Snotgirl is published by Image – It is written by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Lost at Sea) with art by Leslie Hung.
For those who haven't read the first 2 issues of Snotgirl, I'll give you a brief synopsis –
Snotgirl follows the story of Lottie Person, a famous fashion blogger. Leslie is the kind of person you love to hate. She's conceited, she thinks she's better than everyone else, all of her “friends” are exactly like her...and also she hates them. But Lottie has one problem: severe allergies, where snot will come from her nose uncontrollably. Hence the name “Snotgirl”. She's disgusted by this and she does whatever she needs to in order to keep it a secret and keep up the facade of being perfect. She's pretty much the worst. But oh my God. You just can't stop reading this book once you start.
So, if you haven't read the first 2 issues, I highly recommend you do so immediately.
WARNING: From this point forward, this review WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS if you have not read issue 1 & 2
Alright, here we go...
At the end of issue 1 we think that Lottie has killed Caroline, aka “Coolgirl”. In issue 2, Lottie receives a mysterious text from “Coolgirl”, leaving us just as lost as Lottie. Is she alive? Is this some sort of joke? Does someone know what Lottie did? We have so many questions! Well, in issue 3, some of those questions are answered. Not all, mind you. But hey, it wouldn't really be much of a story if everything was answered immediately, right?
This issue is quite the emotional roller-coaster for Lottie. She's still trying to figure out if Caroline is alive or if this is some kind of sick joke from a stranger who knows her dirty little secrets. So she deals with it the only way she knows how: by going to a party where there will be tons of people and she can dress fabulous – only to find out...Sunny is there with Charlene. DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNN. And on top of that, a cute guy is hitting on her, but he may not be who he seems at first glance. Needless to say, some exciting stuff happens, but I don't want to give everything away. Oh! And we get some more information on our detective friend. I already thought things were taking off, but with issue 3 the ball is definitely rolling.
Pros:
Questions are answered. Huzzah! I don't know about you, but I hate cliffhangers. Like...a lot. I understand them, I do, but that doesn't make me hate them any less. Speaking of, this issue doesn't end on a total cliffhanger! It sets up the tempo for what's coming up next without leaving us at a total loss. As much as I love Bryan Lee O'Malley's art, Leslie Hung blows me away every issue with her gorgeous character designs, scenery, all of it is beautifully done. Although Lottie is selfish and a narcissist, it becomes clearer with every issue that she has some psychological issues. She NEEDS to be better than everyone, she needs to be unique, she needs to be on top, she can't let anyone bring her down, because, dammit, she's Lottie Person. I think a lot of what she feels is stuff we can relate to. Even I can admit to having that jealousy. For instance, when I was in high school, me and one other girl dyed our hair crazy colors, and then suddenly everyone started doing it, and I won't lie, I did have that feeling of “this is my thing and everyone is copying me”. Granted, I was in high school and Lottie is an adult, but I can still relate to it. I think a lot of us can. As awful as she is, there has to be a reason why. Why does she need to be better than everyone? More trendy, better clothes, a better look, why? That seems to be an aspect we're beginning to explore as well which makes it all the more interesting.
Cons:
I don't really have much negative to say. There was this one scene that I won't spoil with a guy and a bathroom that didn't really seem necessary. But it wasn't a poorly done scene and it was funny and it gave us a bit of a segway into something else, so even then it tied some things together. I'm also a little confused about a scene towards the end. I'm not sure if it was real or a dream sequence. It was an interesting scene, but I really don't know whether it actually happened or not. I think it was a dream, maybe a memory? I don't know, and the lack of confirmation is a bit obnoxious.
Overall Rating: 9.8/10
I absolutely loved this issue, I was absorbed the whole way through. If you've been reading, you'll definitely enjoy it. If you haven't been, well, even with the spoilers, you should absolutely go pick up issues 1 and 2 when you go to the comic store tomorrow to pick up #3.
Happy reading!
