Void Trip #3
Writer: Ryan O’ Sullivan
Artist: Plaid Klaus
Publisher: Image Comics
Review by Anelise Farris
Void Trip #3 is the story of Ana and Gabe reaching their destination—only to discover that it is not anything like they had expected. Any comic that opens with the line “Well, this sucks” is a winner in my book. And, if you have read my reviews of issue 1 and issue 2, you know I am a huge fan of the bleakness of this series. This is a sci-fi space story with a heavy dose of existential dread, so it’s no surprise that Void Trip #3 amps this up by making Euphoria anything but the promised land.
As with the previous issue, Void Trip #3 places a bigger emphasis on Ana, perhaps signaling that Gabe’s time is running out. Ana feels that humans are responsible for the state of Euphoria and the robots confirm that they are fighting a war over nothing because that’s what humans do. As one might expect, Ana and the crew are kidnapped. They delude themselves by thinking that maybe this is a test and that real Euphoria still waits, but that dream is quickly abandoned.
Void Trip #3 is the darkest installment of the series yet, and it is absolutely brilliant. There is so much going on here in terms of philosophy and the state of human existence. Ana and Gabe struggle to stay sober in the face of their dead dream. And, when everything you’ve been working towards turns out to be a lie, what remains? Gabe tells Ana he’s done. There’s no point in existing. And the conclusion of Void Trip #3 reveals that the universe might just be agreeing with him. The success of this issue is not just in the concept, however, as the art really carries the story. Pages are devoted to surveying the depressing state of Euphoria, and the neutral colors (or lack of color?) contrast really well with the beautiful, energetic brightness of space.
Verdict:
Buy it. With the previous issue, I wasn’t sure if we arrived at Euphoria too fast or not. Void Trip #3 proves that we arrived at Euphoria at just the right time. This issue is a dark, brilliant take on the age-old question of why we are alive. If you want more Void Trip (because, who doesn’t?!), check out my interview with the creative team.
