ABIGAIL BY DAEMON MANX
This initial volume of ABIGAIL introduces the title character through her appearance in the life of primary character – Adrian Billard, and we grow to know him as he struggles with gender identity in the early part of the 21st century in Florida. ‘It was clear, even at the earliest age, that Adrian was different. He was a meticulous child, meticulous to the point of obsessive, really. He executed a certain fastidiousness in every thing he did…But that wasn’t the only thing that set Adrian apart from the boys his age. His mother had known that he was homosexual long before the idea had even occurred to Adrian himself.’ The story steps into contemporary times, with Adrian’s abusive past behind him, and now enjoying the atmosphere of a gay bar where he meets Dr. Mike – his first real encounter with a special man. That night Adrian discovers a deserted baby on this doorstep, and finding she is ‘different’ (horns, scales, bizarre eyes), Adrian sees her as beautiful and names her Abigail. Gradually he discovers his love for Abigail is shared by people he encounters – even Dr. Mike, who informs Adrian that Abigail is a Succubus: ‘Their true power is the ability to bring out the best in us; they have the power to erase negative emotions and replace them with positive ones.’ Adrian becomes Abigail’s father and the history is set for this fascinating series.
Daemon’s writing is at once rich in knowledge of the effects of bigotry, homophobia, racism, and his technique of ‘rearranging’ words (Feral Express, Mr. Gleam, etc) makes his story sparkle. What could be a horror story is instead one of discovery of the power of love, and successfully brings the unique Abigail into our perception. Very well written, and important! Grady Harp
