Sex Criminals Vol.1 - One Weird Trick
Ever had an orgasm so powerful time seems to stand still? How about one that causes time to literally stand still?
Sex Criminals is a comic about a couple who discover just they can do just that. So they decide to do what anyone would do. Have sex, freeze time and rob banks. Sex Criminals is a successful and wonderfully candid comedy which succeeded in tickling my funny bone (no pun intended).
Volume 1 makes a good introduction to the series and it’s protagonists, Suzie and Jon. The narrative switches back and forth between the story of how the two meet and the story of how, as adolescents, they discovered their strange orgasmic powers. The theme tends to revolve around the familiar dramas and difficulties associated with hitting adolescence and discovering your sexuality.
It’s narrated in first person by Suzie, who often addresses the reader directly. The dialogue is generally very witty and amusing, and I’d like to give a special mention to the excellent posters and adverts in the background of certain scenes, particularly those in ‘Cumworld’, the porno shop. “Mistress Galpractice - She will punish you, break your bones, and set them poorly!”, “Gay Men fucking Lesbians - Everyone’s having a horrible time!” and more.
The comic generally gives a very positive view on sex, though it often walks the fine line between humour and bad-taste. Though it usually succeeds, though there was one instance where the humour rubbed me the wrong way (pun intended). When looking up Jon’s favourite pornstar, Jazmine St. Cocaine, on wikipedia Suzie comments that, ‘It doesn’t say which of her uncles touched her’, which is problematic in its assumption on behalf of that character that sex workers must have some sort of psychological damage. The harsh comment is addressed in the dialogue straight away, but the subject is eventually dismissed with ‘You called yourself Jazmine St. Cocaine. Taking a little shit was inevitable’.
The series is definitely still in it’s infancy, so it’s difficult to make a complete opinion, but what I've read so far is funny enough for me to recommend it, and I’ll definitely be checking out volume two soon.
