NERD INITIATIVE

The Run Down

If you’ve been around the block in deep comic knowledge over the last six years, chances are you’ve seen “Sweet Paprika” at least in passing. While not exactly the kind of comic you’d think would make the rounds for a publisher like Image, Mirka Andolfo managed to break through. Within this issue however comes three stories from three writers, Andolfo being only one. With all of this in mind, join me on this ride of titillating thrills as we look at “Sweet Paprika: Black, White & Pink”!

Writers: Mirka Andolfo (“Rooms Back”), Rachelle Aragno (“Good Company”), Bartosz Sztybor (“50 Shades of Grey”)
Artists: Leirix (“Rooms Back”), Rachele Aragno (“Good Company”), Daniel Scalisi (“50 Shades of Grey”)
Letterer: Fabio Amelia

“Rooms Back”

If you’re looking at that title and thinking “that sounds familiar”, you’re right on the money. In this opening story, Andolfo makes the odd yet exciting decision to place Paprika right in the internet’s favorite horror story. From start to finish, Andolfo creates a nice love letter to the backrooms. Despite being only a few pages long, the story is decently paced. She also manages to give it a good rising action and ends it with a satisfying finish.

When it comes to the art from Leirix, they absolutely knocked it out of the park! For any fans of the backrooms, you can rest assured knowing they managed to perfectly recreate some iconic spaces. The way they used the penciling and lines to create the facial expressions and scary creatures was also very titillating.

“Good Company”

In this story done completely by Rachele Aragno, we see as Cinnamon is alone and bored in her office. Without going into too much detail, Cinnamon here feels like a character I can relate to. While I’m mostly comfortable with it, being single can sometimes feel a bit alienating, especially when you’re physically left alone. In that, I was able to better appreciate this mini story and also have a bit of fun with it!

As for Aragno’s art, I really love the style that she brings here. I’m unsure of how else to describe it other than controlled chaos. The main thing that I particularly loved here was her choice to hide the other character’s true form hidden from the reader. The way and reason this was done was pure genius as it really helped put us in Cinnamon’s shoes. I also particularly love how the pink surrounds the black & white, giving everything this distinct punk look.

“50 Shades of Grey”

I’ll say right off of the bat that this story is very unique from the previous two. Where the last two are very straightforward, Sztybor forces us to think. Throughout the story, he begs the question “do we chase knowledge because we learn one thing and want to learn more, or is it the lack of knowledge that forces us to learn?” I’m not exaggerating when I say that this story had me pondering that for a good hour or two. What made this story even more beautiful was how the writing and illustrations worked hand-in-hand.

All throughout the story, it’s clear that Sztybor and Scalisi spoke heavily. Scalisi expertly depicts the bartender in the story as someone learning more and more about his customers. If the words weren’t there, the point of the story would still shine through as he makes it easy to piece things together. He also managed to include an intricate amount of detail to establish both characters and settings. Finally, the lettering all throughout the book was kept simple yet was exceptionally well done by Amelia!

Final Thoughts

All in all, “Sweet Paprika: Black, White & Pink” is two good experiences matched unevenly by an exceptional one. Anyone knowing what they want will get exactly that here, and then some. Andolfo and her team ride high on titillating thrills and chills that are sure to delight for hours.

Overall Grade: 8/10

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Comments

Are you a fan of “Sweet Paprika”? Are you looking forward to reading this special? Let’s discuss in the comments below!