Gaze at The Red Mother and the Red Mother gazes also at you.  Your Major Spoilers review of The Red Mother #1 from BOOM! Studio awaits!

THE RED MOTHER #1

Writer: Jeremy Haun
Arttist: Danny Luckert
Colorist: Nick Filardi
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Editor: Eric Harburn
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

Previously in The Red Mother:  After losing her eye and the man she loves in a brutal mugging, Daisy McDonough is left trying to put the pieces of her life back together.  Just when she begins to think she can heal or move on, she begins to see strange things through her new prosthetic eye.

And The Red Mother sees her in return…

NOT WHAT I EXPECTED

This issue starts in a perfectly mundane way, with Daisy and her boyfriend Luke walking home from dinner and discussing their plans.  Before they get home, though, Luke hears a scream from inside a park and enters, with a few puzzling words, and when Daisy tries to follow him, she is suddenly slashed across the face.  An unknown amount of time later, she awakens in the hospital, with her right eye missing and a squad of police officers who seem to believe that Luke is the one that hurt her.  Her recovery is a slow and torturous thing, expertly shown in a full-page montage that ends with her recieivng a painstakingly crafted aritificial eye.  That’s when the really strange things start to happen, as she suddenly has flashed where her vision goes blood red… and seems to be binocular for a moment.  Then, in a crowd of people, she suddenly sees something impossible.

QUIET, EFFECTIVE HORROR

Horror comics are a very difficult proposition, so I’m pleasantly surprised that this one is so well done, with a clear grounding in reality, even with the possibly supernatural elements in play.  Daisy’s familiar, mundane life is perfectly written and rendered, with special kudos due to the ultra-realistic hospital sequence.  Luckert’s art is remarkable throughout the issue, but that one stands out, as does the crowd scene, filled with fully realized and well-designed people (and one terrible apparition.)  Best of all, the cover image is not just gorgeous, it’s the same artist and style that we get inside the issue, an important consideration that is often ignored in today’s comics.  The creeping horror builds and builds throughout the issue, leading to the big shock sequence and a final page that is terrifying with it’s tiny bit of blood and unremarkable but incredibly detailed and pretty surroundings.

BOTTOM LINE: REALLY ENJOYABLE

I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Red Mother #1, but the excellent cover lured me in and the book delivered on the premise with strong art, a compelling story and just enough of the supernatural to raise the hairs on the back of your neck, for a well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars overall.  I don’t know what The Red Mother is yet, but the mysteries raised in these pages have me wanting to come back for more, and I think that fans of Stephen King/Joe Hill/Rod Serling type stories will find a lot to like here.

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THE RED MOTHER #1

83%

83%

Eerie

A really well-concieved concept with excellent art and a mystery that is truly haunting, plus some excellent slow-burn suspense. I'd like more of this, please.

• Writing

  7
• Art

  9
• Coloring

  9
• User Ratings (0 Votes)
  0