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Sex Criminals #5-6
Big Hard Sex Criminals, Volume Three
When Suzie and Jon have sex, time stops -- literally. So they did what any of us would do at they got into the business of robbing banks. But things got a little serious. And the only business Suzie and Jon want to be into is each other's, but the bank -- and life -- have other ideas.
Suzie and Jon break up and come together one last time in this gorgeous hardcover volume collecting the big climax of the award-winning, best-selling, ground-breaking sex comedy-slash-love story SEX CRIMINALS, complete with flashforward epilogue, bonus content created exclusively for this volume, and a modesty cover beneath the dust jacket to enable shame-free public consumption in this, the biggest, hardest SEX CRIMINALS yet.
"Part romance, part sex comedy, and part heist drama, [SEX CRIMINALS] manages to turn a story about two lovers who rob banks with orgasms into the most emotionally realistic and relatable sex comic ever made." -- Wired Magazine
“SEX CRIMINALS grapples with no shortage of subjects; grief, mental health, self-medication, consent, rejection, and butt plugs are all handled thoughtfully. It’s hilarious, considered, and sex-positive, but if you’re just into cuddling that’s fine, too.” -- The Ringer
“Who knew that Image Comics (...) would become the premier publisher of forward-thinking genre comics? Consider (SEX CRIMINALS) Exhibit A.” -- Rolling Stone
“A smart, funny, sex-positive comic book for readers of all genders and predilections.” -- Slate
“(T)he story transcends the sex and the jokes to take a hard, wet look at what humans do when we do sex... An astounding read.” - BoingBoing
Collects SEX CRIMINALS 21-30, 69.
Suzie and Jon break up and come together one last time in this gorgeous hardcover volume collecting the big climax of the award-winning, best-selling, ground-breaking sex comedy-slash-love story SEX CRIMINALS, complete with flashforward epilogue, bonus content created exclusively for this volume, and a modesty cover beneath the dust jacket to enable shame-free public consumption in this, the biggest, hardest SEX CRIMINALS yet.
"Part romance, part sex comedy, and part heist drama, [SEX CRIMINALS] manages to turn a story about two lovers who rob banks with orgasms into the most emotionally realistic and relatable sex comic ever made." -- Wired Magazine
“SEX CRIMINALS grapples with no shortage of subjects; grief, mental health, self-medication, consent, rejection, and butt plugs are all handled thoughtfully. It’s hilarious, considered, and sex-positive, but if you’re just into cuddling that’s fine, too.” -- The Ringer
“Who knew that Image Comics (...) would become the premier publisher of forward-thinking genre comics? Consider (SEX CRIMINALS) Exhibit A.” -- Rolling Stone
“A smart, funny, sex-positive comic book for readers of all genders and predilections.” -- Slate
“(T)he story transcends the sex and the jokes to take a hard, wet look at what humans do when we do sex... An astounding read.” - BoingBoing
Collects SEX CRIMINALS 21-30, 69.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published July 27, 2021
6 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Matt Fraction
1,221 books1,864 followers"How he got started in comics: In 1983, when Fraction was 7 years old and growing up in Kansas City, Mo., he became fascinated by the U.S. invasion of Grenada and created his own newspaper to explain the event. "I've always been story-driven, telling stories with pictures and words," he said.
Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.
"My mother was not happy about that," he said.
But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."
Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.
Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.
Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."
Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.
- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.
Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.
"My mother was not happy about that," he said.
But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."
Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.
Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.
Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."
Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.
- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 28, 2023
So.
As a whole, Sex Criminals series has its merits. It's an enjoyable and entertaining romp through a fictional and sexually-charged world. The creators tried to add some depth to the narrative, but these attempts often fell short of their mark (subjective).
I'll be honest and say that the ending (both endings?) disappointed me. It came out of nowhere. Was it surprising? Yes. Was it logical or rooted in the narrative? I don't think so.
Overall, I liked the series but not as strongly as its die-hard fans.
As a whole, Sex Criminals series has its merits. It's an enjoyable and entertaining romp through a fictional and sexually-charged world. The creators tried to add some depth to the narrative, but these attempts often fell short of their mark (subjective).
I'll be honest and say that the ending (both endings?) disappointed me. It came out of nowhere. Was it surprising? Yes. Was it logical or rooted in the narrative? I don't think so.
Overall, I liked the series but not as strongly as its die-hard fans.
April 27, 2025
The ending really caught me off guard on this, had to sit and think about it for a little bit. The series as a whole is a fun and interesting story, this book was less jokey and a lot more serious especially towards the end (which it poked fun at). Overall I really enjoyed this series and thought this was a satisfying ending!
August 1, 2021
This book.
