Void Rivals issue 2

« Void Rivals #2 »
Looks like the Void Rivals are learning about teamwork.
Publisher	Image Comics Skybound Entertainment
First published	July 19, 2023
Cover date	July 2023
Written by	Robert Kirkman
Art by	Lorenzo De Felici
Colors by	Matheus Lopes
Letters by	Rus Wooton
Editor	Sean Mackiewicz
Continuity	Energon Universe

Having discovered the truth, Darak and Solila are more determined than ever to return to the Sacred Ring. But what awaits them on their journey?

Synopsis

Director Elander briefs Darak on his next assignment: a comet is approaching the Sacred Ring, composed of four thousand tons of ice to add to the Agorrian reserves, especially since the Zertonians are currently having to ration water. Their meeting is interrupted by the arrival of Darak's father, Minister Dulin. Dulin gives his son a cold warning that if his mission is unsuccessful, he should not return to the Ring. Darak climbs into his Jump Jet and prepares for takeoff, ordering his Handroid to revive him once they are beyond the Ring's event horizon.

As the ship emerges into space, Darak experiences a vision and voice telling how the Sacred Ring came to be: when their sun began to collapse, two warring planets came together and, over the course of thousands of years, built the Ring to contain the resulting black hole, the people of each planet living on one half. Unfortunately, over the centuries, their tenuous peace broke down and the conflict between the Agorrians and Zertonians resumed, escalating as resources became more scarce and each side forgot their shared origins. However, the two sides will have to reunite soon. Goliant is coming.

Solila believes the voice Darak heard was that of Zerta, though he assures her Agorrians don't share the Zertonian's superstitious beliefs. Recognizing that their peoples' war is built on lies, Solila resolves to work with Darak to get off the planetoid, return to the Sacred Ring, and discover the truth. The pair begin to salvage what remains from their initial patchwork ship. They work tirelessly over the next twenty days constructing a crude, makeshift shuttle. Darak thanks Solila; she breaks down. She's spent her entire life training to kill Agorrians. Now, she's not only failed her mission to recover the comet but is trying to save the life of her enemy. Darak comforts her by assuring her that they're likely to die long before they ever reach the Sacred Ring. Amused, the pair climb into the shuttle and take off. Solila activates her transponder, hoping to get a signal out to either side as they venture into the depths of space.

Days pass. Handroid tells the pair that, at their current speed, they should reach the Sacred Ring in 12.4 years. Solila detects an asteroid moving towards them. Darak takes evasive action, but the asteroid begins to follow them. Robotic arms emerge from the asteroid and grab the shuttle, pulling it inside. Darak and Solila exit their shuttle with weapons drawn, finding themselves in some kind of spaceship. Solila marvels at the ingenuity of melding a spacecraft with an asteroid, a compliment appreciated by their captor — Skuxxoid!

Featured characters

Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Agorrians	Zertonians	Others
Darak (1) Elander (3) Dulin (4)	Solila (5)	Handroid (2) Skuxxoid (6)

Quotes

"Darak, in a matter of moments, you will launch as the greatest Agorrian pilot in history. That is the only thing that has spared you from my wrath. Return with the same sterling reputation... or do not return at all."

—Dulin, going for a Father of the Year award.

"I was kidding about us starving, by the way. We'll suffocate long before that."

—Darak's words of reassurance.

Solila: "How much charge does your blaster have?"
Darak: "Maybe they're not hostile? Let's start with 'Hello' or 'Have you any food?'"
Handroid: "I think I'm with the Zertonian on this one."

Notes

Continuity notes

• Darak's vision gives us our first glimpse into the history of the Sacred Ring and how the war between the Agorrians and Zertonians began.

Transformers references

• The Skuxxoids and their Rockeroid ships first appeared in the Generation 1 cartoon episode, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1".

Errors

• In the penultimate panel of the penultimate page, "ingenious" is misspelled "ingenius."
• On the final page, "possess" is misspelled "posses."

Other trivia

• Darak and Solila's vessels are identified for the first time in this issue: Darak's Jump Jet and Solila's Star Wing.

Covers (9)

• Cover A: Darak works on his ship, by Lorenzo De Felici.
• Cover B: Darak and Solila sit pouting, by Nick Robles.
• Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive): Darak and Solila grapple, by Mindy Lee.
• Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive): Darak emerges from his wreckage, by Karen S. Darboe.
• Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive): Darak, by Tula Lotay.
• Second Printing Variant Cover: Skuxxoid, by Jason Howard.
• Third Printing Variant Cover: Skuxxoid and his captives, by Flaviano Armentaro.
• Fourth Printing Variant Cover: by Elizabeth Torque and Patricio Delpeche.
• Fifth Printing Variant Cover: by Jahnoy Lindsay.

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Advertisements

• Kroma, by Lorenzo de Felici
• Clementine: Book Two
• Dark Ride
• Arcade Kings
• I Hate This Place
• Everyday Hero Machine Boy
• Ultramega
• The Energon Universe continues in Void Rivals #3

Reprints

• Void Rivals Volume 1: More Than Meets The Eye (February 21, 2024) ISBN 153439818X / ISBN 978-1534398184
  • Collects issues #1–6.
  • Trade paperback format.

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  Volume 1: More Than Meets The Eye – cover art by Lorenzo De Felici