I got my hands on the first 2 issues of The Believer, published by Electro-magnetic Press, a local comic publisher. The guys over at EMP were kind enough to show off this awesome IP, and I feel like I need to tell you about it.
We are in a weird phase of comic history. There's about 19 different Spidermam comics running right now, and who knows how many X-men groups are floating around, and even a lot of Avengers and Batman and Deadpool. But what about the new blood? What about an original hero? Something we haven't seen before?
Well my friend, for that case Marvel and DC aren't going to be what you're looking for. But The Believer might be. It has a very interesting take on this creator's version of a super hero. The writing alone makes this comic stand out among the crowd. A hero who's inner strength comes from his religious believes. Yes, that is where he gets his name from.
Don't take this comic for another cheap Sunday school propaganda piece though. The character's faith is very central to who he is, but it never once crosses the line to preachy. Much like some of the more introspective Daredevil comics, it does place a lot of emphasis on his faith. However it makes it clear these are HIS beliefs. He is not a hero because he is a Christian, he is a hero who just happens to be Christian. The villains are just as real as any superhero might face. They aren't shady guys trying to get kids to swear and disobey their parents, they are real villains that represent a real threat. The writer does an excellent job at making it very apparent that this is not some cheap form of church outreach. It is a hero who is risking his life to save people and be a beacon of hope.
Where I feel this comic truly soars is its artwork. The detail is amazing. Sometimes their is a stigma on smaller comic companies. But this one defies that reputation. The right shadows and details make the pages really jump out at you. There is a ton of emotion on every character's face. The scenery looks so real you'd swear it was pictures of real places.
If I had to complain, it would be a simple one. The copies I got had a color cover, but the comic itself was black and white. I feel having color would have only helped the artwork. As talented and detailed as the art is, with all the lines and detail it did feel a bit busy at times. Having colored pages would have made some of the more intricate panels easier to digest. The lack of color didn't make this a hard comic to read by any means, but making the hero stand out more could have only made it better. All in all, it is a very fun read if you want a breath of fresh air in the super hero genre. I fully recommend checking it out.
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