Written by: Jimmie Robinson
Art by: Jimmie Robinson
Publisher: Image
The Empty has a fairly generic premise. The land is dying, food is scarce, and survival of humanity can’t be certain. However, Jimmie Robinson manages to give us enough unique details that it makes this first issue worth checking out and is a wonderful title to add to Image’s collection.
The Empty is about a woman named Tanoor who desperately seeks a way to help her homeland. She’s the hunter and scout of the village and seems adamant about leaving. Food is scarce, the earth is dry, and survival seems slim if they stay where they are. And then one day Lila washes up on shore. Lila is another being, human in appearance (although there’s some major differences between people), who talks of a world rich in vegetation and food. Lila also has the ability to make plants grow. Tanoor is certain that Lila holds the key to making the world a livable place once more.
Things can’t be that simple though. Tanoor and Lila face opposition from the leaders of Tanoor’s community who seem willing to let society die if it means they can maintain their power. And then there’s the problem of Lila who was disposed of from her homeland for reasons currently unknown. There’s enough to keep the story fresh and interesting and definitely gives us something to look forward to.
That might actually be why this was so strong of a first issue. Despite the fairly routine plot, Robinson gives us enough details and back story to keep us interested in the characters and the future of the series. We aren’t quite sure why the world is so toxic. We don’t know why Lila was considered a threat to her homeland. We don’t know where Lila is from. And there’s an entire world to explore within this series.
Robinson, who does the art and writes The Empty, has created some wonderfully unique character designs. Tanoor is a wonderful protagonist, both in terms of character and aesthetic. Tanoor wears nothing but bandages over her scarred and torn body. Her weapon of choice? Two large blades tied to her arms that might actually be propellers of some sort. It’s one of the coolest designs I’ve seen lately on any character in any media form and I imagine that she’s going to quickly become a fan favorite. And while I’m not too keen on Lila’s design (the giant bug eyes give me the creeps), I do appreciate the fact that Robinson went all the way in regards to making these characters appear extremely different from one another which makes you wonder where everyone came from. If these characters are both “human” and come from the same world, just how did they come to take on such different characteristics?
Unfortunately, that’s also a small complaint I have with the comic. Tanoor and her world are all sharp edges and grit while Lila and her world is big-eyed and vibrant. It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just very alarming having this huge difference play out between panels. One minute you’re looking at Tanoor’s scarred and bandaged body and the next you have a close-up of Lila’s great big Disney eyes.
Robinson created a great first issue for The Empty which is sure to hook its fair share of readers. There’s a lot of questions this issue asks that are sure to be answered in future issues and I’m all for this adventure that’s sure to get incredibly dark and violent as it plays out. The Empty is one of the best adventure titles out right now and this first issue is definitely worth a read.
