What Dreams May Come From A Lack Of Faith

by Vince Brusio

When you don’t live up to someone’s expectations, the result can go one of two ways: that person who needed you can become stronger, and more self-reliant, or you can be labeled a disappointment, and resentment can grow like weeds on a cracked sidewalk. In Valiant’s upcoming Faith: Dreamside #1 (JUL182253) from writer Jody Houser, we’ll see how the heroine fares when her greatest critic can turn out to be herself. Read about it in our PREVIEWSworld Exclusive interview!

Faith: Dreamside #1 (JUL182253) is in comic shops September 26.

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Vince Brusio: At this point in her career as a superhero, Faith seems to be dealing with some internal baggage. She seems to be at odds with herself. What are some of the personal issues she’s trying to put to bed as we begin the storyline for Faith: Dreamside?

Jody Houser: Faith is still dealing with being framed for murder and being on the run from the authorities. She's questioning if she can still function as a superhero, or if she needs to take her life in a different direction.

Vince Brusio: Faith’s destiny seems to have been hit upside the head by an unexpected ally — Animalia. What are the circumstances that bring these two together, and is Faith going to be able to meet Animalia’s expectations?

Jody Houser: Animalia comes to Faith looking for help. As much of a hero as Faith is, Animalia's problems are a bit out of her area of expertise. That's where Dr. Mirage comes in.

Vince Brusio: Tell us how you came up with the concept of the “Dreamside.” What is its impact on people psychologically?

Jody Houser: I wanted to explore an area of the Deadside unlike anything we've seen in any of the other Valiant titles. And saying anything beyond that would be a spoiler.

Vince Brusio: What is important for you in how the book’s artwork functions? What do you need it to convey to the reader?

Jody Houser: MJ Kim's art has a lovely fantastical quality to it that will work well for building this new world from the ground up. And she's already shown she's great at drawing Faith herself.

Vince Brusio: Is any of this story personal to you, or did you write Faith: Dreamside as a new kind of experiment? Tell us where your head was when you sat down to compose plot lines and emotional topsy-turvy.

Jody Houser: For me, it's more about finding ways to challenge Faith as a hero. She's really in a place of doubt at this point and has a well-established fear of horror. So many of the elements of this story grew out of creating conflict for her.

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Vince Brusio writes about comics, and writes comics. He is the long-serving Editor of PREVIEWSworld.com, the creator of PUSSYCATS, and encourages everyone to keep the faith...and keep reading comics.