When a black hole threatens to destroy the planet, salvation may come from the surprising duo of a psychologist and an entity who emerged from the emptiness.  Your Major Spoilers review of Dark Empty Void #1, awaits!

DARK EMPTY VOID #1

Writer: Zack Kaplan
Artist: Chris Shehan
Colorist: Francesco Segala
Letterer: Justin Birch
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: September 11th, 2024

Previously in Dark Empty Void: A team of scientists have come together to not only study black holes but create one of their own.  When the experiment goes wrong, the black hole begins to expand and more surprisingly, something has come through it.

BREAKUPS ARE TOUGH

Dark Empty Void #1 begins with a team of scientists running experiments on the black hole they created, when a sudden spike in radiation sets off a reaction and causes the black hole to erupt.  When everything settles, they’re shocked to discover a woman has appeared before them.  Elsewhere, a psychology lecturer named Joy is finishing up a talk on depression and how psychodynamic therapy aims to confront it.  At home, Joy is getting drunk watching a recording of her wedding day when she gets a call from her estranged husband.  He is one of the scientists working with the black hole and asks her to come and help them, in exchange he’ll sign divorce papers.  At the research facility, Joy is introduced to the woman who came through the black hole, they named Artemis.   Joy then tricks the rest of the team into leaving her alone with Artemis and begins speaking to her.  Artemis proves to know a lot about Joy and then whispers something to her that startles her.

COMPELLING WITH DEPTH, NEEDED JUST A COUPLE MORE PAGES

Just to get it out of the way, the way the black hole was used as a metaphor in the opening pages of Dark Empty Void #1, was one of the most heavy-handed things I’ve read in a while.  It was effective and got the point across, but in the same way that a hammer blow will convince you that solid things can hurt.  Beyond that, though, the writing and storytelling in this issue is top-notch, full of efficiency, effectiveness, and voice. Characters feel distinct from each other, and the tension between them all comes off as relatable and real.  Joy’s slump is practically tangible and familiar even if some of it is expressed in some cliched ways.  Where things don’t feel as strong are the sci-fi elements.  While it’s clear that the focus here is more personal and interpersonal with the bigger plot acting more as an analogy, it still lacks development to make it an effective one of those.  Also, there’s a strange sort of tempo at the end.  There’s a cliffhanger moment near the end, but the issue doesn’t stop there, it continues, to another far weaker cliffhanger.  This doesn’t completely dismiss the curiosity to see what comes next, but it certainly diminishes it.

VOIDS CAN BE DARN PRETTY

While the writing in Dark Empty Void #1, is shaky, the visuals are rock solid.  Not only is the character work great, with lots of expressions, and unique designs, the composition is amazing.  Each panel is interesting to look at, even smaller moments, and this has a lot to do with simply how the subject matter is framed. The art team also knows just when to add some abstraction to drive home an emotional impact, without it ever feeling out of place.  Surprisingly though, everything just mentioned is not the best part of this issue in terms of art.  The pages showing the black hole are absolutely gorgeous.  Employing a brush painted look to the black hole allows it to be pretty, but also give the impression that it exists outside of the reality that the rest of the comic exists in, so while its attractive to us, it still feels unsettling next to the rest of the art.  It’s just a nice effect.

BOTTOM LINE: ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE WRITING, BUT VISUALLY STUNNING

Dark Empty Void #1 sets out to tell a deeply personal story, while also telling an interesting sci-fi tale.  Unfortunately, the sci-fi side of things doesn’t have the depth needed to make it truly captivating yet, but there are some good hooks. The personal story, while engaging and relatable, is hampered by some obvious cliches and a lack of subtly.  The visuals though are where the real enjoyment comes from in this comic.  From the character work to the composition, to the way the art becomes part of the story, this issue is great to look at.  4 out of 5 stars.

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Dark Empty Void #1

83%

83%

Carried By The Art

Dark Empty Void #1 tries to be the next great sci-fi story that is also engaging on a personal level. It unfortunately doesn’t quite hit the mark on either side. That’s okay though, because the visuals pick up the slack easily and carry this issue.

• Writing

  5
• Art

  10
• Coloring

  10
• User Ratings (0 Votes)
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