THE RED MOTHER #11, available Wednesday from BOOM! Studios, and this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Everything is finally starting to come together, as the inevitable fate chasing after Daisy McDonough comes ever closer.
Eleven issues ago, Daisy’s entire life was changed, and not for the better. She went from having a life she loved, to a life where she seems to keep losing everything. Now, it seems that whatever entity has gained an interest in her, has come back to take the rest. Or has it?
The Red Mother #11 is a dark issue, yet it is also a climatic one. This is an issue we’ve been waiting for, as the build-up has been steadily leading to whatever is about to happen next. After this, there will be only one issue left in the series.
That begs the question, how will the series wrap up? Will it continue on this dark path, or will Daisy find a way to fight, and possibly even win? I don’t know about everyone else, but I have my hopes. Though I’m not entirely certain which direction the series will ultimately take. That’s half the appeal.
The Writing
The Red Mother #11 is, in a way, a very trippy issue. It bounces back and forth between something borderline mundane, and something truly haunting. It is the perfect metaphor for the mental place that Daisy has found herself in.
Written by Jeremy Haun, this issue is clearly setting up for the final conflict of the series. Everything is coming together, and that means there’s a lot of heartache in store. Haun went to great lengths to clarify the intent – and actions taken by many secondary characters in this series.
It did an excellent job of increasing the tension. There’s a difference between knowing (or suspecting) and seeing. Something that this issue really drove home, as the betrayals are made clear. It’s tough to see all at once, but still cleverly written.
Yet this issue also raises dozens of questions along the way. What the endgame is. How this cult formed. How Daisy will react – how she could fight back. All of those questions, and so many more. Only one more month until we can see how it all ends.
The Art
As with the writing, the artwork within The Red Mother #11 bounces between the mundane and the horrifying. Seemingly at the blink of an eye (pun intended) at that. The artwork makes the fear of the unknown – of things hidden in plain sight, feel almost like a common occurrence.
Danny Luckert’s artwork really does bring the story to whole new heights. The more graphic nature of events is carefully handled. It doesn’t shy away from the gore…but it also doesn’t seem to relish in it. Instead, the focus is on the plot, as it should be.
The seeping of red hues in this issue, as with all of the others, is one of the many ways that the artwork excels. Imagine the way seeing the color purple makes you feel when reading Jessica Jones. It’s a similar effect happening here, only with a supernatural twist.
Ed Dukeshire’s lettering brings it all together. Daisy’s break, the actions made by everyone, the impact of knife on flesh. It’s all made clear through the lettering, complimenting both the writing and the artwork.
Conclusion
The Red Mother #11 is a dark and disturbing issue, but for all the right reasons. We’re nearing the end of the series, and thus the mystery. The tension has reached an all-new high, and it shows clear as day on the pages of this issue.
