Glamorella's Daughter #1 // Review
Glamorella’s Daughter #1 is written by Charles J. Martin, with art by Jerry Bennett and sensitivity editing by Brandy Williams. Glamorella’s Daughter #1 follows superhero Glamorella, and her autistic daughter, Comet, as they try and navigate their differences.
Glamorella may be from another dimension, more on that later, but nothing makes her feel quite as lost as trying to connect with Comet. Comet doesn’t act like her mother. Nor does she have the same interests. Glamorella loves her, but she doesn’t understand her. Comet lacks interest in her mother’s superhero career. She doesn’t like sports or going to school dances; she doesn’t want tons of friends. She has her books and her friend Isaac.
Because she loves Comet, Glamorella tries to make Comet enjoy these things. In Glamorella’s Daughter #1, this takes the form of activities such as Comet tagging along on a superhero mission and attending a school dance. In both situations, Comet reads a book instead. Glamorella wants what’s best for Comet. But what’s best for her isn’t necessarily best for Comet. They don’t understand each other well.
I can’t speak for every autistic person, only from my own experience. And personally, I liked Martin’s portrayal of Comet in Glamorella’s Daughter #1. Comet takes things very literally, and she’s logical to a fault. Things like Glamorella getting the key to the city are confusing. To Comet, a key is meant to be a key. Keys are mean to open doors. It’s the way her mind thinks, in very literal terms. But the key to the city is symbolic, something that doesn’t click with her. And you know what? That’s super relatable, Comet. The “giving away the ‘key to the city’” concept is confusing.
Another trait that is common among autistic people is a minimal expression of emotion. Comet has a very flat affect. You wouldn’t know what she’s feeling by looking at her facial expression. This is easy to portray in a visual medium like a comic book. Bennett contrasts Comet’s facial expressions and behaviors with the people around her. Especially her mother and Isaac, the two people she interacts with most.
While the art style is simple, it’s effective. The colors are smooth and saturated. And the panels themselves have a nice balance of simplicity and detail. The background details that are included all feel very purposeful and intentional. Such as the medals Glamorella has earned and photos of Glamorella meeting various influential figures displayed in the family home. And there’s a scene where the title of the book Comet is reading is clearly visible; Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin, a well-known autistic person.
My favorite thing about Glamorella’s Daughter #1 is that Comet doesn’t mask. For those unfamiliar, masking is when autistic people mimic the behaviors of neurotypical people or otherwise hide behaviors that aren’t considered “normal.” It’s exhausting, and in the long term, has detrimental effects on mental and physical health. So seeing Comet be herself, be autistic without trying to conform to the expectations of her neurotypical mother and society, is a relief. Though Glamorella doesn’t understand Comet, she still gives her the space to be herself. And hopefully, this will continue in future issues, as well as Glamorella and Comet coming to a better understanding of each other without having to change themselves.
