Void Rivals #16

Recap
SKUXXOID vs. PYTHONA! The battle you didn't know you wanted!
Review
Void Rivals #16 picks up with Suxxoid capturing the Cobra-La ship where she is attacked by their forces, led by Pythona. Meanwhile, the story diverges from the Autobots on Darak’s planet, focusing on him discussing his discoveries with another dissenter. And, just as is par for the course with this story arc, the story shifts back to Solila as she continues her search for Zerta Trion deep within a dark cavern. Overall, this issue moves the story forward just as much as the rest of the issues in this arc, continuing to lend credence to the fact that this arc will read very well when collected; however, the events of the issue do feel subject to the very Bendis concept of decompressed storytelling.
The big event of this issue is the battle between Cobra-La and Suxxoid aboard his ship. This section is mostly devoid of non-combat related dialogue, focusing on the action as Suxxoid’s large stature and strength make him a threat to the Cobra-La forces. This section really highlights Lorenzo De Felici’s artwork, especially the choreography involved in creating a fight scene between several characters in a small area. This really does look gorgeous and makes these background characters stand out more so than they have all season. Additionally, seeing the fighting style of these opposing forces helps paint a picture of the capabilities of these different factions as The Energon Universe starts coming together more.
Going into more of the story aspects, this issue does technically move the plot forward; however, it continues to be at a snail’s pace. This really is due to the way that Robert Kirkman and Felici are choosing to tell this arc; however, there seems to be some disconnect between how drawn out these events are and how little seems to happen by the end of each issue. This is especially apparent with Solila’s story, as each issue continues to show her slowly traipse through a dark cavern until she seemingly reaches her goal here. One of the events of this issue opens with the big reveal at the end of last issue, where Solila puts the key she retrieved earlier into a computer that lights up. This issue reveals that the computer just tells her to keep going. So, there was really no point of stopping at it, was there?
Now, that being said, even though the plot moves at a snail’s pace, it is still very enjoyable. This has to be because of the excellent art and the way that Kirkman writes dialogue. If any other comic book series tried to pull this off it would be infuriating, but here it feels decent and okay. There’s not really a better way to explain it unless you read the issue yourself to see how it flows. Either way, this arc is going to read well once collected, but even though each issue drags, it still continues to be enjoyable and intriguing.
Final Thoughts
Void Rivals #16 continues to display decompressed storytelling at its most severe state, but at the same time the amazing art and fun dialogue make all the events a joy to read.
Void Rivals #16: We are ALMOST There
- Writing - 8.5/108.5/10
- Storyline - 6.5/106.5/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10