By Joe Schickman, Reporter

Official Synopsis:
The climactic return to the SACRED RING! Thrown before the highest authority for their crimes against the Sacred Ring, will Darak and Solila’s newfound alliance hold strong? THE MOST SHOCKING NEW SERIES OF THE YEAR CONTINUES!

Creative Team:
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Lorenzo De Felici
Colorist: Mathues Lopes
Letterer: Rus Wooton

Since Void Rivals #1 stealth launched the Energon universe, we’ve seen our two protagonists, the Agorrian (Darak) and Zertonian (Solila), go from distrusting strangers hailing from warring planets bitterly competing for resources, to reluctant collaborators, to, well, not exactly friends, but definitely no longer intractable enemies. Through their shared dire predicament, they began to overcome their inbred hatred, even forsaking their sacred oaths and revealing their faces to each other, discovering that they look identical. Learning that they share far more similarities than differences, and that their bitter antipathy was bound in an ancient cycle of secrets and lies entangling both their peoples, they had no choice but to work together or perish. 

They faced insurmountable odds to escape the desolate planetoid they were both marooned upon, without yielding to despair even though the conditions may have warranted it. Surrounded by setbacks, they were initially unable to combine components from their respective ships into a working vessel, but displayed mercy and heroism towards each other throughout the dangers, growing the bond between them. They even managed to revive the Cybertronian Autobot, Jetfire, after potentially millions of years of inactivity, before he hastily launched for Cybertron, once again leaving them in an anguished state.

But getting home was now more than mere survival, as they alone knew of the transworld conspiracy which pitted their peoples against one another, institutionalizing hatred and hostility. After weeks spent helping each other, they persevered and were able to cannibalize pieces of their helmets and salvaged components from their ships to “MacGyver” together transport and began the very long journey back to the sacred ring which tethered their homes together. Though likely trading starving on the planetoid for starving adrift in space as their fate, their camaraderie continued to evolve and we became increasingly invested in their alliance.

Providence provided an option beyond death in the infinite void as they were soon captured by the mercenary Skuxxoid’s Rockeroid, where they faced a new set of challenges, affording them further opportunities to showcase their expanding affinity towards one another. They saved each other from monster attacks, met a Quintesson Prosecutor,  and eventually struck a deal with Skuxxoidd for a ship advanced enough to get them home in mere days rather than the years their previous one would have taken. 

Throughout all of this, we witnessed Darak and Solila become as close to friends as two rivals could. They were nearly successful in returning to their respective homes with the dangerous truth they had discovered; that they are apparently the same species. Additionally, with the revelations from Darak’s vision that their ancestors not only once worked together to create the sacred ring as a means of containing the dying star which warmed both their worlds, but that a mysterious and ominous threat looms as “The coming of Goliant is drawing near.”  The only recourse, “What once was one must become whole again… or perish.”

This all culminated in the climactic final panel of Void Rivals #3, where Solila literally shocked Darak, and figuratively us in the process, by betraying the trust we’d seen painstakingly built over weeks, and turning on him. 

This is where issue #4 begins, with Solila rerouting their bartered ship to bring her prisoner to the Zertonian leader, Premier Zalilak. Previously we saw the Agorrian’s homeworld before Darak launched his mission and met their leader, Darak’s father, Minister Dulin. We caught a glimpse into the harsh tactics employed in the adversarial interstellar conflict as the motivation to bring back thousands of tons of ice from a passing comet was more spurred by spite than true need. 

Now we get insights into the Zertonian’s homeworld, and the planetary politics which plague it. Premier Zalilak is an unquestioned authoritarian ruler of the Zertonian theocracy which worships Zerta, sitting on high to determine the fates of his people. With water rationing failing to alleviate the burden on food providers, we see the plight of the Zertonians and the pressure Solila felt over her mission’s success. Now home, her fear is palpable, not only for failing to bring back the desperately needed water, but over breaking her sacred oath and seeing the face of her Agorrian enemy. Unsure whom to trust, she reluctantly brings Darak before Premier Zalilak, while her fellow Zertonian’s decry Darak a hideous monster. She wrestles with the decision to hand over Darak after so much has transpired between them, and fears for him under the fierce handling of his Zertonian jailers, but she has little time to concern herself with Darak, as her own situation rapidly deteriorates.

There are so many gnawing questions still left unanswered about the future of our protagonists, and how this cosmos of mysteries will unravel. How will Premier Zalilak take Solila’s return without the life-giving prize she was sent for? What fate shall befall Darak in the hands of his people’s mortal enemy? Will Solila and Darak’s bond overcome generations of fear and loathing? And who can help them deconstruct a conspiracy of such magnitude? Even more threads are still weaving their way into the tapestry as we learn that we are not yet done with Skuxxoid or the Quintesson, and there are further revelations to come, among them, the Autobots’ appearance and the Descepticons’ own dire situation. 

So far, the Void Rivals series has balanced perilous dangers with a charmingly delightful story comprising a terrifying yet heartfelt journey of jeopardy and intrigue, engaging us on both the individual level as we identify with Darak and Solila’s struggles, and on a cosmic scale as we are left pondering over the massive epic being unveiled issue after issue. Robert Kirkman effortlessly interlaces mythology of multiple franchises to seamlessly create an amazing narrative that keeps readers steeped in nostalgia as they eagerly forge ahead with a novel and riveting tale. Lorenzo De Felici’s style parallels this harkening back while looking forward, as everything appears futuristic while grounded in the ancient. Mathues Lopes’ colors enhance the dual identity of the comic, with vibrancy juxtaposing muted tones, reflecting the duality of a universe stretching back eons as it ever expands.

Beautifully crafted, Void Rivals #4 adds new dynamics to our protagonists and the complexity of the worlds they occupy. In a story boasting giant transformers, intergalactic mercenaries, ancient species, and so much more, it is incredible that as a reader I am so invested in the lives of two individual characters whose names and races I didn’t even know a few weeks ago, and whose fates seem almost inconsequential given the scale and scope of what surrounds them. Yet I am at the edge of my seat to see what Void Rivals #5 has in store for us, and what will come next for Darak, Solila, and their two worlds.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Void Rivals #4 – 4 out of 5 Sacred Rings.

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