Snotgirl is published by Image Comics. It is written by Bryan Lee O’Malley with art by Leslie Hung.
Every time I think I have the mystery solved, Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung throw me through another loop and I’m left flabbergasted. Which is by no means a bad thing. There is this intricate web spinning and everything is connected to Caroline but the how and why continue to elude us. Lottie, once suspicious of Caroline, is now basically obsessed with getting her approval and establishing a friendship. Which is weird because Lottie hates everyone. I think its because Caroline is one of the few people in this world who aren’t obsessed with Lottie and that bothers her.
Anyway, so Lottie and the rest of the Haters, Meg (aka Norm Girl), Cute Girl (I don’t remember her real name), and Caroline, were attending some kind of fashion blogger convention when an attendee and Lottie-Person-Fan, Zoe, died. Many assume she was drunk and fell, but her death is eerily similar to the attempt on Charlene’s life when Caroline pushed her over the balcony. To make things even more suspicious, Meg and Cute Girl witnessed Zoe yelling at Caroline the night of the incident, specifically she pointed at Caroline and said “It’s your fault she’s gone, you hag”. Caroline claimed she didn’t know her, but after 10 issues I think we all can agree that we don’t trust Caroline. On top of that, Lottie has begun seeing a ghost, a fashion blogger named Yolanda Sinclair, who was murdered. Though, according to the internet, she is still labeled missing. They keep getting me because I’m always thinking she is seeing things because of her allergy medication, but apparently it’s all very much real.
More interesting than Lottie and her group getting high due to Caroline putting mushrooms in their tea (seriously, why is no one ever mad at her?), are the developments with Sunny, John, and Charlene. Charlene in particular, who every time we have seen her has been staring at a picture of Lottie with strings connecting to different pictures. You probably thought she was figuring out what happened the night she fell off the roof, and you’d be wrong. Sunny is stumbling in to something he probably shouldn’t be, and John is really testing his limits at work. The very best part though is the return of a character we haven’t seen in a while and one who I really loved and am super happy to see come back, even cooler than before.
One final note, I’m really not sure I’m a fan of the relationship development between Lottie and Caroline. It just doesn’t really make sense. Lottie’s character has been kind of all over the place. One second she’s developing as a person and then it’s like instant regression and, frankly, it’s frustrating. I was also excited about the growth of her relationship with Meg last issue and now it’s like it never happened. It’s hard to feel invested in a character that can’t grow.
Still, Bryan Lee O’Malley writes a hell of a story and the mystery keeps me coming back. He knows how to give you just enough information to keep you wanting more, but not enough to piece it all together. Top that off with the amazing artwork from Leslie Hung (the woman can make a ghost look attractive) and Snotgirl continues to be a worthwhile investment.
OVERALL SCORE: 8.5 / 10
