Comic Review: Unnatural: Blue Blood #1

Publisher: Image Comics

Writer: Mirka Andolfo

Artists: Ivan Bidarella & Francesca Carotenuto (With art by Mirka Andolfo)

Letterers: Fabio Amelia & Maurizio Clausi

It’s been a few years since Unnatural, the series by Mirka Andolfo that launched her into the stratosphere, concluded. Since then, the creator has been on fire, releasing multiple hit titles. Now she is going back to Leslie and her friends with Unnatural: Blue Blood. This time she is joined by artist Ivan Bidarella and colorist Francesca Carotenuto. This issue is lettered by Fabio Amelia and Maurizio Clausi.

Unnatural: Blue Blood picks up some time after the previous series ended. Leslie is living a quiet life with her family, but unfortunately, something from her past is back to haunt her. Andolfo focuses a bit on Leslie, but spends time introducing readers to Shea, Khal’s sister who is under the care of Leslie and Khal. She is having trouble adjusting to her new school life. She’s your typical antsy teenager, but still endearing.

Andolfo’s characters are all full of life, though this issue doesn’t do too much to develop the new ones. Instead, she relies on the reader being intimately familiar with everyone already in order to be invested. The end result is a debut that isn’t exactly friendly to new readers.

The plot itself is interesting, but Andolfo focuses on the characters in this issue, leaving a lot of question marks. It’s nice for immersion, but Unnatural: Blue Blood #1 lacks a hook. It’s hard to get too invested without knowing what’s going on. Still, the cliffhanger ending shows a lot of promise.

Andolfo mostly gives up art duties this time around, though she does draw the first few pages of Unnatural: Blue Blood #1 and will continue to do so for the rest of the series. Fortunately, the transition between her and artist Ivan Bidarella is seamless. Bidarella has a style that suits the world of Unnatural well, balancing the sexy style that the series is known for with dramatic scenes and panel structure.

Colorist  Francesca Carotenuto adds tons of depth to the characters and settings, making this debut a delight to look at. The colors take advantage of every opportunity possible to add atmosphere to the panels, especially during the more ominous scenes.Fabio Amelia and  Maurizio Clausi’s letters add tons of personality to the characters’ voices, especially when they yell. Changes in fonts and even colors enhance the story without overwhelming the reader.

Even if it isn’t great for new readers, it’s nice to have Unnatural back. The characters are just as endearing as ever, and the hints at where the story is going are intriguing. It’s not the strongest issue of Unnatural, but it does everything it needs to to remind readers of what makes this series special.