Skipping thirty-nine issues into the future, we finally get to see how the story we’ve been following for all of these years ends. With the release of the final issue of the Sex Criminals series, everything that has been established in the first thirty installments is resolved in some way, with the realization that, sometimes, things don’t work out how you expected, but it can still be pretty good.

This has been a really important series for a lot of readers, which is fascinating, since it started off as a kind of a funny romp.  With the growth in its popularity, the heart of what was behind this very silly sex comedy came to light. Despite the Queen sing-alongs, an abundance of dirty jokes, and the emergence of the enigmatic Sexual Gary, this series has been a beacon of light for those who are struggling with their sexual interests and identities.

Issue #69 (Insert obligatory “Nice” joke here.) is a very sweet issue, as we go through the wedding of Bud and Dewey, former members of the antagonist sex police group and now a happy couple who’ve found fame, fortune, and each other. Everyone we know from the series makes an appearance, and all get very sober, yet warm, send-offs as they slowly make their way out of the series as a whole. This rings the most true for Jon and Suzy, who we’ve followed through ups and downs, both together and apart for so long. They get a beautiful send-off together, even it’s not the typical trope of how long-term couples end up. It’s still pretty perfect and feels so much more realistic than what is usually brought to the table in finales.

I’ve gotten into it a bit already, but as this is the finale, I want to get into the series as a whole a bit more. Our final issue is sweet, giving the readers a chance to see everyone they’ve grown to know and love one last time. But it’s that build-up that really creates that impact. Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky have built this multi-layered beast of a series, adding joke after joke, emotional beat after emotional beat, and one lovable character after another while telling a very weird and complicated story. It’s been interesting to see the evolution of the series, how it was seen by some (including myself at times) as a weird and ridiculous sex romp with a lot of heart and dirty jokes, but it became so much more. It also added a lot more of those jokes, which helped. But that wouldn’t be possible without the love Fraction and Zdarsky have, not only for the series, but for the fans and each other. It’s a wonderful sight to see.

All in all, this is a must-read series from me, from the first to the very last. Sex Criminals is one of the most impactful series from the modern creator-owned scene. While some series may have run longer or been more popular, I don’t think many had the same kind of beautiful spirit that this series had.

Creative Team: Matt Fraction (writer), Chip Zdarsky (artist)
Publisher: Image Comics
Click here to purchase.