Reviews

NERDIST - "This is a superhero done right" THE ATLANTIC - "Faith's return to the comic-book landscape represents twin achievements for the medium: an increasing willingness to tell stories featuring heroic women, and a tendency to celebrate the ways in which those women to deviate from (or challenge) gender norms." *KIRKUS - "Fat and fierce superhero Zephyr-aka Faith Herbert-leaves the Harbinger Resistance to fly solo. On her own in LA and with her secret identity blown in a previous adventure, blonde, white Faith goes Clark Kent with a pair of glasses, a red wig, and a new name-Summer Smith-to complement her role as a mild-mannered content writer for online outlet Zipline. She works hard to get over ex-boyfriend and rising reality TV star Torque and continues to fight crime. Investigating the disappearance of a young black teen, a possible psiot like her, soon leads her to the evil Vine, who are experimenting on psiots as part of a plot to (of course) take over the Earth. Faith is an enormously likable character, an unapologetic geek and fangirl. Dialogue and internal monologues are both strong in banter ("I can do this," she thinks to herself as she prepares to write a puff piece on Torque. "I'm a freakin' superhero") and reflective of an unflinching moral code. Portela's and Sauvage's classic superhero stylings accommodate Faith's size with ease and respect. Readers unfamiliar with previous Harbinger storylines will flounder a bit as they catch up, but the willingness to suspend disbelief and go with the superhero flow will take them far. This volume compiles the first four issues of her solo comic. You go, girl. (Graphic fantasy. 12 & up)" *NPR -- Houser has accomplished something deceptively simple: she's made Faith a fun character to spend time with. Faith is lighthearted but virtuous, with a cheesy sense of humor, compassion and smarts. The book's ultimate success, though, is due to its visuals: the phenomenal subversive power of a fat female body in motion. Faith's size makes her larger than life in a way few other female superheroes are. Standing next to a male co-worker she's monumental, her calf the width of his hips, each of her feet the size of his head. When she stops bullets with her mind, there's no question where her power is seated. And when she's aloft and spiraling - a body that's both fat and weightless, gliding and twisting in the heavens - it's surely more exhilarating than any other superhero's flight has ever been. Exuberant, bodacious and just plain awesome, Faith owns the sky. SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL -- Gr 7 Up-Faith Hebert, a psiotic (or person with superpowers) known as Zephyr, has relocated to Los Angeles in search of a fresh start. Once part of a group of psiotic humans (Harbinger Renegades), she now works as an unassuming entertainment blogger, Summer, eager to make her mark (as a journalist and superhero) yet conflicted about attracting attention. When her telekinetic powers (and the hacking ability of a friend) unearth other inactive psiotic beings who have mysteriously disappeared, Faith investigates. This is a modern twist on the classic superhero tale. Faith doesn't have the typical superheroine body type, dismantling stereotypes about what it means to be superpowered. While the plot doesn't deviate too far from the average superhero story, Faith is a self-aware protagonist, commenting on the common superhero tropes, and this selection is sure to spark conversations about body image and women in comics. VERDICT Recommended for all graphic novel fans and those interested in body positive characters.-Tamela Chambers, Chicago Public Schools, IL