra-La and Skuxxoid, who has just captured the Cobra-La ship. The art style reminds me of Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth and Trillium. His updated designs on the Cobra-La warriors evoke the right note of nostalgia. The Cobra-La ship is crazy in all the right ways, with the warriors inside being literally spit out by the ship itself. As always, De Felici provides us with vast futuristic cityscapes and instills the scenes of Solila’s underground journey with a sense of claustrophobia. This is enhanced by Patricio Delpeche’s colors that allow us to feel uneasy whenever the light of Solila’s key grows dim.
In some alternate reality, there is a twenty-or-thirty-page version of this review. There is so much to discover and enjoy with this series, and the story is just heating up. The deep cast of characters are all being drawn to the Great Ring, and I can’t help but feel that there is a massive conflict about to unfold. That tension is felt throughout the current issue and, of course, reaches its crescendo with a cliffhanger hauntingly revealed by De Felici.
If you are at all interested in taking a deep dive into the new Energon Universe, you need to pick up this issue and seek out the earlier issues at your local comic shop. And if you just like a well-crafted science fiction story with great world-building, Void Rivals is for you, as well. This is a simply compelling story that I recommend adding to your pull list.
Creators: Robert Kirkman (Writer), Lorenzo De Felici (Artist), Patricio Delpeche (Colorist), and Russ Wooten (Letterer)
Publisher: Skybound/Image Comics
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