The Cost and Courage of Empathy in Dark Horse’s You Never Heard of Me
SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers from You Never Heard of Me #1 and #2 from Dark Horse Comics.
At its core, Dark Horse's You Never Heard of Me is a comic that believes in the power of empathy. Written and lettered by Iolanda Zanfardino and illustrated beautifully by Elisa Romboli, You Never Heard of Me challenges readers to view empathy as a powerful gift that can unite, heal, and transform humanity. However, this Dark Horse Comics series isn’t afraid to examine the cost and courage it takes to lead a life of empathy. Throughout its first two issues, the series highlights the tenuous relationship between empathy and exhaustion, challenging readers to consider, “How can we regularly show empathy without experiencing burnout and diminishing our ability for self-care?” Ultimately, the series seeks to empower readers with courage by affirming the life-altering power of empathy.
The Cost of Empathy in Dark Horse’s You Never Heard of Me
Art by Elisa Romboli from You Never Heard of Me #1.
You Never Heard of Me #1 and #2 introduce readers to Will, a teenager who’s inherited the supernatural gift to see the best and worst moments of a person’s life. Through a mere touch, Will’s eyes will flood with visions of calamity and demise as he feels–really feels—another person’s emotions as deeply as his own. Will’s gift cements his role as an empathetic seer and imbues him with compassion and justice. As a seer, Will wrestles with how to respond to his feelings, fearing that helping everyone may lead to exhaustion, imbalance, and a decreased capacity for self-care.
Will struggles to reconcile his gift with his overwhelming sense of responsibility, a conflict his grandmother understood all too well. In the past, Will’s grandmother harnessed her gift to prevent suffering; however, her desire to help others invited scrutiny and harassment from her local community. Many townsfolk felt judged and grew suspicious of her gift. In response, the townsfolk labeled Will’s grandmother a witch and, in a fit of rage, forced the family to leave town. These memories echo in Will’s head, reminding the teen that his family’s gift could quickly become a curse. Haunted by the memory of his family’s persecution, Will initially chooses to ‘mind his own business’ instead of embarking on the messy—and potentially dangerous—work of being an empathetic seer.
Art by Elisa Romboli from You Never Heard of Me #1.
Exhaustion and burnout are close friends with empathy. Like Will, many empaths grapple with questions like, “How can I watch others suffer and do nothing?” Acting on every empathetic impulse may seem noble at first; however, as many activists and organizers can attest, becoming a one-person wrecking crew for change will often lead to imbalance and, at times, adverse mental and physical consequences. You Never Heard of Me #1 echoes this struggle across its pages, as author Iolanda Zanfardino states, “The balance between empathy and self-care is somewhat of a central theme in Will's development. Receiving his gift, he is forced to seek his compromise between the two.” Will’s power as an empathetic seer can undoubtedly prevent suffering and inspire hope for change. However, this power may also threaten Will’s well-being, weakening his ability to find a balance between helping others and caring for himself.
The Courage of Empathy in Dark Horse’s You Never Heard of Me
Art by Elisa Romboli from You Never Heard of Me #2.
In You Never Heard of Me #2, the still, small voice of justice begins to echo in Will’s heart, imploring him to take action and prevent further suffering from entering his friends’ lives. Instead of rejecting his seer gift, Will allows himself to be present with his emotions. By choosing to focus on the present, Will experiences a deep connection with his classmates; as writer Iolanda Zanfardino explains, “The visions Will has can help overcome the obstacles of fear and incommunicability between people, creating an unexpected intimacy which underlines how much communication, dialogue and sense of community matter.” Will’s overwhelming empathy creates a close bond with Allie, a courageous student who’s decided to stand up to Colin, a cruel and bigoted bully at school. In contrast to issue one, Will chooses courage over fear, as he pledges to stand up for Allie in her showdown with Colin after school.
Art by Elisa Romboli from You Never Heard of Me #2.
Empathy tethers our hearts to another person’s lived experience and affirms their feelings at face value; however, compassion can also tax our energy and lead to imbalance. It takes courage to lead a life of empathy, to take one’s own experience as our own. Will’s growth in You Never Heard of Me #1-2 reveals an important lesson about empathy. It is a lesson we can all learn from in these trying times. Empathy challenges us to have the courage to believe and trust–really trust–in our sense of morality, to be courageous enough to listen to the inner voice of justice that screams in our hearts. Ultimately, Will’s decision to protect Allie from harm reflects his inner courage to stand up for what he feels is right.
As Colin’s fist lunges towards Allie’s face, Will steps in, confident in his decision to safeguard his friend from violence. However, as Will’s hand swallows Colin’s fist, the empathetic seer experiences a vision of Colin’s traumatic past. Will harness his vision to disarm Colin’s rage and speak to the bully’s true needs. Colin flees the conflict, ashamed in this moment of vulnerability. Zanfardino and Romboli utilize this scene to show how genuine empathy should also extend to one’s enemies. Instead of repaying violence with violence, Will responds with compassion, as he weakens Colin’s defense mechanism of hate and bigotry. Extending empathy can feel impossible in a world without panel borders. Yet, Zanfardino and Romboli aim to empower readers and remind us that courageous empathy can disarm our enemies and set them on a path toward healing.
The Inner Voice of Justice in Dark Horse’s You Never Heard of Me
Art by Elisa Romboli from You Never Heard of Me #2.
Dark Horse’s You Never Heard of Me is an honest portrait of the cost of compassion and the courage it takes to trust our inner impulse to do what’s right. The series speaks to the unspoken reality of empathy fatigue, reminding us of the virtues of balance and the necessity of self-care. Yet Zanfardino and Romboli also challenge us to turn our ears toward justice and allow empathy to experience another person’s emotions as deeply as our own.
In many ways, the series builds upon the foundation of Image’s The Least We Can Do, a previous comic series from Zanfardino and Romboli. In that series, the creative team explored the themes of courage, empathy, and justice, and with the release of You Never Heard of Me, Zanfardino and Romboli have explored these themes in even greater depth. Ultimately, Will’s journey can encourage us to celebrate our gifts as empathetic seers; as Zanfardino affirms, “I tried to show how important it is to find the desire to use this ability, which may seem like a curse at first, to help others…Maybe, in the end, you even get to be proud of what you can do and what makes you different from the majority of other people.” Compassion is not a curse, and You Never Heard of Me emboldens readers to trust the inner voice of justice and enact courageous empathy in their panel-less lives.
