Warning! Minor Spoilers for Dark Empty Void #4!
I continually find myself pulled in by Zack Kaplan written comics, much like the gravitational pull of the microscopic black hole at the center of Dark Empty Void #4. But it’s not just the thrilling scientific premise. Kaplan excels at writing relatable, human stories driven by authentic characters and their complex relationships. Dark Empty Void #4 isn’t really about stopping an out-of-control cosmic force. And it’s not exactly about solving the mystery behind the strange creatures that emerged from it, including the teenage girl, Art. It’s actually about the complicated relationship between protagonist, Joy, and her estranged husband, Colson, as they work their way toward reconciliation.
Kaplan creates relatable characters. Joy and Colson generally want to do what’s right – for each other, for the mysterious Art, as well as for the survival of the Earth. But their tragic flaws and natural imperfections – including Joy’s struggles with depression and anxiety – make things difficult. Just like real life. I feel with them and I care for them.
Their interactions with each other feel authentic and their dialogue sounds real. Which is immensely important, considering this issue consists mainly of Joy, Art, Colson and Adube, the one last surviving military guard, talking to each other. Only when Joy monologues her thoughts to no one did the text feel a little too dramatized. But the monologues actually fit really well in the story, as the main narrative arc follows Joy reflecting on and reanalyzing her life as she deals with her depression and her feelings for Colson.
Mad Cave Studios
Of course, Kaplan’s character work profits greatly from the top notch artists he works with. And Chris Shehan in no different. Shehan draws real people acting in natural ways. Don’t get me wrong, they are basically all attractive people, just not hypersexualized supermodels in form-fitting outfits and provocative poses. Since issue #2, they spend the whole time in bulky, futuristic space suits. Accordingly, Shehan has to get a lot of characterization across through facial expressions. And although Shehan slightly exaggerates some expressions for effect, he excels at creating realistic emotions.
Otherwise, Shehan draws amazing-looking settings with great depth and a masterful control of perspective. The backgrounds all look and feel immense – while the beautifully drawn black hole looms as an ever-present threat. This emphasizes just how insignificantly small people are compared to such a cosmic force. Shehan also creatively uses the black hole with its accretion disc in the background to frame the characters in the foreground to make a striking image.
Mad Cave Studios
In other scenes, low-lit corridors look and feel tight, often adding a sense of tension or intimacy. Unfortunately, on one or two pages the closeups are so tight it was hard to completely follow the action. I ended up putting the pieces together a panel or two later. On the positive side, setting the emotional conversations between Joy, Art and Colson in these close quarters effectively reflects the level of intimacy being shared. On one page, the sequence of panels cinematically zooms in on Joy and Colson as they finally reconcile with one another.
Such symbolism in both the art and narrative is another hallmark – and one of my favorite parts – of Kaplan’s work. The black hole still represents depression and the destructive chaos it causes in life. Adube, the one remaining military guard, personifies the typical, but equally destructive way we often try to deal with threatening and out-of-control situations in life. Both quantum entanglement and a shared oxygen tank symbolize the intimate, life-giving connections of personal relationships. And even Art – the girl who came out of the black hole – symbolizes something important in Joy and Colson’s struggling marriage. I don’t want to explicitly spoil it, even though it’s been fairly obvious since the first issue. Even the cover of this issue gives a telling hint.
Mad Cave Studios
Now, to be very realistic, no matter how much I love Zack Kaplan’s writing and Chris Shehan’s art, I know Dark Empty Void isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t seem to follow any major trends. It’s not attached to some well-known IP. Don’t get me wrong, I think it should do well and I hope a lot of people pick it up. But I also recognize that it’s the equivalent of an indie sci-fi film trying to compete against high-budget, blockbuster sequels in popular franchises.
That shouldn’t discourage you from buying Dark Empty Void #4. If you like authentic character-driven stories told within the framework of a symbolic sci-fi thriller, this is a series you have to pick up. Chris Shehan’s gorgeous art adds layers of immense depth and symbolic meaning.
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