Review: Faithless #2 (of 5)
Brian Azzarello and Maria Llovett’s walk, or perhaps trip, on the wild side continues this month, as Faith meanders her way through more strange interactions with Poppy.
Waking up alone, especially after an assignation is never a good thing. This where we find Faith, woken by a demon cat, she finds her new friend long gone. But in her place there is an invitation to an unusual nightspot. Never one to turn down the opportunity to try new things, Faith grabs some of Poppy’s glad rags, then it is of to party-ville! What follows are a few odd encounters, testing Faith’s patience, her magic and perhaps her soul.
Brian Azzarello’s plot is evocative of a dark horror; we almost feel like voyeurs as we watch both the physical and spiritual seduction of Faith.  Of herself, Faith has complete confidence. How else would she be able to go to a strange club. Sure, there are times where that confidence waivers, yet it returns when threatened. Throughout it all, the dialogue feels right. Plot wise, I am not sure how any more hints that Azzarello will be able to drop before Faith sees what is happening. It is one of those writing fine lines that an author has to tread carefully; how to keep the reader clued in to the possibilities of future events without making the lead character look like an imbecile. For a start, Faith is distracted by the copious amount of sex she has, almost has or witnesses, and secondly there is the new world in which to explore, for removed from Red Dead Redemption and porn.
Maria Llovet is on hand to capture Faith’s explorations and copulation’s of her new world of friends and desirables. If you picked up the first issue, then you will not be surprised that the scratchy style of insinuation is still present. It is a style that will not please everyone, but for me, it totally fits in with vibe of the book. Off kilter figure work and facial elements becomes more effective as the emotions of near death, being saved and being wanted all come into sharp focus. The colors on display, I assume by Llovet, also have a stark realism to them that grounds the more hinted at fanciful elements of the story. Finally, letterer AndWorld Design continues their stellar work, though I wasn’t thrilled at the font used for the text bubbles, if I am completely honest. On the flip, I did like the note font and the main script does have a hand written feel.
This is an interesting book in so much as it seems to capture the ambiguity facing a number of people and their lifestyle choices. Throw in some magic and suddenly the book doesn’t seem to have a moral compass. That said, to whose compass must a person chart their path? People are individual, with their own dreams, needs and desires, each as viable to themselves as the next person. Here, within the confines of a comic book, we get to see how one person comes to terms with the responsibility of trying to live her own life. Remember though, the Devil is always in the detail!
Writing – 5 Stars
Art- 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Brian Azzarello
Art by; Maria Llovet
Letters by; AndWorld Design
Published by; Boom! Studios
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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