Iman Vellani makes her solo writing debut with Chachu, a five-issue miniseries launching August 5, 2026 from Image Comics. Marianna Ignazzi handles art while Jordie Bellaire colors the neo-noir private investigator story set in 1979.
Vellani stars as Ms. Marvel in the MCU. Chachu draws from her own coming-of-age experiences in the entertainment industry, reinterpreting classic detective fiction through a Pakistani-Canadian lens.
Nineteen-year-old Leila travels to California hoping to connect with her estranged uncle, a middle-aged semi-retired private eye famous for marrying the starlet he was hired to find. When his wife mysteriously vanishes again, the two embark on an impromptu road trip investigation transforming Leila’s first taste of adulthood into a thrilling confrontation of family secrets, unresolved grief, and fantasies both have built their lives around.
Vellani expressed deep curiosity about comics as an art form because of their capacity to hold contradiction better than any other medium. That became especially meaningful writing Chachu, which grew from tension between mourning youth while still having it and an incessant urge to come-of-age already.
Ignazzi pictured this 1970s world revealing itself through reflections in sunglasses and rearview mirrors, slowly emerging through cigarette smoke and neon lights. She captured Leila and Chachu’s journey through strong blacks and graphic style that could still feel emotional and deeply narrative. Bellaire brought incredible atmosphere, warmth, and cinematic depth to every scene.
Five covers launch issue one: Ignazzi main cover, Matías Bergara 1:10 incentive, Jacob Phillips 1:25 incentive, Christian Ward 1:50 incentive, and Stealth variant.
Digital editions release simultaneously on Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
Beam Me Up Scotty
Old punk rocker from Miami who still smells faintly like comic shops and poor financial decisions.
