My second favourite adult comic couple, behind Stejpan Sejic’s Ally and Lisa, Cathy and Dan return in their fifth and final volume of their ethical non-monogamy storied love life. Five volumes in and it could be, at this point, a case of been there, seen that.
Cathy and Dan’s lives seem complete. Their respective careers are rocking, they are comfortable in their social life and the kids are growing up. What could go wrong? Well, with success comes attention, attention leads questions and when kids get wind of their unique situation, just how many plates can the sexy pair continue to spin?
Co-creator Matt Hawkins writing takes a bit of a turn in this book. Familiarity can breed complacency; how many sexy situations can you be surprised by? Hawkins take time to demonstrate how the couples relationship has progressed through their exploits, to the point that Cathy and Dan act as Yoda’s to a couple of newbies. With experience though, comes a preachy element where Hawkins uses the couple to promote the ethical non-monogamy lifestyle as if it was a taboo subject, which it is for some. If Hawkins wanted to make a true mission statement then sexual activities, hinted at a couple of times already, could have been used. Maybe that particular act is a step too far, but wasn’t that the point of this book? There is a sense of finality to the book, as if Hawkins has lost interest in the sex acts, instead focussing on the love between the pair over the years, with a time shift acting in part as an epilogue.
Yishan Li provides the art and the colors for the couples final trysts. For fans of the series, you know what to expect; still how many pairs of boobs can you be surprised by? Li’s characters are full of zest, demonstrating their emotions well, especially towards the third act. There is a manga influence on show, around the eyes and pointy chins. The colors have a “through the gauze” effect at times which contrasts against some of the more colourful situations that the couple find themselves in. Troy Peteri’s letters keep things fun and engaging, even in the stressful situations.
I have enjoyed this run from the get go. However, I do feel that the idea has ran out of gas somewhere along the way, maybe this is why there is a time shift towards the end of the book. Pacing this time is also an issue, as I have been around from volume one, I don’t really need an eleven page “story so far”. Overall, I would say that at times, this book has been hit and not so hit, much like a persons sexual encounters!
Writing – 3.5. Stars
Art – 3.5 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars
Overall – 3.5 Stars
Created by; Linda Sejic, Matt Hawkins
& Jenni Cheung
Written by; Matt Hawkins
Art & Colors by; Yishan Li
Letters by; Troy Peteri
Published by; Image Comics / Top Cow Productions
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