Like Father, Like Daughter #5 - Short Fuse Media Group

LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER No. 5, June 2020

Arguably concentrating much more upon the disconcertingly dark origin story of Invulnerable than the super-hero’s blossoming relationship with his formerly estranged offspring, Kathryn Calamia’s script for Issue Five of “Like Father, Like Daughter” certainly provides plenty of hooks with which to ensnare this twenty-two page periodical’s audience. Indeed, perhaps this comic’s sole regret is that “Comic Uno” pens such an enthralling narrative, packed full of secret Soviet Union shenanigans, sleeper agents and duplicitous traitors that this publication’s shocking finale arrives all too soon; “Please. Don’t do this. Not now.”

Before this book’s ending however, there really is plenty to enjoy, most notably the shady dealings of a rather colourful-looking Russian undercover operative and the revelation that some of this comic’s supporting cast, such as the mysterious Agent 24, don’t have the two titular characters’ best interests at heart. In particular, the implication that Casey’s father might somehow be lured over to the socialist republic’s side is intriguingly chilling, especially when it becomes clear the Motherland might stoop to any lengths in order for their “perfect soldier” to help “the KGB… gain power again”, including using the super-strong powerhouse’s family against him.

Intermixed amongst all these cloak and dagger machinations, as well as a nice insight into just how quickly Casey’s feelings are growing for her isolated parent, is a well-paced action sequence where Invulnerable’s hidden residence is compromised by a gang of gas-mask wearing mercenaries. Already wounded from this title’s previous instalment, the costumed crime-fighter is forced to face the crack team of Soviet Special Forces wearing nothing more than his trunks, and yet still does a marvellous job of literally smacking the sickle-symbol wearing intruders about his Spartan abode with a flurry of kicks, throws and punches.

Adding an enormous amount of energy to this comic’s proceedings are Wayne A. Brown’s layouts, which impressively imbue each and every figure within this book with plenty of animated life. The aforementioned dapper Soviet spy sauntering down a park’s pathway towards his elderly contact whilst wearing a bright white suit is a great example of this dynamism. As is the way the penciller somehow manages to give all the conspiratorial Cold War operatives something akin to a disturbing, fanatical gleam in their eyes.

"Like Father, Like Daughter" #1-6 is currently available on "Kickstarter".

Written & Created by: Kathryn Calamia, Pencils & Inks by: Wayne A. Brown, and Colors by: David Aravena

Spirit's Destiny #1 - Short Fuse Media Group

SPIRIT'S DESTINY No. 1, March 2019

Featuring a genuinely enthralling opening, which provides both plenty of heart-racing tension as a masked burglar seemingly attempts to steal away a sleeping baby, and a pulse-pounding punch-up between the titular character’s seriously super-kick ass parents, it’s abundantly clear that “writer/creator Dorphise Jean has been developing the story of Spirit's Destiny for multiple years.” Indeed, this marvellous introduction to “an ongoing comic series featuring a Haitian girl with extraordinary abilities” arguably couldn’t grab its readers’ attention any better, especially after it’s revealed that the sinisterly-clad intruder is actually the infant’s father Brian and rather than trying to steal his beloved daughter away from her mother, the overly-confident criminal is apparently disconcertingly injecting his child with a solution which he hopes “is best for you.”

Of course, after such a sense-shattering start, any subsequent depiction of Destiny simply going through the daily ‘hum drum’ routine of getting ready for school is going to significantly slow the twenty-eight page periodical’s pace down. However, despite the sedentary nature of this comic’s subsequent sequences, this publication’s creative team still manage to imbue its proceedings with plenty of intrigue due to the implication that some disconcerting family tension potentially exists involving the teenager’s French-based creole-speaking grandma; “I swear between the two of you, I’m gonna meet an early fate.”

Similarly as successful at injecting everyday events with plenty of ‘pow’ is Jean’s portrayal of the “poor, naïve, innocent soul” half-heartedly selecting the best food her cafeteria has to offer and suddenly encountering Noel’s unjustifiably enraged girlfriend. This book’s audience literally just have enough time to register the jealous Lisa’s presence in the panel before the irate long-haired blonde has been sketched momentarily grabbing hold of Destiny’s uniform-grey blouse and then getting savagely smacked straight in the face by her formidably fierce foe for her unfounded aggressive act.

