VOID RIVALS #11, by Image Comics & Skybound on 7/24/24, finds everyone, from the Quintessons to Zalilka’s army, closing in on the discovery of Transformers living among them, threatening war and peace.
Credits:
- Writer: Robert Kirkman
- Artist: Lorenzo De Felici
- Colorist: Patricio Delpeche
- Letterer: Rus Wooton
- Cover Artist: Lorenzo De Felici, Patricio Delpche
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: July 24, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of VOID RIVALS #11:
First Impressions:
You have to hand it to Robert Kirkman. The man knows how to write a great adventure story with snappy dialog and meaningful action. Void Rivals #11 gives you all of that and then some, but a little wonkiness in the flow of the script keeps a very good issue from being truly great.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left Solila and Darak in issue #10, Springer sprung (heh) into action against Proximus. Darak held watch over Solila’s dying body when he discovered the mysterious key given to her by the matriarch of Zerta’s coven. Despite the difference in their sizes, Proximus held his own, but Springer eventually won out. When Springer brought Darak and Solila into his underground lab for medical attention, he recognized their forehead crystals as Energon ports. This prompted a lengthy explanation that deeply linked the Sacred Ring to Cybertron and Solila’s new quest.
In Void Rivals #11, Zalilak’s squadron approaches Spinger’s stronghold and opens fire. The battle lasts for several pages, but Springer eventually wins out with a lot of help from Solila and a little bit of help from Darak. Before Zalilak’s squad can fully retreat, Darak asks Springer to grab a fleeing soldier to give him the datapad that explains how Energon works. Even amid battle, recent events have opened Darak’s eyes to seeing his Void Rival (Get it?) as a fellow person who just needs help.
After a lengthy, entertaining battle, Kirkman gets to the heart of the issue, literally. Darak’s worldview has changed. When Solila reacts negatively to his suggestion to give away the Energon discovery, Darak’s heartfelt explanation leads her to the same conclusion. In effect, this scene is the birth of a new era for both their peoples.
The story cuts to Skuxxoid making a deal with Bosch to steal something precious. Neither realizes they’re being watched by a robot that reports everything it sees to its master.
Elsewhere, Rodimus Prime spars with a training robot aboard his ship. The ship automatically follows the trail provided by Skuxxoid in a previous issue that leads to the source of Darak and Solila’s makeshift escape pod and Jetfire. Skuxxoid’s intel is good, but Rodimus doesn’t realize his ship was spotted by a Quintesson cruiser.
Meanwhile, one of Zalilak’s men is shocked by the information on the datapad Springer gave him. He’s so engrossed in the information that he doesn’t notice a severely damaged Proximus climbing aboard one of the tanks for a ride back to their base.
At Springer’s base, Darak humbly asks for a ride back to Agorrian lands. Springer agrees, but Solila tells her allies she must part ways, but she doesn’t divulge her hidden mission to find Zerta Trion.
Overall, this is a jam-packed issue that delivers action, heart, meaningful ideas, and intriguing plot developments. That said, the sudden shift to several disparate plot threads creates a wobbly second half.
Artwork and Presentation:
De Felici and Delpeche deliver a perfectly serviceable job on this issue with clean lines, solid action, and visually interesting panels. That said, the persistent complaint about almost all the Energon titles is the lack of killer art, which also applies to this issue. The art is okay but not great.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
Void Rivals is the first title in the Energon universe, but most of the previous issues have only teased or hinted at tangential connections to anything related to the Transformers. This issue is the first time this series provides enough context to explain why this series exists as part of the Energon universe, suggesting that the Sacred Ring could be the cornerstone of a significant expansion of Transformers lore. We shall see.
Final Thoughts:
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VOID RIVALS #11 gives readers big, Transformers action, heart, and meaningful developments aplenty. The plot points in this issue could be signaling the start of a major expansion to Transformers lore. That said, multiple plot threads pop up without a smooth transition, and the art is just okay.
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