Warning: This article may contain explicit language and sexual references
Written by: Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky
Art by: Chip Zdarsky
Publisher: Image
If you’ve been paying attention to the comics world in any possible way then you’ve heard about the smash hit that is Sex Criminals. From comedic team Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, Sex Criminals tells the story of two people who find out their orgasms can stop time. They then decide to do what any person in that situation would do and decide to rob banks. From page one this series has gotten onto everyone’s lists and has won numerous awards.
One of the biggest points of enjoyment comes from the back matter to each issue. Every single issue has a letter column that comes with general thoughts on the series, or stories of that reader’s life. Sometimes we’ll get the story of how someone lost their virginity, or a story of their sex life in general. It’s never a dull moment, and Matt & Chip just add to it with their ridiculous “sex tips.” When the trade paperback came out all of this stuff was missing. I understand why as it would have meant basically adding half a graphic novel’s worth of material into the trade. I couldn’t imagine new readers not getting to experience it, so I was extremely happy to hear about the creation of “Just the Tips.”
What we get isn’t exactly the back matter reproduced exactly. What we get is even better and had my sides splitting so hard I’m sure I created a brand new muscle never before seen in the human species. Things are presented in a series of new original “erotic” stories, new “pick up lines,” new “sex positions.” There are very funny stories reprinted here about the first time people had sex or the first time they found porn in the woods. I think stuff like that is important to include because like the series proper, the realness of possible shared experience involving sex is what connects people to it. Of course the next pages then include the “pick up line” “hey girl, are you NASA’s space program? ‘Cause a nation wants to start you up again.” As ridiculous and side splitting as seeing numerous diagrams of the various “sex positions” Matt & Chip cooked up I think the greatest thing this book does, like the series proper, is just talk about sex in a way people can laugh about it but also think about it.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of the series, or someone that just enjoys a laugh, Just the Tips is sure to leave you with a smile, and sore stomach.
