Daniel Groth: The main character and one vampire of the story.
Daniel
is a horror webcomic written and drawn by Sarah Nelson, who has worked on other webcomics such as Vampire Phantasm and Cwen's Quest. It ran from November 22, 2014 to May 18, 2020.
Set during The Great Depression, Daniel follows the story of Daniel Groth, who begins the story as a rather timid and insecure man who is a newly employed gravedigger. He seeks to finally tell his best and apparently only friend, Christine Lockwood, that he has been in love with her for some time. However, after the intervention of Christine's ex-boyfriend Wayne, Daniel's confidence is shaken and he decides not to tell her. He backs out of their plans to see a Fourth of July fireworks display and proceeds home after giving a gift to Christine.
Daniel mysteriously disappears right after this and isn't heard from again for three months, when he returns to Christine's house in the middle of the night, noticeably changed in personality and appearance. It is quickly revealed that he has somehow become a vampire and much of the story is about Daniel fighting against his unrelenting Blood Lust.
This comic provides examples of:
- Blood Lust: Daniel has a hard time ignoring his blood cravings.
- Breaking and Bloodsucking: Daniel does this to an unfortunate couple.
- Buried Alive: "Do you know what it's like to be buried alive?"
- Damaged Soul: While it seems at times the old Daniel from chapter 1 still lingers, he himself says that it feels as if his soul is "rotting", so he may be on the verge of becoming soulless.
- Emotion Eater: Daniel drinks blood to feel life, and that includes the emotions that go with it.
- Fetishized Abuser:
- Kind of enforced with Daniel seeing he's a vampire. Daniel is possessive of Christine up to dangerous levels.
- Averted with Wayne Gallagher, a jerkass who is not only as possessive as Daniel but also a Crazy Jealous Guy who is constantly hounding her even if they are no longer an item. However, Christine has made it clear that she's no longer interested in him because of that.
- Film Noir: The look and 1930s setting alone are enough to give this comic a 'noir' vibe.
- The Great Depression: The story is set in 1934. It's even stated that Daniel had been laid off from a previous job due to the Wall Street Crash.
- Gut Feeling: Francine's young daughter Molly seems to immediately be able to tell that something is off about Daniel after she sees him for the first time since vanishing.
- I Do Not Drink Wine: As a vampire, Daniel can't take in anything but blood. He states that anything else he tries to consume simply comes back up his throat. The only other thing that didn't seem to bother him was a glass of water... or did he fake sip it?
- Imperiled in Pregnancy: Francine becomes one of Daniel's victims.
- Interrupted Declaration of Love: Daniel tries to tell Christine how he feels in chapter 1, but Christine's ex-boyfriend rudely interrupts the moment.
- Life Drinker: Daniel doesn't drink blood to satisfy hunger but to "feel life".
- Love Confession: Daniel manages to tell Christine he loves her later though.
- Love Triangle: Daniel and Wayne both have a thing for Christine. However, Wayne is Christine's ex and she has made it clear she is no longer interested in him. Unfortunately, this hasn't stopped Wayne from pursuing her and from hating Daniel with a passion.
- Malicious Misnaming: Wayne gets Daniel's name wrong twice just to rile him up, referring to him as "David" and "Darwin".
- Mind over Matter: Daniel seems to be able to move objects without touching them.
- The Mirror Shows Your True Self: Daniel throws a fit if he gets a look at himself in a mirror, apparently seeing something grotesque and terrifying.
- Missing Reflection: When others look at Daniel's reflection, it appears as only a faint translucent silhouette.
- Murder Into Malevolence: After the shy, genial title character is tortured and Buried Alive, he rises as a monstrous vampire who can manage only the barest veneer of civility over his predatory nature, murders entire households without a second thought, and slowly tortures his killers to death. Once he stops Resisting the Beast, he starts specifically targeting his former friends and loved ones.
- Must Be Invited: Kind of. While it seems Daniel can come and go as he pleases into any building, it's been suggested that he needed an invitation back into Christine's life, and said invitation is binding.
- Nightmare Sequence: Christine has two nightmares about Daniel that we see. However,
Francine and Molly prove that Daniel is literally walking Nightmare Fuel after interacting with him. - Not Himself: Daniel is only 'himself' in the first chapter of the comic.
- Occult Detective: Leonard Davis is actually a regular detective, but he unintentionally becomes this when investigating a series of murders that seem to be the work of a vampire.
- Our Vampires Are Different: The type of vampire Daniel is seems to be a mix of classic myths and more obscure ones.
- Psychotic Love Triangle: Wayne and vampiric Daniel are both dangerously possessive of Christine.
- Recovered Addict: Daniel, when he was a normal human being, was a recovering alcoholic. Even as a vampire, Daniel is forced to keep up his past appearances when he invites Christine to have wine with him for a toast; he has water. Ironically, as a vampire, he is once again hopelessly addicted to a liquid, but this addiction is far worse.
- Took a Level in Badass: Daniel goes from insecure, stuttering, frail man to fearless vampire with super strength.
- The Unreveal: Whatever Daniel sees in a mirror, everyone else only sees a vague, shadowy outline.
- Warm Bloodbags Are Everywhere: Daniel basically wants to drink the blood of every person he's near.
- Was Once a Man: Daniel was once a normal man... three months ago, to be exact.
