Another quick story arc from Hill House Comics. There was a lot packed into this story, from mediums and opium dens to a Rosemary's baby-type scenario, and the images were artfully gruesome and affective, however; many themes were introduced but not given the time to be explored in any meaningful way. I found the story entertaining, but nothing that will stick with me.

I hope that there are more Daphne Byrne books to read since this one is quite well done and left me wanting more! Daphne just lost her father and watches her mother struggle with grief and loss. At the same time, Daphne meets a dark friend who begins influencing her and introduces her to the darkness/evil(?) he comes from.

An interesting and well told story within a graphic novel. Good character development and decent illustrations and inking.
Really enjoying the Hill House graphic novels.

I will be buying a copy of this, for sure! Sadly it wasn’t available even on the NetGalley app, so I had to download it onto my computer and it was difficult to read. I think it was beautiful and creepy (in a good way) art work though, as always from Hill House.

It was a good quick read. I really liked the Kelly Jones art. The story has some nice twists and surprises, and a good overall balance between mystical and realism. Mainly for adults or older teens.

Special thanks to NetGalley and DC for the free ARC I was provided in exchange for an honest review.

In the graphic novel "Daphne Byrne", the titular protagonist is a girl living in late 19th/early 20th century New York. She struggles with the recent death of her father, being an outcast at her school, and her and her mother's worsening financial situation. As if the situation isn't dismal enough, her mother has fallen prey to a fake medium who claims to be able to speak to her late husband. It turns out that while the "medium" may not be able to see the other side, the same cannot be said for Daphne herself, who meets a being not of this world who encourages her to employ his powers against those who would do her harm...

The novel, which resembles a Gothic horror with a large dose of Rosemary's Baby thrown in to the mix, has some great ideas. Unfortunately, when it comes to actually executing the Poe-meets-Polanski premise, the story falls flat. Without spoiling anything, the climax feels pretty rushed, and there are a lot of questions that are not fully answered (e.g., whatever it is that makes Daphne or her mother so special). I feel like it really could have used another issue or two to provide some of these explanations.

The art, for the most part, is really good; compared to a couple of the other Hill House graphic novels I've read, it looks more polished, and it makes really good use of shadows to create the dark, creepy tone. My only complaint is that, on occasion, the faces are not drawn consistently and are sometimes difficult to distinguish from one another.

Overall, it's not a bad read if you can borrow it from a library or a friend, and I did get through it in one sitting. However, I didn't find it that memorable, and I don't see myself reading it again in the future. I give it 2.5 stars.

The first thing that strikes you with this collection is the artistic style of Kelley Jones. As a reader of Batman since the 1990s, I can remember seeing Jones's very distinct take on the Dark Knight. He seems tailor-made for Gothic horror with his demonic figures almost resembling towering cathedrals. In the pages of Daphne Byrne, he seems partially inspired by the detailed grotesquerie of Richard Corben. The story sadly is pretty standard and I can't imagine any reader who sees themselves as a horror fan being surprised at any of the supposed twists and turns. I think writers crossing from one genre into another (in this instance from playwrighting to graphic novels) don't quite understand the structural differences? I have read novels written by people who primarily pen comics and I could tell they don't quite understand the medium. If you are looking for a simple spook but nothing too jarring Daphne Byrne will likely scratch that Halloween itch.

This had to be the most confusing and creepy graphic novel I had read. The art work was amazing in that dark creepy way I love. The story however was a no for me it just felt like a let down with how everything thing was put together.

Daphne Byrne is another addition to the DC Black Label line, a line specifically meant for horror fans everywhere. Written by Laura Marks, with artwork from Kelley Jones, this atmospheric horror story is a chilling tale.

Daphne Byrne is a young woman who just lost her father. She has taken to grieving in her own way. Unfortunately, her mother has fallen prey to a charlatan pretending to speak to the dead. If only that was the end of the story. As it turns out, there are those that truly can see the other side, just not the woman taking payment from Mrs. Byrne.

