Monday, August 16, 2010


A year or two back, I lucked into a hardcover copy of Leave it to Chance, Book One: Shaman's Rain at a yard sale. I had the individual issues for #1-5, but it was a nice package, and I was glad to have it. However, what I didn't realize, was that the series had gone on from issue #5! I think I was moving at the time, and missed the rest of the run, until last week when I got 6-7 and 9-12 out of the quarter bin!

If you missed this one as well: Chance Falconer is the daughter of paranormal investigator Lucas Falconer, and wants to follow in her father's footsteps as defender of the city of Devil's Echo. Unfortunately, Lucas turns her down flat, insisting the job will pass to the next Falconer male, probably his grandson. At first, the decision seems purely chauvinistic, but in later issues Lucas would seem merely overprotective. Lucas' has already lost his wife, and his face to his work; and won't risk his daughter as well. (Actually, I always wondered about that, since his face didn't look that bad; although he could've used his magic to cover that.)

Of course, Chance doesn't take that lying down, and decides to try and prove herself a true Falconer. And in a city full of demons, Troggs, ghost pirates, and giant toads; she has plenty of opportunity. Written by James Robinson with art by Paul Smith, Leave it to Chance was a fun, engaging book; all ages without writing down to kids.

In the above scan, a murdered hockey player returns from the grave for the last game of the Stanley Cup--yeah, his murder can wait--and you know Chance and her pet dragon St. George are going to get in on that. A great book, and now I'm going to have to find the two issues I'm still missing...(EDIT: found one, that I actually already had, this afternoon!)

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