A Voice in the Dark #1

A Voice in the Dark #1
Writer/Artist/Letterer/Super-Human: Larime Taylor
November 2013
Image Comics/Top Cow/Minotaur Press

A Voice in the Dark #1 is many things, but the most pertinent feature about it to me is its allegorical nature. The book is symbolic of the acceptance of difference, as well as acts as a comment towards the lack-of it in the contemporary West (I'm specifically pointing the finger at Republican/Conservative values). While it's a cliche to say that difference and diversity still aren't accepted and rejoiced here in North America, despite the increasing amount of various social media groups and political movements aimed at strengthening diversity and increasing empathy with and towards others, it still has an element of truth to it.

We see diversity in Larime Taylor's Image Comics debut A Voice in the Dark #1 in abundance, but primarily through protagonist Zoey Aarons. She is the embodiment of diversity and difference: she's mixed-race, female, lower-middle class, and a young, slightly insecure college freshman. To top it off, she's recently become part of another "outsider" demographic: she's a killer.

This is the main hook of the book. There are certainly other intriguing elements to this narrative, but Zoey's persona as a freshly established killer is the dominant focus here. Taylor wastes no time with set-up or beating around the bush. He throws the reader right into the story, beginning with Zoey's first homicidal act. Through first-person narration (Zoey's diary entries) the reader gets an insider's point of view into the life of a newborn murderer.

Besides being about a fledgling college-freshman-moonlighting-as-a-serial-killer, A Voice in the Dark #1 is about the transition into adulthood. It's also about the importance of family and connecting with friends. The book is inclusive of both non-white characters as well as queer folk, without ever being awkward about it. A good portion of the cast are female, which is also refreshing. There's also a little bit of detective work showcased here, as well as the beginnings of Zoey's radio show. So much happens in this first issue (it is 36 pages long after all), yet it all works without feeling bloated. The pacing is top notch. Taylor has an excellent sense of when to cut one scene and begin another, seemlessly transitioning one scenario to the next.

Opening page

Following the opening scene depicting Zoey's first kill, A Voice in the Dark #1 cuts to Zoey and her family arriving at her new destination: college. We learn here that her father is black and her mother is white, and her best friend and now sister, the recently adopted Seven, is of Asian descent. Seven joins Zoey for her interview with the campus radio programmer named Jill. It is here, and during many other scenes, where Zoey has one of her first day dreams about killing. With these visions Taylor adds a touch of dark humour to the book, especially later on during class as well as when Zoey meets her roommates.

Zoey doesn't discriminate when it comes to killing, at least insofar as her visions go, although it seems that her motives when killing outside of her imagination are premeditated. It's tough to pinpoint her killing style just yet, but from the one instance so far, it was not an impulse kill. This killing business occupies an awful lot of space in her mind, so much so that Zoey begins talking to herself in the washroom. Zoey's guilt causes her to experience a moral dilemma about her first kill (as I'm sure most of us would), and she tries to understand why she did it by talking to herself in the mirror (which, as it's made clear, her reflection is the darkness she feels inside of her that made her kill).

The first mirror scene

Zoey's darkness tells her that she was "born wrong," which I find fascinating in terms of thinking about A Voice in the Dark as an allegorical narrative. It springs to mind all the hate, bullying, suffering, and insensitivity that exists in our society, which tends to occur when "normal" people don't understand someone who is different from them in terms of sexuality, race, religion, (dis)ability, politics and a plethora of other aspects. It exposes the fear those type of people have, which is exactly what Zoey is going through mentally and emotionally as she processes her actions. It's this fear that she is trying to overcome, so in a way, Zoey is struggling to overcome her insecurity and reluctance to accept her nature as a killer. This isn't to say that in order for Western society to become more diverse, we need to accept and tolerate killers, but rather it's an interesting way for Zoey to come to terms with her idea of self.

This type of killer narrative has been done numerous times now across various media, with the most notable examples being the Showtime TV series Dexter (2006) and Mary Harron's film American Psycho (2000). While Patrick Bateman in American Psycho is hardly a character viewer's can empathize with, Dexter Morgan on the other hand has codes and principles he lives by so as to justify his murderous tendencies, and has a suave and enticing charm that helps reel viewers in. Zoey Aarons however is relatable in almost every way aside from her new found pastime. She embodies both the strength to continue moving forward even when we've made a choice we are seriously unsure about, as well as the uncertainty and contemplation we experience as we grow up. Zoey's a very well-rounded character and it shows as the issue goes on. Like Dexter Morgan before her, Zoey is a very likeable killer. She's shy and introverted, but having her diary entries present helps the reader to better understand her motivations both in regards to her killing and the life she is building outside of it.

Zoey's first daydream

Besides writing the book, Larime Taylor also handles illustrating, toning, and lettering it. His black and white artwork is a breath of fresh air compared to the harsh linework and scratchiness that has become the norm in many superhero comics. Taylor utilizes curves in his figures and doesn't typically use line shading as is the norm at DC Comics (Jim Lee immediately comes to mind). The shading here is created after the penciling/inking process, as Taylor tones the book (adding grey tones to ascribe definition; a process similar to colouring) which gives it a more naturalistic look than the excessive lines we see so often.

As I mentioned in the opening, my favourite aspect of this book is the way in which it is allegorical of the acceptance of difference. Zoey struggles to accept herself because of her secret, however she is a mature and proactive individual, especially for her age, as she seeks to discover solace and a way to help others who feel outcasted as she does through her talk show.

Rather than being a killer narrative focused on sensationalist features such as violence and bloodshed, A Voice in the Dark #1 is above that. Taylor seeks to share with his readers that being different is okay. I wouldn't say he is pro-serial killers outside of fiction, but he certainly suggests that no matter how different we are from others, there are ways of making the best of situations. Having said that, there is still murder present in this book, it's just not all that A Voice in the Dark relies on to shape its story. I will touch on plot and characters more in my post about issue #2. I must say though, the ending is quite climactic and hair-raising. Taylor does not disappoint!