Review: Voltron #1

Brandon Thomas, Writer/Ariel Padilla, Artist/Marcello Pinto, Colors/Marshall Dillon, Letterer. Variant Cover Art by Alex Ross (what a shock!), Sean Chen, and Wagner Reis. Rated T+, so be prepared for some damns, hells, and hopefully by issue 4, Allura sideboob shots. Dynamite’s Voltron #1 opens on Earth in the year 2124. The title robot squares off against a robeast in Manhattan while the Voltron force oversees the safety of evacuees. That’s not a typo…

Keith, Lance, Hunk, Pidge and Princess Alllura are not piloting the robot. I know what you’re about to ask: Where the fuck is Sven? He’s not here. Now for your second question: Who is piloting the big V? (And by ‘the big V’ I don’t mean vagina. I mean Voltron.)

voltron01_cover4That’s one of two plot twists brought up in the latest manifestation of the robot lion version of Voltron in comic book form. The other plot twist involves the witch Haggar trying out for the role of Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter and losing to Maggie Smith.

Well, not really. The other plot twist focuses on the year 2012 where a strange man goes before the president and is asked to devise a defense system against alien attacks. I won’t reveal that plot point in case you may want to pick up the book and read it for yourself.

So is it worth reading?

The story does introduce those two mysterious twists. However, the Voltron force just stands around the entire issue. Where’s the fun in having the five space explorers just stand around? Additionally the artwork is mediocre. Fight scenes with Voltron and the robeast get downright confusing.

If you are new to the Voltron universe, you won’t have a clue about what’s happening or the knowledge to say, hmmm, interesting. If you are a seasoned Voltron fan (meaning you hate Vehicle Voltron and know about Gladiator Voltron), there will be little here to get you excited. I will continue to read this book because I’m a diehard V-fan (yeah, both Voltron and Vagina—I’m looking at you, Princess). I hope that this book improves because we deserve great Voltron stories. And I hope this pans out.

Score: 1/5

Writer: Brandon Thomas Artist: Ariel Padilla Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment