THE RED MOTHER VOLUME 1, available now from Boom! Studios is the beginning of a haunting and alarming tale. This is a brutal telling like no other, bringing the innocent to the forefront in hopes of solving their own mysteries.
***SPOILER WARNING***
The Red Mother Volume 1 is arguably one of the most haunting and disturbing introductions around. This is a series intent to leave the readers with nightmares, courtesy of the graphic nature, and even more alarming implications.
Daisy was just a normal woman. She had her everyday concerns, but she had enough money to help her get through most of that. That is, until the day she was attacked. The day she lost her eye and her boyfriend.
Now she’s left with a mystery on her hands. A mystery that nobody else seems willing to acknowledge exists. After all, that would just make her life and the following horrors to easy to bear.
One note before we dive into the review; The Red Mother Volume 1 has several graphic elements, one of which revolves heavily around the loss of an eye. If this is the sort of thing that makes you squeamish, you should look away now.
The Writing
Jeremy Haun is the mind behind The Red Mother Volume 1, so if you wake up with terrors in the middle of the night, just go ahead and blame him for all of that. This series is already proving to be every bit as disturbing and graphic as promised.
There are a lot of ways to tell a horror story. But one of the most terrifying things a writer can do is make you fear the normal. By putting his horrors in plain sight, Jeremy Haun has given Daisy, and thus the readers, real reason to be terrified.
Blended with the horror of the unknown, and this tale gets fairly dark. Mercifully, it is balanced out with a healthy dose of intrigue. There are puzzles within this tale, and Daisy seems determined to solve them for us.
All of these elements work together to create something shockingly gripping and haunting. It’s safe to say that this is a tale you’re not going to want to look away from.
The Art
Where the writing of The Red Mother Volume 1 is haunting, the artwork is outright terrifying. The artists behind this project were not afraid to go graphic when needed. Likewise, they knew how to use the horror of their surroundings to excellent use.
Danny Luckert (artist) and Ed Dukeshire (letterer) worked well together here. They created something vibrant and alarming all in once. The covers are an absolute highlight, to be sure. They’re eye-catching, demanding that the readers pick up an issue and read more.
The artwork within the pages balances on a very fine line. There are lush details and color palettes, all of which can switch at a moment’s notice. There’s the normal, and then there’s the terrifying. At any given moment you can never quite know what to expect.
In Conclusion
The Red Mother Volume 1 is an intense and intriguing start to an all-new horror series. This is admittedly a series that can get graphic at times, and yet it still appreciates the subtle elements that can come with horror. The combination is where this series shines and will prove to be memorable.
