‘Faith’ #1 ‘Valiant’ Comic Review

written by Jody Houser; art by Francis Portela, Maurgerite Sauvage and Joe Quinones; colors by Andrew Dalhouse


 

A plus-sized super-heroine?

Much fuss has been made about the fact that Valiant’s new series, Faith, sports a plus-size protagonist leaping over buildings in a single bound and committing derring-do. It is a great indication of the society we live in that such a fact should prove to be a big deal. Yet, is the fact that you could fit about three Black Canaries into Faith’s costume enough to sustain interest in a title?

The answer is yes, but perhaps not as much as might have been hoped.

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Faith comes with a lot of built-in fan interest due to her being the standout star of Valiant’s Harbinger series. Of course, her measurements were not the only reason she was such breakout star. With fans, her love of all things geeky was what really caused them to warm to her and, fortunately, this element is in place in the new series. We find Faith Herbert adopting a new secret identity, Summer Smith, and carving out a name for herself in the ‘real’ world, namely California. Having severed ties with her past (mostly), including her team and her boyfriend, Faith is working as a writer of web content for Zipline, a nice, contemporary nod to the secret identity of one, Mr. C. Kent.

Here we are introduced to most of the members of Faith’s supporting cast, a ragtag bunch of hipsters who allow the writer, Jody Houser, to run free with pop culture commentary and jokes. We are also, very briefly, given a few, somewhat confusing references to Faith’s past in the Harbinger series which, to those unfamiliar with the title, might prove quite confusing.

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With these pieces in place, the main plot revolves around Faith trying to find a meaningful new direction to her super heroics, beyond the capturing of ‘puppy-nappers’ and common criminals. There is a sub-plot involving a nefarious and shady organization which will, presumably take up the main story in coming issues and this makes for the most interesting part of the issue.

As most of the issue is taken up with somewhat rushed and clumsy exposition, the sub-plot is the only part which really engages. Faith is a fun book, a self-aware and modern comic, but it also feels a little too light for its own good, and with pop culture references coming thick and fast, also a little forced. The sub-plot provides some much needed weight and texture, elements which will hopefully be expanded on in future issues.

Faith is a genuinely likable character and her knowledge of all things fangirl is a unique and really important part of her character. Yet the dialogue and jokes in this issue are neither particularly engaging nor, perhaps more importantly, particularly funny. Being a number one issue, there is a feeling of having to get all the important bits out of the way so that we can get on with the actual story and although this does feel slightly awkward, it is not as big a disaster as it could have been.

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There is a real sense that things are going to improve now that the details are out of the way. The ending is a suitably gripping cliffhanger to make you want the next issue to arrive sooner rather than later. The artwork is also top notch; Francis Portela’s bright, clean drawing conveys the characters beautifully and distinctly. The pages of Faith cutting through the perfect blue of a Californian sky, or using her powers in the midst of battle are brilliantly rendered and brought to life by the colors of Andrew Dalhouse. They are also strikingly unusual, due to us, the reader being so unaccustomed to seeing a hero of her proportions readily available in comics—shame on the comics medium for that. Faith is proof that a heroine can be engaging and beautiful even without the requisite corseted proportions and boobs as big as Rhea Perlman.

Although the first issue has a number of flaws, it is a title which is sure to please a large number of fans and, hopefully widen the appeal of the comic book into new areas. Whilst not as engaging or revolutionary as its contemporary titles like Ms. Marvel, Faith has a lot of potential which will hopefully turn this mini-series into a success and will spurn an on-going, which will develop the character even further.

Faith #1 (of 4) is available in stores Wednesday, January 27th.

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