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Chew
Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice
Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why. He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.
Collects CHEW issues #1-5.
Collects CHEW issues #1-5.
128 pages, Paperback
First published November 25, 2009
318 people are currently reading
28.4k people want to read
About the author
John Layman
802books581followersJohn Steele Layman is an American comic book writer and letterer. Layman is most known for writing Chew, published by Image Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,229 reviews
January 18, 2023
Tony Chu is a Cibopath. 'Cibo' from the Latin meaning food, or a meal. 'Path' from the Greek meaning feeling, sensation or perception. Comedy in almost any media can be difficult. Layman and Guillory play it quite smart with a serious mystery thriller in a comedic reality of strange conditions that produce strange (and often unpleasant) food related powers... a world where Chicken-Flu has apparently wiped out over 100 million and in America there's a chicken Prohibition. The character development and sub plotting is a bit thin on the ground, but the reality and concept building, and art are pretty good. 8 out of 12, Four Star read.
2019 and 2017 read
2019 and 2017 read
March 5, 2019
nom nom nom!!
why on earth did it take me so long to make my way over to this series? plenty of people were telling me to - kat stark straight-up recommended it to me with her words, and there were the passive recommendations in the form of glowing reviews from people like anne and jeff and that big bear melki! (who has read 450 books this year and that's just crazy. you have to trust a bear that reads more books than there are days in which to read them.) and then there was a crossover event between this and my beloved revival series… the point is - sometimes you gotta stick a horse's face in the water before she figures out how to drink.
and now that i know how to drink, i'm ready for a bender. i've bought the next two volumes already, and i cannot wait to dive in.
for those of you who haven't read this, all you need to know is that tony chu is an fda agent in a world where fda agents get the opportunity to be more badass than they do in our world. a typical day can involve some of this
or this
or this
see, chicken has been banned for human consumption after a bird flu pandemic made it a sketchy foodstuff and there's all kinds of chicken speakeasies to bust up and chicken smugglers to bring down and - YES - I SAID 'CHICKEN SPEAKEASIES!!!' I KNOW; IT'S AWESOME, RIGHT???!!!
but on top of all that, poor tony is also cibopathic, which is an unenviable condition where whatever he eats, he can see its paaaaaaast. so, he can see the tree from which an apple grew or he can see the last squealing shudders of a pig's death throes. and a lot of times, it's better not to know what's been done to your food.
but then he finds a way to put his condition to good use. because his skills aren't limited to food. or, to look at it another way, anything or anyone is food to something.
grin.
so i loved it. i love amelia mintz, i love mason and i looooove tony chu.
and considering how quickly things escalated in this volume, from "no i don't wanna!" to "sigh, okay then" to "nom nom nom imma GET you!"* i am super excited to see where this thing goes.
i mean, any book that has this kinda decadence:
that leads to this kinda houseparty aftermath
is my kinda book. cannibalism is just the icing on the human remains-cake the way communism is just a red herring.
and i cannot wait
* zero of which are direct quotes, mind you...
January 4, 2015
This book was so much fun!! Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner.
Wait, you can't have chicken dinner. Because the bird flu hit three years ago and now chicken is outlawed.
Tony Chu is a detective that happens to be a Cibopathic. He can get phychic readings from whatever he eats.
He gets brought into the FDA special crimes units for his unique abilitles and is teamed with a fellow cibopathic.
Now this gets completely gross at times. Blood, cannibalism, craziness abounds. Buckle your seat-belts and don't plan on eating while reading this one.
Wait, you can't have chicken dinner. Because the bird flu hit three years ago and now chicken is outlawed.
Tony Chu is a detective that happens to be a Cibopathic. He can get phychic readings from whatever he eats.
He gets brought into the FDA special crimes units for his unique abilitles and is teamed with a fellow cibopathic.
Now this gets completely gross at times. Blood, cannibalism, craziness abounds. Buckle your seat-belts and don't plan on eating while reading this one.
August 6, 2015
Nutritive but overcooked
This is a TPB edition collecting the first 5 issues of the comic book title “Chew”.
Creative Team:
Writer & Lettering: John Layman
Illustrator & Colors: Rob Guillory
᰿鳧-’Oո鷡
Chew is an indy comic book title focused on the character of Tony Chu, a former cop and now an US Government of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Tony Chu has a very special skill, he is a cibopathic, which means that he can perceive images and getting info from anything edible that he’d taste. The only kind of food that he can’t perceive anything from is beet. In this reality, the US Government declared a prohibition over poultry due a bird flu allegedly the reason of millions of deaths not only in US but also around the world.
SOUP
The comic book title has a lot of originality making it a fair option to readers looking for a different type of stories in this kind of reading format. The narrative is engaging and the artwork is striking.
ոÉ
I’d heard about the comic book title, and I was able to read the first issue thanks that I got a free copy of it, in a comic book event, in an already closed local comic book store. I read it and I was astonished about what I read on that first issue and I knew that I wanted to read at least the first story arc eventually.
MAIN COURSE
Now that I already read the whole first arc, I have a better picture of the comic book title.
I still think that Chew is a very creative work with a vision of originality like few current comic book titles in the market have.
BUT, I found several negative elements during the reading experience with this first TPB...
Why only chicken is prohibited by Federal law?: I found that odd and kinda pointless. It’s like having the “Dry Law” but only affecting beer, and therefore, you can still buy and drink wine, whiskey, etc… I can’t eat chicken, and due that… Is there a black market to get chicken? I don’t see why I’d risk to be arrested and imprisoned for getting chicken, if I can still totally legally to buy beef, pig and fish. Sure, I do like to eat chicken, but it’s no big deal to resist eating it if I have the rest of meat options legally available. I’d found more interesting if all kind of meat would be prohibited by Federal law. People would be genuinely desperate enough to break the law, risking to be arrested for getting meat. I can see that. Buta ll that fuzz only for chicken? Nope, I don’t buy it. I am sure that there is a reason for selecting only chicken, but sorry, I read the whole first TPB and I wasn’t informed of that mysterious reason, so I still think a wasted idea the whole deal of prohibiting by Federal law to be used in a very specific kind of food.
Tony Chu isn’t one of kind: I already explained that Tony Chu, the main character, is cibopathic. A kinda disappointing element is finding out that he isn’t the only one with that kind of psychic-type power. I won’t say who else is (don’t worry I won’t do spoilers), but I think that the concept of a person able to get images and info when eating something is totally awesome and truly original, therefore, I’d expected to have Tony Chu has someone really special for that. Being one of kind, since honestly this kind of power is so bizarre like to think that there can be other people like him. Sure, eventually, in a future TPB would appear someone else with the same power but not since the beginning. It’s kinda the same disappointing feeling about “Tris Prior” in Divergent, when you think that she is truly special for being “divergent” and then a whole bunch of people is like that too. Yes, like Tris Prior is a special kind of divergent, here, Tony Chu seems to have a remarkable acute level of cibopathic power, but, still, I’d prefer to have Tony Chu as truly one of kind, at least for one volume in the series.
