Jennifer, however, is just as tyrannical -- in fact, she is very similar to her father, despite hating him. Sure, the tough-as-nails attitude could be explained by Jennifer's status as a Control Agent, but remember that Luna didn't choose to join the Agency.
Benjiro: Has a child so he can have an heir.
Jennifer: Has a child so she can have the perfect fighter for the Agency and further her career.
Benjiro: Strictly controls Jennifer's education to create the perfect heir.
Jennifer: Strictly controls Luna's education to create the perfect secret agent.
Benjiro: The MAN who lays down the LAW in the house (is entitled to headship as a father, expecting total compliance.)
Jennifer: The CONTROL AGENT who lays down the LAW in the house (is entitled to headship as a Control Agent, expecting total compliance.)
Benjiro: His wife disobeys him to see Jennifer graduate.
Jennifer: Her partner disobeys her because she wants to make Luna a killer.
So Benjiro succeeded in making Jennifer just like him, though not the way he expected. Indeed, in the very first volume of Luna, DeFilippis and Weir allude to this similarity in upbringing:
This shows another interesting thing: the qualities that make for a good Control Agent also make for a terrible parent. Had Benjiro joined the Agency instead of marrying Emily, he would be Master Control.Andrew Collins wrote:However, remember that you were not born in a test tube, nor raised by the US government in a secret hidden base. Even if you act that way sometimes. [emphasis mine]
Getting back to Jennifer, only in Volume 8 and later could we see if Jennifer truly imitates her father, and only then if Luna decides to run away from the Agency (no guarantee at all that it would happen.) Similarly, I expect someone, possibly Andrew, to compare Jennifer to Benjiro. The saddest thing about this is that if Luna were to escape the Agency's clutches without Jennifer's support, she would likely be just as strict with her own children since, like Jennifer, inflexible strictness is her only model of parenthood.
So while I agree with your assessment of Benjiro, let's not praise Jennifer for raising Luna the way she was raised.