Hey folks, Crooker here once more with another Energon Universe review. Today we’re looking at Skybound’s Void Rivals #19, by Robert Kirkman and a new penciler, Conor Hughes. This is a very Transformers-centric issue, which is my bread and butter here on AIPT, so let’s take a look-see at what’s what this month.
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Skuxxoid Lives! And is… kind of a Lobo, I guess. That’s a new wrinkle. Also, Junkions! Kirkman, you do spoil me with the ’86 movie and G1 Season 3 stuff. Love to see it. But yes, this is an issue all about Skuxxoid, who has not only survived his last encounter, but has grown a new him out of the wound. Again, very Lobo. This is, as far as I remember, not a thing he did in the cartoon, or anywhere else. Given that this character has mostly been forgotten by time until Kirkman scooped him up and made him the darling boy of this book, I’d say he’s free to do whatever the hell he wants with him. Not like anybody else ever gave a damn before, might as well, right? And it’s fun, right in that G1 Transformers spirit. This might be the final straw for people who weren’t happy to see this book become more and more of a Transformers companion story though, you really can’t get more Transformers deep cut than the Skuxxoid solo story with a bunch of Junkions.
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Speaking of, the Junkions are pitch perfect here. I could really hear Eric Idle in Wreck-Gar’s dialogue, it feels perfectly in tune with how he sounded in the movie, something I think IDW never quite nailed down. Frankly, I think Void Rivals has done a really great job doing justice to a lot of the Season 3 G1 cast in places I think IDW faltered. As beloved as those incarnations are by fans, I’ve been really enjoying seeing Springer and Hot Rod in a more traditional take compared to the wild swings taken previously. Sometimes the freshest thing you can do is get back to basics. Especially when you haven’t had a back-to-basics take with this particular cast in a very long time… or ever, quite frankly. I can’t remember the last time Hot Rod was done as-is without some kind of spin put on him. Sort of encapsulates the entire vibe of the Energon Universe as a whole, in that way. But of course, the strength of these books so far is in how they take a bit of old and sprinkle in just enough new to keep people interested. And as somebody who’s also been interested in seeing the universe surrounding the Transformers as much as the Transformers themselves, Void Rivals is a constant pleasure.
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Void Rivals #19 is a good issue, as most of them tend to be. The break from the main cast after the cliffhanger last time is nail-biting, but we get to play around with some fan favorites of old with the Junkions, as well as one (sorta) new with Skuxxoid. Not a bad trade-off. That said, it does feel like a bit of a skippable one right now, since it really is here to set up a side plot and doesn’t appear to have much to do with the Sacred Ring or Goliant, at least for the time being. Skippable doesn’t mean bad though, just means it might not be a priority for you if you’re only concerned with the main plot and original characters this story. I like it, but I could see why some wouldn’t, and I’ll fully admit I do enjoy the fan service at face value. Take from that what you will.
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