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Void Rivals #14 review






Void Rivals has The Touch!

It does and it continues here with issue # 14! Void Rivals is Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici’s sci-fi comic that tells the tale of two crumbling planets linked by a “Sacred Ring” (it’s not Halo), their peoples at war for generations. When a member of each culture are stranded together, the two find they must put aside their differences if they want to survive. This story takes place in the so-called “Energon Universe”, Skybound Entertainment’s initiative to relaunch properties like Transformers and G.I. Joe within a shared universe that also happens to include the original characters and setting of Void Rivals.

In this fourteenth issue, Darak and Solila continue their separate journeys and come closer to learning the secrets behind the conspiracy that keeps their peoples apart. Also, the Skuxxoid continues being depressed and Hot Rod shows up on the trail of his buddy Springer!

Depressed Skuxxoid, eh?

Yeah, what’s the deal with that? What is Kirkman doing with this character? It was cool he was in here at first, but we’re fourteen issues in and I’m unsure exactly how the Skuxxoid’s subplot is tying in with our larger plot.

Speaking of, the larger plot squeaks forward a tiny bit here, but the decompression is a bit evident here. Even as Darak confronts his father about the revelations he’s been privy to, we only get a half-answer and then Hot Rod shows up so that’s another distraction from the conspiracy. It’s only the second part of this arc (safely assuming we’re doing six issue arcs) but I am getting a little antsy with these loose threads.

If the plot is meandering, but what about the characters?

Solila and Darak get to touch base a bit in a neat scene that shows how they still interact despite their separation. I’m also excited for Darak and Hot Rod to interact and for that to lead to Hot Rod and Springer’s reunion. Pythona’s here for one scene too to confirm… she’s on her way to the plot!

I wish I had more to say, but this is just that kinda issue, I guess. Oh, Darak gets a new Handroid at least.

Cube?

I might be losing a tiny bit of interest here, but only because we’re at the beginning of a new arc and that’s where Kirkman’s decompressed storytelling hits the worst. It doesn’t help that there’s at least four or more different viewpoints to be following here, but when the focus is on Darak and Solila, the book is at its strongest.


Buy Void Rivals # 14 this week and help provide for the Skuxxoid’s wife and kids.









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