The Empty Man #3
Boom! Studios
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Jesus Hervas
Colors by Niko Guardia
Letters by Ed Dukeshire
The servants of the Empty Man decide to take matters into their own hands and their target is the Kerry family.
The Whisper Oracles have gathered to collect Melissa Kerry and they are not going to do it quietly. A fleet of black vans and SUV’s enter the neighborhood as Jensen and March try to convince Kerry to let them see his wife.
I liked the meeting between Jensen and Melissa Kerry. The entire exchange was both creepy and ominous and showed that there are secrets that have yet to be revealed.
At the same time, the Whisper Oracles are moving from house to house and slaughtering everyone in the neighborhood. The scenes are visually compelling and gruesome as they show something new emerging from the death all around. Something that begins to move towards the Kerry home. As Jensen and March fight the Oracles that have come after Melissa, the street is quiet. Unfortunately, it’s not empty.
This is a story that continues to be more intense with each issue and Cullen Bunn does a fantastic job of mixing in elements of philosophy and mystery in with the brutal horror. This issue gives a level of immediacy to the action and the plot overall with characters taking their first steps into a larger story and I am on board to see where it goes.
Jesus Hervas’ art is both visceral and beautiful. It conveys both the horror of the moment along with a sense of movement in the composition of the panels.
Things are definitely ramping up in this issue and the next one looks like it’s going to take the story in a new direction.