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Chew Omnivore Edition #1
Chew: The Omnivore Edition, Vol. 1
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. This gorgeous, oversized edition loaded with extras follows Tony for the first ten issues of IGN.com's pick for "Best Indie Series of 2009," and MTV Splash Page's "Best New Series of 2009." Collects the New York Times' best seller "Taster's Choice," as well as the follow-up story-arc "International Flavor."
This edition collects CHEW #1-10.
This edition collects CHEW #1-10.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2010
25 people are currently reading
1814 people want to read
About the author
John Layman
808books581followersJohn 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 252 reviews
April 4, 2020
I don't read very many comics (do they call them comics still?),but when I saw the premise for this series I could not resist. "Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats." The only thing that he can eat and not be subjected to a Johnny Mnemonic download overload moment are beets.
I like beets, but I know that it wouldn't take me long to develop a passionate abhorrence of the rather unique taste of that particular vegetable. Too much of a good thing is well...too much of a good thing.
Tony works for the FDA in a world where poultry, due to an epidemic of "Avian Flu", has become an illegal commodity on a level with heroin. Naturally a black market for chicken becomes vibrantly alive to fulfill the sudden desperate desires of a poultry starved population. It is Tony's job to take down traffickers and keep the world safe from a recurrence of another devastating epidemic.
My favorite character is Mason Savoy, a charmer, a foodie, extremely competent, and the villain. He is also Cibopathic. Mason has possession of Tony's ear and is willing to use it (You'll have to read the book.) if Tony gets to be too much of a problem.
Tony has a partner named John Colby with half a cybernetic face after an unfortunate accident in an illegal chicken kitchen. He is not a straight and narrow by the book cop, but he does have Tony's back when he needs it most.
There are a host of supporting actors that are not only interesting, but provide key roles that give buoyancy to the plot. One of my favorites was Lin Sae Woo. An extremely curvy, bad ass gal that works for the Department of Agriculture. (I'm hopeful of a resurrection later in the series.)
I know with the percentage of people who do not like beets I've probably insured, by putting such a healthy bowl at the start of this review, that this review will not receive any attention. I want to say to those strong willed enough to get passed the beets that I heartily enjoyed this book. I laughed out loud. I deformed my face into several universal signs of disgust. I found the dialogue clever and refreshing. I have volume two on my next book order.
I like beets, but I know that it wouldn't take me long to develop a passionate abhorrence of the rather unique taste of that particular vegetable. Too much of a good thing is well...too much of a good thing.
Tony works for the FDA in a world where poultry, due to an epidemic of "Avian Flu", has become an illegal commodity on a level with heroin. Naturally a black market for chicken becomes vibrantly alive to fulfill the sudden desperate desires of a poultry starved population. It is Tony's job to take down traffickers and keep the world safe from a recurrence of another devastating epidemic.
My favorite character is Mason Savoy, a charmer, a foodie, extremely competent, and the villain. He is also Cibopathic. Mason has possession of Tony's ear and is willing to use it (You'll have to read the book.) if Tony gets to be too much of a problem.
Tony has a partner named John Colby with half a cybernetic face after an unfortunate accident in an illegal chicken kitchen. He is not a straight and narrow by the book cop, but he does have Tony's back when he needs it most.
There are a host of supporting actors that are not only interesting, but provide key roles that give buoyancy to the plot. One of my favorites was Lin Sae Woo. An extremely curvy, bad ass gal that works for the Department of Agriculture. (I'm hopeful of a resurrection later in the series.)
I know with the percentage of people who do not like beets I've probably insured, by putting such a healthy bowl at the start of this review, that this review will not receive any attention. I want to say to those strong willed enough to get passed the beets that I heartily enjoyed this book. I laughed out loud. I deformed my face into several universal signs of disgust. I found the dialogue clever and refreshing. I have volume two on my next book order.
December 23, 2021
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.
December 18, 2021
It has a good premise, and gets points for originality, but I think I'm starting to show my age on this. It felt like I was reading some bullshit teenage wankfest.
Everything boils down to poop jokes, gross out moments, and extreme violence, which believe it or not I'm fine with, but there needs to be something more.
