Void Rivals #25: Nothing is Alright at Home

Void Rivals #25 kicks off the six-part Quintesson War storyline that the series has been building toward since its first issue. Just as the unity-caused annihilation was seemingly stopped, the Quintesson forces arrive to force the return of Goliant while the Zertonians and Aggorians are at their least prepared. All the while, series leads Darak and Solila are more separated than ever, with Solila taking the side of Zerta Trion in the last arc, vying for unity despite Darak revealing that it would mean the end of both of their civilizations.

One of the biggest issues with the series so far has been the very long, drawn-out decompressed storytelling that has made some of the previous arcs feel as though they drag endlessly. With much of that buildup leading to this moment, there was hope that this story would be more focused. However, this first issue is still plagued by many of the same problems. The first half of the issue alone centers on a fight between Zalilak and Proximus over how the events of the last arc were handled by the Zertonians. There is no doubt that the fight looks fantastic, especially under the pencils of Andrei Bressan, but it takes up so much space in the issue without building the story in a meaningful enough way to justify the page count.

The real crux of the issue is establishing where the two factions of the Sacred Ring currently stand socially and economically after the end of the last arc. It almost feels like this could have been summarized in a few pages rather than taking up the entire issue, especially considering that this arc is only six issues long. While a significant amount of buildup is necessary to set the stage for where the story is headed and how each character fits into it, the creative team seems caught between creating a jumping-on point for new readers and catering to long-standing fans. Unfortunately, this balancing act misses the mark, resulting in an opening chapter that feels less fulfilling and less effective at generating excitement for what is meant to be a major event.

While the plot and content of the issue leave a lot to be desired, the art is undeniably top-notch. Andrei Bressan, who previously worked on several G.I. Joe books from this same publishing line, delivers some truly impressive pages here. Even when certain story beats or action sequences feel unnecessary, they are executed with a high level of professionalism and visual flair. A shout-out also goes to colorist Patricio Delpeche, who does an excellent job distinguishing the two regions of the Sacred Ring through unique color palettes, giving each area a strong and distinct visual identity.