It should go without saying that this is part of DC's horror line, and is not intended for a younger audience. Daphe Byrne is dark and disturbing, made all the more so thanks to the intense art style provided by Kelley Jones

I went into this novel expecting great (and terrifying) things. I was mildly let down, which I found more disappointing than anything. Much of Daphne Byrne felt familiar. It's a story that has been told and done countless times, with minimal twists to make it stand out.

All things considered, Daphne Byrne just failed to hold my attention. Had the story itself not felt so familiar, I think I might have enjoyed it a lot more. Particularly because the artwork really does lend well to the horror elements within this tale. I want to emphasize that fact.

It's still a worthwhile read, it just didn't knock my socks off like I had hoped (or feared? I'm not sure). It was still chilling in many ways, and had so much potential, which at the core of it, might be the main reason why I'm finding myself disappointed with the end result.

Daphne Byrne is a story set in the gaslit splendor of late 19th-century New York. Teenage angst, disguised as rage, takes over 14-year-old Daphne. The sudden death of her father has left her alone with her irresponsible, grief-stricken mother-who becomes easy prey for a group of occultists promising to contact her dead husband.
So far it sounded good. I love any horror or ghost story set in Victorian times. But honestly, I was left wanting more. More story, more explanation, more...everything.
While interesting for the first few volumes, I think the story became confusing and hard to follow. I still don't quite know what that was all about.
Not my favorite and not very scary. Wouldn't rush to recommend it personally.

A classically illustrated delve into one's own origin. Very dark illustrations and a slow reveal. Lots of Rosemary's Baby vibes.

I was so excited to read and review the new Hill House Comics. Basket Full of Heads was great, this one was...less so. I'm not saying Daphne Byrne was bad by any means, it was just kind of bland. If you watched Rosemary's Baby, you get the gist. Just set it in Turn of the Century New York with a young woman as the main character and the Devil doesn't actually like any of his cultists. While the storyline was pretty straight forward, the artwork left much to be desired with the exception of the front cover. My interest in the series was only peaked by the very last page, which for me felt much too late, but perhaps the next installments will be better.

Well Daphne gets the shitty end of life doesn't she? Her mom is an idiot that believes in fake mediums, her dad is an opium addict, and she isn't very pretty. This is pretty much a "satan spawn" story in the 19th century. Its a bit cliche. The art is well done, but didn't amaze me. I'd like to see Laura pull together some stronger characters and a plot that hasn't been so over done.

Thank you DC and Net Galley for giving me a free arc in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
This comic was a great read. I loved the story plot with Daphne's mother trying to reach out to her deceased husband by going to mediums. Daphne herself was very misunderstood by those around her because she was deemed very odd. The graphics in this comic were very dark and creepy which I enjoyed. The comic gets more creepy the more you read it which had me pretty scared towards the end. Overall I thought it was a good story and it definitely creeped me out! This was my favorite Hill House comic so far!

I think the cover set way too high expectations for me. The art was very different style wise and that took a while getting use to, but once you get over it it's a good enough horror story about a teenage girl taking emo to whole other level.

* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*

I mostly liked this graphic novel -- though admittedly by the end I wasn't sure if there were more installments coming, or if I'd reached the end of a self-contained narrative. I could see it going either way, and if the story continued, I'd probably pick up another issue, despite some of the flaws.

I felt that the setting was around 25-30 years too early, because Spiritualism was in full swing in the early 1920s, and seances were popular among those grieving WW1 losses and Spanish Flu deaths. This is something that most readers wouldn't be picky about and would think "close enough" -- but for me, that was a little bit of a barrier to having a solid suspension of disbelief.

Like other readers, I wasn't sure of Daphne's age, and her first period took me by surprise -- in most panels Daphne is drawn to look in her late teens, so this was also a slight barrier to me truly immersing myself in the story, because Daphne is drawn with more sexualization, and a younger depiction of her might have clarified some of the more murky plot elements.

