[Comic Book Review] Sex Criminals (2013- ) Issues #1-4

Posted on March 5, 2014 by thegrandshuckett in Comic Books & Graphic Novels // 0 Comments

Plot Summary: Suzie, a librarian, and Jon, an actor, meet at a party and, after sleeping together, discover they share the ability to freeze time when they orgasm. As their relationship develops and their sexual histories are explored, they decide to rob the bank where Jon works in order to save Suzie's endangered library.

Publisher: Image Comics

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artists: Chip Zdarsky

Review: by Anthony

As a massive fan of Matt Fraction's current run on Hawkeye, when I found out he had an Image comic called Sex Criminals, I was angry and then happy, in that order. I was mad that I missed out on another comic to read by Matt Fraction that he's currently working on, but then that fact quickly made me happy; so, I quickly picked up Sex Criminals, and I'm so glad I did.

What I Liked

This is one of the most original comic’s I’ve ever read. The plot synopsis of having the “superpower” of stopping time after reaching orgasm is unique and easily sets up for a number of crazy and funny situations.

Also, The breaking of the 4th wall is great. It is used initially as a way to narrate and explain situations and is used later on for comedic purposes, and I enjoyed it each and every time.

Suzie is the main character in Sex Criminals, and although it’s happening more in comics these days, I still consider it a treat to have a strong female lead in a comic book. Added on top of that is this “coming of age” story of sexual self exploration from a teenage into adult. It was funny for once to not see the typical teenage boy masturbation jokes and crusty socks and instead see jokes about teenage girls discovering herself in a long bathtub session.

After the initial setup of the orgasm equating to the stoppage of time phenomena is in place and fairly understood, the main characters Suzie and Jon get some additional backstory and development. They embark on a quest to save Suzie’s bookstore from foreclosure through any means necessary, and they meet opposition with the arrival of the Sex Police who mean to stop their plan from climaxing. Something that I enjoyed and practically anticipated happening was, after Suzie and Jon come to the realization that they’re not alone in “the quiet” and discover each other in this time frozen world, that there would be more and more people that share in their once unique gift.

The thing I’d have to say I like most about Sex Criminals is the comedy in the writing which is perfectly complimented by the art. While it’s not terribly difficult to be funny when telling sex jokes, Sex Criminals does a great job at not being stale or too cliche. For example, it’s usually a group of self proclaimed sex expert high school teenage boys describing sexual acts, but in Sex Criminals they flip it to high school girls; and, some of the positions they come up with and the names for those positions are hilarious.

What I Didn’t Like

I have nothing but good things to say about Sex Criminals. The only thing that comes to mind is if you’re adverse to explicit subject matter and art. While not severely detailed or overly pornographic, it is there.

Summary

Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction has been added to my pull list, and, if you’re ok with some explicit drawings here and there, I’d highly recommend it because the story is funny and awesome and looks to be just getting into a deeper storyline.

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