Bigger Than Capes

Publisher: Image
Writer and Artist: Mirka Andolfo
Colourist: Simon Tessuto
Letterer: Fabio Amelia

In this issue, we establish that Paprika’s life is haunted by awful men. Her dad is a workaholic, a prude and a hypocrite. Her ex is a gaslighter and deserves to be fed into a meat grinder. And these pair seem to be the root of so many of her issues.

To reiterate: Paprika is a boss bitch in the office and an absolute mess out of it. Her fantasies are ruined by her hang-ups and her social life is ruined by her hang-ups and, it now appears, the abusive gaslighting relationship she suffered from Burnet.

Much of the issue is taken up with Parika failing to get it on with someone suitable, and the reasons for that failure. Off her chops, she finally drags Dill home with her, only for Dill to turn out to be the only decent man in the comic by not having sex with a very drunk woman, much to Parika’s drunken horny annoyance.

Finally, we get the contents of the mysterious parcel, and the contents are shocking enough for Parika to impale her laptop with a fluffy topped pencil.

As ever Parika’s sexual frustration is palpable. There are the now-standard sexytime drawings in Mirka Andolfo’s unique style, and the whole thing is vibrant with a cheeky sense of humour. While the Devil Wears Prada reference seemed clear at the start, Paprika is a more complex character than initially thought, more of an Ally McBeal with manga fan service.

Sweet Paprika is now the first thing I read when Image give us things to look at.