Faith #11

By Jody Houser, Joe Eisma, Marguerite Sauvage, Andrew Dalhouse

Our high-flying hero is being set up for the biggest fall of her life. Faith #11, part two of “The Faithless” arc, is a fast-paced sucker punch that leaves readers anxious for the next issue.

Faith originally began as mini-series, featuring our heroine on her own for the first time and finding her way as she went. During that event, Faith exposed the plot of a Vine planting cult and saved several psiots. She also made some significant enemies, most of whom were caught and jailed, with the notable exception of planting, Sydney Pierce.

Fast forward to the ongoing Faith series. We’ve watched as Faith has come into her own both personally and professionally. She’s become a figurehead in her hometown of L.A., a champion for good. Over the course of the series, Faith has faced down greater threats such as a criminal who can harness Deadside power and a psiot who feeds on the energy of others. She also met her first arch-enemy who attempted to murder her. Faith prevailed over each of them, all while learning to juggle her public persona with her private life.

Now, those hard-fought personal victories stand to be destroyed by “the Faithless”, a consortium of villains with the shared goal of bringing down Faith. Permanently. Made up of past foes such as the planting Pierce, magic-wielder Murder Mouse, and energy vampire Dark Star, the Faithless are led by Faith’s arch-nemesis, Chris Chriswell. This time out the villains are actually earning that moniker. They’ve moved beyond greed and pettiness into deadly intentions.

Writer Jody Houser remains faithful to her portrayal of Faith, who continues to run on empty as she tries to be a full-time hero and maintain her secret identity as celebrity blogger, Summer. Houser’s script pacing is faster for this story, upping the sense of urgency in the reader as events unfold quickly. There’s an unexpected moment in the story that is far more serious in nature and implication than any other we’ve encountered in this title. It serves to underscore the seriousness of Faith’s situation and indicates that this arc will not be business as usual. The book has many wheels in motion, partly due to the machinations of the Faithless. For once, the overly complicated plot that normally trips up the villain just might work. It makes reading this book fun. Readers will hit the last panel and immediately want more.

Artist Joe Eisma returns to illustrate the main story of the book. “The Beautiful People” would be a good subtitle for the story if Eisma’s interpretation of Hollywood starlets and actors are any indication. One of Eisma’s hallmarks are his attractive characters, which he renders with a light touch and clean, minimal lines. They are highly expressive in facial expressions and body language, especially the villains in this piece. His work makes for an attractive and entertaining book and is a good fit for Faith. Artist Marguerite Sauvage handles the fantasy sequences, which in this case, are more the stuff of nightmares. Her work is as beautiful as always and has become synonymous with Faith. Colorist Andrew Dalhouse ties it all together with smooth, light tones that reflect both Faith’s disposition and the sunny California vibe.

Faith #11 is a fast-paced adventure taking the characters into new territory. Don’t miss out on the best arc to date.