"Suzie Down in the Quiet"
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Chip Zdarsky
September 2013
Image Comics
Artist: Chip Zdarsky
September 2013
Image Comics
Holy fuck, did I just read that?! This comic is fucking fantastic.
There is so much greatness contained in this 32-page story that I'm not even sure where to begin. Sex Criminals #1 is the epitome of independent comics done right. The pacing is absolutely brilliant, the development of the characters and story are equally wonderful, and the art by Chip Zdarsky is a phenomenal joy. Writer Matt Fraction makes a lot of twists and turns in the narrative and fleshes out protagonist Suzie Dickson (geez, these sexual puns just don't stop coming, do they?.. oops, there I go again...) but the story never stops being interesting. You really feel for Suzie and come to sympathize with her strangely unique dilemma.
Sex Criminals #1's self-awareness is one of its key strengths. There's a scene early on that harkens back to Woody Allen's Annie Hall and it could not be more helpful in setting the tone of this series. The reader immediately knows that this is a book that doesn't take itself too seriously and that's all for the better in our world that's oversaturated with hyperserious/gritty superhero fare. At one point Suzie further breaks the fourth wall by mentioning that "that's the magic of editing" in regards to all the chronological shifts from scene to scene. Then there are the various sex scenes... One of them even includes drawings on a bathroom stall wall...
Sex Criminals #1's self-awareness is one of its key strengths. There's a scene early on that harkens back to Woody Allen's Annie Hall and it could not be more helpful in setting the tone of this series. The reader immediately knows that this is a book that doesn't take itself too seriously and that's all for the better in our world that's oversaturated with hyperserious/gritty superhero fare. At one point Suzie further breaks the fourth wall by mentioning that "that's the magic of editing" in regards to all the chronological shifts from scene to scene. Then there are the various sex scenes... One of them even includes drawings on a bathroom stall wall...
 |
| You didn't think I'd post a photo of the actual drawings now did you? |
I haven't even mentioned Suzie's "superpower" yet: she can stop time simply (or in some cases, quite contrarily) by having an orgasm. I'd prefer not to spoil the book for you, fellow reader, any more than necessary, so I will stop my doing so here (despite that not really being a spoiler, I do think it best to enter a new story with as little knowledge of it as possible). This was about all I knew about the book prior to reading it.
There are little tidbits of narration that Suzie says that demonstrate her personal tone towards the reader that are fantastic. "Wait, scratch that, I have no idea what I'm talking about" (paraphrasing); it's stuff like this that humanize Suzie and make her a rather relatable character. SC's self-awareness is reminiscent of Scott Pilgrim's zaniness, however is a little less ridiculous and over-the-top while still being somewhat absurd in its own right. Like SP, SC has a keen sense of attitude and is an intelligently plotted narrative.
There are little tidbits of narration that Suzie says that demonstrate her personal tone towards the reader that are fantastic. "Wait, scratch that, I have no idea what I'm talking about" (paraphrasing); it's stuff like this that humanize Suzie and make her a rather relatable character. SC's self-awareness is reminiscent of Scott Pilgrim's zaniness, however is a little less ridiculous and over-the-top while still being somewhat absurd in its own right. Like SP, SC has a keen sense of attitude and is an intelligently plotted narrative.
 |
| Yep, it's exactly what you think. |
The artwork by Zdarsky is simple and effective. It's kind of cartoony at times and it shies away from being overly detailed like those pesky superhero books can be. The colourist (apologize my ignorance for not knowing your identity!) does a fabulous job here, as can be seen in the image above. The lens flares and the pinkish waves in space and time illustrate that Suzie has just orgasmed and that her superpower is in full swing.
I really cannot recommend this series enough. It's so refreshing and engaging that I will be buying the first volume for my own love interest as soon as it is released (I'd let her read my floppies, but us comic book readers/collectors are a bit anal about the condition of our comics) so she can understand my love for this sex comedy aimed at "mature" readers.
I really cannot recommend this series enough. It's so refreshing and engaging that I will be buying the first volume for my own love interest as soon as it is released (I'd let her read my floppies, but us comic book readers/collectors are a bit anal about the condition of our comics) so she can understand my love for this sex comedy aimed at "mature" readers.
No comments:
Post a Comment