Sex Criminals: Still Crazy After All These Issues

The following originally ran in the Weekly Planet 6/27/18. You can read the issue in question in Sex Criminals Volume 5.

Sex is taboo. Birds do it. Bees do it. You can’t walk down 4th without seeing a block of shops trying to sell it to yah. And yet addressing sex frankly, directly, or even comedically can get your piece of entertainment lumped in with very limited or sordid company. That’s part of what, to me, makes Sex Criminals so wonderful and essential as a piece of sequential art.

For twenty-five issues, Sex Crims has been irreplaceable as an honest, insightful, and always funny look into the way we fall in love with (and make love with) each other. It’s an ensemble of wonderful characters, who enter into dozens of relationships. Self-destruction and small, tender moments are given equal heft between our two lead characters (Suzy and Jon) who can stop time by having sex with each other.

Oh, did I… did I forget to mention that? And that they use this magical sex power to rob banks? And there’s another guy whose sexual activity summons a big anime demon? Boy, seems like I really should have brought that up at the very beginning, huh?

Did I mention the sex cops, that police people with sex powers?

I DIDN’T??

I am BAD at this!

All of these piece convalesce together into an uproariously funny and strangely touching book. I have never laughed harder reading a comic and I doubt I ever will. Former Marvel heavyweight Matt Fraction (Hawkeye, FF) scripts with current Marvel heavyweight Chip Zdarsky (Spectacular Spider-Man, Howard the Duck) on the art. Fraction obviously has a firm handle on the craft at this point and Zdarsky makes conveying perfect facial expressions look easy.

There are five trades of Sex Criminals waiting for you to dive in. And this week’s Issue #25 will round out a fifth trade coming to yah later this summer. Sex Crims is my absolute favorite ongoing comic and I’d call you a FOOL if you didn’t check it out.