1. Sex Criminals #2 By Matt Fraction And Chip Zdarsky (Image)
Did you rush out and pick up Sex Criminals #1 after
I rec'd the hell out of it last month? And didn't you love it? Well, the second issue is just as awesome and if you got the first issue, you went immediately went ahead of this article and got your copy of Sex Criminals #2 like the comics fan in heat you are! For those who missed the first issue last month, Sex Criminals stars a woman called Suzie, our humble narrator, and her lover Jon. The two share an uncommon power - when they orgasm, time literally stops, but allows them to move around while everyone else is frozen temporarily in place. And then they decide to get their own back on the greatest villains of the 21st century, the banks! That was what I thought the plot was in the first issue but in the opening scene of issue #2 we see an odd-looking trio of pure white-clad figures who can move around in the frozen time (which Suzie calls The Quiet and Jon calls Cumworld!) and are after our horny duo. These mysterious three are used as more like the framing device for this issue as, like the first issue introduced us to Suzie, the second issue introduces us to Jon. Suzie's story had moments of sadness and pathos amongst more jokey scenes whereas Jon's story is almost non-stop jokes, which I loved. We see Jon's youthful follies in his journey of self-discovery from an internet porn search engine - Ass Jeeves - to a sex shop in Times Square - Cumworld, which is where he got that name - and the many, many detailed easter eggs Chip Zdarsky inserts into the Cumworld scenes (my favourite being "butt plug gone bad!" - you'll have to read it to see what that is!). I won't go into what made me laugh, mostly because it'd run on for pages and pages, but also because I don't want to spoil the comedy for you. Just know that if you take your time, lingering over the panels, you'll find a lot of dirty but hilarious jokes. Zdarsky though, man, this guy is a good artist! I know that's a trite comment but he's really so damn good and once again this comic looks amazing. That panel where teenage Jon escapes Cumworld after being found out (to the tune of Benny Hill music!) is genius - Zdarsky should think about becoming a board game designer! And what of Mr Kelly Sue DeConnick? Terrific. Sex Criminals might be the best thing Fraction's ever written, and he's written some great books. I love how he's building up the main story, showing us Suzie and Jon's relationship developing, and giving us the characters' backstories, all so naturally, the story threads beautifully intertwining in an effortless display of master storytelling. I love everything about this comic, I have nothing to critique it for. The rambling, unending summary at the start, the photo of Fraction getting a nipple piercing from the Sex Criminals launch party, the five pages of letters from fans - all of which are worth reading for even more laughs - and the cover design: perfect, all of it. However, if you're buying a physical copy of Sex Criminals #2, it will be bagged and sealed on the shelf and you do need to be over 18 to read it - there's a lotta nudity! So if your comic shop cards, go buy a digital copy instead (or find a cool adult/older sibling to buy it for you)! Even the title is brilliant, especially as I think Fraction/Zdarsky chose it just to hear so many people say out loud "I love Sex Criminals!". I know I sure do, and if you're not reading it, check it out today for one of the best comics of the year! * So those are my picks of the week - a handful of number ones, a barnstorming number two and a tremendous week for Image! No look in for DC and hardly anything from Marvel this week, I know, but, looking at next week's releases, it looks like a deluge of Big 2 comics is headed our way - check back in next week to see which ones make the cut in what will likely be a double-size column! Meanwhile, let me know what you thought of this week's comics and what ones you thought I missed, in the comments below! Until next week, happy comics reading!