Perhaps the only hindrance to Issue One of "Spirit's Destiny" is therefore that is has been pencilled by a plethora of artists, who despite all prodigiously doing their best to make this comic a visually engaging experience, debatably still can’t help but repeatedly remind its reader that someone else has intermittently taken over the artistic duties. In fact, by the time this plot’s troublesome trio have unwisely broken into the Lucid Mechanical and Chemical Engineering Corp, and played out a scene somewhat reminiscent of Flynn’s early fate in the 1982 American science fiction action-adventure film “Tron”, the amount of changes throughout this comic’s interior are arguably a palpable distraction.

Writer: Dorphoise Jean, and Pencilers: Edwin Galmon, Richard Perotta & Stan Yak

Heroes International #1 - Short Fuse Media Group

HEROES INTERNATIONAL No. 1, December 2018

Set some “years after a tragic event that the media dubbed ‘The Zero Event’ where all of the superhero population disappeared”, Luke Herr’s plot for “Heroes International” #1 should effortlessly enthral many a reader with its heavy focus upon the new 'capes' emerging “around the world to fill the void left by the missing heroes.” However, whilst the arguably easy route for just such a storyline might be to have the likes of Iron Shield, Nimbus and Spyware fit seamlessly into the spandex-wearing crime-fighting gap, and effortlessly defeat the intriguingly powerful Dragoness due to their Extra Human Division (EHD) funded training, this particular twenty-two periodical takes a decidedly different route by “featuring a superhero team just like any other popular superhero team from Marvel or DC with one exception...They Suck!”

Indeed, straight from this book’s opening, it is all-too apparent that this squad’s diverse cast of characters are not only as inexperienced as Doctor Melanie Blake’s pre-mission briefing is uninspiring, but are almost all ‘in it’ for their own selfish reasons. Whether that be the super-strong Crag’s bone-headed desire to kill his foes rather than first save any hapless nearby civilians as ordered, or Hue-Man’s insufferable arrogance, which is as prominent throughout “Team Spirit” as his disconcerting potbelly. It’s certainly hard not to initially side with the villainess in her supposedly peaceful search of a German village for the Dragon Scroll until the green-clawed woman savagely cuts down an unarmed elderly Jewish homeowner later in the comic simply because the man “couldn’t make it easy” for her.

Fortunately, such ineptitude also provides this book with plenty of pulse-pounding action, which really helps infuse its narrative with a cracking pace and carries the reader through the plot’s obligatory flash-back sequence to a time when poor political decision-making robbed the government division of both its funding and its best members, such as Repotozone and Endeavour. In fact, the debatable highlight of this publication is Ad-Lib’s inadvertent entrapment within a dragon-shaped magical crystal and the highly disagreeable Kristopher Jordan’s ham-fisted effort to wrestle his former team-mate into submission following his latest faux pas; “What is a Drag-Lib? Did you get Ad-Lib turned into a dragon?” 

Quite possibly this “Kickstarter” financed publication’s biggest asset though, is the sheer number of different individuals which Quinn McGowan has had to pencil for it. Admittedly, some of the “self-taught” artist’s line-work appears somewhat hurried or overly cartoony in places, yet the “owner and editor in chief of Legends Press Comics” must still be applauded for drawing such a wide variety of oddities and imbuing them with such fascinating costumes, like that of Soundbyte’s claustrophobic-looking deep-sea diving suit or Eleven’s bug-eyed ninja attire.

Writer: Luke Herr, Lines & Inks by: Quinn McGowan, and Colorist: Michael Woods

Like Father, Like Daughter #4 - Short Fuse Media Group

LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER No. 4, August 2016

Featuring a disconcertingly foreboding cover illustration by Wayne A. Brown depicting a mortally-wounded Invulnerable potentially ‘bleeding out’ in the arms of his estranged teenage daughter, this twenty-two periodical’s narrative may well have proved something of a disappointment during its early stages as it depicts this series’ leading cast predominantly just ‘innocently’ sitting inside a regular diner eating hamburgers, drinking milkshakes and talking about Jim’s investigative incompetence. However, despite this debatably drawn-out sequence being discouragingly dialogue-heavy, it rather cleverly helps build up the book’s tension by slowly helping the publication, as well as the reader, count down towards the time until the titular character receives his ever-impending life-threatening injury.    

In fact, by the time “Casey decides that the best way to learn about her powers, is by going right to the source” and visits her father’s childhood orphanage, it is almost impossible to ‘shake off’ the pulse-poundingly palpable anticipation that at any moment a shot will suddenly ring out so as to lay the colourful crime-fighter fatally low. Of course, such an injury to a super-hero who has already proven himself impervious to bullets in previous editions does seem highly unlikely, especially when the pair are faced with nothing more formidable than an innocent looking elderly care-worker who was seemingly like a mother to Jim back when he was a boy, and a pot of tea which Invulnerable grew up drinking.

