War of the Void Rivals!
War continues, here in issue # 22 of Void Rivals! Void Rivals is Robert Kirkman’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.
New ongoing artist Conor Hughes has joined Kirkman and colorist Patricio Delpeche as Agorria and Zertonia go to war in this issue! Hot Rod and Springer are caught in the middle as the Agorrians and Zertonians clash in earnest. Is Unity forever lost, or is it closer than ever?
So, big fight.
YUP! This is a big fight scene issue as the Zertonians attack Agorria and all our main characters are consumed in conflict! You’ve got Darak leading a squadron of space fighters in the sky as Solila fights Proximus hand-to-hand. And meanwhile, Hot Rod and Springer have to wonder what they’ve gotten into here as they aid their allies as best as they can.
There’s a lot of exciting action here and it’s rendered so kinetically by Conor Hughes, who has really infused this book with all the more life. Not that it was lifeless before, but Hughes just captures the animated vibe that Kirkman’s script demands and does it with style. The scale of the battle is never lost either, even as the plot focuses up on Solila and Proximus’ duel. Every wide shot really makes you appreciate the utter chaos going on.
So, any room for a breath?
Well, of course we dip out a few times to catch up on our other plot threads. Pythona and her Cobra-La cronies and of course, the Skuxxoid each have some pages dedicated to them. I’m curious to see how their subplots will dovetail into the main action in the future, but here they are just eyes in a storm that culminates with a significant cliffhanger.
Cube?
I’d assume this arc wraps in # 24, so whatever Kirkman is planning, it will reach some kind of a climax soon. With him taking over the Transformers book too, I wonder if it’ll be too long before Void Rivals and that book cross-over more emphatically. As it is, I’m really enjoying this current arc and as I stated, Conor Hughes’ art has really upped the game.
Buy Void Rivals # 22 this week and prepare for UNITY.
