Leave it to Chance has had a bit of a long road to where it is now. It started off as one of the three Homage comics at Image (alongside Astro City and Strangers in Paradise, so it had good company), moved to DC when Homage did, and now it's back at Image in hardcover format, which treats the beautiful artwork and big ideas very nicely. Leave it to Chance is young girl's adventure, a genre that has not been treated kindly by the comics industry, but it has a secret weapon in that it's equally enjoyable by anyone, young or old, male or female. Chance is a great role model for young girls, but her smart and adventurous nature make her easy to relate to, and who doesn't love dragons, giant toad gods, monster gangsters and sewer goblins?
Those who enjoyed Robinson's stories on Starman (arguably his best work) will find plenty to like in Leave it to Chance. Chance Falconer is the anti-Jack Knight, a heroic legacy who wants to be a hero but who can't get her father to play along. This lets Robinson come at the idea of heroic legacies from a completely different angle, but with the same amount of thought that he clearly put into legacies still serving him well. In addition, Devil's Echo is as distinctive and unusual as Starman's Opal City, defined by its protectors and their battles as well as a tinge of the supernatural that touches on the everyday citizenry.
And, like Starman, the art collaborator is as important as the writer. Paul Smith is co-creator on this book, not just artist, and his love for the book is clear. His designs of Devil's Echo evoke the homes of Batman, Dick Tracy and other colorful heroes, and he creates a wide variety of monsters to populate the city. He's particularly strong when handling the more friendly denizens, such as the too-cute-not-to-love sewer goblins or the lovable St. George, shamelessly patterned after the X-Men's Lockheed (also Smith's creation). With Cox's bright and powerful colors, the book looks amazing, especially in this oversized deluxe format.
Robinson's story has elements of the super-heroic in it, notably the powers and some of the dialogue, which sometimes becomes a little over-expository at convenient moments, but it is for the most part a straightforward adventure/mystery title. Nancy Drew was cited as one of his influences in the introduction, and that influence shows quite clearly. However, Chance Falconer is a little more physical than Nancy Drew, and maybe even has a little more moxie, fitting right in with the more modern notions that girls can do everything guys can do, if they're just given the chance. Robinson weaves a plot that involves two corrupt political forces, an old grudge and a man seeking his own inner strength into an effective story with plenty of moments of heroism. In the final chapter especially, Chance faces down an army of angry citizens for what she knows is right, and St. George fights a dangerous (near suicidal) battle to give his new friend a chance to save the city.
I loved Leave it to Chance when I first read it, and I love it just as much now. While a reread showed a few moments where the "young readers" or "classic pulp" notions slipped through on occasion, particularly Chance's ability to overhear the villains' outlining their plans for no terribly good reason, this mostly stands as a modern spin on young girl's detective/adventure fiction. If you have kids, you have no reason for not owning this book, and if you don't have kids, you still ought to give this a read. It's optimistic worldview and sense of fun is a breath of fresh air... although the beautiful artwork might just take that breath away.