Yet the beauty of Kathryn Calamia’s story-telling is that despite the frail octogenarian’s appearance, the doddering woman’s sickly sweet politeness, uncanny ability to locate Jim’s old files almost instantaneously, as well as disconcerting strength of will to ensure both Wesley and Stephanie are separated from their blonde friend, all combine to subconsciously suggest that the super-powered pair could actually be in real jeopardy; A ‘spider-sense’ sensation which quickly resolves itself into hardened fact when the American author later pens “Mom” admitting to her mysterious employer that she has successfully placed a tracker upon her former ward so as to do "your country honour.”

Interestingly though, when the schoolgirl’s hyper-muscled father is finally shot in the chest, having stumbled upon an armed robbery which suspiciously occurs right before his eyes, the “new direction” upon which this first story-arc concludes does not arguably follow that implied by Brown’s pencilling either, but rather depicts a “surprising” reconciliation between Comic Uno’s titular characters. Indeed, despite his wound, the greatest threat to Invulnerable’s well-being would seemingly be his body’s ability to repair the injury before Casey has an opportunity to remove the bullet and his daughter's apologetic hug for being so awful to him since they first met…

Written & Created by: Kathryn Calamia, Pencils & Inks by: Wayne A. Brown, and Colors by: David Aravena

Like Father, Like Daughter #3 - Short Fuse Media Group

LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER No. 3, August 2016

An infinitely more emotional affair than your average super-hero comic book, Kathryn Calamia’s storyline for Issue Three of “Like Father, Like Daughter” impressively concerns itself with the depressing anxiety a young student can experience when being physically bullied at school, rather than depicting its titular characters’ thwarting yet another diabolically mad villain’s scheme which threatens mankind. For whilst the twenty-page periodical features the most ‘screen time’ Invulnerable and his daughter have so far shared together within this series, it’s highlight is undoubtedly Casey’s ‘heroic intervention’ between her disagreeable boyfriend Jesse and the appallingly battered young Ethan.

Indeed, if any person within this publication’s audience had any doubt as to the feelings of worthless isolation, loneliness, fear and incredible anger being tormented by someone else can cause an individual, then the American author’s superbly-penned scene depicting a tear-stained “poor kid” pulling a pistol on his peers and threatening to shoot himself in the head out of sheer desperation, should certainly put them straight; “Every day you push me. Beat me up for no reason. I tell myself I can handle it, but I can’t anymore. I just want it to stop!” This sequence is tremendously moving, and not only showcases the unacceptable impact upon your health school bullying can have, but also provides Comic Uno’s creation with an opportunity to courageously shine without relying upon the powers she has unintentionally inherited from her dad.

Admittedly, any subsequent scenes following on from such a poignant roller-coaster of a ride are debatably going to feel a little flat, even when they involve “Case” coming “face to face with her father… for the first time in ten years!” Yet the “YouTube personality” still manages to maintain plenty of intrigue as the super-powered pair discover the “second-generation” student’s visions are unique to her, and that Invulnerable has no idea as to how he came to obtain his extraordinary abilities. In fact, Kat’s narrative goes even further to stress that someone out there has been actively ensuring that no digital trace of the costumed crime-fighter’s past exists…  

Setting aside this comic’s persuasive penmanship momentarily, this book must also have proved something of a fun-fest for any science fiction fans out there who spotted the plethora of pencilled nods to “Doctor Who”, “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” in its panels. Undeniably a dialogue-driven edition, Artist Wayne A. Brown still provides plenty of dynamic visuals to entertain its audience during these conversational pieces courtesy of some wonderfully drawn facial expressions, but he also manages to include a plethora of starships, X-Wings and time-travelling machines into his backgrounds from time to time too.

Written & Created by: Kathryn Calamia, Pencils & Inks by: Wayne A. Brown, and Colors by: David Aravena

Like Father, Like Daughter #2 - Short Fuse Media Group

LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER No. 2, July 2016

Firmly focusing upon the emotional turmoil of being a super-hero and the high maintenance involved in order to keep one’s alter ego safe from those who would likely take full advantage of such knowledge, Kathryn Calamia’s narrative for Issue Two of “Like Father, Like Daughter” is a good example of an author trying to provide the genre with a somewhat innovative and “unique spin” upon the idea of a teenager discovering they have super-powers. Indeed, both this comic’s pulse-pounding opening, which depicts two incredibly foolish muggers knowingly attacking Invulnerable with a blade simply because they decide the guy “needs to learn how to keep a secret identity”, as well as the publication’s introduction of “comic book geek” Wesley Kelly, prominently highlight the incredible dangers super-powered personalities face should they be exposed to the wider public; “This is exactly the reason why you need to learn how to use your powers correctly…Take these. It will teach you what to do in these kinds of situations.”