Instead, what little is actually here is a constant barrage of asshole characters. The book starts introducing the main character and his partner. His partner is an unlikeable asshole. Then it introduces a federal agent, who is a pompous asshole. Then he gets a new boss, who somehow is an even bigger asshole. Then we get to meet his brother, who is also an asshole. He does his job and interrogates some people who all happen to be assholes. So there are a couple of antagonists, they are all assholes. We meet some scientists, who happen to be assholes. Then we run into another fed from another department, she's an asshole too. Really deep character development here. Seriously, the only person that we meet outside of the main character who isn't openly an asshole is a girl that we don't know anything about because she leaves the plot as soon as she appears. So she isn't an asshole ... yet.
All of this is a vehicle for the writer to spout out racist, sexist, & homophobic BS. “It's ok to do it, because he's just writing what his characters would say,� right? Except everyone is awful.
After a while, you start thinking that the main character must be a terrible person too because he isn't saying anything to the contrary, and laughs when people make Asian stereotypes. The whole thing is reinforced by Black people that can't use linking verbs or prepositions, and a cover with a giant breasts but with a head that is cropped out of the picture. This is really accentuated when a character dies and she is torn up on the ground but still shows off her rack.
To make matters worse the art while nicely stylized just accentuates everything that is ugly in this world. So there is never any contrast to the churlish adolescent writing.
I'm really bummed that I bought this new, because that means that I gave John Layman my money.
Everything boils down to poop jokes, gross out moments, and extreme violence, which believe it or not I'm fine with, but there needs to be something more.
Instead, what little is actually here is a constant barrage of asshole characters. The book starts introducing the main character and his partner. His partner is an unlikeable asshole. Then it introduces a federal agent, who is a pompous asshole. Then he gets a new boss, who somehow is an even bigger asshole. Then we get to meet his brother, who is also an asshole. He does his job and interrogates some people who all happen to be assholes. So there are a couple of antagonists, they are all assholes. We meet some scientists, who happen to be assholes. Then we run into another fed from another department, she's an asshole too. Really deep character development here. Seriously, the only person that we meet outside of the main character who isn't openly an asshole is a girl that we don't know anything about because she leaves the plot as soon as she appears. So she isn't an asshole ... yet.
All of this is a vehicle for the writer to spout out racist, sexist, & homophobic BS. “It's ok to do it, because he's just writing what his characters would say,� right? Except everyone is awful.
After a while, you start thinking that the main character must be a terrible person too because he isn't saying anything to the contrary, and laughs when people make Asian stereotypes. The whole thing is reinforced by Black people that can't use linking verbs or prepositions, and a cover with a giant breasts but with a head that is cropped out of the picture. This is really accentuated when a character dies and she is torn up on the ground but still shows off her rack.
To make matters worse the art while nicely stylized just accentuates everything that is ugly in this world. So there is never any contrast to the churlish adolescent writing.
I'm really bummed that I bought this new, because that means that I gave John Layman my money.
June 30, 2022
This was strange, yet interesting. Interesting but sometimes disgusting. Chu is a cop who gets sworn in as an FDA agent when they learn of his special ability to TASTE a bit more than others. It leads to some cannibalistic detective work. Hence the Eww factor. The whole world has gone crazy for chicken when it becomes illegal. Who would have thought that would be the hottest item on the black market ever? It is confusing at first but gets better after the first couple issues, once I get into the pacing and start to understand what is going on. Although I still have questions. The art is not my favorite style but it is well done and descriptive.
2022- I enjoyed going through this again, and looking for clues to things, now that I have read it once before. Alas, not much was given away in story nor art. It is such a strange world they live in with these food abilities some characters have. I wish a bit more world building is done. I mean, seriously chicken?! Even if people got sick and did die, it isnt typically a forever thing and to literally have police stakeouts over selling chicken is hard to believe. I was utterly lost at times as to what was going on on the island, in Russia, etc. The story felt scattered and I hope the second volume is better
3.5 stars
2022- I enjoyed going through this again, and looking for clues to things, now that I have read it once before. Alas, not much was given away in story nor art. It is such a strange world they live in with these food abilities some characters have. I wish a bit more world building is done. I mean, seriously chicken?! Even if people got sick and did die, it isnt typically a forever thing and to literally have police stakeouts over selling chicken is hard to believe. I was utterly lost at times as to what was going on on the island, in Russia, etc. The story felt scattered and I hope the second volume is better
3.5 stars
April 2, 2019
Weird is generally looked at as a positive in my worldview. Normalcy (whatever that is) is boring, but weird is always interesting by its very nature.
