Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici launched the Energon universe with Void Rivals, the first space adventure in this universe with original characters.
Hollow Rivals is one of the most anticipated works of the year, the demand for comics, as published in the United States, is growing, but this is due to several factors under the control of the great minds behind such a project. Unlike the American publication in Spain, we had some difficulty discovering many of the details hidden by Kirkman and de Felici, but this did not prevent the work from being enthusiastically received and from achieving the expectations of this duo. .
The downside is that if multiple sequels were released and the rest of the Energon Universe series were also released before they arrived in Spain, we knew more or less what this new series was going to tell us. But Kirkman was impressed with the interesting story that serves to establish the rules of this new universe, even in Kirkman’s new creation, where the characters of Transformers and GI Joe coexist, and the opportunity to see other Hasbro franchises.
Emergence of the Energon universe
This universe and its origin is so unexpected and felt like it will happen overnight, but in fact Robert Kirkman is partly responsible for making this plan seem unexpected and daring. IDW lost the license to Transformers and G-Joe in early 2022, and a few months before Skyborne was rumored to be willing to buy the license after several talks with Hasbro. The surprise came when Kirkman announced that he had started a new project with Lorenzo De Felice.
That’s how the Energon universe was created and Robert Kirkman Skyborn made sure he had the Transformers and GI Joe license, very little marketing and everything from word of mouth to the new Transformers series and a short series of GI characters. Kirkman took a huge risk in publishing this universe, especially considering that the first series, due to its title and generality, gave no hint that it could be part of something bigger, and it has. It has managed to gain the attention of many readers, both for Void Rivals and all the sequels that come out.
We should also add that the creative teams of the series are top-notch with Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer on Transformers (of which we will have a review soon), Joshua Williamson with Tom Riley for Duke Mini (in September). With Andrea Milana in Cobra Commander (November), Kelly Thompson and Marco Ferrari in Scarlett mini (December) and finally, for now, Dan Watters and Andre Bressan with Destro (for February 2025). Thus, this incredible universe is one of Moztros’s most important acquisitions, with the universe fully expanded and making the publisher one of the most important in their catalog.
The Void by Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felice Space Opera Rivals
A lot has already been said about Void Rivals, but it’s important to note the ease with which Kirkman engages readers with new stories and the two main characters that interest them from the very beginning. In this case, a more neutral narrative is chosen, good or bad, both characters come from different opposing civilizations, but the main thing in the work is the cooperation of both to find out the secret that caused the war between their two species and, above all, their differences, on a desert planet that leads to death You will find a way to survive.
Since we are talking about the Energon universe and I emphasize the importance of neutrality as far as we all know, the two main franchises that make up this universe, Transformers and G.I. Joe, have very different good and bad guys, so the amazing Kirkman plays on a gray scale, betrayals, alliances and unexpected movements between both civilizations. It makes us want to know more about what’s going on and for now it’s focused on pointing out who the good guys and bad guys are. A real achievement on the part of Kirkman, who breathes life into the aforementioned franchises and also dares to create new characters.
This mind was joined in the painting by Lorenzo de Felici, who had previously worked on the Oblivion song, and De Felici’s art is full of very characteristic designs. Darak and Solilla are well characterized and convey their thinking and the culture of their civilization perfectly in their design. We also have to highlight the colors of Patricio Delpech and Matthias Lopes, who fill the space with life and set off Kirkman’s excellent narration and De Felici’s painting.
About the Moztros edition, we have to emphasize the good finish and the cover with that special light, which gives the work a special touch, but one of its weak points is the lack of cover for the rest of the cases. Alternative covers that can be a very special addition to accompany a work based on such a visual idea and therefore better justify its value. It doesn’t seem like an expensive edition for six issues, but it may have a small list with readers who prefer Kirkman’s work to enter the Energon universe.