This fucking book.
This fucking book.
December 16, 2023
3.75 stars. Overall, a really enjoyable series and this one closed the story of this series in a way that wasn’t exactly expected, but was satisfying to see play out. There were some moments that I wish this story would have expanded upon and some plot elements that I was questioning at times, but for a fun story about sex, crime, relationships, mental health, and a ton of fun humor, I forgave those more serious elements. Glad to have read this one! And as with the first two books, a ton of fun extras in the back to spend some time looking at!
March 6, 2025
The whole series is nice. Plot is simple, I liked the premise. Often they break the 4th wall, and it becomes a little annoying at some point. The attention to details is great, I liked the extra materials. Very solid work
October 5, 2021
Oki--so a lot of fun. Read the whole thing tonight. And now I got to do the dishes.... anyway, here's my guess why this blew up 1) they can write a plot that moves (no matter how many holes), that's why I read it all (in one night anyway) 2) this is the brand of v cis v straight v white sex-involved feminism that will sell mainstream I think. Like I don't have time or energy to enumerate how incredibly far from queer this is, but if we're doing that gay like X, queer like Y meme this is not even in the meme. The heteronormativity abounds (both Jon and Suzie have "a moment"/"a phase" when listing the only visible same gender hookup they ever had, for ex, which was the first major tip off) and then any engagement with the realities of race doesn't exist ("but they made a comment about black men being seen as hyper-sexual that one time!!"). That said, I did read it all in one night, so, insert comment here about affect vs "validity." And I did reread it from the beginning to see how it ends after leaving it for a couple years when they took a break, and I'm glad I did.
April 27, 2023
3.5 stars. The last issue redeems it a bit but I was underwhelmed by the ending.
August 16, 2021
This book. This fucking book. [2]
I’ve had the best time reading this series and i can’t wait to read it all again and again.
I’ve had the best time reading this series and i can’t wait to read it all again and again.
December 19, 2021
(Zero spoiler review) 2.5/5
What initially started out as a down to earth, yet earth shatteringly good comic about two people and their coming together, pun intended, over their shared sexual super power, devolved into an inane, stupid and overtly progressive mess somewhere around the middle. Sure, it still had its high points, despite the nonsense, all of which centred around Jon and Suze). Seriously, every additional character added to this story, and the horrible direction they drove it, needs to be excoriated from my memory. This was a small story, that got far too big for the writers, who clearly didn't know where to take it, and leaned into the absurd rather than the suburban. Half of this particular collection had me groaning, and wondering whether I could summon the will to finish it. I seriously had no idea what the hell was going on for the first few issues. Sure it had been a while since I finish book 2, although this really seemed like one of those shows that pretends for the six months its off the air, that the characters continued living their lives, and you just have to build a bridge with the wholesale changes from the end of the last episode. It works when its done well, although this... The other half of this book, when it played to its initial strengths, was the original quaint and queer (no, not in that way) series I found myself strangely enjoying when I first picked it up.
This is a thirty issue series that should have stopped at fifteen. This was a small and sordid tale that got far too big for itself. And despite the (double)? ending, both of which I enjoyed the final few pages of, I will have a hard time discerning how to reread this when the time comes. Needless to say, I'll be skipping a fair bit of content when I do. Occasionally familiar yet very frustrating. 2.5/5
OmniBen.
What initially started out as a down to earth, yet earth shatteringly good comic about two people and their coming together, pun intended, over their shared sexual super power, devolved into an inane, stupid and overtly progressive mess somewhere around the middle. Sure, it still had its high points, despite the nonsense, all of which centred around Jon and Suze). Seriously, every additional character added to this story, and the horrible direction they drove it, needs to be excoriated from my memory. This was a small story, that got far too big for the writers, who clearly didn't know where to take it, and leaned into the absurd rather than the suburban. Half of this particular collection had me groaning, and wondering whether I could summon the will to finish it. I seriously had no idea what the hell was going on for the first few issues. Sure it had been a while since I finish book 2, although this really seemed like one of those shows that pretends for the six months its off the air, that the characters continued living their lives, and you just have to build a bridge with the wholesale changes from the end of the last episode. It works when its done well, although this... The other half of this book, when it played to its initial strengths, was the original quaint and queer (no, not in that way) series I found myself strangely enjoying when I first picked it up.
This is a thirty issue series that should have stopped at fifteen. This was a small and sordid tale that got far too big for itself. And despite the (double)? ending, both of which I enjoyed the final few pages of, I will have a hard time discerning how to reread this when the time comes. Needless to say, I'll be skipping a fair bit of content when I do. Occasionally familiar yet very frustrating. 2.5/5
OmniBen.
