The Red Mother #1 is published by BOOM! Studios it is created and written by Jeremy Haun with art by Danny Luckert.
The Red Mother starts off so innocent, as many horror stories do, as Daisy and her boyfriend Luke finish a nice date night and begin planning a trip to New Zealand which could lead to them moving in together. Daisy and Luke are so clearly happy, so very in love, and in one moment, it’s gone. Luke is gone. Daisy’s right eye is gone. And in their place is something sinister.
As much as I love the other genres of horror like gore, slashers, monsters, and paranormal/supernatural – psychological is probably my favorite. It’s the unexplained with a dash of how do you tell what’s real. With The Red Mother, it’s clear there are sinister forces at work, but Daisy doesn’t understand what’s happening to her or what she’s even seeing. She had a traumatic event, it only makes sense she’d have nightmares or seeing things here and there. It’s normal, it’s fine. But actually, it isn’t.
One thing I immediately noticed is the way Jeremy Haun writes the medical professionals in this story. This might seem insignificant to many, but something that drives me nuts is when medical professionals in horror stories are idiots and don’t take anything the main character says seriously. No one makes Daisy feel crazy. She tells her therapist about seeing red and having a sudden headache and instead of being like “it’s all in your mind” she gives her an actual medial opinion and tells her to follow up with her doctor incase it’s a reaction to her new glass eye. I was pleased at the competence Haun gave his physicians.
Danny Luckert’s art is fantastic. I love how detailed it is in just the right places, like Daisy’s empty eye socket or her scar and stitches, it’s just the right amount of gross where it’s not gorey but also it wouldn’t be pretty to look at, meanwhile other characters and scenery are portrayed beautifully. Oh, and that shadow figure is SUPER creepy to look at. Honestly, well done on the art.
Jeremy Haun and Danny Luckert are clearly a great team and I can’t wait to read more of what is surely going to be an excellent, suspenseful series.
OVERALL SCORE: 9 / 10
Make sure to pick up a copy of The Red Mother #1 from your local comic shop!
Happy reading!
