Void Rivals #1: More Than Meets The Eye

Void Rivals is a brand new series/shared universe that explores two members of warring space factions. The ideas are grandiose, the universe is wildly expansive, and the lore is steeped and profound; yet this could not be a more grounded and personal tale. This introductory issue follows Darak, a member of one side of a giant space-faring war, who has crash-landed on a planet in the midst of battle. He soon finds Solila, a member of the opposing faction, and they are forced to work together to find a way back to their respective homes.

Robert Kirkman is no stranger to personal tales, as evident in his stories featured in The Walking Dead and Invincible. He loves to take these grandiose sci-fi concepts and use them as backdrops for intense character drama. Void Rivals fits that perfectly into that area, with Kirkman wasting no time on exposition and world-building. The conversations between Darak and Solila help build the world alone, with their interpersonal drama carrying the actual weight of the story. At the end of the day, this is a tale about how ironic war can be. Darak and Solila are bred and raised to believe that they are the superior faction, as they follow strange and intense laws that push their separation in identity. As the issue progresses it is revealed that they have more in common than not, all the way down to their physical appearances.

It would be wrong to not address the elephant in the room: This series sets up the Energon Universe, an interconnected universe between Void Rivals, Transformers, and GI Joe. While a Transformer only makes a brief appearance in this issue, seeing the beginnings of this interconnected universe still will touch the hearts of longtime Hasbro fans. The appearance from the Transformer is beautifully drawn by Lorenzo De Felici and sets up a bigger mystery that is just as enticing as the character drama that this issue is built upon.

Felici’s art here is gorgeous. From the opening pages, he draws this barren planet with a fantastic view of the endless void of space as a backdrop. The character designs are simple, yet they work profoundly when put up against this desolate wasteland. A lot of cosmic stories tend to blend with similar designs and concepts, but Felici can do something unique here with some fantastic line work. Even the emptiness of space is drawn with the utmost care, making each panel look like a potential poster to hang up in a studio. The series promises to expand past this planet so the sky’s the limit for what Felici is going to do with this series.

Matheus Lopez does the coloring in this issue, and his work is just as profound as Felici’s pencils. Lopez is tasked with bringing colorful life to an otherwise barren planet and does so in stride. The planet comes to life due to the vibrant colors Lopez puts into the characters and their vehicles. This also helps push the emphasis on characters as Kirkman makes sure the story focuses on them rather than the greater universe.

Finally, Rus Wooton covers the letters, tying this fantastic issue together. Wooton is tasked with making an interpersonal drama not appear too dull, which is no small task. Thankfully, Wooton brings life into the bits of dialogue and keeps the focus on the art to tell the story. This seamlessly brings the character introductions and worldbuilding together in a fantastic manner, making this issue near-perfect in execution.