Daphne Byrne is published by DC Comics under their Black Label and Hill House Comics imprints. It is written by Laura Marks with art by Kelley Jones and colors by Michelle Madsen.
There’s something so unsettling about the 1800s. Really anything earlier than the 1920s. That’s when you always hear about ghosts and demons or other supernatural happenings taking place. We still hear about them now, but it’s usually because of something that happened or someone who died in that time frame. I guess everyone who died before 1920 had unfinished business? Anyway.
So, Daphne Byrne is a young girl living in New York with her mother in 1886. Her father has died and his death is the subject of unpleasant rumor (though we don’t know exactly what happened yet) and following his death, Daphne’s mother is wasting their money on things like fake mediums – they always go for the rich, grieving widows. Meanwhile, Daphne (who reminds me of Wednesday Addams) is an outcast at school due to the rumors about her family and her own “odd behavior” as perceived by her peers.
Daphne is a little odd, but mostly she’s just really intelligent, she clearly enjoys science and isn’t interested in “normal” things for a girl her age. At least, initially that’s all it is. Things change when Daphne meets a strange, zombie-looking beggar and that night she has a dream where a creepy Edgar-Allan Poe-esque boy appears. I’m going to go ahead and guess he’s a demon of sorts.
This first issue is a bit slow, but it maintains its creepy vibe throughout, in large part due to the art of Kelley Jones and colors from Michelle Madsen. The artistic style is very gothic-horror and frankly, some of it is downright scary, stuff that if it was on the screen would make you jump and give you the chills. Laura Marks is clearly a talented story teller, I feel like I have a good understanding of the surrounding characters and world, but I don’t understand Daphne. I mean, obviously something is about to happen to her, but she’s kind of empty right now. Again, similar to Wednesday Addams but without the little-brother-torture shenanigans. Overall, it’s definitely a solid gothic horror story, and I’m ready to see what else is in store for dear Daphne.
OVERALL SCORE: 8 / 10
Make sure to pick up Daphne Byrne #1 from your local comic shop.
Happy reading!
