Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
Release Date: July 6, 2016
Price: $9.99
Creator(s): Jody Houser (writer); Francis Portela and Marguerite Sauvage (artists)
Format: 112 pgs., Full-Color, Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-6821-5121-1
Age Rating: Teen+
ICv2 Rating: 4 Stars out of 5
Zephyr, a.k.a. Faith Herbert, once belonged to a group called The Renegades but she's left them, and her ex-boyfriend, behind to fulfill her childhood dream of being a superhero. She moves to Los Angeles where she divides her time between her secret identity of a website writer and fighting street crime. But soon she’s struggling to keep up with the demands of her office while investigating a series of disappearances connected to a mysterious cult.
Faith initially received a lot of media attention mostly due to the fact that it features a heroine who isn’t shaped like a stereotypical female superhero, but this might actually be the least interesting thing about the series. As welcome as this is where the comic really succeeds is in the way it rejuvenates the superhero genre by keeping the focus squarely on human concerns.
Writer Jody Houser and artists Francis Portela and Marguerite Sauvage have crafted an ingenious light entertainment that gives us an entirely relatable protagonist, an entirely believable contemporary young woman. She makes mistakes and may sometimes doubts herself but she always remains upbeat and optimistic, capable of circumventing any obstacle, whether it's dealing with a bad boss, indifferent co-workers or an extraterrestrial invasion. Deftly written and beautifully drawn, Faith is a superhero well worth your time and attention.
--Steve Bennett: Writer and retail services consultant.