Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Release Date: 11th June 2014

Sometimes it’s a good thing when a book holds its cards close to its chest, and other time – like  with The Empty Man – the cards are held so close, you’re not really sure if they actually even have cards. I should start by saying that I did actually really enjoy the book; it follows two detectives as they investigate a mysterious virus, and there’s also rumblings of a faith healer. Apart from that, I have no idea where this book is going.  I have no idea if it’s going to be a straight horror or if there are going to be Sci-Fi elements. Is it going to be more about the detective side of things, or the horror? These are the kinds of questions that were going around my head when i finished, and that seemed to bother me more than the actual book itself.

However, that being said, Bunn has created a story here that really does have the foundations of something truly terrifying, preying on people’s beliefs and fears of viruses in the modern era.  On art duties is Vanesa R. Del Rey, whose rough, linework-heavy style suits the book perfectly, giving it a more eerie feel and adding to the suspense. Panels have a fluidity to them that help the book to flow well and keep things fast paced without it being over too soon.

BOOM! seem to be pushing more and more these days for a chunk of the horror comic market, and if the rest of this series is anything like this one (perhaps with a bit more depth to it) they could be in for a damn good shot at Dark Horse’s Horror crown.

Rating: 4/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Chris Bennett
Article: And Now For Something Completely Different
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