Plus Size Comic Book Hero Nabs Monthly Series

Today is an exciting day for fans of female comic book superheroes: It was announced that Iron Man will replace Tony Stark with a young black woman. And, stemming for sold-out limited editions and customer demand, Valiant Entertainment is making the plus size comic book character Faith a monthly series this month.

Written by Jody Houser of "Orphan Black", Pere Perez of comic book duo Archer & Armstrong), and artist Marguerite Sauvage of DC Comics Bombshells, "Faith" is about a plus size superhero with psychic powers. She first appeared in DC Comics's "JLA" issue #69 in 2002.

In writer Etelka Lehoczky's review on NPR, Faith's lacking back story is slightly forgiven thanks to the striking imagery: "Faith's size makes her larger than life in a way few other female superheroes are. Standing next to a male co-worker she's monumental, her calf the width of his hips, each of her feet the size of his head. When she stops bullets with her mind, there's no question where her power is seated. And when she's aloft and spiraling — a body that's both fat and weightless, gliding and twisting in the heavens — it's surely more exhilarating than any other superhero's flight has ever been."

"Faith" as a monthly series will hit stands July 20.