Of course so detailed an exploration of this subject does result in this twenty-three page periodical containing an awful lot of dialogue and conversation-heavy moments, the majority of which are centred around the corridors and canteen of Casey Ryder’s college. But whilst these sequences are understandably somewhat sedentary in nature, “Comic Uno” does manage to imbue her storyline with bursts of action, or at least tension, by having the blonde teenager’s increasingly disagreeable boyfriend demonstrate his adolescent immaturity by first ‘muscling in’ on the girl’s conspicuously conspiratorial lunch with Wes and Stephanie Wilkins and then later, almost ‘flooring’ her when he tries to catch a ‘long bomb’ despite being in a particularly packed school hallway.

In addition, the American “YouTube personality” cleverly injects this comic with some much-needed intrigue by having Invulnerable utilise the services of Detective Strong so as to covertly keep an eye on his daughter just in case, as he clearly fears, she has inherited his extraordinary abilities. This straightforward scene, coupled with Casey’s suddenly violent, gamma-coloured vision of “an island, scientists, and guns”, provides a great hook as to the potential history of James Ryder and his evidently close relationship with a marvellously mysterious man who seemingly ‘always has his back.’

The sheer creative energy which this Indie title exudes arguably also requires a notable nod to artist Wayne A. Brown and colourist David Aravena, who undoubtedly add plenty of dynamism to the book’s proceedings with some wonderfully exaggerated facial expressions and vibrant palette choices. Indeed, one of the highlights of this tale are the numerous looks of horror upon Stephanie’s face as her friend unconvincingly attempts to clumsily illicit information from Kelly to help with the fictitious “group project we’re working on.”

Written & Created by: Kathryn Calamia, Pencils & Inks by: Wayne A. Brown, and Colors by: David Aravena

Like Father, Like Daughter #1 - Short Fuse Media Group

LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER No. 1, March 2016

Described during its Kickstarter in October 2014 as “a refreshing take on superheroes from the perspective of a young lady whose father left her to become the world's first superhero”, Kathryn Calamia’s treatment for Issue One of “Like Father, Like Daughter” is certainly successful in producing a pair of protagonists which are dissimilar to the vast majority of stock crime-fighting characters that have gone before them. In fact, despite this twenty-three page periodical’s narrative arguably touching upon some themes previously explored within the likes of Mike Mitchell’s 2005 comedy film “Sky High” or actor Tobey Maguire’s tongue-in-cheek scene during the 2002 “Spider-Man” movie where he tests out his super-powers for the first time, it is hard to recollect another comic’s leading cast member who seems to so intensely antagonise over their personal life choices by being a super-hero first and foremost, as Invulnerable seemingly does at this publication’s conclusion.  

Admittedly, like any good writer “Comic Uno” begins this tale with plenty of pulse-pounding action as the apparently all-powerful, blue-suited champion for justice is proficiently pencilled by Wayne A. Brown thwarting the escape of a pair of balaclava-wearing, gun-toting bank robbers. But whilst this exhilarating race through the city’s bustling traffic offers this book’s bibliophiles with plenty of visual evidence as to the superman’s terrific speed and formidable physical strength, the sequence’s intense pace is soon replaced with the much more mundane daily habits of Casey’s college life, and arguably it is only at this point that the “YouTube” personality’s script begins its interestingly unique detour from the cape-wearing genre’s normal fare…

Indeed, the utter loathing which Invulnerable’s daughter has for her ‘heroic father’ is particularly palpable throughout this piece, and only seems to dissipate once Stephanie enacts a strenuous work-out regime for her long-term friend in order to establish the limits of the student’s powers; “Look on the bright side, at least we know you can survive a five-storey fall.” The sheer sense of fun the two girls appear to be having during these passages brings a much-needed lightness to proceedings, especially after readers will have had to negotiate four-pages of Casey pontificating over what has happened to her in a local diner, and in addition, helps increase the dramatic sombreness of this comic’s final act, when in a clearly poignant scene wonderfully coloured by David Aravena, the father pens his child an emotional explanatory note as to why he “abandoned his true responsibilities.”

Written & Created by: Kathryn Calamia, Pencils & Inks by: Wayne A. Brown, and Colors by: David Aravena