Unnecessary additional plots: With the stuff that you read in the first issue, you already have a wonderful story. Truly original and different to the rest of load in the comic book market. Even the previous two exposed points, they wouldn’t matter if the creative team would have stuck to the basic premise, BUT when you keep reading the rest of the story arc, you will find a couple of additional plots, that I think they are totally unnecesary when you have such story so creative, so original, and the worst part is that those additional plots couldn’t being more cliché. I won’t spoil with details, I’ll only say that those plots are in the areas of outer space and paranormal kinds. Why? Why?! The creative team already had a tremendous title, full of creativity, only to overfill it with mundane elements.
Spoiling fifth cover: While this is a TPB collected edition, you have the arts of the original covers of each comic book issue in the arc. I always like that to be included the covers of the original comic book issues. However, the creative team made a too spoiling cover for the fifth and final issue in the arc. I won’t detail it, but you have to be too dumb for not deducting who’d turn to be not what supposed to be. A poor choice for cover art.
DESSERT
I liked enough reading this TPB, but definitely it could be a heck better if the creative team would keep the arc on the basic premise (which was truly original) instead of complicating it with overused cliché elements.
Also, you hardly can feel a sense of closure in the arc. Sure, the status quo drastically change at the end of the volume, but you still are totally clueless about what is going on. Yes, it’s a series and you can’t have all the answers in the first TPB. However, you don’t get any answer at all about the main plot.
This is a TPB edition collecting the first 5 issues of the comic book title “Chew”.
Creative Team:
Writer & Lettering: John Layman
Illustrator & Colors: Rob Guillory
᰿鳧-’Oո鷡
Chew is an indy comic book title focused on the character of Tony Chu, a former cop and now an US Government of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Tony Chu has a very special skill, he is a cibopathic, which means that he can perceive images and getting info from anything edible that he’d taste. The only kind of food that he can’t perceive anything from is beet. In this reality, the US Government declared a prohibition over poultry due a bird flu allegedly the reason of millions of deaths not only in US but also around the world.
SOUP
The comic book title has a lot of originality making it a fair option to readers looking for a different type of stories in this kind of reading format. The narrative is engaging and the artwork is striking.
ոÉ
I’d heard about the comic book title, and I was able to read the first issue thanks that I got a free copy of it, in a comic book event, in an already closed local comic book store. I read it and I was astonished about what I read on that first issue and I knew that I wanted to read at least the first story arc eventually.
MAIN COURSE
Now that I already read the whole first arc, I have a better picture of the comic book title.
I still think that Chew is a very creative work with a vision of originality like few current comic book titles in the market have.
BUT, I found several negative elements during the reading experience with this first TPB...
Why only chicken is prohibited by Federal law?: I found that odd and kinda pointless. It’s like having the “Dry Law” but only affecting beer, and therefore, you can still buy and drink wine, whiskey, etc… I can’t eat chicken, and due that… Is there a black market to get chicken? I don’t see why I’d risk to be arrested and imprisoned for getting chicken, if I can still totally legally to buy beef, pig and fish. Sure, I do like to eat chicken, but it’s no big deal to resist eating it if I have the rest of meat options legally available. I’d found more interesting if all kind of meat would be prohibited by Federal law. People would be genuinely desperate enough to break the law, risking to be arrested for getting meat. I can see that. Buta ll that fuzz only for chicken? Nope, I don’t buy it. I am sure that there is a reason for selecting only chicken, but sorry, I read the whole first TPB and I wasn’t informed of that mysterious reason, so I still think a wasted idea the whole deal of prohibiting by Federal law to be used in a very specific kind of food.
Tony Chu isn’t one of kind: I already explained that Tony Chu, the main character, is cibopathic. A kinda disappointing element is finding out that he isn’t the only one with that kind of psychic-type power. I won’t say who else is (don’t worry I won’t do spoilers), but I think that the concept of a person able to get images and info when eating something is totally awesome and truly original, therefore, I’d expected to have Tony Chu has someone really special for that. Being one of kind, since honestly this kind of power is so bizarre like to think that there can be other people like him. Sure, eventually, in a future TPB would appear someone else with the same power but not since the beginning. It’s kinda the same disappointing feeling about “Tris Prior” in Divergent, when you think that she is truly special for being “divergent” and then a whole bunch of people is like that too. Yes, like Tris Prior is a special kind of divergent, here, Tony Chu seems to have a remarkable acute level of cibopathic power, but, still, I’d prefer to have Tony Chu as truly one of kind, at least for one volume in the series.
Unnecessary additional plots: With the stuff that you read in the first issue, you already have a wonderful story. Truly original and different to the rest of load in the comic book market. Even the previous two exposed points, they wouldn’t matter if the creative team would have stuck to the basic premise, BUT when you keep reading the rest of the story arc, you will find a couple of additional plots, that I think they are totally unnecesary when you have such story so creative, so original, and the worst part is that those additional plots couldn’t being more cliché. I won’t spoil with details, I’ll only say that those plots are in the areas of outer space and paranormal kinds. Why? Why?! The creative team already had a tremendous title, full of creativity, only to overfill it with mundane elements.
Spoiling fifth cover: While this is a TPB collected edition, you have the arts of the original covers of each comic book issue in the arc. I always like that to be included the covers of the original comic book issues. However, the creative team made a too spoiling cover for the fifth and final issue in the arc. I won’t detail it, but you have to be too dumb for not deducting who’d turn to be not what supposed to be. A poor choice for cover art.
DESSERT
I liked enough reading this TPB, but definitely it could be a heck better if the creative team would keep the arc on the basic premise (which was truly original) instead of complicating it with overused cliché elements.
Also, you hardly can feel a sense of closure in the arc. Sure, the status quo drastically change at the end of the volume, but you still are totally clueless about what is going on. Yes, it’s a series and you can’t have all the answers in the first TPB. However, you don’t get any answer at all about the main plot.
November 8, 2021
3.5 stars
Hmmmm.
After the first few pages, I thought I was going to have to reach out and cyber-smack some friends for suggesting I read this...but it sort of grew on me.
Disclaimer:
I don't mind violence or gore in the books I read, but I also have this thing about putting gross stuff in my mouth. Call it a phobia if you want, but just the thought of anything icky coming near my mouth makes me gag and heave.
Take food, for example.
I constantly sniff any food that I think might be even a little bit iffy. Then I make my husband sniff it. And usually, even if he says it smells fine, I end up throwing it out. Because...? Well, who cares what he thinks?! Once I think it may be tainted, it's got to go.
It's Mentally Tainted Food, therefore, I can't eat it.
Also, I thought Chew was just a clever title. I ordered it from my library on the recommendation friends and didn't bother reading the blurb. My bad.
So.
Bird Flu has made chicken into the new moonshine. Which, once I realized what was going on, was pretty darn funny.
I mean, bootleg poultry? That's hilarious!
And the new FDA is like the FBI, CIA, and NSA all rolled into one. Forget Homeland Security, if you want to be where the action is, you join the Food and Drug Administration.
Bad-ass health inspectors?
And Tony Chu (get it, Chew? Har!) is one of the guys who puts his life on the line every day to keep the world safe from contraband chicken.
His partner ends up getting hit in the head with a meat cleaver in the first few pages, and to catch the bad guy...Tony eats a portion of one of his minions.
Don't worry, it makes more sense in the book.
When he's found at the scene cannibalizing the guy who split his partner's skull open, he gets fired and institutionalized.
Because that's NASTY!
The End.
Ok, no.
