Comic book reviews: “Pink Lemonade” and “Maskerade”

‘Pink lemonade’ n°1

Written and illustrated by Nick Cagnetti

“Pink Lemonade” began as a comic book series from 2016. Nick Cagnetti took his upbeat hero to a bigger format, and you won’t be disappointed. She may not know her true identity or where she comes from, but she is dedicated to bringing good into the world.

With a pastel pink and yellow motorbike, Pink Lemonade is more concerned with adventure than discovering her past, which she remembers very little. She travels from place to place seemingly to escape her past rather than to understand it. That doesn’t stop Pink Lemonade from being unabashedly herself, though she may not know much about who she is. Pink Lemonade is named after Pammy, a kid who found her at her lemonade stand. Drinking the pink lemonade gave her some mental clarity, so it was an apt name.

The world of “Pink Lemonade” is very colorful and fun, and the adventures are never lacking. If you enjoy pop culture nostalgia, you’ll enjoy “Pink Lemonade.” The author creates plenty with OJ-Bot, an abandoned cartoon hero who shares the fate of many modernized superhero comics with a dark reboot. If you’re looking for a creative spin on traditional superhero stories, then “Pink Lemonade” is the book for you.

‘Maskerade’ No. 1

Written by Kevin Smith and Andy McElfresh
Illustrated by John Sprengelmeyer

In the 1980s, a town was built called Trenchen, billed as “the new San Francisco”. After financial failure and setbacks, the town became known as the Trench. The trench is now home to gangs, prostitution, drugs and organized crime.

Issue #1 of “Maskerade” introduces us to the various characters and situations from the first book in Kevin Smith’s Secret Stash Press line of comics. First we meet Felicia Dance, internet sensation and TV host/journalist who exposes sexual predators and other unsavory types on her weekly show. His company offered a job to Dwayne, an up-and-coming news producer with excellent journalism credentials, even though he was just fired because he got into a compromising situation with the CEO’s wife. news division, which also happens to be the city’s favorite news anchor.

Oh, and let’s not forget the beautiful girl in her twenties who jumps from the top of a skyscraper, but when examined has the body of an old woman and simply the face of ‘around twenty. But wait, there’s more! A villainous crime boss is encountered by a masked heroine/villain (we can’t quite tell yet) who takes an image of his face as a mask, then keeps him in a cage in an old orphanage.

All of this makes for a fantastic setup for issue 2 of this four-issue limited series. It has quite the pedigree, with comic book and movie phenom Kevin Smith and screenwriter Andy McElfresh creating the story paired with John Sprengelmeyer’s perfect art style in the panels. Hopefully the next three issues will bring together all the pieces of a great story that, who knows, might one day find its way onto the big screen.

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