December 9, 2021
Full review for all three volumes at https://amanjareads.com/2021/11/16/se...
October 10, 2023
My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read a charming, kooky comic about people who stop time with their orgasms and try to stop psychic insider trading?
Pre-reading:
I have enjoyed this series so much. I can’t wait to read more.
Thick of it:
Oh, that ear penis poster icks me out so much.
Vagina bear is the stuff of nightmares.
Oh my god, not the shape of water joke.
Aw, on the nose fireworks. That’s cute.
CLITTY 😂
Why am I the therapist about this plot?
Semiotic
Impugn
This drawing scene is so cute.
But like where are Rachel and the gyno?
I am confusion.
Apotheosis
I had to Google this joke because I am not a superhero comics girly, and it’s not funny.
I also just got that.
I am not liking the story.
I do not like the story.
Post-reading:
Wow bummer, I did not like the conclusion to this series at all. As usual, the art is great. The background puns are hilarious. The plot felt like it really got away from them. It was confusing and not in a fun way. And then once you did finally figure it out, it didn’t have much to say. It’s a little miserable. The characters don’t fix their mental health issues. I don’t like the couples that ended up together. I hate that we didn’t get more of Rachel and the gyno. I don’t like that Jon and Suze don’t end up together. I don’t like that the therapist and the professor don’t wind up together. I don’t like that Suze doesn’t get her library. I feel like this issue lost the sex positivity. It lost the mental health angle. I kind of don’t know what it did for so many pages. It felt like we were introducing plot lines, spinning our wheels, and then just abandoning them. There’s no resolution. There’s no moral lesson.
I feel like it lost the fun that the first two volumes had.
I dislike it to the point that I would tell people not to read this volume, but leaving series unfinished is even more icky to me, so suffer I guess.
Who should read this:
Satire fans
Sex positivity fans
Do I want to reread this:
No
Similar books:
* Big Swiss by Jen Beagin-kooky sex work
* Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots-black comedy, dystopian superhero satire
It’s closer to TV shows like Sex Education and Mrs. Fletcher. I haven’t read a lot of this genre yet. Sorry!
Do you want to read a charming, kooky comic about people who stop time with their orgasms and try to stop psychic insider trading?
Pre-reading:
I have enjoyed this series so much. I can’t wait to read more.
Thick of it:
Oh, that ear penis poster icks me out so much.
Vagina bear is the stuff of nightmares.
Oh my god, not the shape of water joke.
Aw, on the nose fireworks. That’s cute.
CLITTY 😂
Why am I the therapist about this plot?
Semiotic
Impugn
This drawing scene is so cute.
But like where are Rachel and the gyno?
I am confusion.
Apotheosis
I had to Google this joke because I am not a superhero comics girly, and it’s not funny.
I also just got that.
I am not liking the story.
I do not like the story.
Post-reading:
Wow bummer, I did not like the conclusion to this series at all. As usual, the art is great. The background puns are hilarious. The plot felt like it really got away from them. It was confusing and not in a fun way. And then once you did finally figure it out, it didn’t have much to say. It’s a little miserable. The characters don’t fix their mental health issues. I don’t like the couples that ended up together. I hate that we didn’t get more of Rachel and the gyno. I don’t like that Jon and Suze don’t end up together. I don’t like that the therapist and the professor don’t wind up together. I don’t like that Suze doesn’t get her library. I feel like this issue lost the sex positivity. It lost the mental health angle. I kind of don’t know what it did for so many pages. It felt like we were introducing plot lines, spinning our wheels, and then just abandoning them. There’s no resolution. There’s no moral lesson.
I feel like it lost the fun that the first two volumes had.
I dislike it to the point that I would tell people not to read this volume, but leaving series unfinished is even more icky to me, so suffer I guess.
Who should read this:
Satire fans
Sex positivity fans
Do I want to reread this:
No
Similar books:
* Big Swiss by Jen Beagin-kooky sex work
* Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots-black comedy, dystopian superhero satire
It’s closer to TV shows like Sex Education and Mrs. Fletcher. I haven’t read a lot of this genre yet. Sorry!
May 24, 2025
I read this all in one sitting which was not my usual for this series. Enjoyable as all of it has been yet the ending seemed to come up quicker than I was expecting and the pacing of this last volume felt a little hurried when compared to the others.
I’m generally in favour of some questions being left to the reader as explaining every little thing can take away some of the magic but I would have liked some more explanation giving more context as to how all of the threads wove together.
The ending was bitter sweet and though understandable given how things had played out during the series I still found myself disappointed in the direction.
All in all a very different series that was definitely worth reading and I will revisit.
