If you were to arrange the work of Croatian comic creator Stjepan Šejić on a bookshelf, Fine Print would sit in-between raunchy BDSM romcom Sunstone and upcoming high fantasy The Queen and the Woodborn. Straddling (heh) both romance and mythology, the contemporary-set Fine Print sits at a sweet spot between the two genres, delivering a read that is saucy, sumptuously drawn and emotionally compelling. That’s quite a threesome.
Speaking of threesomes, that’s where Fine Print Vol. 2 kicks off. The collected paperback (and e-book version) is out from today, 17 April, published by long-time Šejić partner Top Cow Productions. It’s been three years since Fine Print Vol. 1 released, so it’s advisable you do a re-read to familiarise yourself with the story. However, if you need a plot refresher, model and all-round hot mess Lauren Thomas has signed a Golden Contract where she will be distracted from the pain of her broken heart and past trauma by Cubi (AKA Succubae and Incubi), gods of desire descended from Eros. The Cubi will fill the emptiness within Lauren with bliss, and her intense emotional response will ensure their people’s nourishment and immortality. The issue is that Lauren has been assigned the top-ranked “Caller” Cubi, and that currently is a contested position between veteran Thadeus Brimstone and ambitious Leliah Ashen.
As it turns out, a threesome with deities will probably kill Lauren, so the Cubi have to take turns in pleasuring her when she summons them, making their case until their human client chooses one or the other. This rule is enforced by former Fury Bauphette Alaris – a peak “Step on me, Mommy” figure in the Lilith mould – who is personally invested in the Contract’s fulfilment… for reasons.
Honestly, you’ll be lost in Fine Print Vol. 2 if you haven’t read the first instalment. Especially since the new book – a meaty read at over 230 pages – hits the ground running. Fine Print is a lore-heavy tale, and there were a few cumbersome, unnatural moments of exposition delivery in Vol. 1. However, that’s not the case here. Fine Print Vol. 2 is a sleek beast and moves briskly, adeptly leaping between the members (heh again) of its ensemble cast, which consists of deities and mortals all trying to suppress unwanted, authentic feelings – with destructive consequences. As usual for a Šejić comic, the drama is conveyed via beautiful, expressive beings given a vibrant and painterly treatment.
For the record, in Volume 2, main character Lauren takes a slight step out of the spotlight. There’s obviously something very different and special about her, but that mystery has yet to be unpacked, despite Šejić’s teasing of a highly dramatic climax (teehee) to the story in the book’s Prologue, just as he did in Vol. 1. This time around we get more of Leliah’s backstory and motivations, and the same goes for Bauphette. In Fine Print, the gods may be powerful immortal beings, but they’re emotional disasters just like us, adding an extra and welcome layer of relatability to characters sprouting horns and butterfly wings.
Fine Print packs in the literally fantastic sexiness, and the verbal sparring between rivals Thadeus and Leliah generates some of the book’s biggest laughs. Overall, though, with its explorations of destructive selfishness, fear and inadequacies – Šejić rugby tackles the subject even as the characters consistently run from it – makes it a more serious read than, say, Sunstone. The emotional tangle does make it extremely compelling though, and the wait to reach the gimpsed finale a couple of volumes down the line is going to be tough.
Fine Print Vol. 2 is available as of today, 17 April in physical print edition (purchase from the Top Cow store here), and digital format through the likes of Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
Out of interest, the next volume in Sunstone prequel series Mercy (Part 3) is out next month, on 1 May. You can read our review of Part 1 here. Preorder Sunstone: Mercy Part 3 now.
