REVIEW: ‘The Red Mother,’ Issue #12

The Red Mother #12 is published by BOOM! Studios.  It comes from the creative team of writer Jeremy Haun, artist Danny Luckert, and letterer Ed Dukeshire. After the shocking sacrifice the members of the Cult of the Red Mother made, her return has finally come. Daisy stands before the fully revived Mother herself. She struggles to compose herself but stands tall in the face of her mysterious antagonist. The Red Mother speaks to her lovingly, calling her a piece of herself.

Daisy asks her what she is, and the Red Mother explains that she is an ancient god. One of four who were cast out and want the opportunity to return to our world. She is elated to be the first one who found success in her revival and explains that her siblings will be jealous. But after all this time and struggle, Daisy has never lost hope. Now, she is all that stands between our world and an ancient and powerful god. The fate of humanity rests on Daisy’s shoulders.

With The Red Mother #12, Haun has crafted a tight, exciting, and satisfying end to his horror saga. Unlike many endings, though, Haun has opened the door for further tales in this universe to be told. I love the idea of ancient evil gods competing with one another to shape the world in their image. Hopefully there are further stories to be told on such fertile soil. But despite the strong finish and the presence of the Red Mother herself, Daisy deserves all of the praise. This series has seen her attacked, traumatized, gaslit, and manipulated. She has been brought down to her lowest points. And yet, when the time comes, she meets the Red Mother head-on.

She does not cower, nor does she panic or flee. Daisy represents the strength in everyone. The ability to face your pain and your struggles with your head held high. I have been consistently impressed with Daisy as a character throughout the series, and the way that the series presents her as capable, vulnerable, and strong. This ties into the main theme of survivor’s guilt in The Red Mother. I won’t spoil what happens, but the way Haun shows the path to healing and moving on is clever and beautiful.

The art from Luckert continues to be equal parts gorgeous and terrifying. None better exemplify this than the Red Mother herself. Her depiction is equal parts beautiful and otherwordly. The way her hair floats as if she is always underwater and her eye socket burns with eldritch flame keep her strangeness front and center. The use of the color red to signify her influence is in full effect here. For the first half of the issue, everything is shown in various tones of red. Despite this, everything is clear and easy to follow. The letters from Dukeshire amplify the Red Mother’s eerie nature, with her speech bubble and text even being done in shades of red.

Overall, I loved The Red Mother #12 and I see it as a strong finale to an excellent horror series. Daisy is a great final girl and her path from the beginning to where she ends up is perfect and well-earned. The art, colors, and even letters all come together to help this story achieve a climactic and potent ending. If you’ve been following along then you can’t miss this issue. If you’ve been waiting to see how everything shakes out, you’re in for a treat when you finally read this series.

The Red Mother #12 is available wherever comics are sold.