Mark Millar and Phil Winslade’s “Mother’s Day” features cameos of DC Comics characters
The short eight-page horror comic “Mother’s Day” from writer Mark Millar and artist Phil Winslade steadily moves from the mundane to the shocking. Almost as surprising as the story’s creepy ending is the apparent cameo appearance of DC Comics character John Constantine, along with Dream and Death of the Endless from DC’s The Sandman series.
“Mother’s Day” can be found in the 1990 publication Revolver: The Horror Special. Revolver was a monthly British anthology comics magazine marketed towards adult readers — its title was inspired by The Beatles’ album of the same name. The magazine offered a variety of strips, such as a biographical Jimi Hendrix comic and a bleak revisionist take on iconic British science fiction character Dan Dare. Revolver was short-lived, lasting just seven issues and two special editions, including the Horror Special.
The Horror Special features twelve horror-themed strips from various creators, such as Garth Ennis, Neil Gaiman, Si Spencer, Warren Pleece, and David Hine, among others. Millar and Winslade’s “Mother’s Day” focuses on Brian, who works in an insurance claims office. Brian and his colleagues are seemingly indifferent to the needs of their distressed customers, and they have a crass sense of humor.
But this indifference and humor ground the strip in a realism that belies the upcoming horror. Brian’s conversations with his coworkers are natural and endearing. As Brian shops for a Mother’s Day card on his lunch break with a friend, he expresses concern for his bedridden mother, and respect for a female colleague. Brian is shy and awkward with women, and readers learn that his father died some time ago. Brian feels that he is the only one who can take care of his mother. He seems wistful for the happier days of his childhood.
Winslade’s art contributes to the strip’s realism; the setting features believable shops and denizens, and the characters’ expressions deftly convey emotions that engage readers’ empathy. Winslade also uses a lush, eye-catching color palette; the art provides interesting visuals as the subdued narrative moves toward its unsettling ending in the strip’s last pages. And one neat visual effect is Winslade’s “Easter egg” depictions of several DC Comics characters.
The top center of one panel features a blond-haired background character wearing a trench coat, seemingly lighting a cigarette; the hair, clothing, and cigarette imagery is an apparent reference to the distinctive iconography of DC Comics character John Constantine. Debuting in the 1980s as a supporting character in the DC series Swamp Thing, Constantine — a British occult anti-hero — has become a popular character, starring in various comics, a live-action movie and television series, and other media.
Also, two background characters that resemble Dream and Death (from the DC series The Sandman) can be seen in the bottom left of the same panel (the characters have pale-white skin and black hair, and they are wearing black clothing). Originally published from 1989 to 1996, Sandman is widely acclaimed, and was recently adapted into a popular Netflix series.
These cameos of iconic comics characters are a delight to discover; they provide a fun visual gag that further disarms readers as “Mother’s Day” approaches its horrific twist ending.
NOTES AND FURTHER READING:
DISCLOSURE: As works published by DC Comics are referenced in the above article, it should be disclosed that the article’s author is a former DC Comics contributor. There are no current financial arrangements between the author and DC Comics.
Revolver: The Horror Special (edited by Peter K. Hogan; Fleetway Publications, 1990) [As noted above, “Mother’s Day” (written by Mark Millar, illustrated by Phil Winslade, and lettered by Gordon Robson) appears in this anthology.]
British Comics: A Cultural History (James Chapman; Reaktion Books, 2011)
“The debate surrounding John Constantine’s first appearance” (Reed Beebe; medium.com/meanwhile, June 26, 2018)
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