Writing a Voltron series adults will find interesting is no easy task. When most think of Voltron, images of a giant robot with a sword that can break into small fighting mechanical lions comes to mind. There’s nothing deep to Voltron, it’s bang ‘em up, smash ‘em up action and fun. Dynamite Comics and writer Brandon Thomas have spent twelve issues setting that idea on its ear and have succeeded beautifully. Voltron #12, the end of the 10 Lions Arc, is setting up for dark days ahead.
The centerpiece of issue #12 is a resignation letter from Hunk to Commander Keith. Burnt out, disillusioned and wanting to stay home with his pregnant wife, Hunk is allowing himself one more mission before leaving the team for good. Surrounding the writing of this letter is a layered story building on everything from multiple Voltrons to political intrigue. Commander Keith knows something is coming, something even worse than Zarkon’s son Lotor. A terror known only as the third sphere is approaching to destroy everything in its wake. Already, invisible assassins from the sphere have tried unsuccessfully to kill Keith.
So much is brought to light here. Zura, child of the inner circle kingdom, shows that she has more knowledge about the third sphere than she’s let on. The truth about Sven comes to light. Sigis – the sentient being living within the Voltron lions – is involved, and the truth of Lotor’s plan is brought to light. The end of issue #12 simultaneously brings together story elements ending one arc that also set up a new one. Thomas’s gift for storytelling is phenomenal. He absolutely draws you in to his story and, while keeping it complex, never allows Voltron to become convoluted.
What allows Voltron to mature here is Dynamite and Thomas’s belief that adult readers will be continuous readers. Instead of attempting to cram things into one issue, Voltron arcs are allowed to breathe through multiple books. If you haven’t read the earlier books, issue #12 will be confusing, and I find that refreshing. Thomas has such a way with structure that he can have one thread start in issue #6 that isn’t brought back until issue #12 and it always works. You have to pay attention here and, if you do, Thomas creates a world that you get completely sucked into.
N. Steve Harris’s art is the only downside to Voltron. It’s not awful, but it defines the idea of hit and miss. Harris is solid with technology. His pencils of the Voltrons, the space stations, and the architecture of this world are all wonderful. His problem comes in with characters. At times, his faces look deformed and often underdeveloped. He has better luck drawing alien features than humans, but even they seem unimpressive and off. If this was standard Dynamite fare, I wouldn’t be so critical but a book written as well as Voltron deserves more consistent art.
Taking aspects of the Voltron we all know and love, Brandon Thomas has reinvented the entire series and excelled in making it brilliant.
(5 Story, 2.5 Art)
