Advance Review: Unnatural #1 Portrays A Sensual, Relevant World

In UNNATURAL, a totalitarian government patrols the personal lives of its citizens and punishes transgressors who engage in “unnatural” relationships. According to this regime, individuals must enter into relationships with those of the same race, and the “opposite” gender as themselves—and as quickly as possible, in order to procreate.
Sweet, unassuming pig girl, Leslie dreams of something different for herself. But her dreams are becoming dangerous—because lately they’ve been invaded by a mysterious and handsome wolf. And when she awakes, she could swear she’s being watched…

In my initial article, I mused that this series might appeal to fans of Blacksad and Skydoll. I’m pleased to say that Unnatural doesn’t disappoint. The art is bomb, the story is smart, and the full package is dead sexy. Mirka Andolfo has a style of illustration usually reserved for classic hand drawn animation. Combined with the mature subject matter, it makes for a sensual and rich world. This is the type of pin-up girl comic I’ve been looking for.

The metaphors for racism and homophobia are pretty much on the nose, but what the political satire lacks in subtlety, it makes up for in relevance. In America, people are embracing interracial and same sex relationships even as the powers that be are desperately trying to undo any form of social progress.
Seeing as this was originally published as an Italian comic, we can discern that these aren’t simple local issues, but big universal ideas about the human condition. Universal ideas are the building blocks for mythic storytelling, so keep an eye out for Unnatural when it hits store shelves this 4th of July from Image Comics.