I’ve been reading A Voice in the Dark since the first issue, which was one of those I picked up off the shelves on a whim.  I’m a sucker for serial killers, you see, and I quickly came to appreciate that Larime Taylor was not going for a run-of-the-mill crime thriller.  His anti-hero killer, Zoey Aarons, is a college freshman.  She is of mixed race.  She isn’t exceptionally attractive or overtly sexualized, and this comic is very aware of that.

The second issue was an exceptionally heavy read because of the subject matter.  The third was recovering from that.  This issue feels like it’s stuck in limbo a little bit, uncertain of where the series is headed exactly.  That may have something to do with the plight of creator-owned books, least of all from new creators.  Yet, even that old holding pattern of college stories – the sorority shindig – does, at least, seem to be going somewhere.

Do I have my gripes?  Sure, here more than ever.  Zoey’s roommate Krista says “like” in very nearly every other sentence, which is probably overdoing it.  The mid-issue discussion of the death penalty might be a little pedantic.  The party scene (with, if I’m not mistaken, a cameo from Taylor himself) is a bit predictable.  But, I find myself forgiving these faults for all the things that are really good about A Voice in the Dark.  I mark the impending clichés and then enjoy them anyway.

A Voice in the Dark is college drama more than mystery, and probably better for it.  The tension comes largely from the uncomfortable topics it engages.  Taylor has something to say here.  Considering the amount of effort he puts into each issue – as near as I can tell, doing everything but the colors on the cover – he must be very passionate about the subject matter.  A Voice in the Dark is a little raw but receives my strongest recommendation.

Four Variations on the “What’s Your Major?” Pick-up Line out of Five