Inspired by her own experiences growing up in the entertainment industry, Iman Vellani makes her solo writing debut with Chachu, a new five-issue miniseries from Image Comics. The series features art by Marianna Ignazzi and colors by Jordie Bellaire, and is set to launch this August. The story reimagines the neo-noir private investigator genre through a personal and character-driven lens.
Set in 1979, the series centers on Leila, a 19-year-old Pakistani-Canadian with a love for movies and pulp fiction. She heads to California to reconnect with her estranged uncle, known as her “Chachu,” a once well-known private investigator who gained notoriety after marrying a starlet he was hired to find. When his wife disappears again under mysterious circumstances, Leila and her uncle set out on an unexpected road trip investigation. What begins as a search soon becomes something deeper, forcing Leila to confront family history, grief, and the illusions that have shaped both their lives.
“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.”
Ignazzi spoke to the visual approach, leaning into the tone of the era and the emotional core of the story. “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,” she said. “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
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