'Ms. Marvel's Iman Vellani Writes Her Debut Comic for Image with 'Chachu' This August

 

Inspired by her own coming-of-age experiences in the entertainment industry, Chachu is the solo writing debut of superstar actor Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel) brilliantly illustrated by Marianna Ignazzi (Exquisite Corpses, Self Help) and colored by Jordie Bellaire (Absolute Wonder Woman, Redlands). This all-new, five issue miniseries will reinterpret the classic neo-noir private investigator story and launch in August from Image Comics. 

Set in 1979, Chachu follows Leila, a 19-year-old Pakistani-Canadian girl with a penchant for film and pulp novels, who travels to California hoping to connect with her estranged uncle—her “Chachu”—a middle-aged, semi-retired private eye once famous for marrying the starlet he was initially hired to find. But when his wife mysteriously vanishes once again, the two are forced on an impromptu road trip investigation that transforms her first taste of adulthood into a thrilling confrontation of family secrets, unresolved grief, and the fantasies both she and Chachu have built their lives around.

“I’ve always been deeply curious about comics as an art form because of their capacity to hold contradiction—arguably better than any other medium,” said Vellani. “That became especially meaningful to me while writing Chachu, which grew out of this tension between mourning my youth while I still have it, and an incessant urge to come-of-age already.”

“From the very first reading of Iman’s script, I could already picture this '70s world revealing itself through reflections in sunglasses and rearview mirrors, slowly emerging through cigarette smoke and neon lights,” said Ignazzi. “I tried to capture Leila and Chachu’s journey through strong blacks and a graphic style that could still feel emotional and deeply narrative. Seeing my pages come to life through Jordie’s colors has been wonderful—she brought an incredible atmosphere, warmth, and cinematic depth to every scene.”

Vellani added, “It’s been an immense privilege to build my first original series alongside such an accomplished roster of collaborators, all of whom challenged and supported me in ways that made this book far better than anything I could’ve imagined on my own or in therapy.”

Chachu #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, August 5:

• Cover A by Ignazzi
• Cover B 1:10 copy incentive by Matías Bergara
• Cover C 1:25 copy incentive by Jacob Phillips
• Cover D 1:50 copy incentive by Christian Ward
• Cover E Stealth Variant

Chachu #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.