Comic Review: Unnatural #5

Unnatural #5

Image Comics

Writer & Artist: Mirka Andolfo

After its brief hiatus, Mirka Andolfo’s fantasy world of Unnatural is back with its first issue in what promises to be an intense second arc.

Andolfo wasted no time in creating deception and heartbreak within the first four issues, and I’m fully expecting even more secrets to be revealed with this next part of her series. When we left Leslie in issue #4, she’d just been kidnapped by the wolf of her dreams after losing everyone she knew and loved. After fleeing from the Glance, an agency convinced Leslie is an ancient symbol for their interspecies agenda, we meet a mysterious masked horse vows to create so much panic on Leslie’s life, she has nowhere else to go but Glance.

This separation from her friends will no doubt test her distrust for her dream wolf as she is hunted by both government authorities and Glance.

After gaining a glance at some intense arguing among Leslie’s adversaries, we see the masked horse is more anxious than she let on in the last panel of issue #4. There’s tension between her and Jones, which will inevitably crop up. Not only do we see just how corrupt Jones is in this issue, but we also learn he harbors his own erotic fantasies.

Leslie, who looks even more voluptuous, seems to not even trust her own memories. Although she may not know who she really is, we at least learn the name of her dream wolf, who comes across as pretty confrontational, serious, and almost militaristic, a stark contrast to Leslie’s spontaneity and punk flair. Like always, we don’t have to wait too long until Andolfo introduces his backstory through another new character, Saya. Like Leslie, he too has a troubled past.

We are introduced to one more intriguing character in the last panel of this issue, a pig like Leslie. The art in this issue doesn’t fall short either. Similar to previous issues, Andolfo relies mostly on hues of blue and pink, diverting to a more bland color scheme during flashbacks. In each panel, she weaves a perfect balance between busyness and simplicity. Nothing is overdone or understated.

My prediction for the next few issues is less action and more story, but in no way do I think it will be boring. I’m anticipating hearing more about Leslie’s connection to her past legacy as well as who Leslie has reluctantly, if not forcibly, joined up with.