Void Rivals is one of the best comics I've read in recent years. I was a little late to the party and only picked up the Vol 1 TPB this time last year, just as the Vol 2 TPB was being released. I had read the Cobra Commander TPB a few months before and was thoroughly impressed by the art and story. The way they tied in so much great 80's G.I.Joe lore and told an engaging origin story with that modern Image Comics edge just blew my mind. The Transformers crossover was a surprise to me as well. I decided to dive deep into this new Energon Universe created by Robert Kirkman and Skybound for Image comics. This universe merges the Transformers and G.I.Joe properties while also including original titles, like their inaugural release Void Rivals. The story starts out with two lone representatives of warring worlds, Solila the Zerkonian and Darak the Agorrian, crash landing on a rocky planet (or moon, asteroid, or comet? It's desolate and barren and far from home) while each attempting to capture a
passing comet for the ice and water resources desperately needed for both their worlds' survival. They immediately try to kill each other but soon realize they need each other's skills, cooperation, and ship parts in order to survive and return home. Also, they find the wreckage of the Transformer Jetfire who has been laying half-buried and dormant for ages. The story reminds me of the flashback sequences in Saga where Alana and Marko slowly overcome their biases and find common ground. All the added Transformers and G.I.Joe lore is just icing on the cake. This SDCC-exclusive boxset was a very exciting announcement for me.
I unfortunately kept Jetfire in the box for resale, so this review is only for Solila and Darak.
Two fun facts: Jetfire is a Robotech Macross VF-1S Super Valkyrie, altered slightly for copyright reasons. And apparently the rights for M.A.S.K. and Visionaries are included in the Energon Universe licensing. I don't believe either have been included yet, but that would be a lot of fun in the future.
This SDCC-Exclusive set is large and contains the Solila & Darak figures, as well as a huge Transformers Jetfire figure and an exclusive comic book. The Solila & Darak figure come packaged in their own small blister card within the larger box.
An unmentioned fourth character in this boxset is Handroid, Darak's red left glove which is an autonomous AI partner. Handroid can drag Darak's limp body across a desert and run constant diagnostic scenarios. He is a very significant contributor to the story dialogue.
I didn't know for certain that Solila's helmet was damaged until I got this toy. I feel like the comic never really shows a close-up of the base where her second "ear" should be. I originally thought it was just an interesting design decision, but when we meet other Zerkonians and they all have symmetrical designs, I began to wonder if she just lost an ear in the initial crash. The sculpted cracks on this toy prove that to me now.
Accessories for the figures include Darak's hand blaster and Solila's spear.
They also each come with a figure stand.
No specific story spoilers, but Pythona is featured on at least five Void Rivals covers so far.
Time for a Comparison Pic!
Here are the Void Rivals, Solila the Zerkonian and Darak the Agorrian together.
Cheers!
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