Writer: Jeremy Haun
Artist: Danny Luckert
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Publisher: Boom! Box
Released: December 11th
Warnings: Graphic eye injury
Rating: 
Red Mother #1 is the start to an all-new psychological horror series from Boom Studios. If you’ve been looking for a good one to dive into, then this is the comic for you. Jeremy Haun (The Beauty, The Darkness), Danny Luckert (Regression, Haunted), and Ed Dukeshire (The Woods, Infinite Horizon) team up to bring us this chilling new read.
Daisy McDonough was just another ordinary person having a wonderful day with her boyfriend, Luke. But that ended up being the last normal day of her life. That night, Luke walked somewhere she couldn’t follow. And trying to follow merely put Daisy at risk.
Before I dive into this review, I would like to make one thing very clear. There are some really graphic images in Red Mother #1. For many people, these images would probably be fine. But if you’re particularly sensitive about eye injuries, this is a series you’re going to want to hard pass on. Also, don’t look at the alternate covers for this issue.
Wow. Red Mother #1 was utterly chilling and disturbing. And I really do mean that in the best of ways. Jeremy Haun has established a world that is distressing and fascinating all in one. It’s a true psychological horror, with both the readers and the main character being uncertain of what is really going on here.
There are so many things I want to say about this issue, and yet I’m finding myself struggling to find the right words. I suppose that’s because Red Mother #1 left me sitting staring at my monitor once I finished reading it.
This was a shocking and horrifying issue, but where it really shined was in the subtleties and finesse. Daisy does not know what happened to her. She doesn’t know what happened to Luke either. But clearly, something horrible happened and based on some of the lingering effects she’s experiencing…whatever or whoever hurt her isn’t done with her yet.
It’s so easy to take a term like ‘spine-tingling’ for granted. Until you read something like this. And then the fear of the unknown rears its ugly head, and you find out just how literal that term can be. And for that reason, I’m already totally hooked on Red Mother.
Danny Luckert was the artist behind this Red Mother #1, and his artwork perfectly matched the chilling plot. Actually, without the artwork, the plot likely wouldn’t have had nearly the same impact. Luckert was not afraid to dive headfirst into the more graphic elements of what happened.
And yet…there was an odd sense of elegance surrounding it all. Those first few pages, for example. They’re morbid and disturbing…but they’re also understated and beautiful. It’s an interesting balance, and one I hope to see more of throughout this series.
I’m not going to leave out Ed Dukeshire, who was responsible for the lettering. I like his style, simple and unobtrusive. It fit the artwork perfectly.
Red Mother #1 was every bit was every bit as disturbing as I hoped it would be. I can now safely say I understand why so many people have been talking about this series. And I’m wholeheartedly looking forward to seeing more of it. Though perhaps I won’t make the mistake of reading it after dark next time…
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