That's not what happened. That's just how my gag reflex rationalized the scene.
What actually happened was that it put Tony on the radar of another government group that utilizes people with his skill.
His skill is to be able to get a clairvoyant reading off of anything he ingests.
Even veggies.
And if he had only eaten vegetables throughout the book, I and my stomach would have been much happier...thank you very much.
But he didn't.
He ended up (reluctantly) eating all kinds of horrifying things in order to solve his cases.
That vacuum-sealed dog almost did me in...
*GAK GAK GAK*
Again. Thank you for that, guys.
Here the thing, I honestly got interested in what was happening to the entire cast of wacky characters. I was so nauseated, but I couldn't stop reading!
And then they left me with a cliffhanger!
So. When I recuperate, I'll read the next volume.
Hmmmm.
After the first few pages, I thought I was going to have to reach out and cyber-smack some friends for suggesting I read this...but it sort of grew on me.
Disclaimer:
I don't mind violence or gore in the books I read, but I also have this thing about putting gross stuff in my mouth. Call it a phobia if you want, but just the thought of anything icky coming near my mouth makes me gag and heave.
Take food, for example.
I constantly sniff any food that I think might be even a little bit iffy. Then I make my husband sniff it. And usually, even if he says it smells fine, I end up throwing it out. Because...? Well, who cares what he thinks?! Once I think it may be tainted, it's got to go.
It's Mentally Tainted Food, therefore, I can't eat it.
Also, I thought Chew was just a clever title. I ordered it from my library on the recommendation friends and didn't bother reading the blurb. My bad.
So.
Bird Flu has made chicken into the new moonshine. Which, once I realized what was going on, was pretty darn funny.
I mean, bootleg poultry? That's hilarious!
And the new FDA is like the FBI, CIA, and NSA all rolled into one. Forget Homeland Security, if you want to be where the action is, you join the Food and Drug Administration.
Bad-ass health inspectors?
And Tony Chu (get it, Chew? Har!) is one of the guys who puts his life on the line every day to keep the world safe from contraband chicken.
His partner ends up getting hit in the head with a meat cleaver in the first few pages, and to catch the bad guy...Tony eats a portion of one of his minions.
Don't worry, it makes more sense in the book.
When he's found at the scene cannibalizing the guy who split his partner's skull open, he gets fired and institutionalized.
Because that's NASTY!
The End.
Ok, no.
That's not what happened. That's just how my gag reflex rationalized the scene.
What actually happened was that it put Tony on the radar of another government group that utilizes people with his skill.
His skill is to be able to get a clairvoyant reading off of anything he ingests.
Even veggies.
And if he had only eaten vegetables throughout the book, I and my stomach would have been much happier...thank you very much.
But he didn't.
He ended up (reluctantly) eating all kinds of horrifying things in order to solve his cases.
That vacuum-sealed dog almost did me in...
*GAK GAK GAK*
Again. Thank you for that, guys.
Here the thing, I honestly got interested in what was happening to the entire cast of wacky characters. I was so nauseated, but I couldn't stop reading!
And then they left me with a cliffhanger!
So. When I recuperate, I'll read the next volume.
July 2, 2011
OH…GREAT MAKER OF SWEET, SUCCULENT, GOOEY, GOODNESS, just when I thought that all of the inventive and interesting psychic powers had been used up and tossed away like my faith in the economy, the tasty brilliance of John Layman shines like a heat lamp in fast food burger joint bringing me…
In the future, after a “mysterious” and catastrophic epidemic of bird flu has killed 23 million Americans, all bird and “hoof” meat has been outlawed by the Farmland Security Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (think Prohibition for meat). Now the Food and Drug Administration has become something akin to the FBI and has complete authority over enforcement of violations of the FSA. Primarily this involves cracking down on black market restaurants (called speakeasies after their Prohibition counterparts) and smuggling operations involving contraband foods.
Meet Tony Chu, a police detective for the Philly PD. Tony is a Cibopath (pronounced See-bo-path). Now what you ask is a Cibopath? Well, go ahead and take a look at this and then I will fill in some more details.
So, as you can see, Chu is basically a taste psychic who chews on an object in order to absorb the entire history of said object. The power is not something Tony can turn on and off (it is always on) and so he is unable to eat most foods as the experience is simply too traumatic for him. For example, if he bites into a piece of bacon, he would see in his head the entire process of its creation (slaughter, preparation, etc.).
The only “kryptonite” to Tony’s power is beets. Why beets? Beats me, but beets it is and so Chu eats a lot of beets. With me so far….cause here is where it gets turned up to 11.
So, this is going to me a minor spoiler but since it happens in the first 10 pages of the first issue, I don’t think I am giving up the goods here. Anyway, a chef at a black market chicken speakeasy cuts his finger while chopping veggies for a soup he is preparing. Tony later samples said blood-infused soup and is able to read in the chef’s blood that he is a sick, sadistic serial killer who has tortured and killed over a dozen women.
Chu proceeds to stop the killer and...voila...so long Philly PD and hello agent Tony Chu of the FDA, Special Crimes Division. From here, the rest of Volume 1 (containing issues 1-5) deals with getting to know Tony and the future world while Tony and his new partner try to solve the murder of a NYC health inspector.
The writing is very good and doesn't overly rely on the gimmickry of Tony’s unusual power in order to tell a good story. Of course, Tony’s gastronomical magic does provide for a host of fairly significant “gross out” moments when he is forced to “chew” on some rather disgusting items, but I won’t go into that now… *cough*decomposing human body parts*cough*. Can you say HOLY YUCK, that is just icky with a capital WTF!!
Oh, and if you thought Tony’s cibopathy was the only food-related power in this tasty series, you would be wrong. It just so happens that Tony has a mad crush on a food reporter named Amelia Mintz who is a Saboscrivner. This means she can describe food so accurately that anyone listening or reading her descriptions will feel like they are actually tasting it.
Tony is infatuated with Amelia because her ability allows him to experience foods without the side effects of his own power. Plus, it leads to some serious comedy near the end of the volume.
Now, there are apparently several more food-related abilities but since they appear in subsequent volumes, which I have not yet read, their disclosure will need to wait until a subsequent review. As for this one, liked it a lot and am looking forward to Volumes 2 and 3 which I just purchased. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! 4.0 stars
In the future, after a “mysterious” and catastrophic epidemic of bird flu has killed 23 million Americans, all bird and “hoof” meat has been outlawed by the Farmland Security Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (think Prohibition for meat). Now the Food and Drug Administration has become something akin to the FBI and has complete authority over enforcement of violations of the FSA. Primarily this involves cracking down on black market restaurants (called speakeasies after their Prohibition counterparts) and smuggling operations involving contraband foods.
Meet Tony Chu, a police detective for the Philly PD. Tony is a Cibopath (pronounced See-bo-path). Now what you ask is a Cibopath? Well, go ahead and take a look at this and then I will fill in some more details.
So, as you can see, Chu is basically a taste psychic who chews on an object in order to absorb the entire history of said object. The power is not something Tony can turn on and off (it is always on) and so he is unable to eat most foods as the experience is simply too traumatic for him. For example, if he bites into a piece of bacon, he would see in his head the entire process of its creation (slaughter, preparation, etc.).
