Chachu #1 – Hollywood, Heartbreak, and Home

Uncle. That’s what Chachu roughly translates to in Urdu, the official language of Pakistan, the setting of the story. Leila, a Pakistani-Canadian girl of 19, inches towards adulthood. Her journey takes her to California, seeking to connect with her Chachu. Once a private eye, now married to a Hollywood star, he was hired to find his wife, whose recent disappearance forces Leila and her Uncle to go on a journey of growth, regret, and realization to try and find her.

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Eda and Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: Iman Vellani
Artist: Marianna Ignazzi
Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Cover Artist: Marianna Ignazzi

Writing

Eda: This being my first-ever Iman Vellani comic, I went in not exactly knowing what to expect. I, personally, had a genuinely great time with “Chachu #1”, feeling like I could heavily relate to the main character, Leila. While reading, I couldn’t help but feel like this was a deeply personal story for Vellani, as it felt real. I won’t spoil exactly how these two points connect, but it really helped make Leila feel heavily relatable to me and what I’ve experienced.

On a related note, there are so many moments throughout that ooze with tension. This tension helps elevate the starting hook that lures you in for the amazing midpoint plot twist. If the rest of the story can keep this up, I think we’re in for a truly good, emotional ride.

Shawn: Iman Vellani really hooks you in with this issue. Through her words, you begin to feel a connection with Leila even if you’ve never been in her shows. I found myself intrigued by Leila’s story as it continued. The characters all have such depth for a first issue that really makes the story enjoyable. Despite being set in the 1970’s, Vellani crafts a real golden era of Hollywood vibe with the story. The narrative feels like a healthy blend of coming of age and crime noir.

Vellani shows that, for all her abilities in acting, she is a storyteller at heart. The story flows and keeps you on the edge of your chair. It’s rare that a back story within a comic can pull you in and be interesting, but Vellani manages to connect with the audience throughout the first issue. Leila is an intriguing character, and Vellani does a great job with a “show don’t tell” style of comic, letting the reader learn more about Leila without needing to spell every part of her past and story out explicitly.

Art

Eda: When it comes to the art and colors, the duo of Ignazzi and Bellaire delivered something truly unique here. While reading, I couldn’t help but sink into Ignazzi’s art style. It somehow evokes a blend of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” music video and the movie “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas” while bringing in this noir vibe.

This was helped even further by Bellaire’s colors. The mixture of mocha browns, pastel blues, and sunrise oranges made for a dynamic that truly stands out from most books out right now. It wholly rounds out the character this comic brings, and I loved it.

Shawn: Marianna Ignazzi, Jordie Bellaire, and Lucas Gattoni really crafted a beautiful first issue on the visual art side of the coin. Ignazzi starts the team off strong with beautiful line work. Every stroke feels thoughtfully placed and calculated. The style Ignazzi deploys for this debut issue really helps establish the setting and capture the Hollywood feel of the story.

Bellaire does the yeoman’s work in helping to establish the mood and setting of the story through colors. Bellaire’s work really creates some stunning dynamics with the cool blues and tans contrasted sharply against the orange and yellows. The colors really help to sell not only the setting and time of the story but the narrative as well. Bellaire’s colors lie on Ignazzi’s lines to create the perfect feeling of noir and investigation. Gattoni really helps move the story along with some beautiful and creative visuals through the word bubbles. While showing the creativity of a well-polished letterer, Gattoni helps create a beautiful dance between the written and visual narrative.

Final Thoughts

Eda: 9/10. Iman Vellani’s “Chachu #1” serves as a promising start to what’s set to be a hopefully great series. From a relatable main character to the most intriguing art I’ve seen this summer, this is a series I very much look forward to reading.

Shawn: 10/10. I really didn’t know what to expect from this story, but Vellani hooked me right out of the gate with a story that feels both fresh and relatable. The artwork is simply stunning, allowing you to be drawn into the story. Chachu #1 manages to feel like a warm hug while keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Overall Grade: 9.5 /10

What did you think Chachu#1? Did it hit the spot? Let us know in the comments