Daisy #5 concludes the dark and nightmarish tale about the offspring of the Nephilim and the teenage girl that was destined to change things. Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer with its anti-patriarchal stance and throw in a bit more Dante-esque sensibilities and you get a decent idea of the tone of this series. Colin Lorimer saved his most epic work on Daisy for his finale, and if there were any stops before, consider them all pulled out. After the raised stakes of the previous issues, this one tops it both visually as well as thematically. With Daisy now in a position to make a drastic change, Bezaliel makes his final play, calling upon higher powers to unite with his cause.
Lorimer’s artwork is incredible in this issue, taking full advantage of double-page spreads to give an extremely cinematic view. The spreads also have a natural pace and spacing to them, which really guides the eye when reading. The amount of detail is both beautiful and borne of a Hieronymus Bosch gory fever dream. The allusions to religious images and iconography won’t be missed here, but it’s definitely the more violent side of the apocryphal Judeo-Christian faith here than I dunno… the stained-glass windows in cathedrals?
Joana Lafuente’s coloring pairs perfectly with Lorimer’s artwork, achieving new heights of drama with the gore and lighting here. In contrast to all that, the denouement has some very tender lighting and it somehow all still feels like part of a cohesive whole. Jim Campbell… there is such a nuanced handling of the lettering in this issue. Take the first page itself and the subtle differences in Bezaliel’s speech in three different contexts… it’s so good!
Overall, Lorimer, Lafuente, and Campbell have achieved something special in this 5-issue arc. While the material has been explored in various ways before, Daisy feels fresh and with its discussion of free will and fate, damnation and salvation, it still feels timeless.
Creative Team: Colin Lorimer (writer, artist), Joana Lafuente (colorist), Jim Campbell (letterer)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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