Leave It to Chance
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Leave It to Chance was a comic book series written by James Robinson, illustrated by Paul Smith and published by Image Comics. It featured the adventures of Chance Falconer, the 14-year old daughter of famed paranormal investigator Lucas Falconer, and her pet dragon, St. George. The series was aimed at young readers, and it was published irregularly for twelve issues from 1996 to 1999. Issue #13 was released in 2002, with a promise of a "next time"; as of 2006, this "next time" has not been solicited.
[edit] The Premise
Leave it to Chance is set in a world where supernatural elements are fairly commonplace, and the existence of monsters, ghosts, demons, magicians and other similar beings is general knowledge – for example, mobsters routinely use magic to transform their men into powerful "troggs", and the city the series is set in, Devil's Echo, has a community of goblins inhabiting its sewers.
Members of the Falconer family have a legacy of battling supernatural threats, and traditionally training for the cause is begun at the age of 14. However, Chance is not given that opportunity by her father, who refuses to train her. He insists that the tradition is not to pass the knowledge "from father to child", but "from father to son" and points out that the job is too dangerous for her. This decision appears not to be motivated by a patronizing attitude or misogyny, but rather by the fact that he has already lost his wife to supernatural forces in an incident where his own face was deformed, and doesn't want Chance to suffer the same fate. Instead, he suggests that the tradition should skip a generation, and Chance should meet a man, get married and have a son, whom Lucas may then train instead.
But Chance isn't willing to accept that decision, and although Lucas frowns on his daughter's escapades and repeated attempts to investigate crimes and incidents that involve the supernatural, Chance is set on following the family trade on her own. Later in the series, it is implied that Lucas is secretly pleased by his daughter's courage and skill, even though he prefers to present the image of a strict but caring disciplinarian.
[edit] Awards
The series won several awards in 1997: The Harvey Award for Best New Series, and the Eisner Awards for Best New Series and Best Title for Younger Readers. A collection of issues #1-4, named Leave It to Chance: Shaman's Rain was a top vote-getter for the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Reprint Graphic Album for 1998.
