I picked this book up because well, the cover looked interesting, and I’ve been actively trying to read more horror comics. I got a lot more than I bargained for, and today I’m going to do a spoiler-free review of Hollow Heart #1!

In Space, No One Can Hear You

Scream, cry, laugh, none of that. But with just a little oxygen, your voice can be heard. A lot of this issue is, surprisingly, about identity and the ability to communicate. I say surprisingly because I expected a sci-fi/horror story, but not the depth that even this first issue gave me. Not only do we get a cool genre story, but the main character is queer. In fact, the only living characters we meet are all gay men, which is a refreshing change from the extremely hetero-normative sci-fi canon. More on that later, though, let’s get down to the basics of the story.

The story opens on (security guard?) Donnie, chasing down a gruesome-looking red skeleton in a space suit. No, it’s not the Red Skull, this ain’t Marvel 😉 What we learn is that El, the skeleton in the suit, was trying to escape the space station they all work on. El is brought back to Mateo for repairs, who makes friendly overtures towards him. I won’t reveal what conversations happen, but let’s say El could use a mental health tune-up, the life of a living skeleton space slave is not what it’s cracked up to be.

Queeeeeeeeeers In Spaaaaaaaaace!

What surprised me was the gay subplot. Why did it surprise me? Because I’m too lazy to read the genre labels when I buy the book, I usually just look at the creators, scan the description and cover art, and make my decision. This is truly a queer book, in that so far most of the characters have been queer, not just that token Gay Friend Who Makes Everyone Feel Actual Emotions. There’s even a spicy (though still PG-13) sex scene! If this bothers you, just dunk your head in cold water and go look at some J. Scott Campbell art to calm down, you’ll be okay.

Sketching Is Not My Favorite

The only thing I didn’t really like too much about this book was the art. Now I am no art expert, and I very rarely see art that is actual “bad”, meaning low-skilled. However, this style just doesn’t connect with me. I found myself wishing the art was more detailed, or more abstract, but it was kind of caught in the middle, which didn’t really thrill me. No shade on Paul Tucker, as I said, the art isn’t bad, just not my style.

I only write about books that I would recommend, so despite my misgivings about the art, I recommend this book. It’s pretty niche, so I would say you either need to have an interest in sci-fi, horror, or queer stories, but I believe that covers all the important genres right there, so go buy it!