Back with another guest review is Amanda Green, and this time she takes a look at the tongue-in-cheek humor of “Big Hard Sex Criminals” by Matt Fraction. Take it away, Amanda!
September 2013, author Matt Fraction and artist Chip Zdarsky introduced a spectacular new Image title: “Sex Criminals.” Hitting the shelves to wide critical acclaim, this one of a kind book shortly picked up a cult following and two Eisner nominations for Best Continuing Series and Best New Series and won the latter. This last February, Matt Fraction and his wife, Kelly Sue Deconnick, announced that they’d made a deal with Universal for a television show. Now, you can go to your local comic shop and pick up the hardcover version, “Big Hard Sex Criminals, Vol. 1”, collecting the first ten issues of the comic run along with some additional materials.
For those who have never picked up a “Sex Criminals” comic, it’s about a young couple who discovers they can stop time with their orgasms and proceed to get the bright idea to rob banks to save a library under threat of foreclosure. Of course, that summary barely scratches the surface of Suzie and Jon’s story. “Sex Criminals” is an adventure into adulthood that respectfully deals with sexuality, mental illness, disability, individuality and the freedom to explore what sex means to Jon and Suzie on a more personal level, and what that means for them and how they connect to each other. With this book, Fraction and Zdarsky treat us to a sex comedy that is in turns touching, emotional, hilarious, sexy, and terrifying at points.
For some readers this sort of content may be off-putting. If you don’t find sex funny or have Oglaf.com in your browser history, “Sex Criminals” might not the book for you. If you do acknowledge that the things our bodies, libidos and hearts do in the pursuit of pleasure (among other things) are hilarious, this is a book you absolutely must have, and the hardback edition is the nicest way to get it. While there are other soft-back versions, with fewer features at a generally comparable cost, this seems to be the best bang for one’s buck to get all ten issues and some fun additions.
The book itself presents nicely. Zdarsky’s pop-art sensibilities aren’t seen on the slipcase, which is a simple pink gradient with the title of the book, and on the back cover it pronounces in huge, gleaming letters FOR MATURE READERS DUH right above basic premise of the book itself. So on the outside it’s simple, elegant and classy…
Underneath the slip cover, however, is a gem of a ‘fake out’ cover that harkens back to those sex manuals that some people had on their shelves back in the 90s and tried to slyly hide what they were from less sexy family members or roommates. Unfortunately, mine arrived with the slipcover damaged, but due to the quality Image usually puts out I’m willing to think that this was an exception, not the rule.
The hidden cover, however, is a hint of what sort of humor you can expect throughout the book — tongue-in-cheek, a little bit wrong, and not afraid to push some boundaries. The hardcover collects the first ten issues but has so much more. It includes a cover gallery, a book plate gallery, a “Makin’ Sausage” section to show how panels are laid out and produced, Sex Tips from issues 6-10 (the others can be found in a companion volume called “Just The Tips” if one needs a good laugh), and a section dedicated to hidden gems within the comic itself.
The story itself covers Suzie and Jon’s discovery of each other and delves into their new relationship as they relate to each other both as lovers and as people who have an experience that few others can share. The issues also cover their separate histories of sexual self-discovery, and the reader learns about them as they explore each other’s backgrounds, getting to know one another on the longest first date ever.
When Suzie bemoans the fact that her beloved library is in danger of being foreclosed on, Jon has an idea on how to fix it. He suggests the following: have sex, stop time, rob banks, save library with the bank’s own money. Jon’s rationalization (other than he hates his job) is that this is why banks have insurance, and it is essentially a victimless crime. Suzie agrees to go along with it.
This, of course, is where the troubles for our protagonists begins – crime pays for a little while, but it opens a door to a world they didn’t know existed. Where there are Sex Criminals, there are Sex Police, too. When they get in trouble with the “long dong of the “law”, Suzie and Jon have to find ways to deal with problems most new couples never have to deal with. They’re in trouble with people who have been at this longer than they have. Things, of course, only get more complicated from there.
Smart, sharp, and never insulting, this book loves and respects its subject matter. Whether it’s Suzie’s sexual discoveries, Jon’s battles with mental illness, or dealing with the realities of modern sex life, each topic is given with a voice of authority and the occasional footnote referencing where they got the data on the topic. Birth control, reproductive choices, and sexual understanding are all well represented to the otherwise fantastical elements such as time-stopped bank robberies or how to deal with the Sex Police. There’s a lot of amazing stuff in this book, and it’s all been very well researched.
For all that I’ve focused on story, Zdarsky’s visuals match this book perfectly. Every person is different. Suzie is a bushy-haired brunette who is sexy without falling into “objectified comic female” territory. Jon’s a bulbous nosed, soft-in-the-middle man who wanted to be an actor but now admits to being a secretary without fear. I don’t know if I can think of a single artist as able to capture their humanity, emotion or genitals with as much care or attention to detail. His capture of motion – especially in Jon’s tantrums (and least one combat scene with the Sex Police which will have to be viewed to truly be appreciated) – is beyond compare. As for the comic book stylings, the art stands out in its dedication to diversity of both genders and bodies. Bodies are perfect in their unique imperfections, and every character and person, even background folk, feel individual and realized.
The detail he throws into signs and other background items is to be both feared and admired – Zdarsky goes the extra mile to slip sly nods to just about everything sexy (and some unsexy) into “Sex Criminals.” The colors, assisted by Becka K and Christopher Sebela, suit the book’s mood. The color work keeps the real world grounded in muted tones with brilliant use of brighter colors for emphasis and emotional impact. The soft otherworld blur of stopped time always identifiable.
In short, it is a beautiful book. From its classy pink cover to its gorgeously rendered sex scenes to the best musical number you’ll never get to see the lyrics to, this book delivers visually.
So, if this set up intrigues, and you like sex positive, fun comedy with glowing E.T. penises, “Sex Criminals” is the book for you. It comes in at a reasonable $39.99 cover price for such a nice, solid edition, making it a great book for its cost. I believe it’s a must buy for anyone who loves good storytelling and wants to laugh until they cry for more, more, more!