So when I kept hearing buzz about this weird little comic book series called “Chew�, I felt the need to check it out. So I did. And it’s weird. And I love it.
The brain-child of John Laymon, with artwork by Rob Guillory, “Chew� is a funny but gory satirical sci-fi/horror noir comedy series about an Asian-American police detective named Tony Chu who is hired by the FDA to help in their food crimes division. If that doesn’t sound weird enough for you, just wait.
See, Tony has this superpower (if you want to call it that) that allows him to psychically see everything leading up to a murder or accident by ingesting the flesh of the victim. The technical term for what he is is a cibopath. There are only two other cibopaths in the world.
Still not weird enough? How about this?
“Chew� is set in the not-too-distant future after a worldwide pandemic of avian flu has wiped out hundreds of millions of people. The U.S. government, in response, has completely outlawed the raising, selling, and ingestion of poultry. The most powerful law enforcement agency in the U.S. government is now the FDA. Their job is to regulate the new anti-poultry laws. Black-market chickens have become the new cartel system. Chicken speak-easies are popping up everywhere in every city across the country. People love and miss their chicken.
One can see the plethora of weird and the opportunities for more weird in this set-up, and Layman/Guillory certainly play it to the hilt.
Layman’s writing is a cross between Raymond Chandler and Woody Allen, while Guillory’s artwork is cartoonish and yet dark enough in tone to match the not-so-subtle black comedy of Layman’s words.
“Chew: The Omnivore Edition, Vol. 1� compiles the first ten issues of the comic book series. Definitely worth a read if you love weird.
So when I kept hearing buzz about this weird little comic book series called “Chew�, I felt the need to check it out. So I did. And it’s weird. And I love it.
The brain-child of John Laymon, with artwork by Rob Guillory, “Chew� is a funny but gory satirical sci-fi/horror noir comedy series about an Asian-American police detective named Tony Chu who is hired by the FDA to help in their food crimes division. If that doesn’t sound weird enough for you, just wait.
See, Tony has this superpower (if you want to call it that) that allows him to psychically see everything leading up to a murder or accident by ingesting the flesh of the victim. The technical term for what he is is a cibopath. There are only two other cibopaths in the world.
Still not weird enough? How about this?
“Chew� is set in the not-too-distant future after a worldwide pandemic of avian flu has wiped out hundreds of millions of people. The U.S. government, in response, has completely outlawed the raising, selling, and ingestion of poultry. The most powerful law enforcement agency in the U.S. government is now the FDA. Their job is to regulate the new anti-poultry laws. Black-market chickens have become the new cartel system. Chicken speak-easies are popping up everywhere in every city across the country. People love and miss their chicken.
One can see the plethora of weird and the opportunities for more weird in this set-up, and Layman/Guillory certainly play it to the hilt.
Layman’s writing is a cross between Raymond Chandler and Woody Allen, while Guillory’s artwork is cartoonish and yet dark enough in tone to match the not-so-subtle black comedy of Layman’s words.
“Chew: The Omnivore Edition, Vol. 1� compiles the first ten issues of the comic book series. Definitely worth a read if you love weird.
August 22, 2019
This is allegedly my second time reading this, though I retain no memory of the first time. This is another one of those books that I either read between the time I started keeping a reading log and the time I joined ŷ--I went through my logs and rated everything once I joined because I’m crazy that way--or it's a case of my mistaking it for another book and rating it by mistake.
Tony Chu has a unique psychic power. Upon tasting anything, he gets mental images of its history. He can tell you the growing conditions of a piece of fruit, when it was picked, etc. He can also tell you how the steer was slaughtered to make a steak, which is why he prefers vegetables. However, if he's willing to ingest part of a corpse--even a few drops of blood will do--he can tell you who killed them, which makes him a valuable asset in fighting crime �
There are certainly farcical elements. Chu works for the FDA. In this comic, millions of people died in an avian flu epidemic which prompted the US government to ban chickens. This version of America is similar to the prohibition era, only with fried chicken and eggs instead of booze. And Chu’s boss goes out of his way to assign him to cases which will require him to eat disgusting things.
