Serialized storytelling can be difficult to comprehend and analyze without seeing the entire thing. Watching an individual episode of a television series, reading an issue of a comic book, or even listening to an installment of a dramatic podcast is a drastically different experience from consuming the entire season or series. These individual components, by their very nature, typically lack the fundamentals of a complete story, providing only a sliver of beginning, middle, or end instead. An individual issue of an ongoing comic is not typically defined by classic story structure, which means other tools must be applied to weave them into a coherent single unit.
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Some series like Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga take advantage of big cliffhangers and revelations to bookend each issue. Others like Ales Kot’s Zero attempt to fuse a complete, independent story into each segment. I would argue the best examples of single issues that stand well apart from a series are those that are thematically coherent, however the plot is structured. Both Saga and Zero fall into this category, but few current comics do it quite as well as Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s Sex Criminals.
Sex Criminals #10 is not a narratively independent unit; it is a quintessential middle chapter. Fraction and Zdarsky touch upon a wide breadth of plot lines and characters. Things change, but nothing truly begins or ends. It is the next 22 pages of a story that may very approach or exceed 1000 before it is over. However, this issue is all about a single concept, one that it explores with breathtaking honesty and insight: communication.
The importance of communication has always been a significant theme in the series, but no issue has explored it so well and with such depth until now. Sex Criminals #10 opens with several sequences focused on John and his time at therapy. He interacts one-on-one with both his therapist and with Suzie, discussing his state of mind and the process of changing it. The sequences are striking because they all feel deeply honest.
Fraction’s dialogue is masterful and establishes him as a sort of Anti-Sorkin (or Nega-Sorkin). Both Fraction and Aaron Sorkin have highly polished styles, but only the former manages to imbue an actual sense of humanity in their characters. Jon is awkward and funny and troubled all at once when he speaks. There are long pauses as he collects his thoughts or awaits responses. Between his mind and his mouth there is a slight disconnect, so not everything he says is a perfect reflection of how he feels. The flaws in his personality are present in his attempts to communicate.
Everything in Fraction’s script is purposeful. The polish of this dialogue doesn’t come from how quick or smart it appears to be, but from the incredibly well realized human beings that are embodied in each sentence, exclamation, or pause. Jon and Suzie don’t speak how we wish we could speak; they speak in a manner that is actually relatable.
That sense of honesty is integral to the subject matter. Sex and mental illness are not easy topics to discuss. They are incredibly awkward and often painful matters of conversation, but they are also incredibly necessary. There is a challenge present here for both John and those he is speaking with to continue the conversation no matter how challenging each word may prove to be. It makes the triumph of an earnest smile, expression of empathy, or dumb joke every bit as powerful as the more epic, grandiose plotting found in many other comics.
Fraction’s dialogue is excellent throughout the issue, but comics are a visual medium and it is Zdarsky who is realizing much of the emotion, humor, and rhythm of this story. Watching Jon and Suzie interact is an important reminder that what we say is only a small portion of how we communicate. Zdarsky utilizes facial expression, body language, and timing perfectly to say far more than any speech balloon could. It would be possible to take any single page from Sex Criminals #10 and break down the panel transitions in order to better understand how well cartooning can communicate tone, pacing, and meaning.
When Jon and Suzie begin to talk about his therapy session, Jon is clearly reluctant to delve into it. His head and eyes are pointed down in order to avoid making eye contact. Even when he sits, he crosses hands in front of himself and keeps his legs close together. When he finally forces himself to make eye contact with Suzie, the cheery expression on his face is counterfeit. The position of his forehead, eyebrows, and smile are all exaggerated, and his eyes are wide instead of compressed. If you were to remove the speech balloons from the page, it would be no more difficult to discern his attitude and feelings.
The same applies to Zdarsky’s depiction of Suzie. Her hands are crossed as well and she is noticeably turned away from Jon. She’s not sure how to approach the subject or lend help. The slight distance between them on the bench creates a barrier that is reinforced by her hesitant reactions and stiff parallel backs. The scene provides equal emphasis to both her and Jon, creating empathy for them both rather than framing the dialogue from only a single perspective.
The art of Sex Criminals #10 doesn’t lie purely in the individual panels and representations, but also the carefully selected juxtapositions. Jon’s deflation from forced humor to honest surrender is motivated by the interjection of Suzie’s concern. Zdarsky’s pages are dense and layered. The average page in Sex Criminals #10 features more than 9 panels, with many including somewhere between 12 and 15. Rather than include as many word balloons into a single panel as possible, Zdarsky carefully tracks the flow of conversation providing a truly lifelike representation. It is a masterful example of visual storytelling.
The truly shocking thing about Sex Criminals #10 is that this level of skill is brought to every scene. The two page sequence between Jon and Suzy found at the beginning of the issue is only one example amongst many of how well this comic functions, and what it is about. Whether it is Jon and Suzy meeting with Dr. Kincaid, Rachelle and Robert discussing sex and careers, or the execution of a challenging new plan, every scene focuses on the challenges and rewards of communication.
Fraction and Zdarsky are clearly prepared for the long haul with Sex Criminals. The ideas, themes, and characters within this series continue to evolve naturally and are explored with expert craftsmanship. Sex Criminals #10 is only a single car in a very long train, but it stands alone as a magnificent piece of serialized storytelling.
Grade: A-
