Black Comics
REVIEW: Faith 1 & 2
Writer: Kelvin Hart/Joel Joseph
Pencils: Joel Joseph
Colors: Collins Momodu
Letters: Bode Joseph
Published by: KAH Studios
Faith has always lived his life homeschooled by his parents; his parents noticed how special he was right from when he started talking as a baby; Whatever faith said came to pass 90% of the time, because of this, his parents kept him away from society to prevent him from being corrupted by the things of the world. At the age of 6, his powers had grown exponentially; he could locate those fighting spiritual battles and help them fight demons oppressing them. His parents taught him to pray and made him believe; whatever he asked or prayed about would always be answered and then they finally released him to society
Faith is definitely not one of those quasi-religious books; it is full-on Christian, no metaphors here. I state that up-front because, for some, overly religious comic books can be a point of contention. The eponymous character, Faith, can see souls trapped in the spiritual world and transport himself there to battle for their freedom. In the Spiritual World, Faith appears as a warrior instead of the young child he actually is.
Issues 1 & 2 are setting up the world of Faith and what we can expect. KAH Studios is based out of Nigeria and showcases stories set in Africa, they’ve been releasing some really great work in recent years. Issues 1 & 2 feel too short, almost incomplete, but having read some of KAH’s other works, I know that issues 1-3 will likely serve as the full introduction to the story and begin to tie things up, so, I’m looking forward to seeing issue 3. I believe once we get that full picture, Faith’s story will begin to come into focus.
Story:
.5-Stars
The developing story is good, but after two issues I’m still unsure where, exactly, the story is headed. Again, knowing KAH, I think issue 3 will begin wrapping that up. At the end of issue 2 we get a glimpse of a potential main antagonist. His identity remains hidden, but I have my guesses.
The concept of Faith is a unique one full of potential. Faith teeters between two worlds, seeing the hurt in this world, and actually being able to do something about it in the other. The demons in Faith are a fun, and unsettling addition. They both play bumbling henchmen and hold the potential for being a very fierce foe.
Art
1-star
The art, as in all of KAH’s titles, is fantastic. The depiction of the spiritual realm is perfect. The Spiritual World is not what you’d necessarily expect it to be, which makes it all the better. Joseph’s pencils and Momodu’s colors compliment each other perfectly and really bring this story to life.
Dialogue:
.75-stars
Remember, Faith is produced in Nigeria, and Hart expresses some of the more flavorful English dialects of the country in the speech of the townspeople. This addition makes the story fun and more three-dimensional. Faith’s speech and exchanges with his father can come off a little forced. I think I know what Hart is going for, but without more context, it comes across as a bit high-and-mighty of Faith’s part. Still the story is propelled by the dialogue and, again, I’m waiting on issue three to really start bringing it all together.
Mechanics:
.5-stars
This is a hard one, because, to sound like a broken record, I feel like I really need issue 3. Issues 1 & 2 by themselves have a bit of a slow pace and leave the overall narrative unclear. We have a fairly clear sense of where things are headed, but here’s a lot for the reader to learn still. I really think/hope that issue 3 will begin to solidify the story arch, pacing; and other aspects to bring the story of Faith together.
Editing:
.75-stars
The book is fairly well edited. There are a few minor things, but that could also be due to the differences in language between the two countries.
Faith has the makings and potential to be another home run from KAH Studios, it’s just a slow, yet interesting, build right now. I would definitely keep an eye on this series! If it’s anything like Enigma, it’s about to hit the ground running and develop into a great story!
