Written By: Bryan Lee O’Malley
Art By: Leslie Hung
Color Art By: Micky Quinn
$2.99
Image Comics

With the never ending flow of new series coming out of Image, it seems like we’ve hit a bit of a stand still after the initial Image explosion a few years ago. This year, however, things seem to be swaying back to that “must read” situation, with All Star talent starting new series left and right. This week, we get a new ongoing series from Bryan Lee O’Malley, of Scott Pilgrim fame.

As with almost every book I review here, I went into this book with nothing but knowing O’Malley’s name. When opening the book and seeing the title page, designed to be a page from a browser (safari or chrome?), I knew what I was getting into. This story follows the daily life of Lottie Person, a fashion blogger with an apparent small following. We are introduced to her friend group, all given nicknames like “Normgirl” or “Cutegirl,” and majority of the issue is just a day in the life. The conflict comes in the introduction of a new person into Lottie’s life in “Coolgirl,” and the events of the final page being the driving force for the upcoming issues. For a good chunk of this issue, I struggled a little to connect to anyone, as the speak they have is extremely stereotypical online and text speak. I’m not saying these people don’t necessarily exist, and when you look at the grand scheme of the story it makes sense, but it was a little much at times.

That said, the title of the book comes into play in Lottie’s severe allergies, which she is actively trying to remedy with new medicines. Lottie’s new friend gives her the name “Snotgirl,” in a sudden moment of shock to Lottie. But, and this may or may not be intentional, the idea that Lottie is hiding this snot-filled, watery eyes, and really rageful persona is an interesting one. She’s incredibly caught up in how people are perceiving her, and is shoving any idea that she has faults into a hole. To me, this is a nice look at how we reflect ourselves, both online and in public, and how it really diminishes who we truly are. Sometimes, and I’d have to guess in Lottie’s future, embracing those faults can make you that much more endearing. It’s not yet clear if that’s O’Malley’s intention, but the fact that he made me think about it is a good mark for him.

For the second week in a row, I’m picking up a book with an art style that normally doesn’t connect with me. Also again, the art in this book blew me away in it’s craft. The large eye, expressive manga influence is apparent, but the figures in this book are also incredibly fluid and specific, in an almost European sense. The beautiful people are truly stunning, and the over the top nature of almost every character, excluding Caroline (Coolgirl) is rendered perfectly. In contrast, Caroline is so different that she really stands out, both to the reader and Lottie. Also, this is one of the best examples of coloring adding to the tone of the book that I’ve seen in awhile. Quinn’s colors complement Hung’s style perfectly, and there’s almost an airy feel to the whole world. It’s clearly in our world (ish) but the colors are such a mixture of light and simple that there’s an ethereal feel. Each page made me rethink the way I approach books with this art style; truly wonderful work from the team.

Image appears to have done it again with Snotgirl. While I found myself working through some issues with the script, it’s clear that there’s intention in why it’s written as such, and I have no doubt a payoff will come.

4 Half-Caf Cold Brew w/ Nonfat Almond Milk & One Pump of Lavender Coffees out of 5