Writer and artist Colin Lorimer brings us an unsettling horror tale pulled from biblical origins in Daisy #1. This slow yet satisfying opening chapter delivers mystery and brilliant worldbuilding interweaved with disturbing and suspenseful horror undertones. With detailed atmospheric visual work to boot, this is one of the most enticing debut issues i’ve read this year.
“A desperate mother’s five-year search for her missing son leads her to the small town of Brimount and to the mysterious Phillips family. Daisy Phillips, like many teenagers, has a hard time fitting in, but not for the usual reasons. She stands eight-and-a-half feet tall and is still growing, but her troubles with ill health, daily ridicule, and custom-made clothing are only the tip of the iceberg. Daisy may well be descended from a race of cannibalistic giants spawned from the outcasts of Heaven!”
Writing & Plot
Colin Lorimer spins a tale of murder mystery and religious mythology in Daisy #1. We meet the massive teenager as she leads a bible study group with small children. We understand almost immediately, due to the braces and cane she has to use, how different she is. This is increased when we read her dialogue – too solemn and pained with wisdom for a normal teenager. All of this falls in the background of the murder mystery happening at the same time. The mother looking for her long-missing son comes face to face with the massive Daisy – and the rest of this comic’s twists and turns occur. This comic’s plot goes in some delightfully unexpected directions. As a fan of creators taking liberties with mythologies and religions, I found this issue a lot of fun and immensely engaging.
Much of Lorimer’s script here is narrative being read from a book, or recanted from memory. The biblical recitations lend a solemn seriousness to the comic’s pages and perfectly reflects the increasingly dark goings-on. Daisy herself is a character we don’t get much of in this comic, outside a few lines and her – literally – massive introduction. I wish we could have seen more of her here (she is the title character after all), but the rest of the comic is interesting enough to make the wait acceptable.
Art Direction
Even more impressive than his writing is Colin Lorimer’s artwork in Daisy #1. His thoughtfully detailed and heavily inked style works well for crafting this world and creating atmosphere. Character details are intricately thought out and displayed. Daisy’s braces are a mass of delicately interwoven pencils. Every character’s clothing appears in various stages of wear, creating a sense of realistic place. The more unsettling imagery is disturbingly crafted and will likely stay in the reader’s mind for some time to come.
Lorimer’s character and environmental detail are put in place by his thoughtful storytelling direction. His panelling itself is nothing too out of the ordinary, but it’s how he uses it that impresses. Lorimer uses a lot of tightly focused panels to highlight relevant details before backing out into the larger world. This can come in multiple small panels on a page or panels inserted over a splash page. These scenes come on like a Chekov’s gun, with their relevance arriving in climactic surprise. It’s a huge part of what makes this book’s pacing so effective.
The colors from Joana Lafuente and Anita Vu are deep and tonally varied. Their work compliments Lorimer’s heavy inks by staying on the darker side of the color palette. Every choice made is influenced by shadow, overcast skies, or moonlight. The density of their work here really adds to this comic’s atmosphere, and perfectly this comic’s visual design overall. 
Verdict
Daisy #1 is an unnerving, intriguing, and unique opening chapter for this horror-mystery comic. Colin Lorimer’s writing mixes tense, enticing pacing with fantastic allegory and scenes of shock and surprise. Colin’s art, along with Lafuente and Vu’s colors, is beautifully detailed and unnervingly atmospheric. If this sounds like your brand of unsettling, be sure to pick up this one-of-a-kind horror entry when it hits shelves on 12/8!
