Comics You Should Be Reading: Sex Criminals

Today, my head is full of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff: I’ve been reading lots of Sex Criminals lately, as well as a fair few novels with complex timelines. And I thought, perhaps, I should say a thing or two Sex Criminals over here where we like to talk about comics and wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey things and stuff.

The series, which is written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Chip Zdarsky, is just shy of two years old–its first issue was published on September 25, 2013. It was named Best Comic by Time in 2013, and it was nominated for two Eisner Awards last year.

The story is predominantly about Jon, an actor whose day-job is banking, and Suzee, a librarian. The two meet at a party, go home with one another, and have some sexy times. But Jon and Suzie are different from other people–when they achieve orgasm, they freeze time. And they’re apparently not alone.

In the first story arc (issues 1-5), Jon and Suzie find one another, and the two decide to use their powers to team up and save the library where Suzie works. They decide to rob the bank where Jon works, and perhaps a few others, to get the money Suzie needs to keep the bank from repossessing the building and knocking it down. But their activities get them noticed by the Sex Police, who are apparently a real thing in this universe.

The second story arc (issues 6-10) finds Jon and Suzie in a bit of a rut, quite removed from the chaos that ended the first story arc. We move backward to see how Jon and Suzie escaped and how Jon became a ghost of his former self and then forward to see how the couple deals with this kind of opposition. We also see more of the Sex Police and begin to get a sense of how many other people like Jon and Suzie are out there.

The third story arc is in its infancy, with only issue 11 published thus far, but it seems to be moving the characters from the first two story arcs together as Jon and Suzie search for other people like them using stole records from the Sex Police. Issue 12 drops on September 16.

So why should you be reading Sex Criminals?

• It’s original. This is not another superhero story, even if there are superpowers and villains. I can’t even think of many things that it reminds me of—–and I’ve got no idea when the last time I could say that was.
• It’s sex-positive. There are sex tips in most issues; the characters engage in various sex acts without a judgmental gaze from the narrator or illustrator. And that’s refreshing.
• It’s funny and honest. Especially in the first few issues, as we see our protags go through puberty and learn about their abilities through first sexual encounters, the comic manages with incredible candor.
• There’s going to be a TV series. In February 2015, Fraction and Kelly Sue DeConnick (fellow comics collaborator and wife) signed a two-year deal to develop the show with Universal TV.
• Zdarsky can render expressions beautifully. And his art is an incredible addition to the series’ story-lines.

That said, the series could certainly use some more diversity. There are precious few non-CIS, non-white, non-hetero characters, and that is a disappointment. Incorporating more diverse characters can really only help a series that is so sex-positive. I do have hopes though—the series introduced Rainbow in the second story arc, a black OBGYN and Jon’s old pal, and he’s continued to be a part of the third story arc. More characters like Rainbow! 🙂

Clearly, this one’s not for the faint of heart, either. While the art is not what I would classify as pornographic, the premise of the comic insists that there be sexual images and dialogue, and there are a few groan-worthy jokes about ejaculate. But sometimes a little crassness is A Good Thing.