Publisher: Image Comics
Number of Issues: 5 in this story arc
Writer: John Layman
Artist: Rob Guillory
This is my first of many reviews coming to the T4 Show that deal with comics. But why talk about comics on a technology focused site? I think because of all the different devices we carry today. We are able to enjoy comics differently with our technology. I now carry an entire series on my iPad and zoom in on a splash page to get more out of it. Also TV and film are being invaded with story and characters in the comics universe. This summer alone is bringing us Thor, Captin America, X-Men, and Green Lantern to name a few. Let me know if you like us covering comics and recommend some titles you want us to review. Instead of just reading and reviewing a single issue I am going to talk about story arcs, which usually consists of 5 single issues. I pulled Chew off my shelf, yes I know I have a physical copy but only because I bought it before I had an iPad, to conduct my first review.
Characters:
Tony Chu : Tony is a cibopath. Tony originally worked for the Philadelphia PD, and then for the FDA. He’s been called a “By-the-book square that never met a department regulation you couldn’t love.” He’s a great detective and does not seem to know how to talk around women.
Mason Savoy: Savoy was Tony’s first partner at the FDA. He’s a large man who fights with a pair of sai. He is also a cibopath and worked with the FDA for a very long time. He is very interested in what actually happened on the day of the bird-flu incident, and a flashback showed him holding a dying woman in his arms on that day.
John Colby: John was Tony’s partner in the Philadelphia PD. When Tony gets a psychic sensation from his chicken soup and goes to arrest the chef, John is incapacitated by a butcher’s knife to the face.
Amelia Mintz: Amelia is a food critic at a newspaper. After seeing her a few times, Tony finally gets to meet her when he is supposed to get her fired, after she gets bored and decides to start writing about disgusting foods causing several people to vomit.
Chow Chu: Chow is Tony’s older brother. He is a former Chicken chef and used to host a TV show called In The Kitchen With Chow Chu. After chicken was banned he freaked out on air and his show was put on permanent hiatus. He began buying illegal chicken.
Mike Applebee: Applebee is Tony’s boss at the FDA. He doesn’t like Tony and tries to make his job very difficult. Once, Applebee was informed that a hit was put on Tony and only decided to inform Tony after realizing it meant more paperwork if he was killed.
Story:
In this universe Chicken has been outlawed by the government because of an outbreak of the bird flu that killed 23 million Americans. Did I already convince you that you should be reading this title? Chew centers around a vice cop for the Philly PD named Tony Chu who is a Cibopath. Which means he can eat things and feel its emotions and memories. During a stakeout with his partner John Colby he discovers that there is a killer at the location. He found this out by eating a bowl of soup. Because his partner and him decide to take down the killer they ruin the stakeout for a bigger criminal and Tony is fired from the department. This leads him to being hired for the FDA because of his “super power.” The rest of the story ark Tony is working for the FDA trying to find out the murder of Health Inspector Evan Pepper. I will not spoil anything but pay close attention to panels when you read this book because it does show you things that come up later in the story.
Overall:
This series is wonderful. It is refreshing and unique and I find it such an enjoyable read. The story arc has a solid beginning and end and the characters are really very well developed. Also Layman has a great way of telling stories and even uses the technique of showing the end of a scene and taking the reader back 24 hours earlier. Guillory’s art fits so well with the world that Layman has created. Action scenes feel intense and humor comes across in the panels with the dialogue. I dare you to sit down with the first volume of Chew and not like it. Please leave us a comment and let us know what you thought of CHEW. The series is already up to volume 4 so there is plenty more to eat.