The only “kryptonite” to Tony’s power is beets. Why beets? Beats me, but beets it is and so Chu eats a lot of beets. With me so far….cause here is where it gets turned up to 11.
So, this is going to me a minor spoiler but since it happens in the first 10 pages of the first issue, I don’t think I am giving up the goods here. Anyway, a chef at a black market chicken speakeasy cuts his finger while chopping veggies for a soup he is preparing. Tony later samples said blood-infused soup and is able to read in the chef’s blood that he is a sick, sadistic serial killer who has tortured and killed over a dozen women.
Chu proceeds to stop the killer and...voila...so long Philly PD and hello agent Tony Chu of the FDA, Special Crimes Division. From here, the rest of Volume 1 (containing issues 1-5) deals with getting to know Tony and the future world while Tony and his new partner try to solve the murder of a NYC health inspector.
The writing is very good and doesn't overly rely on the gimmickry of Tony’s unusual power in order to tell a good story. Of course, Tony’s gastronomical magic does provide for a host of fairly significant “gross out” moments when he is forced to “chew” on some rather disgusting items, but I won’t go into that now… *cough*decomposing human body parts*cough*. Can you say HOLY YUCK, that is just icky with a capital WTF!!
Oh, and if you thought Tony’s cibopathy was the only food-related power in this tasty series, you would be wrong. It just so happens that Tony has a mad crush on a food reporter named Amelia Mintz who is a Saboscrivner. This means she can describe food so accurately that anyone listening or reading her descriptions will feel like they are actually tasting it.
Tony is infatuated with Amelia because her ability allows him to experience foods without the side effects of his own power. Plus, it leads to some serious comedy near the end of the volume.
Now, there are apparently several more food-related abilities but since they appear in subsequent volumes, which I have not yet read, their disclosure will need to wait until a subsequent review. As for this one, liked it a lot and am looking forward to Volumes 2 and 3 which I just purchased. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! 4.0 stars
June 3, 2018
Detective Tony Chu is a cibopath, meaning he gets psychic information from everything he eats. When he and his partner bust a black market chicken operation, he finds himself recruited by the FDA. But his new partner, Mason Savoy, is more than he seems...
I've had my eye on Chew for years and finally bit when the first volume went on sale for six bucks. It was well worth it.
As somebody who thinks about food quite a bit, the core idea behind Chew intrigued me. Imagine finding out where your food comes from when you bite into it. The only thing Chew doesn't get information from his beets so he eats a lot of beets. Anyway, Chew's world is one where millions died of bird flu and it's illegal to sell or eat poultry. Or, that's what the government says.
Intrigued yet? Tony Chu finds himself in hot water when he's caught biting a dead suspect's face to learn the names of his victims. The FDA recruits Chu shortly after and it's off to the disturbing races.
Imagine tasting a finger someone found in a sandwich to figure out where it came from. Or taking a bite out of a dead dog to find out what happened in the apartment where it lived? Yeah, Chew is not for the faint of heart. That being said, I liked this crazy shit quite a bit.
Chu is an interesting lead. He's not brave, not great with the ladies, but he's a good detective and a good man. The setting is pretty novel, a world where the FDA is in charge of a great deal more than it is in ours, cracking down on illegal chicken and things of that nature. I even like Mason Savoy quite a bit. Oh, and fuck Applebee, Chu's boss.
John Layman's writing plays things surprisingly straight for the most part, even though some ridiculous shit happens. Rob Guillory's art reminds me of Sam Keith's on The Maxx quite a bit, something I'm a big fan of. John Layman and Rob Guillory created something special here, something that easily could have been a one and done affair, but are clearly playing the long game with Chew. I'm in for the duration. Four out of five stars.
I've had my eye on Chew for years and finally bit when the first volume went on sale for six bucks. It was well worth it.
As somebody who thinks about food quite a bit, the core idea behind Chew intrigued me. Imagine finding out where your food comes from when you bite into it. The only thing Chew doesn't get information from his beets so he eats a lot of beets. Anyway, Chew's world is one where millions died of bird flu and it's illegal to sell or eat poultry. Or, that's what the government says.
Intrigued yet? Tony Chu finds himself in hot water when he's caught biting a dead suspect's face to learn the names of his victims. The FDA recruits Chu shortly after and it's off to the disturbing races.
Imagine tasting a finger someone found in a sandwich to figure out where it came from. Or taking a bite out of a dead dog to find out what happened in the apartment where it lived? Yeah, Chew is not for the faint of heart. That being said, I liked this crazy shit quite a bit.
Chu is an interesting lead. He's not brave, not great with the ladies, but he's a good detective and a good man. The setting is pretty novel, a world where the FDA is in charge of a great deal more than it is in ours, cracking down on illegal chicken and things of that nature. I even like Mason Savoy quite a bit. Oh, and fuck Applebee, Chu's boss.
John Layman's writing plays things surprisingly straight for the most part, even though some ridiculous shit happens. Rob Guillory's art reminds me of Sam Keith's on The Maxx quite a bit, something I'm a big fan of. John Layman and Rob Guillory created something special here, something that easily could have been a one and done affair, but are clearly playing the long game with Chew. I'm in for the duration. Four out of five stars.
February 28, 2014
Warning: Don’t read this book right before eating, while you eat or right after eating.
That said, this book has everything: bikini clad Russian assassins, cannibalism (with a higher purpose), a woman who when she writes can evoke any eating experience from rapture to nausea, a fat dude with a monocle, government spending gone amok, a government agency (the FDA) gone amok, dark humor, llama sex, Vincent Van Gogh meta humor, beets, …
The skinny: Tony Chu is a cibopath, so whenever he takes a bite out of something, whether it be animal, vegetable, or human, he can immediately see the history of the bitee. Good for crime solving, not so good when images of the slaughter house pop into his head after taking a bite of steak.
Highly recommended, but sadly not appropriate for the kiddies.
That said, this book has everything: bikini clad Russian assassins, cannibalism (with a higher purpose), a woman who when she writes can evoke any eating experience from rapture to nausea, a fat dude with a monocle, government spending gone amok, a government agency (the FDA) gone amok, dark humor, llama sex, Vincent Van Gogh meta humor, beets, …
The skinny: Tony Chu is a cibopath, so whenever he takes a bite out of something, whether it be animal, vegetable, or human, he can immediately see the history of the bitee. Good for crime solving, not so good when images of the slaughter house pop into his head after taking a bite of steak.
Highly recommended, but sadly not appropriate for the kiddies.
October 5, 2022
A man eats dead people to tell you exactly how they died...why wouldn't you want to read this comic book series?
I'm no stranger to reading weird and interesting comic book series, but this one definitely takes the cake. This isn't my first time reading Chew, but I literally forgot how much I enjoyed it. I mean it is one for the books. It takes place in what seems like a not so future version of the US in which the consumption of chicken has been made illegal (I would die if this really happened....). We then meet Tony Chu who works as a police officer, but when he makes a big break by eating part of a criminal he's transferred to work for a special unit of the FDA.
What so amazing about these series is it's pure uniqueness of the characters. Layman created the most interested characters from Tony Chu to a character that can control how you feel about food through the way that she writes. The artwork is just as unique with brilliantly paneling and coloring. While I do find some of the characters to be a bit "blocky," I loved that the hue of entire pages would change if the narrative was related to the past or even if there was a high action scene occurring. There are some parts, both in narrative and artwork, that are gruesome. I found that I got used to them when I understand the full extent of Tony Chu's abilities, but I must admit that it may not be for everyone.