I’m generally in favour of some questions being left to the reader as explaining every little thing can take away some of the magic but I would have liked some more explanation giving more context as to how all of the threads wove together.
The ending was bitter sweet and though understandable given how things had played out during the series I still found myself disappointed in the direction.
All in all a very different series that was definitely worth reading and I will revisit.
February 21, 2022
Turns out there was something secret that Fraction was hiding from the reader all along. The twist is cool, but trying to understand the mechanics of the magic place that these characters travel to is a big mess. Is it supposed to make sense? I'm not sure. But I decided to worry less about it making sense and just focus on characters and plot. That is much more interesting. Penis/sex jokes do really get old after a while. What the reader is left with is characters that hopefully seem real. To me they did. It is nice to read a comics story that isn't afraid to cater directly to adults, even when the writer makes frequent sex jokes to keep this from being taken too seriously.
June 8, 2024
Not really how I wanted this to end but I still enjoyed this nonetheless. I think the last arc of this series was very different than the rest, and that that was a detriment to the series. This epilogue issue kind of continues that path, I think? I get what they were going for. I think it's... Commendable that they ended it this way? But I just sort of lost interest in the series through this last run, if I'm honest. I'm not mourning this series like I should be and would be if it ended just an arc sooner. More than just a collection of sex jokes, Zdarsky and Fraction have crafted a wonderful series dedicated to the relationships people have with one another in Sex Criminals.
July 29, 2021
This is a review for the entire series.
Pretty damned original and funny with some better than average illustrations and writing.
I said funny, but some of it is goddamned hilarious, and it's not as porny as you'd think given the premise.
It's adult for sure, but it's also mature in the themes and the handling of relationships.
Good stuff.
I just finished 'Invincible', so that set the bar pretty high.
Pretty damned original and funny with some better than average illustrations and writing.
I said funny, but some of it is goddamned hilarious, and it's not as porny as you'd think given the premise.
It's adult for sure, but it's also mature in the themes and the handling of relationships.
Good stuff.
I just finished 'Invincible', so that set the bar pretty high.
January 15, 2024
Well, I did it. Read the weirdest comic I’ve ever read. Overall a genuinely endearing story with rom-com elements that touched on broad topics such as trauma, mental illness, general existentialism, and the nature of human relationships—all within the story about people who stop time with their genitals.
Wacky concept, great execution, overall a good time.
I wouldn’t recommend reading this to anybody I know personally though lol
Wacky concept, great execution, overall a good time.
I wouldn’t recommend reading this to anybody I know personally though lol
August 30, 2021
This could kind of be my fault. I didn’t remember the first two volumes very well so was a little lost for half the book trying to recall what happened in the first two. I do love Fraction and Zdarsky together. Hilarious duo and I hope they do more comics as a team.
November 9, 2021
This whole series was brilliant and this last volume didn't disappoint.
It went to some unexpected places which kept me on my toes, but it never stopped being engaging and hilarious.
I've not read anything else like it.
It went to some unexpected places which kept me on my toes, but it never stopped being engaging and hilarious.
I've not read anything else like it.
November 28, 2021
Quite a different tone than the previous two volumes. I have to say, I didn't quite get the ending. Suze's power kind of came out of nowhere (pun not intended) and I think it led to a more philosophical ending than I was expecting (or wanted, to be honest).
December 27, 2021
Really let down by this ending. I don't have much to say about it. The entire series always felt on the verge of being great, but it never happened. It's a fun romp, I guess. It's entertaining. It tries being profound sometimes and falls flat and I guess you can't fault it for trying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2024
I should have known from Volume 2 that I wasn’t going to get a happy ending. But I did get an “alls well that ends well.” It was a fun ride and worth a second read down the road. There are tons of Easter Eggs and I know that this story was plotted from the start.
Thank you Matt and Chip.
Thank you Matt and Chip.
July 30, 2021
I think Chip and Matt would probably like me okay
August 15, 2021
A wonderful, heartwarming end to a wonderful, heartwarming series.
September 2, 2021
Loved it. This. Fucking. Guy.
Brought in some interesting new elements, and a little bit more exploration of other characters.
A satisfying conclusion.
Brought in some interesting new elements, and a little bit more exploration of other characters.
A satisfying conclusion.
September 4, 2021
A solid conclusion to a fantastic series
October 14, 2021
So sorry this series is over...it was truly a joy to read.
January 27, 2022
Fraction and Zdarsky show off just how well they can “finish” and boy do they do it well
April 21, 2022
And so concludes one of if not my favourite book series ever. Not sure how to feel about #69 and its effects to my heart and soul but I will need to time to process the events of said final issue...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews