Review by Ian Keogh

Dina, Jada, Sassy and Silvee are Black Dolls, or at least eventually, as we’re introduced to them individually before they unite as a band. The back cover supplies brief personality assessments for each band member, and Rachel Faturoti applies those characteristics over an opening chapter jumping confusingly from one to the next. The four women are thoughtfully portrayed as different personalities with different backgrounds, and different family and friends, although there are places where striving to establish this leads to clumsy insertions. Mention of Ethiopian food is forced into a conversation between Dina and her brother.

The characterisation is Faturoti’s strength as the various dynamics between the band members play out. Drummer Jada placed the ad soliciting musicians, so considers the band hers, yet Dina was child star musician and Sassy has a considerable online fanbase for singing covers. Bassist Silvee’s withdrawn personality could easily be lost among the others, yet Faturoti ensures she isn’t by establishing her family’s musical connections. As no copyrights are credited, the assorted song lyrics are presumably Faturoti’s work also, and they’re very good. Real bands having problems with lyrics might want to get in touch.

Artist Flo Woolley supplies expressive cartooning displaying the various personalities as they wear their hearts on their sleeves. However, the early pages when we’re getting to know the cast feature some clumsy segues. At one point Silvee rushes to the toilet. We see the door clearly marked, yet on the next page she’s passing Sassy and her friends. It requires close scrutiny to see the few tables sketched in the previous panel’s background. It leads to confusion at the start, but Woolley quickly becomes a more efficient storyteller. Conveying the excitement of a gig isn’t as easy in static form as might be assumed, and when the band play Woolley supplies the dynamism.

This being Vol. 1 indicates an extended future planned for Black Dolls, so despite contacts, enthusiasm and talent there’s no instant success. Suspense is maintained by the involvement of others with the band via a mentoring process familiar to viewers of talent shows, with all the manipulation that entails. Faturoti’s use of social media as both aid and curse makes for a credible accompaniment.

Vol. 1 pulls off the introduction of an engaging cast with problems and ends with more than enough complications to carry onwards to Vol. 2.

Although aimed at young adults, swearing is copious, with Jada in particular having a potty mouth.