Iman Vellani, best known for starring as Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel, is stepping into the world of comic book writing with her first original miniseries, Chachu.
The five-issue neo-noir comic series will be released by Image Comics and Tiny Onion on Aug. 5. The project features artwork by illustrator Marianna Ignazzi and colors by acclaimed comic colorist Jordie Bellaire.
Set in 1979, Chachu follows Leila, a 19-year-old Pakistani-Canadian woman obsessed with films and pulp fiction novels. The story centers on her journey to California to reconnect with her estranged uncle, a semi-retired private investigator once famous for marrying a Hollywood actress he had originally been hired to locate.
When the uncle’s wife mysteriously disappears again, the pair embark on a road-trip investigation that forces both characters to confront hidden family secrets and the myths they have built around themselves.
Speaking about the project, Vellani said she was drawn to comics because of the medium’s ability to capture emotional contradictions.
“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,” Vellani said. “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.”
Ignazzi, whose prior credits include “Exquisite Corpses,” illustrated the series alongside colorist Bellaire, whose recent work includes “Absolute Wonder Woman.”
“Chachu” is being co-published with Tiny Onion, the independent production house founded by James Tynion IV.
The first issue goes on sale at comic book shops on Aug. 5 with five cover variants, including incentive editions by Matías Bergara, Jacob Phillips, and Christian Ward. It will also be available digitally through Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.