REVIEW: ‘Snotgirl,’ Issue #15

Snotgirl #15 features the creative team of writer Bryan Lee O’Malley, artist Leslie Hung, colorist  Rachel Cohen, and letterer  Maré  Odomo.  Published by Image Comics, this is the first issue to be released since August 2019’s cliffhanger issue focusing on Ashley’s bachelor party.  In this issue, readers finally arrive at the wedding of Ashley and Megan (A.K.A  Normgirl). With a dream sequence to continue the themes of fiction vs. reality in Lottie  Person’s life, Hung pens a beautiful dream wedding between Lottie and Caroline. O’Malley’s dialogue is simple but effective in providing insight into Lottie’s psyche. She wants a future with the girl she is crazy about. However, she has doubts about how Caroline feels for her. This effortlessly transitions into  Lottie on her way to the wedding. The color scheme shifts to a more cool-toned earthy palette compared to Cohen’s white and blue color scheme for the first few pages.

Upon arriving at Megan’s wedding, it starts to, comedically, go downhill.  O’Malley has a tight grip on character dialogue here. He can seamlessly transition the characters’ voices in his script, making their interactions organic. From Lottie’s tightly wound, anxiety-riddled snaps to  Charlene’s matter-of-fact tone, reading their interactions feels like a guilty pleasure. Odomo letters accordingly by featuring Lottie’s internal turmoil in green text boxes. Her calm and collected thoughts are merely black text with a light-blue background. Her inner anxiety is put into yellow text boxes.  The color divides Lottie’s moods put you into her shoes, easily streamlining the book.  More so, the pacing of  Snotgirl #15 is swift and interesting. Never skipping a beat, it made up for the fact that we had waited six months for this.

Hung ties the humorous script together by penciling in lively expressions to match people’s moods. No one who is having a bad time is pretending to have fun. Lottie is miserable, pinning over Caroline, trying to get a clear answer to their official relationship status. Tying into the events of issue 14, there are characters like Ashley and Sunny trying to figure out the core of the mystery presented by the existence of Virgil. Ashley is a mimic for the reader; we are also curious about this character that keeps popping up during times of distress.

However, O’Malley does not give us an answer to it. Though, O’Malley does script some beautifully romantic moments that are sure to please long-time fans of the series. Hung’s beautifully drawn fashionistas come to life with passion during these love scenes.  Cohen’s coloring grounds the whole book.  It turns the surreal world of Lottie Person into a green, yellow, and brown-filled reality.

Snotgirl #15   is a delightful issue exploring Lottie’s personal relationships with her friends and love interest. Delivering a very anticipated moment that fans have been waiting for, I am confident that many will enjoy where O’Malley, Hung,  Cohen, and Odomo are taking this series.

Snotgirl #15 will be available wherever comics are sold.