After a two-year creative hiatus, Bryan Lee O’Malley returns with "Snotgirl,"an examination of fashion-blog culture in urban L.A. "Snotgirl" marks O’Malley’s first true foray into more traditional comics. O’Malley earned a name for himself in the industry writing about the lives of hopelessly lost and lovable 20-somethings straddling the gap between adulthood and adolescence. His wildly successful Scott Pilgrim series won him a legion of adoring fans.
Following in the tradition of his earlier books "Snotgirl"follows hopelessly lost Lottie Person, a 25 year old fashion blogger trying to make it big in L.A. Online, she’s breathlessly cool, while in reality she’s plagued by a potentially image-ruining condition; a debilitating case of allergies. The smallest hint of pollen sends her into an allergic fit of snot and tears, hence the book’s title.
Bryan Lee O’Malley is known for writing graphic novels, and that is made painfully obvious in this issue. The first issue introduces us to a wide array of lackluster supporting characters, who Lottie reduces to labels like “Cutegirl” “Normgirl” and “Coolgirl.” These labels are fair. At this point, there’s little attempt to flesh them out in any significant way. They exist solely to highlight Lottie’s anxious insecurity regarding her looks and social status. The plot progresses painfully slowly, with the only actual development occurring in the final few pages. The title character is aggressively unlikeable, with such memorable lines as “Everyone else sucks! I’m the best! Me!”
The true star of Snotgirl is Leslie Hung, whose unique style beautifully marries manga and contemporary comics. Mickey Quinn does an equally incredible job with the coloring, using vibrant hues and a bright, pastel color palette to make the characters jump off the page. Unfortunately, the pair isn't enough to save the book from tired, trope-driven writing. The title character is little more than a caricature of millennial self-obsession. All in all, we’re given a disappointing introduction to O’Malley’s newest project.
4/10
