Empty Zone #3: A State of Induced Unconscious Awareness

In Empty Zone #3, we see Corinne taking extreme measures to get a brand new arm, but we also learn quite a bit about her mysterious past. It’s the type of issue that can take a toll on you with its dark spiral into numbing oneself when facing trauma head on.

Empty Zone is a series for the art lovers in the comics world. Corinne is a wonderfully grim character navigating a rundown sci-fi world filled with horrors, and it doesn’t take much dialogue to push the story forward. Not many issues can pull off ten plus consecutive dialogue-free pages, but Empty Zone #3 does so with absolute ease. It’s a blindly fast read, but its powerful, taking readers through a whirlwind of pain, brutality and ecstasy.

Alexander pulls of some incredible artwork that is difficult to find anything to complain about. The layouts are strong and the character work is consistent, but more importantly, it’s a thrilling reading experience in its entirety. Luis NCT helps with some great colors, giving a palette that distinguishes the series apart from anything else.

From the fight against the jerks in the alley to the chance sexual encounter, Empty Zone #3 feels like it is nonstop. If you take the time to slow down and really absorb the attention to detail in the artwork, it is difficult to deny just how talented everyone involved really is. While the story may not be the most complex, it is unraveling at an enjoyable pace and thrives in the dark mystery of the recesses of Corinne’s mind.

Now that we know Corinne comes from a highly advanced espionage group called the Tracers, the story feels like it is poised to find its long term direction very soon. While this issue develops quickly, it leaves readers with a massive cliffhanger that hints at a rather eventful issue #4. It’s an incredible series that really does just keep getting better.