REVIEW: Faith #1

Story: Jody Houser
Art: Francis Portela
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
Release Date: January 27, 2016

After much hype & lots of media attention, Faith #1 soars into comic shops this Wednesday. ValiantÂ Entertainment is known for their eclectic catalog of characters, and it’s finally time to see if FaithÂ is a worthy addition….

A seasoned crime fighter, Faith Herbert is no stranger to saving the day. But she’s always done it withÂ a team, and now she’s out on her own. She’s got an apartment in Van Nuys, She wakes up to noisyÂ neighbors and goes to a job where she’s under appreciated. She’s a regular person, just like you and me.Â It just so happens she has a secret identity and fights crime in her spare time. Writer Jody HouserÂ introduces us to the character with a “day in the life of” issue that follows Faith through a normalÂ day. There is a good balance of story and action that allows readers to get to know faith as a person,Â but remain engaged in the story from a hero standpoint. After using her powers (she can fly and hasÂ some force field projection ability I don’t fully understand yet) to break up a dog-napping ring, FaithÂ heads out to investigate a new lead. Faith gets more than she bargained for when she arrives, and theÂ issue closes out with a pretty standard but well done cliffhanger for the next installment.

You’re going to read a lot of reviews about this book that discuss image in comics. This is not goingÂ to be one of them. Faith is a plus sized superhero, but her weight/image has nothing to do with theÂ story being told. Regardless of what she looks like, this was a REALLY GOOD comic. The character isÂ likable, and her life feels genuine. Houser does an excellent job of introducing us to the characterÂ and by doing so, provides a strong foundation for this title to build on. Art duties are handled mainlyÂ by Francis Portela and while not the best I’ve ever seen, it’s good enough to get you through the issue.Â There are a couple of guest artists that contribute to the book, and I have to give a special shout out toÂ Marguerite Sauvage who’s contribution’s this issue were the highlight of the book.

Final Verdict: Faith is the poster child for what caped heroes would be if they existed in our society today. Not everyone is built like Superman & Wonder Woman, and neither would real life heroes. But don’t pick this book up because of that, pick it up because it’s extremely well written and a fun read. Can’t wait for the next issue!

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