Image Comics is brining us the first eight issues of Sex in trade paperback for the first time this upcoming November. Joe Casey and Piotr Kowalski’s highly controversial series, which has been turning heads and making waves since its debut in March of this year, is well on its way to being even more accessible—not to mention affordable (9.99 plus tax). Sex Vol 1: The Summer of Hard will make a great gift for your more “adult” relatives this holiday season!
The story follows retired superhero Simon Cooke as he faces his greatest fear head on: navigation of the social world he ignored for so long. Late to the scene—but not too late—the details of Cooke’s newfound sexual prowess is depicted in great detail. Contrary to appearances, this is still a comic about superheroes. Villains and allies alike make their way into the story as interesting questions are raised about costumed crime fighting, repression, and the act that everyone participates in but what nobody feels comfortable discussing: sex.
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Already praised for its originality, Sex is a look into an unexplored aspect of the superhero genre. And writer Joe Casey is no stranger to that genre, having penned titles such as the Uncanny X-Men, Captain America, and Iron Man, only to name a few. Now, he’s interested in what’s going on underneath the suit and in the flaws these “heroes” pretend not to have.
Piotre Kowalski’s artwork has also been praised, in part, for its “European” feel. In an interview conducted on Comic Book Resources, Joe Casey praised the “certain sensibility [Kowalski has] that works really well for this material.” And some critics agree.
In both positive and negative lights, Sex is emphasized as explicit, and contains what some believe to be overwhelming amounts of adult content. A few outlets (which will remain nameless) have refused to carry it. Yet, it keeps coming back. This is because it isn’t a porno mag; there's substance. In the spirit of Watchman, Casey and Kowalski are demystifying heroes one sexual encounter at a time!