Sex Criminals is thankfully back in full swing after returning last issue, in all its hilarious, gross, and sometimes downright poignant glory. Last issue set the stage for a new arc. Let’s take a look at what issue #13 does with it.
Sex Criminals #13 (Image Comics)
This issue is something of a dramatic departure in the series, especially after last issue. We follow a new character, Alix, as she describes her experiences growing up asexual before really even knowing what that means, and trying to fit in in a teenage world seemingly obsessed with sex.
The topic is tackled gracefully here, and it will be interesting to see where this fits in in the bigger picture. This arc has already introduced us to two of these new characters—and she was familiar with Douglas’ crazy anime spunk fairy (I’ll take “Phrases I Never Thought I’d Write In My Life” for $400, Alex), which is intriguing.
However, as a single issue read it was a little disjointed from the rest of the series. I’m beyond positive we’ll get answers in the coming issues and see how this ties into the main story, but judging this simply as the single issue read that it is, it was a bit surprising to have nearly an entire issue dedicated to the new character’s backstory. Jon and Suzie appear for all of one page, in a cheeky “we’re still here” kind of way, so for ardent fans of the characters this will not be your favorite issue.
I guess that’s one way to describe the origin of the universe.
This was in a lot of ways the ‘yang’ to last issue’s ‘yin.’ Last issue was off the wall bonkers and one of the funnier issues of the series, while this issue was a chill, sprawling look at something of a somber character origin.
Still, I enjoyed the read and like I said, I thought Fraction handled what can be a delicate situation very well. For fans of the series, reading this issue is a no-brainer.
Is It Good?
This issue is not bad—far from it. It’s an interesting perspective on a new character with a less common sexual orientation, and it’s commendable and important that Fraction is bringing attention to a typically underrepresented spot on the sexuality spectrum. For anyone who has ever heard of being asexual and thought it was something made up, this issue should be required reading. However, as a single-issue read of the series, it’s a bit disorienting and seemingly disconnected from the stories that have been told thus far. I’m sure it will connect to the bigger picture in due time, but it’s one of those issues that will most likely make a lot more sense read as part of a trade rather than just this one single issue. Still, if you’re a fan of the series, there’s no reason not to read this one.
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