But, overall, it's played fairly straight. The book is plotted in five issue story arcs, but, like Robert Kirkman’s Invincible, there are plot hooks that first appear many issues before they're built upon. Layman has a definite ending that he's building toward, and it looks to be a fun ride getting there. Recommended!
Tony Chu has a unique psychic power. Upon tasting anything, he gets mental images of its history. He can tell you the growing conditions of a piece of fruit, when it was picked, etc. He can also tell you how the steer was slaughtered to make a steak, which is why he prefers vegetables. However, if he's willing to ingest part of a corpse--even a few drops of blood will do--he can tell you who killed them, which makes him a valuable asset in fighting crime �
There are certainly farcical elements. Chu works for the FDA. In this comic, millions of people died in an avian flu epidemic which prompted the US government to ban chickens. This version of America is similar to the prohibition era, only with fried chicken and eggs instead of booze. And Chu’s boss goes out of his way to assign him to cases which will require him to eat disgusting things.
But, overall, it's played fairly straight. The book is plotted in five issue story arcs, but, like Robert Kirkman’s Invincible, there are plot hooks that first appear many issues before they're built upon. Layman has a definite ending that he's building toward, and it looks to be a fun ride getting there. Recommended!
April 21, 2012
There's lots to like about this comic -- gore, vomit, tits, vampires -- yet there's a safety-first cynicism underlying the whole enterprise that plummets it into a goofy Establishment sitcomic. Buddy-cop drollery, jail-rape-evasion wackiness, coprophage-riffing -- it's all here, but just, I don't know, too obviously staged and plotted. Even worse, despite its premise (where eating chicken is outlawed by the government due to some mysterious avian flu whatnot), there are zero serious political or social questions raised. And though I'd normally celebrate a comic that trolls the federal government by turning its agents into preposterous action heroes, and its astronomers into sloppy drunkards, this shit is dull and unfunny, a MAD magazine parody gone hazy and predictable.
When our hero Tony Chu -- whose "Cibopathic" abilities allow him to conjure the past by eating corpses (or occasionally live humans or their ashes or their excrement) -- somehow gets to predict the future (seriously, even the ashes he licked must have had a vague plan) -- I just lost it. This is a silly, contrived comic and I'm hoping Layman has the balls to actually make us uncomfortable at some point. Most of my discomfort and contempt came from his soothing calculated plot, tell the truth.
Also the tits and vampire are clearly fake.
When our hero Tony Chu -- whose "Cibopathic" abilities allow him to conjure the past by eating corpses (or occasionally live humans or their ashes or their excrement) -- somehow gets to predict the future (seriously, even the ashes he licked must have had a vague plan) -- I just lost it. This is a silly, contrived comic and I'm hoping Layman has the balls to actually make us uncomfortable at some point. Most of my discomfort and contempt came from his soothing calculated plot, tell the truth.
Also the tits and vampire are clearly fake.
July 31, 2012
Initially I was drawn to Chew, because who could really resist a comic procedural drama whose main agent solves crimes by eating all sorts of nasties (since as a "cibopath" he gets psychic impressions from anything he eats)? I wasn't disappointed, as Chew is one of those works that actually succeeds with dark, absurd humor, and the premise is definitely creative. The thinly-veiled satire about government control, conspiracies and questionable enforcement, as well as the "clean food" and foodie bent aren't heavy-handed enough to cause eye-rolling, but noticeable enough to serve dual functions of fleshing out the setting and being appealing to hipsters who likely find the messages "deep." As a last thought, Chew's appeal to me might actually be due to the combination of elements not usually blended successfully into one comic book series, including textbook Western action comic characteristics such as bloody/explicit violence and huge-breasted women; food industry and government criticism; absurd, dark, quirky humor; and Rob Guillory's vibrant graffiti-reminiscent art.
P.S. If you read Chew don't gloss over the papers, signs, flyer and articles on the walls. At least some of them will amuse you ;p
P.S. If you read Chew don't gloss over the papers, signs, flyer and articles on the walls. At least some of them will amuse you ;p
May 23, 2020
Really loved this as it has everything I love in a graphic novel...it's hilarious with a clever concept, great characters...and a bit gross!
This was a real treat and such a fantastic edition.
