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Daphne Byrne #1 — Laura Marks, Joe Hill, Writers; Kelley Jones, Dan McDaid, Artists; John Kalisz, Michelle Madsen, Colorists
Ratings: Ray — 8.5/10
Ray: One of the best things about the Hill House line is the way every book, including Daphne Byrne #1, taps into its own unique vein of horror. Basketful of Heads is classic 70’s grindhouse horror, The Dollhouse Family is nerve-jangling supernatural terror, and The Low, Low Woods is eldritch horror lurking around the fringes of our world.
Daphne Byrne #1 taps into another unique vein, that of Victorian-era gothic ghost stories. It is easily the least scary of the three in its first issue, but that’s not necessarily a criticism. It lets you find the horror yourself as you follow Daphne, an eccentric girl mourning the death of her father under shameful (but ambiguous) circumstances as her superstitious mother consults with a faith healer who claims to be able to contact the dead man. Ostracized by her former friends, Daphne’s world is mostly confined to her mother and a friendly housekeeper, but horrifying dreams continue to plague her as she tried to unravel the truth about her father.
