Lion Forge 2018
Written by Mitch Iverson
Illustrated by Rubine
Coloured by Beni Lobel
Lettered & Assembled by AndWorld Design
The Galra have long held a number of slave planets in their grasp, and the Paladins have devised a plan to free them. To do this, Allura must first find a way to infiltrate SPRAWL, a group of closely guarded planets that are mined for many of the Galra's construction materials. Cutting off these resources is the first step toward bringing down the Galra. But the key to successfully finding a way in is to break the bond of the mysterious force that holds these planets together.
First off I love the fact that Netflix and Dreamworks brought this series back to life. This is the perfect example of a redo when it comes to a classic series that is totally updated through it’s look and the level of work done on it. These folks didn’t decide to insult their target audience and dumb it down and instead want them to move forward with this and strive to learn more and be more than they currently are. So thank you to all involved in being a part of that.
As shameful as this is I am not caught up on the show on Netflix. So I have no idea if this is following any of the seasons that have been done, namely the 3rd. However it does follow the pattern and I love that the group is continually moving forward, finding itself in positions that make them grow, learn and adapt to what being a part of all this means. That we can see that each of them have their very distinct personalities and yet we can see them changing before our eyes in ways that allow them to be themselves but also part of this team or family as the case may be.
I like the way that this is structured. There is a fantastic ebb & flow to the story and while it is done in the style of a cartoon series it works extremely well in this medium. The flow that we see is great and I am enjoying seeing how the dialogue and course of action work in concert to really make the story keep moving forward. Also I like the fact that I don’t see the course of action as one that makes sense but then again I am not Mitch so it doesn’t have to to me. While all things tend to work out for the best for the Voltron crew it takes something of an adversary to get there first and to see the one we’ve got here well I will say that it seems awfully familiar.
The interior artwork here is amazing to see. I love the attention to detail and how crisp, clean and strong the linework is. It almost feels like it’s the cartoon itself used to make the pages though I am not sure how that would be done but computer generated seems an easy bet. Still the utilisation of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a great eye for storytelling. I love the vibrancy of the colours and how being in space looks here as well making the cats own colours pop. There is also a nice use of creativity and imagination in how we see some of these other species.
I adore the fact that this series is as all ages as it is. That it doesn’t insult kids by trying to make it less than what it started as and instead makes people of all ages get involved. There are lessons to be learned regardless of where you are in life and the family that choose and the friendships that are made can lead to anyone overcoming anything life can throw at you.