Black holes are among the most enigmatic structures in the known universe. Being studied for ages by astronomists and physicists alike, scientists to this day still know very little about them other than their role in the creation of gravitational waves. The theory remains prominent, too, that black holes are not just one way portals to nothing but rather, two-way portals known as wormholes, interstellar tunnels so to speak. No one knows for certain but if the day comes that this is proven, then it will be one of the biggest discoveries in the history of the human race. This September, Mad Cave Studios will debut a new comic series centering on that theory in the form of Dark Empty Void. The series’ debut issue, set for publication Sept. 11, is an interesting start to the new sci-fi / horror series. That is proven in part through its featured story, which will be addressed shortly. The artwork that is presented throughout the story is of its own note and will be addressed a little later. The lettering puts the finishing touch to the whole and will also be addressed later. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of Dark Empty Void #1. All things considered they make this opening chapter in Mad Cave Studios’ new series an interesting beginning for Dark Empty Void.
The debut issue of Mad Cave Studios’ brand-new forthcoming science-fiction /horror series, Dark Empty Void is an interesting start for the new run. Spanning a total of 24 pages, the story in this opening chapter of the new series follows its heroin, Joy, as she is called by her soon-to-be ex-husband, Colson with a request to help handle an unusual situation at the site of an experiment that he and a team of scientists have been conducting. The experiment in question is the creation of a black hole in a contained environment. Colson reveals that in the process of the experiment, something actually came through, but it is not human. Dubbed “Artemis” by Colson and the team of scientists, the being is not human despite having human form. Colson reveals to Joy that the team needs her expertise in psychology to help determine the being’s mental state in coming through the black hole. What happens from there will be left for readers to discover for themselves. Knowing from Colson’s explanation that Artemis was not the only being to come through the black hole, it leaves one wondering in a good way, what Joy means as she tells Colson and the team of scientists that Artemis told her, “this won’t end until” they “take her home.” It makes for a good setup for the next chapter in this new series.
This is just part of the overarching story for issue No. 1 of Dark Empty Void. As noted, Joy and Colson were previously married but clearly separated and on the verge of divorce as the story opens. This is hardly the first time that any writer has used such a plot device for a script of any kind. Now what will happen between the couple as the story opens and as it progresses through its next issues but one has to assume the dramatic events that unfold will likely end up bringing them back together. It has been done before and so one should not be surprised if Kaplan goes that same route here.
On a different note, the concept of a super collider being used to create a stable black hole is not so farfetched. Anyone who remembers the startup of the large Hadron Collider some years ago, there was belief that it could have potentially created a black hole that could have eventually gotten out of control and consumed Earth. Thankfully that has not happened, but being based on something right of reality, that connection in itself is sure to add even more interest to the story.
Keeping all of this in mind, the story at the heart of Dark Empty Void #1 is reason enough for audiences to check out this fledgling science fiction / horror series from Mad Cave Studios.
The story featured in the debut issue of Dark Empty Void is just one aspect of engagement for the new series’ lead issue. The artwork, crafted by the team of Chris Shehan and Francesca Segala, adds its own share of appeal to the book. The design of the black hole looks like something hand drawn or even perhaps a watercolor. It is a stunning design in itself. Even the look of the characters has a pencil-sketched look that will along with that of the black hole, gives the overall book such a welcome unique identity. The same applies to the exterior shot of the facility at which the experiment is being conducted. It looks like the kind of design that was used long ago for backdrops in some motion pictures.
On yet another note, the moment in which Joy enters the cell in which Artemis is being held is another great example of the art’s power. The pale walls of the cell create such a gloomy mood, and seeing Artemis’ hair frazzled as she sits there in the cell adds even more to the tension of the moment, further showing the role of the book’s art. The design and colors are that impressive. To that end, Shehan and Segala are to be applauded in their own right for their work, too.
Their work is not the last of the notable aspects of this lead-off to Dark Empty Void. Letterer Justin Birch’s own work ties directly into the artwork as part of that whole. Case in point is the difference in font size and style as Joy is talking to Colson on the phone and as she thinks to herself en route to the experiment site. It is clear that in that moment she was not actually talking but thinking. The tiny font actually plays into the mood being set in that moment and it works quite well. In another scene in which Joy is seeing the black hole in person, the font is small once again. It would seem this is being done to help emphasize the size of the facility and the black hole, as if her words may be echoing through the chamber. It serves well to set the scene here, too. Between all of this and the design that Birch brings to the sound effects’ wording, his work in whole helps bring just as much to the story as the artwork being that it is its own impressive art form. When the impact of the lettering is considered alongside the general art and the story itself, the whole therein makes the whole of Dark Empty Void #1 an overall pleasing presentation and start to this new series from Mad Cave Studios.
Mad Cave Studios’ forthcoming science fiction / horror series, Dark Empty Void, gets off to a good start in its lead-off issue, which is due in comic stores Sept. 11. The series’ debut gets it going relatively well in part because of its story. The story centers on its flawed hero who has to battle her own inner issues while also working to figure out what her potentially soon-to-be ex-husband and his fellow scientists have discovered and what it could mean for the human race. The story’s art and its lettering work in tandem to add to the engagement and entertainment. That is because of the identity that they collectively establish for the book and series to come. Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of Dark Empty Void #1. All things considered they give readers plenty of reason to check out this initial chapter of the series.
Dark Empty Void #1 is scheduled for release Sept. 11 through Mad Cave Studios. More information on this and other titles from Mad Cave Studios is available at:
Website: https://madcavestudios.com
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