My first impression of Girls is that the lead character is something of a jerk, and that the story is off to a bit of a slow start. However, I had a similar reaction to the first issue of Ultra, and wound up loving the collected edition, so I'll definitely be back for more, assuming that within the context of the larger story, the first issue of Girls will win me over. Judged on the first issue, the Luna Brothers are crafting a story of a small-town loser whose luck with women has turned him exceptionally bitter, but the introduction of some strange elements on the last few pages leaves everything open to interpretation and has me curious about the overall mystery of the book, if unsure about the viability of their protagonist.
I remember my single days, and I wouldn't go back to them for any amount of money, and to some extent Ethan's inability with the opposite sex is all too painfully real. The Luna Brothers do not shy away from the often awkward, usually painful nature of single life for some guys, and the opening pages feature a shocking "ew" moment that serves notice that they're going to be looking at the most pathetic aspect of single life. Unfortunately, they cross the line from real into outright parody in some places, and so Ethan becomes not a poor guy you can relate to but an unbelievable jerk and/or idiot. The conversation in the market is clumsy and unrealistic, and if it's not flirting, than it comes across as the kind of thing nobody on earth would say unless they're setting up a fictional moment, which kicked me right out of the book. Ethan's over-the-top rant in the bar is much the same way, as you can see the hand of the creators at work on the page, and that detracts quite a bit from the reality of the book.
On the other hand, once we're past the setup of Ethan and his pathetic life, the book turns really interesting, as a really bad night turns into something with much larger consequences. There's a nice open, spooky quality to Ethan's first encounter with the mystery girl, and Jonathan Luna does an excellent job of making the nudity of the girl alluring but not lurid, so that her nudity does have a sexual, attractive quality to it but also serves to illustrate her vulnerability and the oddness of the situation. Given that the girl and her encounter with Ethan is probably key to the premise, it's kind of a shame that it gets so little actual setup in this first issue, but I am intrigued enough by the many questions raised to come back and find out some of the answers.
While Girls shares with Ultra my lukewarm reaction to the first issue, it also has in common my instant liking of the artwork. The Luna Brothers do a flat-shaded, animated "cel" look that is not completely unique, but certainly unusual, in comics. The absurdity of the situation in the bar, the sex appeal of the girls that Ethan is panting over and the mundane, believable nature of the settings all come to life in the artwork. The art doesn't falter in terms of the more unusual aspects of the story, but the Lunas are at their best with relatively normal settings and characters, and Girls feels grounded in terms of artwork, if not in terms of characterization so far.
I'll be honest, if not for Ultra winning me over, I'd probably not be interested in seeing much more of Girls. The lead character's a jerk, the character interaction often reads as completely phony and there's not enough setup of the premise for a successful first issue. However, Girls #1 does boast impressive artwork and some intriguing mysteries, and with the knowledge that the Luna Brothers previously built upon a shaky first issue to a triumphant finish, I'm hopeful that as Girls goes on, I'll look upon this issue in retrospect as something I like a lot better. 7/10
