Review: PINK LEMONADE #1 by Nick Cagnetti

PINK LEMONADE #1 by Nick Cagnetti

It’s another bright new day in the world of comics and what is lighting things up for me right now is PINK LEMONADE #1 by Nick Cagnetti, a new comic book series from IT’S ALIVE! Press. A lot of you out there know that IT’S ALIVE! is the brainchild of multiple Eisner Award nominee Drew Ford, who is publishing out of print comics, English translations of foreign material, original projects, and other unique collectibles. Well, Mr. Ford is also publishing new original content! And that’s where PINK LEMONADE #1 comes in. Let’s take a look.

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This is a very fun comic book! If you enjoy quirky, whimsical, and surreal comics like Mike Allred’s Madman, then this is for you. The first issue opens up with some wild race, a cross between Thunderdome and Tintin. And it’s our main character, Pink Lemonade, who makes it to the finish line–or so she thinks. Just when it looks like the big bad guy, Barzibelly Jr., is going to capture her, it turns out it was all a dream–or sort of. It’s hard to tell in this candy-colored loopy landscape but that’s part of the fun.

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Now, the narrative switches to a conventional suburban setting. Pink Lemonade wakes up to find a mother and daughter standing by her as she rests on a park bench. Pam, the little girl, tells her mom, Linda, about how she met her new friend the other day. Pink Lemonade was recently given her name by Pam because she helped Pam set up her lemonade stand. Sure, that makes sense, especially since we’re talking about a cyborg. Why not name her Pink Lemonade, right? Pam and Linda are quite taken with Pink Lemonade. Linda can’t help but see a superhero: “Mysterious past. Colorful costume. Altruistic. Nomadic lifestyle…It’s all pretty cool. Got any powers?” And so a delightful story unfolds as Pink Lemonade becomes better acquainted with humans. Where exactly Pink Lemonade is from is not important at the moment–not when Pink Lemonade is determined to meet more humans and get into more misadventures.

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The artwork and colors are a combination of upbeat and eye-popping. This is, no doubt, a very charming and dazzling work. I’m so glad to know about it and help spread the word. Now, as mysterious as the character of Pink Lemonade is, I immediately wanted to know everything I could about the creator. So, who the heck is Nick Cagnetti? Well, he’s a very interesting individual who has developed a following of his own and you should see what he’s up to at Radical Realm Comics. I see that Nick is very much into the theater arts as well as storyboarding and that certainly enhances his work in comics.

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When posting about amazing new comics like this, if the comic grabs me, I am very motivated to learn what’s going on behind it and to share that with you. So, definitely look up Nick Cagnetti and consider buying one of his comics or various other awesome items he has for sale. And, keep in mind, that Pink Lemonade is exclusive to IT’S ALIVE! with a regular edition available in October. In the meantime, there will be a very limited edition of the same comic (with different cover) available at next month’s HeroesCon. I give Pink Lemonade a solid high score of 10/10.