This was a real treat and such a fantastic edition.
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September 12, 2012
A strange and gruesome tale of law enforcement in an alternate universe where a supposed bird-flu pandemic killed millions and the F.D.A. has since become the single most powerful arm of the U.S. Government. The art reminds me of the work of and the setting reminds me of...well...a parody of the alternate universe on "Fringe". I'm enjoying this series, and especially I love how odd elements which at first seem to be one-liners or sight-gags wind up becoming EXTREMELY important later on.
March 16, 2012
This comic was awesome, as long as you don't eat anything while you read it. xD
July 12, 2018
Very funny! Disgusting. Brilliant.
November 29, 2023
Detective Tony Chu is a cibopath, which means he gets psychic impressions from the food he eats. He can see how a piece of fruit was cultivated and what pesticides were used, or how the cows that became his hamburgers were slaughtered. Other times, his powers flash onto things far more heinous. Like a bowl of chicken soup that leads him to a serial killer who has targeted young women and hitchhikers across the country and uses their remains to spice up his dishes. Recruited by the FDA, now America's largest crime fighting agency after an outbreak of avian bird flu killed over 100 million people worldwide and prompted the U.S. to ban poultry, Chu is forced to use his unconventional gift to solve grisly, baffling crimes.
John Layman writes Chew with a healthy dose of humor, never getting mired down in the dark taboos that lie at the heart of this book. His mission, first and foremost, is to make the book entertaining. Rob Guillory's cartoony style assists in setting the tone for the book, giving it an upbeat, colorful aesthetic. Although the heart of the book is more Silence of the Lambs, visually it's more akin to Toy Story, and this animated appearance really helps to sell the tone and fun-factor of the book. Although it's gory and horrifying, it's never offputting, thanks to the illustrations.
Chew is a wildly entertaining work, rife with black humor and disgustingly fun scenarios. Equal measures police-thriller, sci-fi, horror, and comedy, this genre-blending book manages to throw in every ingredient from the kitchen pantry. You've got serial killers, Russian spies, illegal chicken dinner shacks, a government conspiracy (possibly involving extraterrestrials for good measure), cyborg cops, cannibals, and foodies. If these over-the-top ingredients don't make you the least bit curious, then you are missing out on one of the most original and fresh comic series to come around.
Layman slowly introduces his multiple concepts, delicately layering them to create a deeper over-arching construct to hang the plot from. In drafting this world without chicken, he's populated it with several memorable and enjoyable characters. Tony Chu is a terrific guide through these adventures, as he's often thrust into awful situations that produce a nuanced tension of both curdled disgust and surprising laughs. Chu's FDA recruiter, Mason Savoy, is a behemoth whose vocabulary and ferocity is as considerable as his mass. John Colby, Chu's partner, is described on several occasions as being the worst person alive, as he often has a wry, bigoted observation and is quick to anger, but the two have an infectious friendship.
This oversized hardcover edition collects the first two story arcs, "Taster's Choice" and "International Flavor," along with some neat bonus materials that help satisfy the cravings for more. In addition to the usual cover gallery, there are concept art and character sketches, and some unused promo materials. The best addition, though, is Layman's original series pitch outlining a few ideas for the overall story of Chew and its characters. Rather than spoiling what will come, it is instead a small appetizer for future servings.
The characters and world of Chew are an absolute joy to discover and spend time with, and the stories are just downright unique in their fusion of food, crime, and conspiracy. It's an exhilarating, heady stew of ideas and genres, blended together to create a daring new entrée—a book that is so over-the-top in its delivery and so subversive in its black, situational humor that it's impossible to not be charmed by it.
John Layman writes Chew with a healthy dose of humor, never getting mired down in the dark taboos that lie at the heart of this book. His mission, first and foremost, is to make the book entertaining. Rob Guillory's cartoony style assists in setting the tone for the book, giving it an upbeat, colorful aesthetic. Although the heart of the book is more Silence of the Lambs, visually it's more akin to Toy Story, and this animated appearance really helps to sell the tone and fun-factor of the book. Although it's gory and horrifying, it's never offputting, thanks to the illustrations.