This is one of my favorite comic book series of all time so if you're looking for something fun and interesting to check out I would definitely recommend this one.
I'm no stranger to reading weird and interesting comic book series, but this one definitely takes the cake. This isn't my first time reading Chew, but I literally forgot how much I enjoyed it. I mean it is one for the books. It takes place in what seems like a not so future version of the US in which the consumption of chicken has been made illegal (I would die if this really happened....). We then meet Tony Chu who works as a police officer, but when he makes a big break by eating part of a criminal he's transferred to work for a special unit of the FDA.
What so amazing about these series is it's pure uniqueness of the characters. Layman created the most interested characters from Tony Chu to a character that can control how you feel about food through the way that she writes. The artwork is just as unique with brilliantly paneling and coloring. While I do find some of the characters to be a bit "blocky," I loved that the hue of entire pages would change if the narrative was related to the past or even if there was a high action scene occurring. There are some parts, both in narrative and artwork, that are gruesome. I found that I got used to them when I understand the full extent of Tony Chu's abilities, but I must admit that it may not be for everyone.
This is one of my favorite comic book series of all time so if you're looking for something fun and interesting to check out I would definitely recommend this one.
September 3, 2016
First volumes are like television pilots: 9 times out of 10 they are the worst part of a series. It's hard to set up a world, introduce characters, develop—and be engaging throughout. Chew, Vol 1 definitely did a good job at all of that. It was fascinating (and grotesque). It was easy to follow, entertaining and had a self-contained plot that was satisfying while lending itself to a much bigger story to follow. Overall, I'm really pleased with this one. My only issue is I didn't realize it was 12 volumes long, and now that I've bought the first one I'm going to want to own them all...apologies to my wallet.
February 3, 2017
Some interesting concepts here, especially the main one of cibopathy. Detective Chu is one of the rare and secret few who can eat something and know all about how it was produced, the person who prepared it -- or the person who is it, an obvious boon in law enforcement. If you don't mind a little cannibalism. Of course, it doesn't make mealtimes much fun.
Mirror inverse of Chu's ability is a reporter who can describe food in such detail that her readers can actually taste it. Naturally Chu falls in love with her because through her he can finally experience flavor without side effects. She doesn't know him from Adam and he doesn't know her except the writing thing and her hotness, but that's okay because Chu doesn't really have a personality. He is an earnest young cop who sticks to the rules, that's really all we get.
Both characters' abilities are increasingly fraught in a future where the FDA has more power than the FBI or police and black-market chicken is a major criminal concern. Chicken has been banned since a major avian flu epidemic (are other fowl banned? they are not mentioned), but there are those who believe that this is a government cover-up. I found that premise interesting and plausible. What I found less believable was the extensive illegal chicken crime network. Maybe this is just me, but if chicken were outlawed I would just eat something else. If you think chicken is the best food ever and would risk potential death and jail time, please respond below.
I also wasn't sold on the reporter's ability. I could envision a marginally plausible "scientific" explanation for cibopathy -- it's like psychometry with more physical connection, right? -- but the effect of any writing on different individuals is so subjective that her talent seemed too much like magic. But it and her character don't get a lot of development here, so maybe that comes later.
Guillory's drawing style isn't to my taste, but I did think it was well suited here.
If you liked this comic there is a short story in the anthology that I would recommend to you if I owned the book and could look up the title. But you'll figure out which one it is when you read it.
Lastly:
Mirror inverse of Chu's ability is a reporter who can describe food in such detail that her readers can actually taste it. Naturally Chu falls in love with her because through her he can finally experience flavor without side effects. She doesn't know him from Adam and he doesn't know her except the writing thing and her hotness, but that's okay because Chu doesn't really have a personality. He is an earnest young cop who sticks to the rules, that's really all we get.
Both characters' abilities are increasingly fraught in a future where the FDA has more power than the FBI or police and black-market chicken is a major criminal concern. Chicken has been banned since a major avian flu epidemic (are other fowl banned? they are not mentioned), but there are those who believe that this is a government cover-up. I found that premise interesting and plausible. What I found less believable was the extensive illegal chicken crime network. Maybe this is just me, but if chicken were outlawed I would just eat something else. If you think chicken is the best food ever and would risk potential death and jail time, please respond below.
I also wasn't sold on the reporter's ability. I could envision a marginally plausible "scientific" explanation for cibopathy -- it's like psychometry with more physical connection, right? -- but the effect of any writing on different individuals is so subjective that her talent seemed too much like magic. But it and her character don't get a lot of development here, so maybe that comes later.
Guillory's drawing style isn't to my taste, but I did think it was well suited here.
If you liked this comic there is a short story in the anthology that I would recommend to you if I owned the book and could look up the title. But you'll figure out which one it is when you read it.
Lastly:
June 21, 2017
This graphic novel is really, really good!
The story and the artwork are unique. The content has a nice combination of humor, gore, and grossness. I was drawn in immediately and look forward to the next volume.
The story has a lot similar with the iZombie series. Not the artwork, but the story reminded me of it. So if you are a fan of either series, and haven't tried the other, you probably should.
A great thing about enjoying this so much is that I didn't know anything about it. I just randomly picked it up from my digital library for no reason in particular. Sometimes, you just get lucky!
The story and the artwork are unique. The content has a nice combination of humor, gore, and grossness. I was drawn in immediately and look forward to the next volume.
The story has a lot similar with the iZombie series. Not the artwork, but the story reminded me of it. So if you are a fan of either series, and haven't tried the other, you probably should.
A great thing about enjoying this so much is that I didn't know anything about it. I just randomly picked it up from my digital library for no reason in particular. Sometimes, you just get lucky!
July 11, 2016
If you're looking for something weird to read, then Chew is the graphic novel for you. Weirdest and probably the most gross graphic novel that I've read, in a good way. Something new for me.
I really enjoy crime novels, so I was expecting to really like this. This first volume focused more on the character development rather than the main plot. The characters were really good but for me the plot still lacked that impact that a good crime novel/graphic novel should have. For a first volume read though, this was pretty amazing.
Tony Chu is a Cibopathic. It means that he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. Imagine not being able to eat anything except for beets for the rest of your life, unless you want gruesome images inside your mind. This concept is new for me. I haven't read anything like it before so I'm expecting a lot more improvement in the next volume. The mini plot twist in the end was really well executed and it didn't seem like it was forced just for the sake of having a plot twist. What I want to see more though would be the cibopathic ability of Chu and more crime scenes. This first volume had a lot of fillers that shouldn't have been there. Too much character development, but I can't complain much though considering this is the first volume.
What I liked best about this would be the artwork. It has to be one of my favorite artworks out there today. The artwork was vivid and it was full of life. It had this cartoon feeling to it that was done remarkably. The drawings were spot on and gruesome scenes were truly horrific. I'm hoping that the artwork would be consistent throughout the series.
4.5/5 stars. I really enjoyed this, and I can't believe it took me forever to finally read it. Can't wait to dive into volume 2 already.
