Energon Universe - ongoing Transformers and G.I. Joe comics from Skybound

ZakuConvoy

Well-known member
Citizen
Void Rivals #21 is out!

It's another solid issue. We're setting things up again, but the payoff seems like it'll be much faster this time around. There is a conflict that seems to be coming to a head.

I'm enjoying it well enough. It's still slow at times, but it's MUCH improved from where it started. We get some solid action this issue.

And so "Scar" Skuxxoid learns that it's not so easy to live with yourself...literally. A fight breaks out amongst all the buds. I guess the robots are the Skuxxoidzes' babysitters? Because they're watching them all with their camera heads. I do like there's the threat of "The Divider" hanging over their heads.

Would-Be-King Proximus has a showdown with Returned-From-Training-King Zalilak. Honest, it's a bit weird that they both have almost the same design, with their triangle-hats. They're basically recolors of each other. I never noticed that before. Anyway, Zalilak literally has the power of GOD on his side, so he wins. And Zerta's power allows him to do a mind-whammy on Proximus, reprogramming him. Hmm...another take on "Til all are one" again. "Unity" has a bit of different meaning, depending on who you ask, it seems. Zalilak orders a attack on the Agorrians!

Anyway, Solila's staying at Darak's place because his dad can't stop her, now that she's got Zerta-power on her side.

I do like that they end up swapping their Red and Blue Handroids for each other, because they prefer each other's personalities. But, if this was a gimmick in a toyline? It'd be a little lame. I don't know, you need to do a little more than be able to swap out hand-colors for each other to make for a fun play gimmick.

Hot Rod thinks Solila is rude. Hot Rod is mostly correct. That's right, Hot Rod's never actually met Solila before. Huh. Weird. She has been in the center of the planet for a while.

Meanwhile, Scar gets summoned to see Skuxxoid Alpha after beating all his clone-brothers. And...we don't find out what Alpha wanted this issue. Hmm...he probably wants Scar to train the rest of this troops, since Scar beat a dozen of his own clones. Scar seems to be the best fighter out of the bunch. Maybe because he's actually been out adventuring in the universe instead of staying on this planet this whole time. Different branches of Skuxxoid seem to have different strengths, I guess? I wonder if that's going to get used, later? Exposing different Skuxxoid to different environments in order to create "mutant" Skuxxoids adapted to that environment? Man...I shouldn't be giving Kirkman ideas, I guess.

The Zertonians attack! And Darak gets a whole squadron of space fighters to command in the counterattack. It's all very "Rogue Squadron". They even get names/call signs...AND their own Handroid colors! Gamut (purple), Krint (green), Manzo (pink), and Garad (orange). With Solila having Blue, and Darak having Red, for those trying to keep track at home. Will they ever become full fleshed out, three-dimensional characters? Or will they just fade into the background or be used as cannon fodder? Time will tell!

"I do like how the little guys fall out of the ship on those energy gliders after you smash it...It's a nice moment of "Don't worry, I'm okay."" Oh MAN! Hot Rod's going to LOVE meeting GI Joe, then!

Now it's time for Proximus versus Springer Round TWO! FIGHT! Which is the cliffhanger for the issue.

They keep hyping up the Quintesson War in the recap page. But, it seems like it's still a ways off, since it probably won't start until the next arc, at the earliest.
 

Swerve

Life of the Party
Citizen
Two great moments from this issue of Void Rivals.
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Swerve

Life of the Party
Citizen
So....doesn't seem like any major reveals at Comiccon.....no announcement of a cartoon series.....no major plot reveals ...no Void Rivals toyline other than the exclusive....all the panel information was stuff we already knew (unless there is more that just hasn't shown up online).....I guess the only surprise was
Bulkhead is showing up in Energon Universe.
 

LBD "Nytetrayn"

Broke the Matrix
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
From the front page:


Nifty little trailer there, if nothing else is new.
 

Swerve

Life of the Party
Citizen
Yep...it is a nice trailer...but it would be nice to have had some BIG surprise. Wonder what was in the ashcan they gave out.
 

ZakuConvoy

Well-known member
Citizen
I guess the biggest surprise about all this is...none of these "wars" are actually crossovers.

It seems like we're just going to have 3 separate wars going on in each of the main books, without any of them actually being a big crossover event that unites the entire line. I really thought they'd take this opportunity to finally bring these books a little closer together. But, no. Not yet.

They are being REALLY patient getting to the crossover we all expect is coming. So much so that it's a little annoying, frankly. I'm not even sure if I really want or need a crossover. But, it feels so obvious and inevitable that it just feels anticlimactic when we don't do that. I'm glad they're giving these books time to grow on their own terms. But, it just feels a little weird, I don't know. Years worth of reading comics have conditioned me to expect a crossover every so often. And we are getting that a bit, on a individual book basis. But, not a big, multi-part story. And it just...bothers me, when I know it shouldn't.
 

Swerve

Life of the Party
Citizen
I can see some crossover with Void Rivals and Transformers and some with GI Joe and Transformers almost needed, but hard to see a general GI Joe and Void Rivals combo as the Joe Team is still firmly entrenched on earth. But the Joes have to be getting involved with Transformers considering where there at. There is no way that giant robots are not public knowledge at this point.
 

Shadewing

Well-known member
Citizen
I can see some crossover with Void Rivals and Transformers and some with GI Joe and Transformers almost needed, but hard to see a general GI Joe and Void Rivals combo as the Joe Team is still firmly entrenched on earth. But the Joes have to be getting involved with Transformers considering where there at. There is no way that giant robots are not public knowledge at this point.

I feel like Joe/TF crossover wont be till "phase 2" ie Robert Kirkman's run. Since We have the big fight happening and the start of Kirkman's run mentioning major changes. To me that feels like when TFs are gonna start being more public knowledge. I also feel like GIJoe isn't 100% at the same timeframe the TF comic is, like its a couple weeks or months behind with In-Universe events.
 

LBD "Nytetrayn"

Broke the Matrix
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
Yep...it is a nice trailer...but it would be nice to have had some BIG surprise. Wonder what was in the ashcan they gave out.
The ashes from the mythical cut of the '86 movie where Optimus's faded body crumbles as such.
 


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