The Empty Man: Revisited With Shocking Results

Who here has hear of The Empty Man? Probably only a few movie buffs because of the timing of its release in 2020. Its reception wasn’t great until a year later, but is now considered a cult classic. But did you know that this is actually an adaptation of a two series set of comics? If not, you’d be forgiven. Other than the name, cults, design of the monsters, and their central themes, these are two very different stories. But in my opinion, the movie surpasses its source material.

What Were The Comics About?

Not to speak ill of Cullen Bunn of course. I have enjoyed quite a number of comics he wrote. In fact I had the honor reviewing his works in the Valiant Universe. But when it comes to horror, I’ve found most of his strengths lie in the folk horror sub-genre. In both Harrow County and the more recent Legacy of Violence, there are strong senses of isolation. Most of which revolve around trying to run from the threat of being labeled. In a way that also applies to Bunn’s The Empty Man.

Cullen Bunn’s The Empty Man

The comics revolve around a disease that cause people to self-mutilate, hallucinate, and become catatonic. The titular illness is so contagious, quarantines are put up to try and contain it. But apparently, the disease effects people with psychic power potential the most. And oh yeah, monsters come out of the bodies of the infected after a while.

The thing is, a pair of FBI-CDC agents serve as POV characters and they’re more interested in their missing children case. Plus we have a growing cult dedicated to the contagion. But then the FBI agent sees a ghost of the sister of The Empty Man’s patient zero. You see the preacher of the cult killed her when he was exposed to the immense psychic power. Then the CDC agent finds out how to find the kids but they’re infected with a new strain. The CDC agent uses a portal to go into the psychic plane the voice of the disease is coming…

AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recurrence and Manifestation

So yeah, four years later in 2018, Bunn followed up this disjointed story with a better received sequel. Might have to do with Jesús Hervás’ artwork compared to Vanessa Del Ray. If the production and filming dates are any indication this was to help hype people up for the movie. Or at the very least get people more invested in the IP.

Because while this 8 issue series is a follow-up, The Empty Man: Recurrence and Manifestation are much more coherent. It helps that we focus on a family concerned about the mother’s infection. They scared not only for her health but the idea of her being taken away terrifies them. With a cult out for them, why shouldn’t they? Fortunately the FBI agent and her new partner arrive to help out.

But here’s where things take a downturn. With the agents back, the story turns to them to push it forward. By then the family are reduced to extras, barely even playing a part for the rest of the series. Sure the agents more or less finish their story that was left in the wind last time but then a new story sets up. But at this point, who even cares anymore?

The Empty Man vs FOX and Covid-19

There are times when the movie’s distributor FOX Studios didn’t care all that much. The initial test screenings fared poorly with FOX losing faith in it. That and they had more time on their hands with getting bought by Disney. Office politics ensue and The Empty Man was pushed to the back burner. The writer/director David Prior had to finish it with a rough cut, not even being able to screen it with critics. With the only promotion being a trailer released a week before its debut, things weren’t looking up. Even worse, most theaters were forced to close down when a real disease caused a pandemic. Other than a few out there theaters, the movie didn’t get much of an audience. Especially because most of them praised the cold opening more than anything.

Wait…

Don’t worry, critics didn’t bash any mention of a pandemic. Because as it turned out, Prior decided to opt out viral infections. Instead he went where Bunn wanted this franchise to go, Cosmic Horror. Man-o-man, this genre can only get better with age. To oversimplify, the main flaw of the comics is that they tried to be different types of horror all at once. From outbreak horror with its lockdowns to folk horror’s fear of others. But eventually The Empty Man got too big for those perspectives. The movie is essentially where the comics moved towards while retaining a focus.

But… any praise I make will just invite comparisons with the video that brought this movie to my attention. Except for the fact that the trend of memes doesn’t just apply to comic books.

The Empty Man: The Last Comic Book IP Prospect

The Empty Man was very much a movie of its time. The publisher BOOM! Studios put a lot of effort to capitalize on their IPs. Along with 2 Guns and Malignant, they tried to capture Hollywood’s attention with comic adaptations. Because if you can’t beat the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you can at least get new talent. But with how these worked out, I have a feeling that “Golden Age” is over before it even began. Besides if recent times tell me anything, the Hollywood licensing strategy ruins comics more than anything. That’s what Valiant Entertainment’s status tells me anyway.

Out With A Whoa!

In any case The Empty Man is one of the rare examples of surpassing its comic source material. All it takes is a dedicated writer, direction, a well-knit crew, and capturing a franchise’s essence. That alone is an uphill challenge on top of many more. There are going to be things you can’t control like company buyouts or pandemics. Sometimes you won’t get the audience you need for a while. Even more tragic is the fact that what you put out won’t be your favorite version.

But these exceptions to the rule of movie adaptations rebooting a franchise do wonders. Final rating in improvements 8.5/10. Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.