Graphic Novel Review - 'Spider-Girl, Volume 2: Like Father, Like Daughter' by Tom DeFalco (Writer), Pat Olliffe (Artist, pencils), Al Williamson (Inks), Christie Scheele (Colours)

Revisiting Spider-Girl/Mayday Parker has been fun.

There are some heartfelt family moments between May and both her parents, May herself is given nice doses of character development and reflections on what it means to be a superhero and take responsibility, and there is a lot of good old fashioned superhero action. The classic style artwork reflects this aesthetic.

However, May doesn't have a solid connection to any of her school friends, some of whom are inconsistent and baffling in their characterisation, or lack thereof. A couple of her male friends have a crush on her, but this goes nowhere. The first issue introduces Ladyhawk, a superheroine who is built up to be Spider-Girl's potential partner in fighting crime, but after that issue she is never seen or mentioned again. Often the comic feels like it's taking May through the same motions and classic character beats as her father, in fast forward in order to fit a single volume. Also what is Darkdevil's deal? Is he a villain or hero or both? That guy is sketchy as all hell.

While 'Spider-Girl: Like Father, Like Daughter' feels incomplete in various stages in each issue, it is overall a fun comic reading experience. It's always great to see superheroines in action, against campy baddies. There's time travel in the ending issues, too. Franklin Richards, aka Psilord, the leader of the Fantastic Five, appears occasionally to help out Spider-Girl, who might have a crush on him. Comic book sexism, as well as discriminating against minorities (code for the LBGTQ community), is commented on. And has J. Jonah Jameson ever been so OTT, actually controlling a robot to eliminate Spider-Man!?

It's the stuff comic books like this are made for. Nonsense is its juice.

(May still looks too way old to be a fifteen-sixteen year old)

Final Score: 3.5/5