The downside to the afterglow.
Creative Staff:
Story: Tim Seeley, Sara Beattie
Art: Rebekah Isaacs
Colors: Kurt Michael Russell
Letterer: Crank!
What They Say:
The XXX-plorers embark on their second mission to a naughty world (that may have inspired the biblical Hell…or at the very least ripped it off). But whips, chains, and spanks have nothing on the torture of STD testing! Meanwhile, a powerful romance rocks an alien empire to its core, with intimate consequences for our scientists-turned-porn-stars!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
I had missed out on the previous two issues of the series but the opening three installments I read really delighted me as we got a good comic sex/space romp that delivered good character material. Tim Seeley knows what he’s doing in that area and provided some good challenges for our characters along the way as well with Sara Beattie in that department. Rebekah Isaacs really nailed a good style for this and lots of good designs that made me wish they could take things just a bit further while knowing that being outright porn probably isn’t in the cards for the title. Skirting the line can be fun and well done but it can also be a bit frustrating from the reader’s perspective as well. From what I’d read before and here, they handle that line pretty well in all departments.
With the gang having dealt with a couple of adventures so far, wrapping up their latest one where the place was like hell and we got to see some impressive stuff when it came to heels and balls, the team is back at the university. The downtime element is something I’m totally here for because this is how we really get to know the characters in a realistic way. It’s here that we see how Chris has to pay off the university for what they’re doing and its impact on their reputation, which in turn cuts down the funding they have to keep Money Shot running. That sets Chris to figuring out their next world so they can make the mad money they need to keep it up, especially since subs for the last place didn’t work too well as people likely felt they went too far too fast. It’s amusing to watch and the dynamic works well as it sets Chris to a very isolated task.
She’s also dealing with another problem as she discovers upon returning home that she’s got an infection of some sort down under, which leads her to Annie to get a diagnosis. Chris is not someone who handles the wait for bad news well and we see her trying to throw herself into her work for the 48-hours needed for the cultures to grow and be tested. What’s delightful is that at the same time we see an alien race engage in a sprawling battle while focusing on the leader, Prison, and the male named Callem that she has a growing interest in. It plays up the military action well and the way that the two bond, but you can tell the gimmick of this quickly once certain pieces fall into play. It’s comical but it works incredibly well to expand on the dangers there.
In Summary:
The book also covers a pretty nice little subplot involving Omar and Bree as she’s trying to find out where he and Chris stand since she’s got an interest in Chris as well, and there’s a whole lot of uncertainty there. It’s good in that it plays out in a way that doesn’t blow up the team chemistry but does put it all on the table to start, which is useful. This is a fun issue overall that keeps sex off the table for our core group – they need the downtime – but fills the need in a different way that’s fun and adds a comical layer to the bigger problems that the team really needs to start taking more seriously.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 17+
Released By: Vault Comics
Release Date: July 8th, 2020
MSRP: $3.99
