“ANGEL AND FAITH,” Part Three of “Daddy Issues,” digs deeper into the psychology of Faith and her world. You can really feel the struggle that Faith is going through with her ne’er-do-well father suddenly turning up in her life. Faith wanted to believe in her father. But now, she has reason not to believe in him anymore. We readers know she’s right in more ways than one. And we also see where Faith is off. As a leader to her sister slayers, she does not always have all the answers. As we left off in the previous issue, Mr. Lehane is playing his daughter. He’s also dealing with forces that are way over his head. Faith may end up feeling sorry for him again but not now, maybe not ever.
The doddering, bald, pot-bellied Pat Lehane is a perfectly etched out character. He is no hero, more of an unlikely villain, and yet we still feel a little sorry for the bumbling old coot. He is just plain trouble and drowning in his own misery. It is actually quite a good turn to have him join the cast! It gives Faith something other than her sister slayers to be in conflict with. There’s a good scene with Faith as she brings down an unstable slayer and tries to talk some sense into her. It’s a great fight scene and opens up the issue with energetic artwork by Rebekah Isaacs and shows the limitations of Faith’s leadership.
Those scenes with Faith at odds with her dad are powerful. Christos Gage’s writing is quite in tune with the dynamics of dysfunctional families. Mr. Lehane, as guilty as sin, has no qualms about attempting to turn the tables on Faith and blame her for everything because of that hot Irish temper she’s inherited. Faith, not without her own checkered past, is quick to blame her father for how she turned out.
So what havoc has Mr. Lehane wrought on her daughter? Well, it is a whole mess of trouble in the form of a bunch of thugs out for blood and money. How will Angel deal with it? He can always turn into a vampire and scare the hell out of everyone. But what about Faith? How will she deal with this ultimate mess from dear ol’ dad and dad himself? That won’t be pretty. There is something called, “unconditional love” but then there’s also something called, “common sense.” Faith will have to act and act fast but she may also act too fast. Remember Drusilla and her gang and the Lorophage Demon? There are “daddy issues” and then there are “demon issues.” Oh, how things can escalate beyond control!
“Angel and Faith,” Issue 8, comes out March 28. For more details, visit Dark Horse Comics.
Interesting and thought-provoking – thank you for sharing (although you’d want to fic a typo in the header)
Thank you!