The Pull List – Faith: Dreamside #4
In the depths of the Dreamside, Faith Herbert and Doctor Mirage are faced with the serpent demon Belu, a nefarious creature seeking to escape from the Dreamside by consuming Monica Jim’s soul. As the sunny world of the Dreamside reveals it’s true colors, the Faith and Doctor Mirage are pitted against their own worst fears. With time running out and the dream becoming into a nightmare, will the heroes manage to turn it all around and wake up to see a new day?
In this fourth and final issue, Faith and her friends come to understand the dark depths hidden under the fluffy outer appearance of the Dreamside. The realm of the Dreamside is a mix of an afterlife and a caricature dreamworld, where not every innocent face is what they appear to be. Pulling the strings to capture Monica Jim is Belu, a large snake demon that has sent horrifying visions to weaken the girl’s spirit. Belu is able to summon a person’s worse fears and turns it against them, making it easier for Belu to control. Faith and Doctor Mirage get caught Belu’s trap and must face off with their own darkest thoughts. Faith struggles with the representation of the person she used to be. Doctor Mirage fights off a corrupt version of Hwen.
Fans of Faith will enjoy Jody Houser’s fantasy tale that sees Faith not only fight to save a young hero’s life but brings more meaning to her own. Faith into a journey that gives her some self-perspective on her fugitive lifestyle. Before all these events, Faith had been hiding out from the world and trying to find a good reason to walk away from the hero role. By luck, Monica Jim is able to remind Fath about the greater good and even stop a potent threat. Similar to previous Faith stories, Faith is able to use her compassion for others to figure out a solution. Her heart is her biggest weapon and in this story, it might have been the biggest advantage in the fights. MJ Kim and Jordie Bellaire delivers a manga-inspired flair in the visions, which pairs nicely with the fantasy setting. The cheery visions go well with the funny moments and get surprising eerie when the creatures being to reveal their darker appearances. There’s unsettling about MJ Kim’s combination of toothy smiles and dead stare eyes that should give readers the chills.