Voltron: Defender of the Universe #5
Voltron: Defender of the Universe #5 (September 2003) is the concluding chapter of the 'Revelations' arc — the first modern reboot of the 1984 animated series and only the second official Voltron comic run in history, following Charlton/Modern Comics' brief 1985 adaptation. As the finale of the five-issue Image/Devil's Due mini-series, it delivers the payoff moment the entire arc was building toward: the full formation of Voltron in response to a Robeast assault on Planet Arus, establishing the template for how future licensed Voltron comics — including Dynamite's later series — would treat the combinatory event as a dramatic, earned climax rather than a routine battle tactic. The series as a whole, of which this issue is the capstone, proved influential enough that successor animated properties drew directly from Dan Jolley's character surnames and world-building details.
"Revelations Part Five of Five" delivers the thrilling climax of a pivotal arc in Voltron: Defender of the Universe, as the remaining lions unite in a desperate stand against the Robeast—joined by Allura in the Blue Lion, piloting in Sven’s place. With the team’s bond tested and the Castle of Lions pulsing with renewed purpose, Keith faces the uncertain path ahead, realizing that home might not be a place, but a feeling. Written by Dan Jolley and brought to life by Mike Norton’s dynamic art, with contributions from Clint Hilinski, Tim Seeley, Clayton Brown, Brett R. Smith, and Dreamer Design, the issue’s cover by Mike Norton and Clayton Brown captures the moment’s intensity.
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Devil's Due Publishing acquired the Voltron comic license from World Event Productions in 2002 and, lacking its own distribution infrastructure at launch, partnered with Image Comics to bring the mini-series to market. The series was written by Dan Jolley with pencils shared by Mike Norton and Clint Hilinski, inks by Clayton Brown, and a cover on issue #5 by Mike Norton. The 'Revelations' arc (issues #1–5, May–September 2003) was preceded by a #0 prologue issue co-produced with Dreamwave Productions; issue #5 shipped the week of September 24, 2003, and wrapped the arc just before Devil's Due transitioned to self-publishing a follow-on ongoing series. The five-issue run was later collected as the Voltron Volume 1: Revelations trade paperback, and the complete mini-series was additionally adapted as a motion comic DVD by Eagle One Media in 2007.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Issue #5 is the final chapter ('Revelations, Part 5') of the five-issue Devil's Due/Image Comics mini-series — the first reboot of the Voltron franchise in comic form since the 1985 Charlton/Modern Comics adaptation.
- Written by Dan Jolley; pencils by Mike Norton and Clint Hilinski; inks by Clayton Brown; cover by Mike Norton. Published by Image Comics on behalf of Devil's Due Publishing, September 24, 2003.
- The issue's central dramatic event is the first full formation and deployment of Voltron in this continuity — the five pilots (Keith Kogane, Lance McClain, Hunk Garrett, Pidge Stoker, and a sidelined Sven Holgersson) must resurrect the robot to defeat a Robeast unleashed by Prince Lotor, concluding the arc's central question of whether the team can unite the lions under pressure.
- The Devil's Due reboot gave each pilot a full surname and backstory for the first time in any Voltron media: Keith Kogane, Lance McClain, Hunk Garrett, Pidge Stoker, and Sven Holgersson — surnames that subsequent licensed holders (Dynamite) and the Voltron Force animated series drew from directly.
- The concept of pilots psychically 'bonding' with their lions — rather than simply piloting them — was introduced in this Devil's Due series and represents a meaningful creative addition to the franchise's lore.
- Sven Holgersson's arc across the mini-series is notably darker than his cartoon counterpart: he is incapacitated before the climax of issue #5, and in this continuity never gets the chance to form Voltron or wear his classic uniform — a deliberate narrative choice by Jolley.
- The full 'Revelations' mini-series (#0–5) was collected in the Voltron Volume 1: Revelations trade paperback (ISBN 9781932796001) and later incorporated into the Voltron Omnibus hardcover, which also published a previously unprinted issue #12 to resolve dangling storylines from the subsequent ongoing series.
- The mini-series was adapted as the motion comic Voltron: Defenders of the Universe — REVELATIONS (Eagle One Media, 2007 DVD), one of the earliest examples of a Devil's Due property receiving a dedicated motion-comic treatment.
Cast · 16 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
The four remaining lions battle the Robeast, joined soon by Allura piloting the Blue Lions in Sven's stead. With the lions reunited, they are able to form Voltron once more and defeat the Robeast. With the threat averted, Keith ponders the team's next moves, unsure of what the future holds but feeling that the Castle of Lions feels like home.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).