I really enjoy crime novels, so I was expecting to really like this. This first volume focused more on the character development rather than the main plot. The characters were really good but for me the plot still lacked that impact that a good crime novel/graphic novel should have. For a first volume read though, this was pretty amazing.
Tony Chu is a Cibopathic. It means that he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. Imagine not being able to eat anything except for beets for the rest of your life, unless you want gruesome images inside your mind. This concept is new for me. I haven't read anything like it before so I'm expecting a lot more improvement in the next volume. The mini plot twist in the end was really well executed and it didn't seem like it was forced just for the sake of having a plot twist. What I want to see more though would be the cibopathic ability of Chu and more crime scenes. This first volume had a lot of fillers that shouldn't have been there. Too much character development, but I can't complain much though considering this is the first volume.
What I liked best about this would be the artwork. It has to be one of my favorite artworks out there today. The artwork was vivid and it was full of life. It had this cartoon feeling to it that was done remarkably. The drawings were spot on and gruesome scenes were truly horrific. I'm hoping that the artwork would be consistent throughout the series.
4.5/5 stars. I really enjoyed this, and I can't believe it took me forever to finally read it. Can't wait to dive into volume 2 already.
January 19, 2016
I was really looking forward to Chew! I mean, there is vomit, boogers, cannibalism, bikini-clad Russian assassins, gore – what’s not to like? Heck, the thing even won two Eisner and two Harvey Awards! This should be fun!! Well, it did not take long for my enthusiasm to wane. The characters, constantly concerned with being edgy and hilarious, never came to life for me, and what is trumpeted on the back cover as “biting political satire” turned out to be little more than the usual dose of self-congratulatory cynicism. Underneath all the hullabaloo, Chew is every bit as bland and silly, often obtrusive and dull, as your typical sitcom. Despite its snappy title and acrimonious gore, it has no bite.
February 28, 2015
LOVED THIS!!!! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
June 17, 2014
What if a bird flu pandemic wiped out a good part of the population and led to all poultry products being banned? Then the FDA investigators would suddenly become more important as people still tried to get their chicken fixes from somewhere. Enter investigator Tony Chu, who also happens to be a Cibopath meaning that when he eats things he gets memories off of the former living thing (he can do it off living things, too). He and his mentor are but a handful of such people in the world.
What seems to be a simple investigation for Tony turns out to unsurprisingly lead to something bigger.
Along the way he falls in love with a food journalist who has a special power of her own in making people feel the taste of eating good (and bad) food. There's a nice scene in the middle in which Tony's love interest uses her special powers to make some armed terrorists puke up their previous meal.
The artwork is more than just impressive they actually use it to add additional layers to the story. Moreover, if you look closely at some of the frames you'll see more is happening in the backgrounds at times. This is arguably one of the better non superhero graphic novels in some time.
Volume 1 was on the NY Times Bestseller List. It sold out after multiple printings./
ARTWORK: A minus to A; STORY/PLOTTING: A minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus to A minus; EXECUTION OF CONCEPT: B plus to A minus; WHEN READ: December 2011 (revised review end of June 2013); OVERALL GRADE: A minus.
March 22, 2016
Gross but so good.
December 29, 2014
Find all of my reviews at:
It seems everyone but me is reading comic books these days. I'm even raising a tiny Sheldon Cooper with ginormous boxes full of nearly any superhero my heart could possibly desire and yet I still hesitate when it comes to that genre. Why???? I think it's because of my own personal superhero complex. You see, in my house it goes a little something like this . . .
When I saw Chew hope was restored that I too could learn to love the graphic novel.
Tony Chu lives in a world quite different from ours. After the bird flu struck the country bigtime, people were left with little choice when it came to chicken dinners . . .
(Too soon? Naaaaah.)
The lack of chicken never bothered Tony, though, being as he is cibopathic - a person who receives the life history of anything he eats. Due to this condition, Tony has always tended to stick to the one food that somehow doesn't project psychic imagery to him - the beet . . .
(Proof that there is a Jeff Goldblum .gif for any occasion. ALL HAIL JEFF GOLDBLUM!)
The general populous doesn't share Tony's issue, however, and chicken has become a hot commodity on the black market so restaurants are willing to do almost anything to get it. It's either get the real deal or be left serving up a fake chicken substitute . . .
As a detective with the Special Crimes Division of the F.D.A., it is Tony's job to track down the chicken smuggling ring as well as solve any other crimes that happen to pop up during the process. He only has to take a little nibble out of the victims in order to figure out whodunit . . .
Obviously I get a kick out of reading weird shit, and Chew is definitely weird. Buuuuuut, I have no clue how to appropriately review a comic, so you get what you get. The story was totally unique, the characters were enjoyable, there was great flow to the action in between the various chapters, and the artwork was quality . . .
And if anyone can fall in love whilst being vomited on, they're probably going to be liked by me.
It seems everyone but me is reading comic books these days. I'm even raising a tiny Sheldon Cooper with ginormous boxes full of nearly any superhero my heart could possibly desire and yet I still hesitate when it comes to that genre. Why???? I think it's because of my own personal superhero complex. You see, in my house it goes a little something like this . . .
When I saw Chew hope was restored that I too could learn to love the graphic novel.
Tony Chu lives in a world quite different from ours. After the bird flu struck the country bigtime, people were left with little choice when it came to chicken dinners . . .
(Too soon? Naaaaah.)
The lack of chicken never bothered Tony, though, being as he is cibopathic - a person who receives the life history of anything he eats. Due to this condition, Tony has always tended to stick to the one food that somehow doesn't project psychic imagery to him - the beet . . .
(Proof that there is a Jeff Goldblum .gif for any occasion. ALL HAIL JEFF GOLDBLUM!)
The general populous doesn't share Tony's issue, however, and chicken has become a hot commodity on the black market so restaurants are willing to do almost anything to get it. It's either get the real deal or be left serving up a fake chicken substitute . . .
As a detective with the Special Crimes Division of the F.D.A., it is Tony's job to track down the chicken smuggling ring as well as solve any other crimes that happen to pop up during the process. He only has to take a little nibble out of the victims in order to figure out whodunit . . .
Obviously I get a kick out of reading weird shit, and Chew is definitely weird. Buuuuuut, I have no clue how to appropriately review a comic, so you get what you get. The story was totally unique, the characters were enjoyable, there was great flow to the action in between the various chapters, and the artwork was quality . . .
And if anyone can fall in love whilst being vomited on, they're probably going to be liked by me.
March 4, 2019
This story turned my stomach, I have to say. It's a detective story where the detective in questions can see inside the minds of things and people he ate so he knows how they die. It now reminds me of I Zombie, the TV show where she eats brains to find out about the victim.
I didn't think this was gross unless he was eating. He doesn't want to do it, but he basically becomes a cannibal. I would think he would get a horrible food poison from eating rotting meat, but hey, I guess not. They call him a cibopath- someone who can know everything that happened to the food they are eating which is why he is a vegetarian. He works with a partner who is an old pro at this.
I thought it was a decent mystery and a good story, but the business of eating was just gross. Still, it was a well done story and I want to read more of it. Its a different story idea.
I didn't think this was gross unless he was eating. He doesn't want to do it, but he basically becomes a cannibal. I would think he would get a horrible food poison from eating rotting meat, but hey, I guess not. They call him a cibopath- someone who can know everything that happened to the food they are eating which is why he is a vegetarian. He works with a partner who is an old pro at this.
