The following review has been approved for matures readers only by the Multiversity association of good comic books, inc. No, seriously, no kids allowed in here, it’s getting sexy. Are you sure you’re over 21? I mean, you look kinda young. Okay, fine, the reviews over there. Just looking, no touching.
Written by Matt Fraction
Illustrated by Chip Zdasrky
So who’s the boy with the same sexy-time time-stopping gifts as Suzie? Meet John, who until last night thought he could freeze time with his junk. At long last not alone, what kind of horny hijinx will he and Suzie get up to together? What ANY of us would do if having sex stopped the whole world: We’d do crimes.
This comic is truly a once in a lifetime event. This is classic case of the right writer and the right artist coming together at the right time with the right idea to bring forth a true work of art. This is the kind of comic of comic that defines artistic generations. This is the kind of comic people will be listing as artistic inspirations for years down the line. This is the kind of comic where the phrase “cumworld” is dropped without any sense of irony. Hey, I warned you it was a mature review, don’t get mad at me. But let’s rewind. In “Sex Criminals” #1 we saw one of the strongest comic debuts in years as Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky created a story in which the isolating nature of puberty was connected to the fantastical element of time stopping to examine just why puberty is so wholly isolating and terrifying. It was kind of like Teeth without inducing cringes in anyone with a penis. And most people without a penis.
Here, in their follow up, Fraction and Zdasrky show that the introduction wasn’t simply a fluke by continuing their strength in storytelling. As we saw the life story of Suzie, one half of the protagonist couple of the book, last issue we get to see how the other half lived with Jon’s tale. Jon’s tale, thankfully, is just as sexually frank and frankly hilarious as Suzie’s. This is entirely due to what makes “Sex Criminals” so unique as a sex comedy: the comedy doesn’t come from sexual immaturity. There’s no Beevis and Butthead giggling in the corner because they saw some boobs. In fact, the comedy comes from how sexually frank the book is which can only come from sexual maturity on the part of the storytellers.
Not only is “Sex Criminals” criminally funny, but it’s also telling a very rich story about compelling characters. While the first issue was largely about Suzie, this issue expands it’s focus to not only tell Jon’s backstory, but to show the two bonding through his telling. You see the blooming of what could be true love in the pages which is neither overshadowed nor undercut by the humour thanks to how earnest Fraction and Zdarsky are in showing that connection. Yet undercut through all of the that, thanks to Suzie’s to-the-audience narration, is the idea of sexuality as an isolating experience. Despite Jon and Suzie finally connecting here, we also see that the two of them are still very much alone in their own experiences. There’s only so much the two of them can share through the bond while the rest goes unsaid. For a book that you would think runs purely on dick jokes, Matt Fraction has crafted a very raw look at sexuality in the modern age.
It’s not just Matt Fraction’s name on the cover, either, and Zdasrky brings his own weirdly wonderful talents to the book. It’s really hard to imagine this book without Zdasrky’s art. His style is really what coalesces the two very different sides to Fraction’s writing into one solid whole. His art is, for a lack of a better word, is cartoonish enough that the outlandish, ridiculous humour of the Fraction’s writing doesn’t feel out of place. Yet he also renders this realistic world with such detail that the fantastical element of time-stopping seems completely natural in the storytelling. It’s a true case of a comic book being almost custom built for an artist’s style and this book simply would not work without Zdarsky.
What we have here is the perfect combination of two creators at the top of their game who are in complete synergy with one another creating a comic book that totally bucks the trend. “Sex Criminals” is so sexually frank without a hint of immaturity, bringing laughs by exposing the real truth: sex is actually rather ridiculous. At that heart of it all, though, is an examination into love and human connection and what could be real façade in how we perceive sex. With two issues this strong, this series is destined for great things that are already being teased in the pages of this comic, creating mysteries that promise to expand and already wonderful mythology.
Final Verdict: 9.8 – This series is clawing ever closer to genuinely perfect.
