Happy Halloween, Explorers! We return with our annual Halloween Special, in which three podcasters visit hell and a deal is struck. This year we dissect Daphne Byrne, by writer Laura Marks and artist Kelley Jones. The comic was published by DC’s Hill House Comics.
Set in 19th-century New York, Daphne Byrne is a teenage girl grieving the death of her father. Her mother, lost in her own heartache, turns to visiting a woman who claims she can speak with the dead. Thinking Daphne’s mother is rich and easy prey, the woman is part of a larger group that sets a nefarious plan in motion. However, the group is unaware that Daphne has a long lost “brother” guiding her as she takes action to stop this group from taking advantage of her mother. However, is Daphne’s “brother” helping her or does he have his own plans? And what exactly is Daphne capable of her on?
Guest host Aubrey joins Johnny and Dennis as they discuss Laura Marks’s career, primarily known as a TV writer, and her first journey into comic book writing. Next, they discuss DC’s decision to shutdown Vertigo in favor of DC’s Black Label. Finally, they try to decide heavy themes in the book. Additional topics include the perfect password; supernatural comeuppance; the Conversion of Linus; why the Devil prefers to keep it in the family; and last, but not certainly not least, the storytelling and art of Daphne Byrne.
One last thing, we had originally planned to cover The Man Who Came Down the Attic Stairs. Given the topic of the book, we didn’t think it fit within the context of our Halloween Special. However, we do highly recommend reading it and will hopefully cover it in future episode.
Check out our reading lists for previous seasons by clicking here. We would love to hear your suggestions for future episodes of Graphic Novel Explorers Club.
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