I thought it was a decent mystery and a good story, but the business of eating was just gross. Still, it was a well done story and I want to read more of it. Its a different story idea.
September 6, 2010
I've been reading a ton of comics lately, and Chew is the one that REALLY made me want to keep up with the series on an issue by issue basis. It's so clever and sublime and the sense of humor is right up my alley. I love the wacky cannibal world and the non-sterotypical lead. Definitely a Must Read for me!
March 5, 2012
Everyday, when late afternoon rolls around, my son asks me the inevitable question, "What's for dinner?"
If my answer is, "Chicken!", you can be sure it will be met by groans and hisses.
Chicken.
It's what you eat when you can't think of what else to have.
But, imagine a world where chicken has been banned by the government...
No more glorious fried drumsticks or spicy buffalo wings. No more roasted Sunday dinners with leftovers stretching into the next week. No more breaded nuggets, or even chicken noodle soup, for crying out loud!
When you outlaw chicken, only the criminals will have chicken, and sure enough, black market "chicken running" is now the hottest game in town. And now it's up to the FDA's special crimes division to put a stop to these illegal shenanigans.
Here's the part where you meet newly assigned agent Tony Chu. He possesses a unique and rather disquieting talent. By tasting something, Tony can tell you all about the item in question - what pesticides were used on an apple, the unpleasant methods used to turn a cow into a hamburger...the way a person was killed...
Yeah, that's right. He's a detective who takes bites out of the "evidence" to find out where it's been. If that little plot twist leaves a bad taste in your mouth, it's more than likely this book is not for you. My sense of humor is rather black and crumbly (like my soul!), and I enjoyed the heck outta this sucker.
Plus, I can't help loving a book that includes the line, "Evan Pepper came to you because he was threatened by a Yakuza chicken smuggling operation!" I mean, you just don't hear that one everyday...
If my answer is, "Chicken!", you can be sure it will be met by groans and hisses.
Chicken.
It's what you eat when you can't think of what else to have.
But, imagine a world where chicken has been banned by the government...
No more glorious fried drumsticks or spicy buffalo wings. No more roasted Sunday dinners with leftovers stretching into the next week. No more breaded nuggets, or even chicken noodle soup, for crying out loud!
When you outlaw chicken, only the criminals will have chicken, and sure enough, black market "chicken running" is now the hottest game in town. And now it's up to the FDA's special crimes division to put a stop to these illegal shenanigans.
Here's the part where you meet newly assigned agent Tony Chu. He possesses a unique and rather disquieting talent. By tasting something, Tony can tell you all about the item in question - what pesticides were used on an apple, the unpleasant methods used to turn a cow into a hamburger...the way a person was killed...
Yeah, that's right. He's a detective who takes bites out of the "evidence" to find out where it's been. If that little plot twist leaves a bad taste in your mouth, it's more than likely this book is not for you. My sense of humor is rather black and crumbly (like my soul!), and I enjoyed the heck outta this sucker.
Plus, I can't help loving a book that includes the line, "Evan Pepper came to you because he was threatened by a Yakuza chicken smuggling operation!" I mean, you just don't hear that one everyday...
April 3, 2015
Meet Tony Chu- he’s a Cibopath.
What’s a Cibopath you ask? Well, he eats things and gets an impression from whatever he eats. He’s also a detective. Yep, you guessed it. He eats part of the victims to find out how they died.
Of course his new boss has to verify the authenticity of his claim. Agent Chu is a little on the hot-headed side of things and luckily has a huge partner to help him slow his role.
Meet Agent Savoy, a fellow Cibopath. He’s pretty bad ass especially when it comes to rescuing his partner.
I just love Tony Chu. He’s an underdog. He makes bold moves that sometimes help boost his career; sometimes he gets himself into tricky situations. But, he uses my favorite word a few times and helped bond me to him.
This graphic novel encompasses all the things I love in a comic.; a little sci-fi, a little cannibalism, a dramatic story line, awesome artwork that exaggerates each scenario just enough to make it fun, and a story line I can totally dig. I can’t wait to start Volume 2.
August 27, 2012
Oh yeah, baby! Should I have taken this much pleasure from a cannibalizing FDA special agent who gnaws on dead things to solve crimes? Probably not, but nothing can stem the tide of my glowing praise for such an original story concept delivered with this much dynamic flair, humorous overtones and an underbelly of noir nastiness. Can you spell epic win? The action is punctuated by ripping dialogue and graphic art that puts you into the scene, no muss no fuss.
No disrespect meant to all you vegetarians out there, but I love me some chicken, okay? I love it roasted, fried, cold in a salad or on a sandwich. I love it dark and white, leg and breast, bone in and boneless. Don't even get me started on chicken wings. Take it away Homer:
That's why just the idea of a future without poultry -- where it's been outlawed like booze during Prohibition -- sends me into a feathery panic. In Tony Chu's world, an avian flu has killed millions of people across the globe. In response to the pandemic, the processing, distribution, sale and consumption of chicken has been criminalized and a thriving black market of chicken bootleggers has risen up. This may sound stupid, but it's actually quite smart and nasty in all of its implications.
As you read on in the story you realize there is more than meets the eye. Was there ever really an avian flu pandemic? Is the government trying to cover up something much more sinister? Cibopath Tony Chu is on the case with his unique talent. Whatever he puts into his mouth gives him pictures, clues, a story, from the innocuous details of how an apple got from the tree to his hand, to the bloody details surrounding a victim's torture and mutilation. It isn't something he can turn off, and his only reprieve are beets, the only food that Tony can taste without being bombarded by a wave of other sensory input. Go figure. Works for me. But if I had to give up chicken and eat beets all the day long? That isn't a life worth living my friend.
Tony has a MASSIVE GOON of a partner at the FDA named Savoy, who also shares Tony's cibopathic talents. Chu also meets food critic Amelia, who is able to harness her powers of food description to the point where she can make you taste anything, really taste it, just by describing it.
I love that I have no idea where this story is heading next. But I am hooked and hungry for more, despite several gross out moments of Chu's gnawing on the dead (including a putrid, decayed dog) for information.
Pretty sure it's gonna be chicken for supper tonight :)
July 16, 2017
4.5 stars
May 30, 2018
İğrençti. Bayıldım.
December 5, 2014
This series has gotten such incredible reviews, but I was really reluctant to read it. Because it sounds really gross. We are, after all, talking about a guy whose mutant power is cibopathy, ie that he has some sort of psychic connection with whatever he eats. He eats a lovely spinach salad, he tastes the dirt the salad grew in, the pesticides, etc. He eats bacon, he tastes what the pig went through before it was killed. Which, as you might imagine, kind of puts a damper on his dietary choices. The gross factor comes in the unconventional things Tony ends up having to eat. Like, say, a freeze dried dog. Or a murder suspect. So yes, it can be gross, very gross, and this is absolutely not a series for the weak of stomach.
