Alright, I’ll say it: Dark Empty Void #1 sucked me in with the power of the black hole the story revolves around. The issue has so much I enjoy. Being a physicist myself, the intriguing sci-fi concept immediately piqued my interest. But, I was mostly drawn in by the diverse and complex characters, who have authentic personalities and complicated relationships. It’s written by Zack Kaplan, whom I’ve been a big fan of for a few years now. The intricate and emotive images by Chris Shehan – known for his work on The Autumnal – are wonderful. Together with the colors of Francesco Segala, the art matches the mood of both the narrative and the characters perfectly. And I was completely hooked by the well-paced mystery at the center of the sci-fi thriller, trying to guess what’s actually happening even as the story builds slowly in suspense.
Dark Empty Void #1 from by Mad Cave Studios doesn’t release until September 11, but you only have until August 12 to pre-order. You can read a preview of the first 9 pages as well as a short interview with Zack Kaplan and Chris Shehan right here at AIPT.
Mad Cave Studios
Dark Empty Void is advertised as a cosmic horror series, but I didn’t find anything in this first issue particularly scary or disturbing. Instead, the physics-based concept leads to a paranormal, sci-fi mystery that enfolds in the style of a TV procedural. And I have to say, I’m happy about that – I’m not much of an Aliens or Annihilation fan, but I love The X-Files.
To summarize, in a remote, secret complex in Alaska, scientists create and contain a stable, microscopic black hole. Of course, they lose control and strangely, a teenage girl comes out. Because the girl, nicknamed Artemis, seems detached from reality, the physicists call in psychologist Joy Frank. Joy just happens to be the estranged wife of one of the project’s top researchers.
Throughout the issue, Kaplan and Shehan control the pacing to build suspense. Obviously, there’s the very real danger that the black hole will consume the earth. So, something has to be done as quickly as possible. But I felt more invested in the mystery of Artemis, the girl who came out of the black hole. Who is she really? Where did she come from? I have my theories, but I’m excited to see if I’m right or wrong.
Mad Cave Studios
The art by Shehan and Segala – who have both worked on The House of Slaughter – fits the sci-fi mystery genre perfectly. Nearly every scene carries a disquieting tone, creating a slight feeling of unease. Segala enhances this atmosphere with muted colors and plenty of shadows. Shehan illustrates characters and settings with incredibly realistic but also stylistic detail, especially the vast scientific facility filled with complex machines and equipment. The black hole itself is surrounded in a whirling vortex of orange brushstrokes. It looks both beautiful and destructive.
Turning to the writing, one of my favorite aspects of Zack Kaplan’s work is his use of symbolism. Sometimes he’s more subtle about it, but in Dark Empty Void, he just spells it right out. The black hole symbolizes depression – the dark empty void in the soul that sucks anything and everything into nothingness. How does one break free from such a powerful downward pull? And if something – or someone – does come out of that darkness, does it bring hope or destruction?
Mad Cave Studios
On top of all that, the real strength of Dark Empty Void #1 is the incredibly well-written and well-drawn characters, who give the comic a necessary human element.
This starts with the protagonist, Joy, displaying a depth not seen in many comics. Her name is ironically chosen by Kaplan. Although Joy’s a psychologist, she’s the one going through depression – at least in part due to the failure of her marriage to Colson, one of the physicists working on the microscopic black hole.
In just this one issue, we see her go through a wide range of emotional states. She’s introduced as a confident and intelligent professor. But the next scene reveals her at her lowest – alone, drunk and completely broken. She also displays the strength to pick herself up and forge ahead, bitterness in her sarcasm towards Colson and compassion in her concern for the mysterious Artemis. She’s at different times a fearless risktaker, a strong leader and a complete wreck.
Moreover, each of the other three main characters has his or her own voice and personality. Even Artemis goes through different emotions in her only scene. Shehan draws the characters like actual people, with authentic body-language and facial expressions, rather than just posed supermodels. And I enjoy the fact that the cast is diverse, but without the story having to be about diversity. They just are who they are.
The great character work reveals that Dark Empty Void is a story about people with real needs and struggles and not just a sci-fi thriller about strange things coming out of a microscopic black hole. It’s that human element that solidified my interest in the intriguing sci-fi mystery that had already sucked me into its gravitational pull.
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