Sex Criminals: Volume One: One Weird Trick

Out of all of the comics coming out today, this one is easily my favorite. Matt Fraction has already proven his worth by turning Hawkeye into one of Marvel's most engaging and likable books, but he really kicked things up a notch for this original story. He does so many things right, but his most genius move was bringing CHIPPARD ZDWARRGGKY into mainstream comics. Chip Zdarsky is the most fun you could possibly have on Twitter, and he is a major force behind the humor of this book.

This book is amazingly funny, but that's not why it's my favorite. This book ignores all of the negativity that has been built around sex and pornography, and reminds you that it is a fun, healthy, and natural thing. Everyone does it, from librarians and bankers to bus drivers and soccer moms. It's wonderful that there's a story about sex that doesn't condemn it with worn-out social commentary.

This book is a breath of fresh air and I am very excited to see where they go from here.

An imperfect, but thoroughly promising read. The premise is intelligent without being zany– this series could easily be a gag-a-minute boner joke festival, and yet the series is instead a thoughtful and uncompromising look at the awkward side of sexuality, while simultaneously being a pretty grown up take on the superhero genre. (I say ‘grown up'– as in mature– rather than ‘gritty'– this series is no Christopher Nolan, and all the better for it. It never takes itself too seriously, which is wonderful.) Funny, interesting, and with lots of fascinating characters, this volume is a promising preview of a strong series to come. The volume itself isn't the strongest, but I see potential in it.

While Fraction and Zdarsky are no slouch when it comes to comics, something about the formula seems a bit unsure, a bit forced, at times. Maybe it's the unclear way the narration moves forward: the narrator is sometimes in the panel as a flashback is happening, sometimes not, sometimes wearing distracting costumes, sometimes narrating past events in the past tense, sometimes the first tense, etc. Maybe it's the way a lot of the techniques used to tell the story feel a little gimicky– this series is already larger-than-life, it doesn't need characters who are ultra precious and educated, meeting over a discussion of Nabokov and having incredibly quirky speech patterns. But something leaves the series feeling a bit... faked, to turn a phrase.

It's not bad. It's just the sign of a fledgling series finding its wings. When Fraction stops the gimickry and actually writes, the series soars. The scene where Suzie breaks out into a stunning rendition of [song name redacted], except all the lyrics are blotted out with sticky notes because they couldn't get the distribution rights, shines as a moment of surrealist charm because Fraction doesn't try to make it precious, and it would have been unnecessarily so otherwise. (The question of whether Fraction ever really tried to get the rights to print the lyrics in the first place– which would have made a very boring and overlong scene of Suzie singing to the reader in a soundless medium– or decided it would be best to only reference the scene indirectly through fourth-wall-breaking antics, is a question for another time.)

All in all, I look forward to more from this team and the series they're creating. I look forward to watching it find its footing, so it can be the best lil' sex machine it can be.

A delightfully strange premise that had me laughing out loud at least a couple of times while reading it, always very impressive when a book manages that.

Super late to reading this, but glad I finally did. I love Fraction and Zdarsky, they work so well together. I'm also biased because Suzie is a librarian and everyone knows that librarians make the best main characters. 4 absurd sex jokes out of 5.

It's not what you think. A brilliant concept, fantastic art and a very smart and funny read throughout.

I went into this blind. I thought it was going to be more perverted than it was. It was actually funny. I enjoyed the concept which was something I never read nor heard about. When Suzie masturbates / has sex time freezes. When she meets and sleeps with Jon, she realizes he can do the same thing.

She finally meets a guy with the same power? Gift? What do you call it? Anyway, she finally meets someone just like her. They get to know each other, have sex, possibly fall in love, and come up with some schemes to help Suzie save the library. Wasn't a fan of Suzie or Jon. Suzie has a problem with communication and instead of masturbating and having sex all day, she should probably talk to someone. Jon is suffering from some of mental illness, not sure if what he says is truthful or if he just lying to Suzie to keep her around.

Also, I didn't like the constant slut shaming even though it was used as a joke, it seemed a bit much. While the story was interesting and different, I am not going to read Vol. 2. It didn't make me excited to read more, and I am fine with reading the first 5 issues.

fun, but one volume is probably enough for me

I have been waiting not so patiently for almost an entire year for a new issue of Sex Criminals.
There's not another comic like it, nothing as sexual or raw but equally as funny and dramatic and thoughtful. It's truly one of a kind and I have truly missed it.

The (really supersized bumper) issue starts with a recap (which honestly, you kind of need after ten months) and Matt Fraction is as conversational and meta as always, and funny, never forget how funny this comic is.

So after a ten page recap we finally get into the issue, which is essentially all about Jon and Suze's relationship and them trying to figure out what they want in the future and how they're going to fit into each other's lives and their goals. Jon is kinda reluctant, but Suze isn't pushing it, and the kind of have some sort of plan written down in between all the sex they're having.
It's nice and sweet in a way. These guys are slightly directionless, but they're trying to make it work, and that's something really relatable.

We didn't get a ton of development with the sex cops or any character who isn't Jon or Suze but it was just nice to be back in this world.

Man I've missed Matt and Chip.

Ha! Very good. That was hilarious. And so smart! I love smart, hilarious comix.

The story: Suzie and Jon discover, independently and during their awkward puberty years, that their orgasms can stop time (literally). Years later, they find each other as adults - and are thrilled (who wouldn't be?). They have this magic stopped-time place (she calls it “The Quiet”, he calls it “Cumworld”, after his favorite porn shop lol) in which they can frolic and be merry. Looming over all this is the rapacious (no pun intended), uber-capitalist, clearly-about-2008 BankCorp - which is threatening to foreclose on Suzie's public library building. Suzie and Jon decide to plan a heist: using their power to stop time, rob the bank, and pay back the library's loans. Looming over all THAT is the sex police.

So yeah, it's wonderful: subversive and sardonic about America's particularly prudish sex culture, as well as its unregulated, anti-human Wall Street. Sex and finance! I laughed and laughed.

Great original story

2.5 stars. Not my favourite, but I'll check out the next volume. The art is all right. The plot is all right. The writing is all right. But it's just a little too twee, clever, po-mo maybe?, for me. I'm not that into the characters, although I prefer Suzie. Although she makes the two most offensive jokes in the book, namely, a KKK joke and shaming a sex worker. Meh, not into it.

Also, HYMENS DON'T BLOODY WORK LIKE THAT. It's the 21st century. It would be nice if people writing about women still didn't think popping a cherry was still a thing. It ain't.

Weird, intersting, original. I liked the 5 issues I read here, definitely want to see where it goes. The dialogue felt very natural and funny, hopefully the story can stay interesting.

I don't even know what to say about this.

so good!

¡More!

I'm really not sure what to say about this book, as it's gorram crazy in a lot of fun ways. I've been meaning to read it for a while, I'm glad I read it. Also, I'll say this is certainly weird.

I really enjoyed this one, witty and imaginative.