I think what I'm trying to say is that a demon Brother that only she can see is less of a hard sell if I believe the timeline and main narrator -- and because of slight missteps laying the groundwork of the story, I didn't ever really buy into the exposition, making the plot elements more hard to believe.

There are really two plotlines happening concurrently: what's happening to Daphne's mother Althea, which is something of a Rosemary's Baby/ The Omen meets a Spiritualism plotline (like the movie The Awakening, no relation to the short story). Daphne's story is more like a first person POV of The Omen, mixed with a less humorous and relatable Adam from Good Omens coming into his powers as the child of the Devil. I enjoy stories that work with ALL of these kinds of plotlines, so it wasn't really any of these elements that was an issue for me, though I think they all could have been fleshed out a little better, and it was difficult for me to keep the housekeeper and the séance medium straight (as it turned out, that wasn't a big concern).

The art by Kelley Jones I recognized from Sandman and other entrenched comic/graphic novel series, there is a distinct style especially in drawing demons/scary old people/ etc. that is very distinctive, and you either like it or you don't like it. However, this signature style may also be why Daphne and her peers are drawn looking much older and more sexually mature than the writing says they are, and that is problematic for certain parts of the plot line being believable (she says, with utter sincerity, about a story that involves demonic possessions and a Satanic cult.)

It was a fast read that I got through in one sitting, and while it was enjoyable, it wasn't particularly memorable. It hit on some of my favorite genres to varying degrees of success, and is probably something I'd read again if it was available, but not anything I'd go out of my way to track down.

Another decent graphic novel in the Hill House Comics collection. But when compared to others in the series...this one moved a little slower or didn't quite have the wow factors as some of the others did. Still well worth a look!

Somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars. Great art, very spooky. A little too blindly Rosemary's Baby for me. I would've liked more of...something else. I would be interested to see more of what both the author and the illustrator can do though, this just isn't the best of the Hill House pop-up that I've read.

Okay. This one is a bit....yeah. Let me try that again.

Daphne Byrne by Laura Marks has a lot going on and I mean A LOT.
Miss Daphne Byrne is having a very difficult time adjusting after the death of her father. Her family has lost status in the community due to the circumstances of his death along with no income. Her mother has taken to spending what little they have on a local medium that Daphne believes to be fraudulent. One day there is a boy. A mysterious boy that introduces her to darkness. That loves her. That is with her always. Manipulates her. Wants her for his own. When they are together, they are capable of acting out monstrous ideas.

One comeuppance, two comeuppance, three comeuppance, four
Makes one wonder if there will be more? :)

Meanwhile, the medium is not what she claims to be and neither is the housekeeper at the Byrne residence.
And.....Daphne begins to enjoy who she really is without her skin.

We have deception and demons, cruelty and cults, perversion and poetry (depending on your taste). A startling revelation. And a mother and daughter on the run. Do not mess with Daphne.

The artwork is very good. The coloring is dark which I believe is necessary due to the content of the story.
At times, if it is possible, I found the coloring too dark. I had to zoom in, then zoom out to read dialogue and to make out what was happening in the frame. I will say it was not often which was a plus.

The story-line is a bit convoluted. The story does come together at the end, however there were times that I felt I was reading two separate stories. One story about Daphne and the second about her mother.
Daphne's dark side kept me reading.

Thanks to NetGalley, DC Black Label, and Laura Marks and Kelley Jones for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I knew this was going to be creepy cause I kept getting freaked out by the cover. And it was, but dang, it was also gory, gross, super violent, and a bit weird. Not a bad thing! I took a star off because it was slow for a hot second there when I started wondering where things were going.

The story itself was really more of a three star read, but the art was super good! Especially the pictures between each chapter. Stuff of nightmares really. The blood and violence was super intense at times and had me cringing and hissing through my teeth.

So I enjoyed it a lot, but I’m also into dark reads. I would only recommend this to those who don’t shy away from the darkest of books and pictures. There are no happy moments here. And some of these pictures are intense and scary. Don’t stare for too long or a bloody hand might reach out and grab you!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Hill House Comics for allowing me to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Amazon review pending publication date.