If you're stricken with the Empty Man disease, a quick death might be the option that keeps your family safe and your final moments somewhat sane. It's that bad. The third issue of The Empty Man, a new comic book series from BOOM! Studios written by Cullen Bunn, hits shelves next week, but we have a set of preview pages that you can read right now.

"WHY WE LOVE IT: There’s nothing scarier than horror that hits home—a tale of terror only one or two steps removed from our reality. THE EMPTY MAN is a dystopic version of the world we know, where a terrifying disease has taken on almost deific connotations.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Cullen Bunn (THE SIXTH GUN, VENOM) and Vanesa R. Del Rey (HIT) are two of the most exciting talents in the industry, and perfectly in sync on this haunting new crime procedural.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: It’s been one year since the first reported case of the Empty Man disease, and no drug has been able to slow its progress. The cause is unknown, and the symptoms include fits of rage, hideous hallucinations, suicidal dementia, followed by death, or a near lifeless, "empty" state of catatonia. As murder cults rise nationwide, the FBI and CDC enter a joint investigation of the Empty Man, hoping to piece together clues to stop the cult and uncover a cure."

The Empty Man #3

Author: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Cover Artists: Vanesa R. Del Rey

"After the harrowing attack at the precinct, Langford and Jensen continue to follow the tenuous leads they’ve uncovered, traversing deeper and deeper into the dark underbelly of the Witness cult. But will they find the kidnapped children before Patient Zero strikes again?"

  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.

    When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.