“Family Tradition” by Frank Byrns feels like a superhero genesis story straight out of a modern, mainstream comic book.  In fact, the images that flashed through my head were similar to the artwork from the X-Men comics I used to swipe from my brother when I was a kid.

The story’s hero is Dragonfire, a woman blessed (or cursed, depending on your point of view) with the power to produce and manipulate dragonfire.  She is out prowling the streets when she discovers her teen-aged son has snuck out to follow her on her mission. 

Byrns does an excellent job with the Gotham-esque tone of the piece as well as the interactions between mother and son.  The passing of the mantle from one generation to the next was particularly powerful.  Because of this, I think the story falls down at the end when a twist is introduced that doesn’t quite ring true.

Though I was charmed, I wasn’t completely won over by the story.  The prose was effective and the characters engaging, but ultimately the story left me unsatisfied, due to an unconvincing twist ending.