Review by Booklist Review
Fraction's fever dream of a comic is uncompromising, dense, and altogether smart. When Casanova Cass Quinn is sucked through space and time to a parallel universe by an evil genius, he finds his world upside down. Instead of his playboy lifestyle, Cass finds that he was an agent of his father's spy organization, E.M.P.I.R.E., until he was killed, and instead of his sister being dead, she is very much alive. Plot aside, the true stars are Fraction's and Ba's storytelling abilities. Fraction doesn't just break down the fourth wall, he fully explodes it: not only are his characters pop culture savants, but they're so in on the joke of their genre that they speak in noiresque sentences between panels. Ba and Moon's art is gloriously scattered across the page with both freedom and precision. Though this is a deluxe edition of a previously published volume, Fraction's star is swiftly on the rise, and readers familiar with his current hits, such as Hawkeye and Sex Criminals, will likely want a glimpse at this earlier work by the comics supertalent. Series fans will be drawn in by the bonus content, such as sketches, scripts, and mailbag entries.--Spanner, Ben Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
There's a way of making a complicated multiple-reality sci-fi spy story that works, and Fraction (Sex Criminals, Hawkeye) has certainly found it. Rather than move the plot forward with painstaking precision, gradually establishing the magnitude of it all, Fraction serves it up at an absolutely screaming pace, trusting the reader to see the hectic art mirroring the unfolding events.. The eponymous Casanova Quinn finds himself kidnapped into a parallel universe, where he must work at the behest of the forces of evil in order to bring down EMPIRE, an organization dedicated to international law enforcement headed by his own father. Keeping everything straight is a challenge for Quinn, and on more than one occasion he thinks he's losing his mind. The frenetic line work of Ba (The Umbrella Academy, Daytripper) is just what the narrative needs, especially when accompanied by the excellent coloring of Cris Peter, using a very selective palette. The reader will also appreciate Fraction's supercool touches, such as popping God into the margins to explain what's happening. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
This action-packed spy story features Casanova Quinn, a time-traveling thief (think an amalgamation of James Bond and Dr. Who). Some of the book's over-the-top adventures include kung fu fighting on top of a giant robot, falling out of a flying casino, and a staring contest with a being best described as a weird and unique take on three Zen masters fused together. Casanova jumps right into the action, with little outright characterization or explanation. While this does keep the narrative moving at a crisp pace, it can also cause the reader to get lost when trying to figure out what is going on and why. Fraction (Sex Criminals) seems to be bringing the reader on a fast-moving ride more concerned with tone and energy than character and plot, and in this it succeeds. Verdict A violent, mature comic for readers looking for a quick thrill with well-done, simple art. The author eschews worldbuilding, deep dialog, and philosophical messages in favor of sexbots and gunfights. And it makes for a fun diversion.-Lewis Parsons, Sawyer Free Lib., Gloucester, MA (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
