Like Father, Like Daughter is an indie series that pops up on the internet every now and then. Created by comic critic Kathryn Calamia of Comic Uno, this series delves into the personal difficulties of parental relationships.
The Generational Struggle
Like Father, Like Daughter revolves around Casey Ryder and her estranged father, Jim. Anyone with parents in emergency service have struggles about how busy they are; or how their jobs affect his or her children’s lives. For Casey, Jim’s decision to become a full-time superhero has her look at him with disdain. Considering Jim left Casey and her mother when Casey was about 7, Casey has a right to do this. Yet the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree as Casey inherits not only Jim’s powers but the instinct to help others.
Now Casey has to deal with a number of expectations. Her mother denies the fact that Casey has powers which is already stressful enough. While Casey has no immediate desire to be a superhero, she does want to know her limitations and help out in ways she can. It’s a pretty standard allegory about puberty, which makes it harder when the best person to communicate this with is her father, who lives like a celebrity. So Casey has to make do with her best friend and a new comic geek friend even if it pushes her out of her comfort zone, including how Casey’s jock boyfriend is a bully.
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Like Fan Father, Like Newcomer Daughter
The tension between Casey and Jim can be like how a passive observer views a fandom. With how unapproachable (if not toxic) these communities can be, this can lead to stereotypes and worst-case scenarios. How bad these can get lead to assumptions that isolate one side or the other. Jim, not knowing how to approach Casey makes her a little uncomfortable when he asks a detective to keep an eye on her. Upon seeing Casey help a suicidal classmate, Jim’s attempt to meet with her is like a decent side of Fandom inviting a newcomer. But with only third-party influences and bad decisions from first-parties, there come barriers that people don’t know how to deal with.
Then there comes another side of fandoms in Like Father, Like Daughter, actually learning about the subject of interest. Long time followers of superheroes like Jim stick to traditions of Great Power and Great Responsibility. Yet he loses interest in something crucial like his origin after encountering some blockades. Mainly because jumping-on points are about character and not where it all begins, neglecting these other points means missing crucial details about character. As is the case when Casey develops a power, Jim doesn’t have and sees glimpses of his origin. It’s only by meeting both sides can some real development take place.
Art’s Pubescence
Like Father, Like Daughter is a place of growing both in character and in artwork. Wayne A. Brown’s artwork starts slightly rough. In a few pages in the first issue, there may be too many speed lines and not enough background details like clouds. Sometimes the sky only has minor details like a bird. As for the character models, the lining and details become smoother with each issue. Most of which can be seen with Casey’s semi-curly hair, which begins messy to look at but smooths out over time.
When it comes to detail, David Aravena shines in that department through his coloring. Starting relatively simple in the first issue, the more pale coloring gives way to brighter multilayer detail. Again Casey’s hair serves as the primary factor starting with one color without shading, then pattern shading, leading to intricate designs, and finally, more or less matching with Brown’s lining.
Letterer Matt Bowers also goes through some of the growing pains. The fonts vary depending on the situation in the first issue. The rougher fonts are for more personal emotions like when robbers encounter Jim (as Invulnerable). Casual conversations between people and newscasting use a comic sans style as if anyone can join in. By the third issue, the rougher font subsides in favor of the Comic Sans style with words that occasionally bolden and italicize to denote emotional annunciation.
Like Father Like Daughter: The Upshift
Like Father, Like Daughter‘s first volume can serve as a way into not just a series but comics as well. While the children of superheroes formula is a familiar thread within Super Sons, this series is about reconnecting and reaffirming someone about who and what they love. There are a great many of ways to grow into something even if it has a divisive reputation. With enough time and effort, it can eventually be something that everyone can find common ground on. If Like Father, Like Daughter strikes your fancy, you can find it on Comic Uno’s Etsy.