And yet I read it anyways. Mostly out of morbid curiosity, you must understand. I was surprised with just how imaginative this book was, and how little it leaned on the potentially disgusting possibilities of the premise. Because let's face it, Layman could have had poor Tony eating something horrible every page if he really wanted to, but he limits him to one or two soul-crushing meals per issue. That's bearable. And besides, the idea of cibopathy is pretty cool, and it isn't a major intuitive leap. Supposedly, you can taste the difference between an animal that lived a happy life and died quickly and painlessly and an animal that lived a horrible life and died in pain and fear. And then there's the idea of terroir, that the land a food grew on affects the taste. Like I said, not a major leap, but it is an interesting one. And so is the saboscrivner, a person who is capable of writing about food so vividly that her readers can literally taste everything she tastes. It's pretty cool.
That said, I have mixed feelings about chicken prohibition. You really have to suspend disbelief that chickens would ever be prohibited as food at all, and that there would be an enormous, thriving chicken black market. I admit to being skeptical at first, but I did eventually come around. It helps that there's the implication that the prohibition is not all that it seems. Which in and of itself is an interesting story hook. Also, I got the impression that the chicken black market is maybe not as extensive as it seems at first, because Tony's work naturally keeps him running after chicken peddlers. And really, I can't help but be amused by the very idea of chicken peddlers as shady, back alley characters.
But there's instalove. Sigh. At least it didn't totally drag the story down.
Improbably, I will keep reading this series. Because it actually is very fun, and usually smart, and often inspired. I'm surprised, but pleased.
And yet I read it anyways. Mostly out of morbid curiosity, you must understand. I was surprised with just how imaginative this book was, and how little it leaned on the potentially disgusting possibilities of the premise. Because let's face it, Layman could have had poor Tony eating something horrible every page if he really wanted to, but he limits him to one or two soul-crushing meals per issue. That's bearable. And besides, the idea of cibopathy is pretty cool, and it isn't a major intuitive leap. Supposedly, you can taste the difference between an animal that lived a happy life and died quickly and painlessly and an animal that lived a horrible life and died in pain and fear. And then there's the idea of terroir, that the land a food grew on affects the taste. Like I said, not a major leap, but it is an interesting one. And so is the saboscrivner, a person who is capable of writing about food so vividly that her readers can literally taste everything she tastes. It's pretty cool.
That said, I have mixed feelings about chicken prohibition. You really have to suspend disbelief that chickens would ever be prohibited as food at all, and that there would be an enormous, thriving chicken black market. I admit to being skeptical at first, but I did eventually come around. It helps that there's the implication that the prohibition is not all that it seems. Which in and of itself is an interesting story hook. Also, I got the impression that the chicken black market is maybe not as extensive as it seems at first, because Tony's work naturally keeps him running after chicken peddlers. And really, I can't help but be amused by the very idea of chicken peddlers as shady, back alley characters.
But there's instalove. Sigh. At least it didn't totally drag the story down.
Improbably, I will keep reading this series. Because it actually is very fun, and usually smart, and often inspired. I'm surprised, but pleased.
October 31, 2022
Similarly to , I was looking at the deeper aspects of the Image catalog and I fell on the cannibalistic Chew. It is moderately funny and extremely gross. But, a story about a guy who can solve crimes by eating parts of the victims just doesn't seem to have that much of a future. So, while I give this one 4 stars for originality and art work, I am hesitant to invest further down the line because I suspect that as with, say, Pirates of the Caribbean, one good idea does not necessarily a good series make.
May 18, 2018
Not gonna lie, this was pretty cool. Can't wait to get my hands on the next issue!
May 20, 2014
I EAT DEAD PEOPLE!
Yep - Tony Chu is Cibopathic. He gets psychic impressions from what he eats. It's a pretty useful talent for a cop. If the person you want to interrogate happens to be dead - no problem - just chow down on some long pork and let the good times roll down memory lane of whoever you're ingesting. Oh, the person being dead is totally optional.
With talent like that Chu doesn't stay a cop for long. He's quickly recruited by the FDA. The FDA are the new Homeland Security this book. Avian Flue has wiped out 23 million Americans and 100+ million people worldwide. What this means is chicken is now illegal. Yes, you heard me right. Along with duck and quail and anything avian related whatsoever - all off the menu. So if you have a hankering for chicken, you have to make do with a foul alternative (Oh I'm on fire tonight)!
What this also means is that chicken is the new contraband. Chu and his partner find themselves on a case that will have them chewing their way through a hoard of evidence (some of it quite old and gross) to get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will see Chu run afowl of government agents and Yakuza chicken runners.
The artwork was fowl, but the story was fully sick.
4 finger-lickin stars
PS - I did like the art too.
Yep - Tony Chu is Cibopathic. He gets psychic impressions from what he eats. It's a pretty useful talent for a cop. If the person you want to interrogate happens to be dead - no problem - just chow down on some long pork and let the good times roll down memory lane of whoever you're ingesting. Oh, the person being dead is totally optional.
With talent like that Chu doesn't stay a cop for long. He's quickly recruited by the FDA. The FDA are the new Homeland Security this book. Avian Flue has wiped out 23 million Americans and 100+ million people worldwide. What this means is chicken is now illegal. Yes, you heard me right. Along with duck and quail and anything avian related whatsoever - all off the menu. So if you have a hankering for chicken, you have to make do with a foul alternative (Oh I'm on fire tonight)!
What this also means is that chicken is the new contraband. Chu and his partner find themselves on a case that will have them chewing their way through a hoard of evidence (some of it quite old and gross) to get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will see Chu run afowl of government agents and Yakuza chicken runners.
The artwork was fowl, but the story was fully sick.
4 finger-lickin stars
PS - I did like the art too.
February 12, 2017
Hahaha! I'm thankful to myself that I have picked Chew. This is the funniest comic series I have read to date and I think that Volume 1: Taster's Choice is just an appetizer. After reading this volume which collects the first five issues of the series, I am craving for more Chew.
Meet Tony Chew, a Cibopathic detective who gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. Neat huh? NO. Imagine what would he do, as a detective, to solve a crime. Eat rotten fingers? Hahaha, I spoiled it for you (uhh, pun intended).
Stomach-churning hilarity. Please, get over your squeamish self and read this.
Taster's choice is a fitting first arc of a story. The main characters are introduced. With exposition limited to hilarious one page introductions and prologues, John Layman lets them characters play unrestrained for the rest of the story. There are also some references for future plots here and there and the plot-changer at the last issue makes me crave for more of Chew.
Crave for more. Some of the panels are downright disgusting so I recommend not to read this before or after meal times.
Rob Guillory's cartoonish style complements Layman's often zany writing and those frequently-occurring riotous scenes.
Read this and you'll be wanting for more Chew servings.
Meet Tony Chew, a Cibopathic detective who gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. Neat huh? NO. Imagine what would he do, as a detective, to solve a crime. Eat rotten fingers? Hahaha, I spoiled it for you (uhh, pun intended).
Stomach-churning hilarity. Please, get over your squeamish self and read this.
Taster's choice is a fitting first arc of a story. The main characters are introduced. With exposition limited to hilarious one page introductions and prologues, John Layman lets them characters play unrestrained for the rest of the story. There are also some references for future plots here and there and the plot-changer at the last issue makes me crave for more of Chew.
Crave for more. Some of the panels are downright disgusting so I recommend not to read this before or after meal times.
Rob Guillory's cartoonish style complements Layman's often zany writing and those frequently-occurring riotous scenes.
Read this and you'll be wanting for more Chew servings.
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