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This post does not contain adult imagery.
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Cheater Code lies at the intersection of gaming and getting off. It's simultaneously real weird and total logical. As a gamer who thoroughly researches the "who can I romance" options before playing each Dragon Age game and who preordered Dream Daddy on Steam (you can get the comic adaptation here), I had zero hesitation when this review copy popped up in my inbox. Because why not?
The story opens with a pretty hot scene between two men who are clearly either roleplaying or up to some secret shenanigans. Turns out it's the latter, which made me a little sad because *fans self* whew. We jump right from table-banging to heartbreak and it's a tonal shift that was intentionally jarring. Poor Kennedy finds out his long-term boyfriend has been cheating on him for a very long time and worse? Unprotected. (No dude, it's not enough that you're on PrEP.)
After a few days, Kennedy rallies, signing up for a fictional version of Grindr. After lots of "Asians are hawt" and other gross messages, he finally sets up a hookup... only to be stood up. So he gets himself off and apparently if you accidentally get semen on your video game controller, you'll be transported INTO the game. Don't try this at home, folks.
What follows is a race through several of Kennedy's favorite games, each with an element of danger that'll make sense once you read. First he's in a bunker with a gruff silver fox, then at a camp with a couple of kinky epic fantasy characters and a bunch of other fun that I don't really want to spoil for you. There are a lot of penises and even a couple group scenes.
Two things made this book stand out for me:
1) The art is so colorful and fun! How is something this filthy so cute, I ask.
2) There's a strong character arc for Kennedy. Yes, he's having sex with anything that he sees (sadly, not the anthropomorphic cheetah) but he's also getting over an ex, regaining his self-confidence and figuring out that he can find someone who loves him and gaming.
One thing I could have done without? Kennedy has "let himself go" and at the end he's working out a lot, becoming the ideal f*ckable gay man. That bit made me a little sad because I wanted Kennedy to be loved regardless. Fitness goals are great, but there was a lot of pressure from his ex and the guys in the dating scene and it didn't feel like Kennedy was doing it for himself.
All in all, this is a super fun erotic graphic novel and I recommend it.
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Cheater Code releases on November 24, 2020.
If you'd like to buy a copy of Cheater Code, please consider using one of these links to support the site: Amazon ◊ Barnes & Noble ◊ Bookshop ◊ or buy at your local comic shop!
