Sunday, April 17, 2016

Faith: Volume 1 A Different Size of Hero



Text by Judy Houser
Art by Francis Portela and Marguerite Sauvage
      partial gallery provided by Net Galley.com and Diamond Distributors for an honest review. 

Description from the publisher: Orphaned at a young age, Faith Herbert - a psionically gifted "psiot" discovered by the Harbinger Foundation - has always aspired to greatness. But now this once ordinary teenager is taking control of her destiny and becoming the hard-hitting hero she's always known she can be - complete with a mild-mannered secret identity, unsuspecting colleagues, and a day job as a reporter that routinely throws her into harms way! Well, at least she thought it would... When she's not typing up listicles about cat videos, Faith makes a secret transformation to patrol the night as the City of Angels' own leading superhero - the sky-soaring Zephyr! But flying solo is going to be tougher than she ever thought when Zephyr uncovers a deep-rooted alien conspiracy. Two-bit burglars and car thieves are one thing, but when the world needs a hero to stave off an full-blown extraterrestrial invasion, will Faith find herself in over her head... or ready for her biggest challenge yet? Rising star Jody Houser (Orphan Black) and explosive artists Francis Portela (Green Lantern) and Marguerite Sauvage (DC Comics Bombshells) pilot a new chapter for the high-flying hero that People Magazine calls "a superhero we can all admire." Collecting FAITH #1-4.

What I thought: What makes Faith Herbert different is not that she is a psiot or that she carries a secret identity a la Clark Kent and Superman, but that she is a physically imperfect hero. She is round and curvy not in a sexy way but in a chunky way. In her day persona, she has horrible hair and dresses much older than she really is. But when she is squeezed into her Zephyr costume and defying the laws of gravity by flying, she carries her confidence and sexiness in a whole new way. This is not the Barbie-proportioned, small-waisted Wonder Woman. Faith is not about body. She is about intentions and good heart. 

Publication date July 26, 2016