Sunstone - Comic Book Review

Sunstone (Sunstone #1/#4)
by Stjepan Šejić

What is it about:
Two women deal with modern themes of sex, relationships, and fetishism in this erotic romantic comedy. So beware all who enter, because, to quote a few hundred thousand readers on DeviantArt: "I'm not into BDSM...but this story...I get it."

What did I think of it:
Looking at the artwork it's clear that Šejić has also worked on Witchblade for Top Cow. Sunstone has the same typical color scheme and style as Witchblade and other big name comics.

Not that this is a bad thing: it's very prettily drawn and although the coloring could have been a bit less glossy in my opinion, it's a standard most comic book readers seem to enjoy.

It's the story however that makes this comic series stand above the rest though.

Lisa and Ally meet online, and when they get to know and like each other they decide to meet, as they both are into BDSM and are looking for someone to share this interest with. Together they indulge in their passion, and become friends with benefits, or is it maybe more than that?

There's a lot of skimpily dressed women in this comic as you might have guessed, and a lot about BDSM and exploring your sexuality. Still Šejić keeps this series from becoming tawdry, letting sensual scenes between Lisa and Ally fade to black before they become too explicit.

And the story: I loved how much playfulness, humor and warmth there is in this story. At one point Lisa describes BDSM people as sexual nerds, and although I dare say this isn't true for all BDSM people, it sure is true for Lisa and Ally, making this a fun and lighthearted story. Not to say there aren't darker and more distressing moments, but the overall tone keeps this story from diving into darkness.

As this story is told by Lisa after the facts, you already get glimpses of the final outcome, but volume 4 ends at quite the cliffhanger. I borrowed these comics from a friend and you can be sure I'll be investigating if she's planning on getting the next volume once it releases, otherwise I might be tempted to buy it myself. (I might have to do that anyway, because there's only so many times you can borrow the same book from a friend before they get annoyed.)

Why should you read it:
It's a prettily drawn, beautiful BDSM Romance