Negative Space is an extremely promising new comic and I can’t wait to see how it develops. The plot is still somewhat mysterious but centers around a shadowy organization that mines the depths of human feelings to find people at their lowest and take them to an even lower place for some apparent form of cosmic balance. The larger mythology, I’m sure, will be elaborated on as the series develops and that’s something I’m looking forward to.
The specific plot of this first issue follows a guy named Guy who is experiencing writer’s block. The unconventional twist here is that the thing he’s having trouble with is his suicide note. This is such a strong, compelling opening that even if the rest of the issue had been terrible I still would have read it. Luckily, though, that’s not the case.
Negative Space presents a very intriguing narrative, one that’s hard to talk about too much due to the amount of twists—in only the first issue, which is impressive—but one I can already say definitely works from the amount we have seen.
The artwork by Owen Gieni compliments the story perfectly. It has the feel of a small, almost cute indie comic but can break into creeping horror just as easily. Our hero is a very realistic-looking person. He looks like the average man, which is no doubt something that contributes to his sadness. His only real friendship is with the man who makes his coffee—something that this first issue definitely seems to imply as a hopeful budding romantic relationship.
We’re also treated to another cast of characters in the control room that monitors Guy’s life and studies his every move. They appear fairly down-to-earth and professional but are nonetheless despicable in their actions, even if they suggest that they’re doing what they’re doing for a possible greater good. It’s still evil and it honestly makes them that much more interesting to read.
Here we have a man on the verge of suicide. Just when a tinge of hope comes through and he begins to think that maybe he actually does want to live, they start manipulating everything in his life to make him think that the world is against him. They’re stripping away every possible source of happiness, like pulling the wings off a fly. It’s impossible to side with them, even if they have no overt emotional attachment to what they’re doing. Making sure that Guy kills himself is a job. And it’s one they take seriously. But there is, at least, a hint of pleasure in it. How that develops will be very interesting to see.
By and large, Negative Space #1 did what any good first issue of a comic book should do: It got me interested. I plan to keep reading as it develops and if you like weird, paranoid sci-fi horror, you should definitely give it a look!
WICKED RATING: 8/10
