Shaman's Rain

(Leave It To Chance)

by
James Robinson
and
Paul Smith

Homage Comics, July 1997, 97 pp.
ISBN: 1-887279-42-3

Genre: Comics
Subgenre: Graphic Novel
Reviewed: 10/2/2000

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Synopsis

Chance Falconer has a famous father. Lucas Falconer is a famous paranormal investigator. He is plainly know as “The Falconer”. There have been Falconers for many generations. Chance is excited because it is her fourteenth birthday, and that it is the day that she is to become the apprentice of her father. But her dad rejects that idea because she is not a boy. After her dad leaves the lab, Chance releases a dragon that her dad was about to send back to its original dimension.

Meanwhile, the daughter of a Native American Shaman is missing after her father disappears after being attacked by Trogs. Chance overhears her father turning down the case and decides to try to find the Shaman, Raven, herself. Finding out where Raven lives, Chance enters the apartment only to find a dead body, and three Trogs holding Raven’s daughter. She runs and they give chase. She escapes with the help of the dragon she freed earlier. But her escape route leads her into the middle of an underground Goblin meeting with no way to escape.

Leave It To Chance: Shaman’s Rain is a graphic novel. The story originally appeared as a four-part mini series in comic book format. This is a Fantasy tale that takes place in a large metropolitan city that has Goblins in the sewer and Trogs in the street. Chance’s father, The Falconer, works for the police solving paranormal cases. Chance wants to become the next Falconer, but her father will not let her. So she needs to prove her worth to him, even if it places her life in danger.

Review

I remember debating whether to buy the first comic of this series when it came out. I did. But I only bought the first one. Did I read it? I think I did. With the graphic novel, I jumped at the chance to read it again, this time the entire mini series.

The artwork is good, but I was confused by one thing. The eyes of Chance sometimes look like normal eyes, and sometimes they are just small circles, which reminded me of Little Orphan Annie in the newspapers. I guess I really didn’t like that. The artwork is well done and reminds me of the way that Dick Tracy was drawn.

The coloring, of course, is excellent. Computer color separation techniques were always top of the line in Image comic books.

The story is well-written, and Chance is intended to be the Nancy Drew of the paranormal world.

Even though there are Trogs and Goblins in the story, Leave It To Chance: Shaman’s Rain is a fun read for both the younger and older audiences.