Lemon Kid

nathandouglasdavis Apr 22, 2022

3

There are two stories, only related by the fact that they both take place in 1800s America with a "Wild West" type of aesthetic. This aesthetic has a lot of built-in tropes that are almost inherently problematic--like the caricaturizing of native tribes or of black people. As such, there are a few panels with some images (like just the technique used to draw black people) that made me feel a bit uncomfortable, but for the most part, it's whatever. It also glorifies gunslinging and violence as a method for conflict resolution, but that's par for the course for Westerns. The entire second story is basically just a series of shoot-outs. There is a little bit of backstabbing and stuff, but the plot is very weak in this second story (I would rate it perhaps as low as a 1/10). This is in contrast to the first story, which actually had a somewhat interesting plotline going on (I would rate it as a 5/10). I liked the way the story was framed around a flashback and how that worked to give some unexpected context to Lemon Kid's motives. I also liked the way that Lemon Kid basically became a hero through a series of accidents. The artwork is fine enough, but it is somewhat simplistic. It doesn't really use screentones. There are a few gags used where characters will break the fourth wall--like when someone smacked someone else with a speech bubble or when someone crossed the panel barriers.