Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Vanessa R. Del Rey
Release Date: 30th September, 2015

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What do you mean there are only 6 issues?!

That’s pretty much all I was thinking when I got to the last page of the story. What Bunn and Del Ray have created here hasn’t paved any new groundbreaking path in the Horror Genre, instead it pays homage to everything that makes the genre great, in that it has a slow creeping pace, a psychological edge that creeps around in the back of your head, and the story is as much about what *isn’t* on the page than what is.

The story itself has all the stereotypical parts of “Horror”; a monster, a religious cult, a troubled police partner, and the whole “creepy sibling” thing. What Bunn manages to do, though, is take all of these sub-genres and smash them together into a surprisingly deep and thought-provoking story. At its core, it is about a sister trying to help her brother and missing children. However, intertwined with that is many stories that are far deeper, like the preacher that gains a cult following, a disease that is incurable and sends people into murderous rampages, a man with a ticking clock, and an FBI agent not sure about anything anymore. It’s relatable on a human level; you feel for these characters and forget it’s a horror book, then Bunn seems to take pleasure in graphically reminding you with the aid of one Vanesa R. Del Rey.

Del Rey’s style is perfectly suited for a story like this. Rough around the edges, with scratchy linework and bold blocks of inking, the assistance of Michael Garlands vibrant, yet muted colour scheme gives the book a groteque beauty. With a style that sits comfortably beside the new modern greats of horror books like Rossmo, Albuquerque, Ferrerya and Templesmith, it’s hauntingly stunning. It’s a strange thing to notice, but the unique use of panelling, especially in the latter issues was a good choice, drawing the eye to specific points on the page, and I have a theory about the arrows and triangles at the end of the book, that I’m not quiet ready to share here yet, but they have been recurring throughout the story.

Boom! Have comfortably thrown their hat in the proverbial ring with their horror books recently, and Empty Man manages to sit snugly between their recent offerings as something great.

While the pacing might be off a little at the start, and the art a little dark and hard to understand at times, overall it’s an enjoyable read, and you’ll be looking over your shoulder for a while at night once you’ve finished.

After that build though? Yeah, I’m going to need to demand that Bunn and Del Rey make more now.

Rating: 4/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Chris Bennett
Article: And Now For Something Completely Different
You can also find Chris on Twitter.

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