GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: Big Hard Sex Criminals HC – Enough said!

LET’S BE REAL HERE!

Matt Fraction, one of the most creative minds in the comics industry, continues to impress readers and critics alike with his no-holds barred innovations and thought-provoking way of pushing the medium to its limits. Nowadays, he is very happy creating and writing more creator-owned or independent titles in one of the best independent comics publishing houses ever — Image Comics. Since his return to his indie roots, he garners multiple prestigious awards, most particularly the Eisner. His trump card these days is SEX CRIMINALS, in which its premise is very straightforward and totally wholesome, if not downright provocative, educating and empowering.

Image Comics unleashes the hardcover edition entitled BIG HARD SEX CRIMINALS. It contains the first ten issues of the critically-acclaimed and commercially successful series, and features a number of cool additions that readers and fans would surely salivate for more and more. Simply put, the premise of the ongoing series is using sex for criminal deeds. Yet, don’t let the title fool on viewing this as mere pornographic or erotica literature. No…Fraction is an excellent storyteller of almost anything mundane and chaotic. Indeed, there are plenty of nudities, eroticism, and graphic scenes in this pink colored cover masterpiece. BUT, if one is an open-minded, non-hypocritical and liberal type of guy and/or gal, Sex Criminals is beautifully executed in plot, theme, characters, and suspense that are far more superior than, say, 50 Shades of Grey and other bestsellers that are basically rubbish in substance and style. Intelligent because the book educates what sex is all about without being so preachy, saccharine and awkward, aside from the façade of the intriguing conflict between two sexually powered protagonists and the more menacing “Sex Police”. In the latter, this can symbolize Fraction’s critique on the prevailing stupidity amongst conservative members of the societies regarding the taboo nature surrounding anything about sex. Let’s face it. We are still uncomfortable to talk about it openly, but have a grand time discussing it whenever opportunities arise. This book is also enlightening in the sense that this series wakes us up to be candid about our naivety about that said matter. Moreover, this also helps us to explore its beauty and promotes understanding between ourselves. Thus, Big Hard Sex Criminals has a great story, a twisting plot, an increasing cast of intriguing characters and their respective evolving characterizations, a means of educating a greater portion of our society, and most importantly, an instrument of both encouraging and empowering ourselves.

The art is fantastic, so unconventionally vibrant. Artist and co-creator Chip Zdarsky really utilizes primary colors for greater effects in displaying the moments of happiness, despair, anxiety, private conversations and even during the couple’s sexual culminations and criminal escapades. Another thing is the illustrations of anatomical reproductive organs that are done in good taste, similar to the illustrations presented in many medical textbooks. Seriously, the artist does justice in these portrayals without being exaggerated or having applying shock value for the sake of shocking the readers’ sensibilities. Yes, Chip’s illustration may be minimal or conservative to some, but he augments this with his expertise in coloring and his unique execution in lettering.

One of the great parts of this collected edition is the features. Truly, there are Chip’s artistic developmental stages like laying out Fraction’s scripts, and his various cover art gallery, including the rare variant covers and succeeding printings; and practical tips in making intimate moments and relationship more meaningful (under the title JUST FOR TIPS) and some guidance/suggestions as well. Also, Matt and Chip gave their respective thoughts on their great series run in the afterword.

In closing, Big Hard Sex Criminals is worth your hard earned savings. Sure, this is NOT for everyone due to some obvious trappings (below age of 18, admittedly. Yet, Fraction and Zdarsky deliver their postmodern approach of making some intriguing and engaging stories without being so preachy and egotistical, if not so brazen nor bold, about one of the most sensitive topics ever. The illustrations are simply topnotch and so unorthodox that can only be seen in few true master of the visual genre. Raunchy but properly in place, graphic but within the context of the story, controversial but with the right reasons to do so, and disturbing but the creative team have to be that way because we have to be educated in order to be enlightened and guided. Similar to the teachings of the intellectuals (but equally controversial and thought-provoking) like Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche and Michel Foucault, we must learn and accept the existence of the undesirables, and transcend from these. Matt and Chip’s Sex Criminals shows us that path to become a better SELVES!