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When it comes to Vertigo Comics, an imprint of DC, it can be hit or miss. The American Virgin comic, however, is comic gold. As implied by its title, this comic series is a mature title that confronts sexuality head-on (no pun intended) and encounters many twists and turns. I was able to make an assessment of the series after reading issue 9.
Issue 9 of the American Virgin comic has the main character in an awkward situation. People have been misinformed and have been told that he is gay. His reaction? “I wish I was never born.” Powerful stuff. He also discovers the location of the executioner of his girlfriend. It makes you wonder: what would you do if you knew where to find the person how had killed your loved one?
Written by Steven Seagle and penciled by Becky Cloonan, the American Virgin comic is a real treat. What makes the characters interesting is their different perspectives. The main character, Adam, is a virgin. His sister, Cyndi, is anything but. American Virgin is available in four trade paperbacks (Affiliate Link) that makes this excellent comic easy and affordable to read. I am glad I came across it, and I think you will be too.
American Virgin Doesn’t Flinch—It Dives Headfirst into Taboo
Steven Seagle doesn’t write safe stories. American Virgin doesn’t tiptoe around its themes—it charges in, swinging. Issue 9 is a perfect example: Adam, a celibate Christian youth speaker, is mistaken for gay and spirals into existential dread. That’s not just edgy for shock value—it’s a gut-punch commentary on identity, shame, and the pressure to conform.
And then there’s the revenge thread. Adam learns where his girlfriend’s killer is hiding. Suddenly, the comic pivots from awkward social drama to a moral thriller. Do you forgive? Do you kill? Do you stay pure when the world keeps getting dirtier?
Becky Cloonan’s art doesn’t just illustrate—it amplifies. Her lines are raw, expressive, and perfectly matched to a story that’s constantly peeling back layers of its characters. And Cyndi? She’s the chaotic counterbalance to Adam’s restraint, a walking contradiction who somehow makes the whole thing feel grounded.
This isn’t just a comic about sex. It’s about belief, trauma, and the messy space between who we are and who we pretend to be. If you’re tired of sanitized superhero stories, American Virgin is the antidote.