Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Release Date: 9th July 2014

The Empty Man is a dark and twisted tale set in a dystopia version of our world where a new disease has spread across all continents. No-one knows where is came from or how it spreads, and all drugs and possible treatments so far have failed. All cases of the Empty Man pandemic have been different, but ultimately result in the same end. Victims experience hallucinations, fits of violent rage and suicidal thoughts, often leading to death or the feeling of complete emptiness.

Some say it’s The Rapture – the end of the world – and no-one knows what is coming next. The FBI and the CDC are working together to piece together the mystery of The Empty Man to try to find a way to cure it before it spreads even further.

One of the best aspects of the book is Del Rey’s visual style; faces and shapes are rough around the edges, with colours blending together seamlessly. The panels are heavily shaded with thick dark lines, giving this unsettling feeling that someone is lurking in the shadows. The characters faces almost smudged and fading, it makes you feel sick almost, which is exactly how the book sets the tone and atmosphere of the book.

There’s a constant feel of uncertainty throughout The Empty Man as neither you or the characters know what is going to happen next. The characters work off each other to try to piece together the mystery but you can see the fear in their eyes as they know they are dealing with bigger forces.

There is something watching them in the dark, they can feel its presence but neither of them can say anything. Their sense of reality is being challenged as they start to see things that can’t possibly exist but know it to be true. It’s this kind of imagery that makes The Empty Man seem like it is bigger than what we are being told.

It’s a great book and one you should definitely consider picking up. There’s this uncomfortable feeling inside you as you read but in a good and intentional way. You are sucked into the atmosphere and the imagery of the book and you don’t know what is going to happen next. You become empty wanting more.

Rating: 5/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Dean Walsh