By Lex White
So is ‘SEX’ a success?
When Joe Casey announced his new Image title ‘SEX’, he turned more than a few heads. For an independent creator, even one with existing street cred, turning heads can is quite an admirable accomplishment. But the real measure of success is keeping an audience’s attention beyond the titillating title and provocative cover art. So is ‘SEX’ a success? Well, the short answer is, when it comes to ‘SEX’, Joe Casey does not disappoint.
His inability to transition to civilian life and his ambivalence toward his CEO responsibilities that have major real-world impact set a strong foundation for inner turmoil and a ticking repression time-bomb.
The story starts off in Saturn City (a.k.a Saturn’s version of a crime-run Tokyo) and follows Simon Cooke, a former super-hero who hangs up his tights in exchange for a corporate chair and a normal life. The problem is, after having been a caped hero since adolescence, Simon doesn’t know what a normal life actually means. Instead, he struggles with living amongst the filth he once devoted his life to cleaning up, wondering if “normal” is something to be desired at all. His inability to transition to civilian life and his ambivalence toward his CEO responsibilities that have major real-world impact set a strong foundation for inner turmoil and a ticking repression time-bomb.
‘SEX’ introduces you to a big, dark world and has no intention of uncovering itself quickly. The world is undoubtedly interesting and strangely beautiful, but it is shy, only showing brief flashes of itself at any given moment. The dialogue is dense, but well-written. The story teases, guiding the reader through Saturn City and her inhabitants like an experienced lover might guide a virgin to ecstasy for the first time.
‘SEX’ lives up to its title. There is sex — a lot of it
‘SEX’ lives up to its title. There is sex — a lot of it — sex that manages to objectify men and women equally, making it all feel more like art than an a seeies of pin-ups. As uncomfortable as the not-so-unexplicit sex scenes might make some readers who only fantasize about seeing their heroes in the buff, it is admittedly hard to look away from. The sex on the panels is not just written for the sake of sex. It allows us to get more intimate with the characters, unveiling their true natures and motivations, whether we like them or not. The undertones are subtle, but they are there for observant, patient readers.
Casey takes on the challenge of crafting a new, unfamiliar world, which means he has the burden of explaining that new, unfamiliar world to a brand new readership. It takes some patience and some guts to fully appreciate what Casey and Saturn City have to offer. It takes a little more patience to simultaneously foster a meaningful relationship with Simon Cooke, who, uncannily, feels a lot like a post-phoenix, broken Scott Summers. Simply put, despite the impeccable art and the crisp, sexy writing, impatient readers will not make it past the 2nd issue. But readers who do make it to the 3rd issue will be pleasantly surprised to find new layers to characters and new pleasures just beyond the bend, giving a sizable return on the initial reading investment.
It takes some patience and some guts to fully appreciate what Casey and Saturn City have to offer.
‘SEX’ tackles taboos tastefully and without fear of judgment. Its lack of regard for the conventional, and the careful, will not only be its ruin, it will be its victory. I look forward to more ‘SEX’ soon.
Joe Casey, do not disappoint me.
RATING: A-
You can follow Lex on twitter @lexiconkid and check out his website: http://www.lexwrites.com/ where you can read his Good Grip comic!
Posted on July 31st, 2013
Category: BEHIND THE PANELS, Blog, REVIEWS
Tags: Comic Reviews, Good Grip comic, Image Comics, Joe Casey, Lex White, Sex comic