Negative Space #3 is the penultimate installment of writer Ryan K. Lindsay and artist Owen Gieni’s darkly humorous sci-fi miniseries. Has it been worth waiting since the last issue came out way back in October? Is it good?
Negative Space #3 (Dark Horse Comics)
I’m going to keep this short, partly because I don’t want to give too much away, and partly because as much as I thought that I couldn’t run out of good things to say about this series, my reviews for Negative Space #1 and Negative Space #2 pretty much covered the basics: beautiful art, a killer premise, authentic emotional weight, and that wonderful feeling that comes from reading a comic in which you truly feel that the creators are expressing themselves. I want to save some kind words for the final issue, which I am confident will blow me away.
This issue features protagonist Guy teaming up with his strange new ally and taking the fight directly to the enemy, literally battling his depression. What’s brilliant about it is that, while Guy does have an epiphany of sorts, he doesn’t find some sort of “secret weapon” against depression that solves everything. He finds a new source of strength within himself, yes, but it’s a bittersweet kind of strength that continues to show how well Ryan K. Lindsay understands depression, despite not being depressed himself.
There’s one moment in particular that clearly comes from a deeply personal place for Lindsay. Check out my interview with him after you read the issue (because reading it beforehand may lead to a bit of a spoiler) to see what I’m talking about—I swear that this is more than just shameless self-promotion.
Once again, artist Owen Gieni is firing on all cylinders, proving to be just as adept at gut-wrenching emotion as he is with sci-fi weirdness. It’s a miracle that this guy is working in comics, let alone doing interior work.
I never would have suspected that a comic that takes depression so seriously would make me this happy. I’m also happy that I don’t have to wait three months next time for the next issue. Negative Space #4 comes out on February 24th—just three days after my birthday—and I guarantee you that I’ll be reading it as soon as I can get my hands on it.
Is It Good?
Sweet, smart, and darkly humorous, Negative Space remains an under-the-radar gem.
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