Void Rivals #20: Skuxxoid On The Run

Void Rivals #20 picks up with the ramifications of Void Rivals #18 and Void Rivals #19, showing the aftermath of both Solila’s new quest at the hands of Zerta and what is to become of Skuxxoid after he learned who he truly is. Whereas much of this series has been ripe with extreme decompressed storytelling, Void Rivals #20 feels like its own, well rounded issue that tells a full and complete narrative, within the greater narrative of the series. Additionally, Conor Hughes continues to showcase art that continues to uphold the standard set by Lorenzo De Felici.

Much like the rest of this series, Void Rivals #20 picks up with prior events in a very sequential format. This may mean that lapsed fans will need to do some homework prior to picking up the issue, although that homework will really just be picking up where you last last off in the narrative. Those willing to go back and reread the last couple of issues leading up to Void Rivals #20 will definitely feel like this story reads so well as one sequential narrative. That is not to say that this issue is not satisfying itself, but this story is going to flow so well when it is eventually connected all together.

The main crux of this issue is that Solila’s return is not very welcome for Darak and his father, seeing as though they both now know Zerta’s true plan. As it turns out, Solila may not be fully aware of the potential ramifications of unity, with Darak presupposing that unity may cause the Sacred Ring and all its inhabitants to be destroyed. This adds another layer to the narrative that makes for an intriguing plot, which hopefully will lead to a spiced up arc for these characters.

On the b-plot end of things is Skuxxoid’s narrative which sees him going through some sort of cleansing process after learning that all Skuxxoids are just copies of the original, Skuxxoid Alpha. The Skuxxoid story has always been kind of odd, with his occasional run ins with the core cast being few and far between, and his story mainly just separately occurring in the background. Surely, they will all come together again at some point, but for now, there is this lingering plot in the background that is fun, enjoyable, and a great palette cleanser for the sometimes plot heavy dialogue dumps.