REVIEW: Titan Comics' Dead by Daylight #1

Dead by Daylight is an asymmetric horror survival game from Behaviour Interactive where players can play as or run from characters like Sadako from The Ring or Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre alongside other original creations. One of the original killers featured in the game, The Legion, takes center stage in the game's first foray into comic books. Published by Titan Comics, Dead by Daylight #1 is written by Nadia Shammas, illustrated by Dillon Snook, colored by Emilio Lecce, and lettered by AndWorld Design's JAME.

Dead by Daylight #1 opens with a nightmare scene or an ominous foretelling, whichever way one looks at it. Frank Morrison was waiting at a train station when he started dreaming of a masked killer chasing a man through a train filled with dead people. An orphan thrown around from one foster home to another, Frank's rebellious attitude finds him in the sleepy town of Ormond. His new foster parent wants nothing to do with him, so he slips off to make new friends. After being invited to a party, Frank meets a group of other struggling teens. Together, they share their anxieties, fears, and a penchant for anti-social behavior.

Nightmare sequence of the Legion on a train in Dead By Daylight #1

Dead by Daylight #1 reeks of fear, be it the gory opening sequence or the dread of disappearing from relevance. Nadia Shammas clears each of the characters' dispositions with well-scripted dialogues. As a protagonist, Frank is an anarchist and devilishly alluring as he charms his way into a close-knit group of friends pretty quickly for a newcomer. They all share the same hopes of being seen and fears of being left behind, which makes their bonding natural. Frank's entrance disrupts the lives of Julie, Susie, and Joey, breaking their cycle of boredom and allowing them to become acquainted with a wild side they had never encountered before. While the dialogue forms the building blocks of the story, it never bogs down the narrative or slows the progress.

Dillon Snook's stylized artwork and caricaturish style works in juxtaposition with the gruesome themes of the book. While they don't evoke feelings of terror or creepiness, his lines never fail to capture a range of emotions in the characters and their bottled-up feelings that seep out from time to time. The inking is of particular note, used to bring out both details in the foreground and douse the background in deep, dark shadows. Colorist Emilio Lecce employs bright colors throughout the book, complimenting Snook's art style and helping each individual pop out from the rest. Matching the whimsical tone, letterer JAME makes use of the color scheme to create eye-catching onomatopoeia that adds context to each scene.

Frank Morrison wakes up in Dead By Daylight #1

Dead by Daylight #1 starts out slow but sows the seed of mayhem right before the end. The station where Frank wakes up no doubt denotes a new beginning, but even in this new place, he brings his old baggage. With the Legion being a prominent set of killers in the game, eagle-eyed readers will realize the gravity of the group's actions by now and how it will steer them down an unforgivable path. The anticipation of building up to that event is what makes the story all the more compelling. Dead by Daylight #1 has hooked the readers, ending on a love-laced note for Frank and Julie. All that remains now is to let the story run amok and reach its inevitable ending.