Dabbling in powers not meant for human hands is the bread-and-butter of good science fiction and horror, stretching back to the earliest sci-fi tale Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus, by Mary Shelley. At what point do we keep our thirst for knowledge override our better impulses? When have we wielded the fire to rashly?
Questions like these are at the heart of Dark Empty Void from Mad Cave Studios. In the series from the creative minds of writer Zack Kaplan, artist Chris Shehan, colorist Francesco Segala, and letterer Justin Birch, scientists contend with the consequences of creating a miniature, stable black hole in secret, one that’s not as stable as it appears. What are the monsters that spill forth from the void? What’s more, who is the teenage girl that materializes in kind? Can human trappings and hurt feelings be set aside in the service of the greater good? These matters make Dark Empty Void one of the most novel comics to emerge in 2024.
Ahead of the release of issue #2 today, I spoke with Zack Kaplan recently about the idea behind Dark Empty Void, the genre-bending mix of horror and science fiction, the characters we meet in the book, and how the 2020 pandemic helped shape the story.
Issue #1 of Dark Empty Void left me feeling unnerved for a good long while after finishing it, which is meant to be high praise. It felt both expansive and claustrophobic all at once and clung to my mind like warped gravity. If you love stories like Event Horizon or Lovecraftian horror with a dose of sci-fi, Dark Empty Void is worth your time.
DARK EMPTY VOID #2 cover
FreakSugar: This book was a trip. I had to read through it twice before even writing this interview. It’s a book that I had to sit with. What can you tell us about the conceit of Dark Empty Void? How did the story materialize?
Zack Kaplan: It came to me from a combination of factors, like any good science experiment requiring all of the right quantities to create that spark. It happened in a moment where I was excited by researching black holes and the theories, they could lead to something else. It happened during the pandemic, when I felt the unyielding cynicism towards the future and I found myself contemplating how hard it is to be optimistic when facing such hard times. And it happened through conversations with the brilliant artist Chris Shehan, who was looking to do some cosmic horror and Aliens-style stories. That’s how the series sparked to life.
FS: The cast is filled with different types of people, from the brilliant to the broken to mixes of both. What can you tell us about the characters we meet?
ZK: The main protagonist of the story is a brilliant psychologist, Dr. Joy Frank, and a college lecturer on mental health. But she’s also facing a divorce, she’s on edge and not in a good place, and yet she’s required to go and save the world. Her estranged husband is a very optimistic scientist on this project who is trying to do right by her and right by the science experiment. And then, of course, there is the human stranger who comes out, who takes the form of a teenage girl, but seems to be far beyond our understanding. They nickname her Artemis, or Art, after the Greek goddess that fell from the sky. And she’s one of my favorite characters to write – because you don’t know where she stands, who she is or what she’s going to do.
From DARK EMPTY VOID #2
FS: You describe the book as Aliens meets Annihilation, which is a perfect description. What is it about those stories that appeal to you?
ZK: Well, there are monsters in them tunnels. A human stranger isn’t the only thing to come out of the black hole. I won’t go into any more detail, but it’s not just a brainy puzzle to solve here; the heroes of this story have to survive the maelstrom that is emerging from the black hole. So that’s the Aliens part. And then, the characters find that this crazy cosmic storm has blown out of the black hole and taken over this subterranean compound. They don’t know what’s inside the storm, but several security teams have not come out. So, they have to go into this area to solve the mystery of the black hole. So, they aren’t going into the black hole itself, they are going into the area around it, and that’s very Annihilation. But fundamentally, both stories make us confront and question our humanity in the face of more developed, grander forces in the galaxy than ourselves, and forces that will devour us if we act in the wrong way.
FS: Although a completely different type of story, I kept thinking about Event Horizon when I read issue #1. Why do you think horror in space draws us in a way that we can’t look away?
ZK: I think we’re all pretty fascinated by outer space. We all love to look up at the stars and wonder if we are alone or if there is something more out there. In a way, looking at this black hole, and anything that comes out, fills us with the same hope. And when you contrast that with a dangerous threat, it creates a lot of conflict and tension. It’s weird, but I think we might even feel more alive trying to survive dangerous threats from beyond than feeling completely alone on this isolated rock.
From DARK EMPTY VOID #2
FS: Man, the book’s art is gorgeous and unnerving and raw. What has the collaboration process been like with the creative team?
ZK: It’s been fantastic. Chris and colorist Francesco Segala have worked tirelessly to create this subterranean world and the interstellar energy that pours out of the black hole. I think readers are in for a real treat, the artwork offers such a unique and enticing style and portrayal. It’s truly gripping comic art.
FS: If you could put yourself in the shoes of any of the character in this first issue, who would it be and why?
ZK: I’m not sure, but maybe Colson. He’s just trying to keep everyone on track to solving this mystery, he’s the only one who seems to be trying to be optimistic. I’d rather face this crazy situation with an iota of hope, than feel like Joy – that I’m basically coming to watch the world end.
FS: This book is so dense, but in a very approachable way. Did you have to do any research in the course of writing the book?
ZK: Oh, I did a lot of research, both about black holes, quantum physics and mental health. And we tried to weave it all into the story in cohesive ways, and to bridge the connection between science and the mind. But I think readers will find this to be a pretty fast-paced and engaging read. I mean, from the very beginning, we’re off to the races. There’s no barrier of understanding required here. Black hole created. Scientists lose control. Black hole spits out strange things. Why? You gotta read to find out!
From DARK EMPTY VOID #2
FS: Are there any other projects you’re working on that you’d like to discuss?
ZK: I’ve got four exciting series this year alone. In addition to Dark Empty Void, Vault Comics Beyond Real is finally being collected into graphic novel form, and I am so excited for readers to see that in its beautiful, surreal entirety. Dark Horse’s Kill All Immortals is a huge hit for us, and we’re about to drop the third issue, which I think will absolutely blow readers away. It’s got some really big reveals coming. And then, this October, I have a fully contained graphic novel from Dark Horse comics, a collaboration with the largest synthwave band in the world, The Midnight. It’s an original story and sci-fi adventure about a young man who is sucked into his favorite childhood video game and must finally defeat it. It’s fantastic!
FS: Is there anything you can tease about what we can expect to see in the book?
ZK: Get ready to see a lot of crazy things that came out of that black hole!
FS: If you had a final pitch for Dark Empty Void, what would it be?
ZK: Scientists open a microscopic but stable black hole. Then they lose control. Crazy things come out, including a human being, and to save the world, a psychologist must solve the being and the black hole’s mystery.
Dark Empty Void #2 is on sale now from Mad Cave Studios.
From the official issue description:
Fear mounts. Psychologist Joy Frank, her estranged husband, and a team of soldiers and scientists set out on a mission to take the mysterious human girl to the center of the black hole, but as they cross into the cosmic maelstrom, and into a strange world that contains surreal alien life from the black hole itself, they will soon learn why the other teams never came out.