Chew is a wildly entertaining work, rife with black humor and disgustingly fun scenarios. Equal measures police-thriller, sci-fi, horror, and comedy, this genre-blending book manages to throw in every ingredient from the kitchen pantry. You've got serial killers, Russian spies, illegal chicken dinner shacks, a government conspiracy (possibly involving extraterrestrials for good measure), cyborg cops, cannibals, and foodies. If these over-the-top ingredients don't make you the least bit curious, then you are missing out on one of the most original and fresh comic series to come around.
Layman slowly introduces his multiple concepts, delicately layering them to create a deeper over-arching construct to hang the plot from. In drafting this world without chicken, he's populated it with several memorable and enjoyable characters. Tony Chu is a terrific guide through these adventures, as he's often thrust into awful situations that produce a nuanced tension of both curdled disgust and surprising laughs. Chu's FDA recruiter, Mason Savoy, is a behemoth whose vocabulary and ferocity is as considerable as his mass. John Colby, Chu's partner, is described on several occasions as being the worst person alive, as he often has a wry, bigoted observation and is quick to anger, but the two have an infectious friendship.
This oversized hardcover edition collects the first two story arcs, "Taster's Choice" and "International Flavor," along with some neat bonus materials that help satisfy the cravings for more. In addition to the usual cover gallery, there are concept art and character sketches, and some unused promo materials. The best addition, though, is Layman's original series pitch outlining a few ideas for the overall story of Chew and its characters. Rather than spoiling what will come, it is instead a small appetizer for future servings.
The characters and world of Chew are an absolute joy to discover and spend time with, and the stories are just downright unique in their fusion of food, crime, and conspiracy. It's an exhilarating, heady stew of ideas and genres, blended together to create a daring new entrée—a book that is so over-the-top in its delivery and so subversive in its black, situational humor that it's impossible to not be charmed by it.
April 23, 2017
Chicken just isn't that crucial. 😂
July 21, 2011
Chew is an excellent new comic book series by writer John Layman and artist Rob Guillory. It features a detective called Tony Chu who is a cibo path which means he can gain knowledge of whatever he eats - for example if he eats an apple he knows where it was grown and what fertilisers were used; if he eats a hamburger then he finds out about the slaughterhouse conditions and how the cow died. He uses this "gift" in his policework to find out who murdered who and why. The only trouble is when he's caught taking a bite out of a corpse he loses his job.
He's then recruited by a government agency which allows him free reign of his ability and jurisdiction and he spends this new career putting away gangsters who are trafficking in chickens - say what?! That's right in this world the Bird Flu epidemic made its way to humans, killing tens of millions. The result was that poultry was outlawed but that hasn't stopped people from continuing to traffick them in the black market.
Joining him on his new career is his partner Mason Savoy as they set out to take down the chicken traffickers and find out the truth behind the Bird Flu epidemic. Also making an appearance is his superstar chef brother Chow Chu and Tony Chu's love interest Amelia Mintz.
This is a wonderfully original comic book and a brilliant read. The "Omnivore Edition" collects the first two volumes - "Taster's Choice" and "International Flavor" - into one gorgeous hardback along with a gallery of covers and sketches by the artist who designed the characters and the look of their world. Writer's scripts are also included.
I highly recommend this series to any comics fans who are looking for well written, well illustrated, original and clever comics. "Chew" has all of this in spades and is well worth your time. Here's hoping there's more to come!
He's then recruited by a government agency which allows him free reign of his ability and jurisdiction and he spends this new career putting away gangsters who are trafficking in chickens - say what?! That's right in this world the Bird Flu epidemic made its way to humans, killing tens of millions. The result was that poultry was outlawed but that hasn't stopped people from continuing to traffick them in the black market.
Joining him on his new career is his partner Mason Savoy as they set out to take down the chicken traffickers and find out the truth behind the Bird Flu epidemic. Also making an appearance is his superstar chef brother Chow Chu and Tony Chu's love interest Amelia Mintz.
This is a wonderfully original comic book and a brilliant read. The "Omnivore Edition" collects the first two volumes - "Taster's Choice" and "International Flavor" - into one gorgeous hardback along with a gallery of covers and sketches by the artist who designed the characters and the look of their world. Writer's scripts are also included.
I highly recommend this series to any comics fans who are looking for well written, well illustrated, original and clever comics. "Chew" has all of this in spades and is well worth your time. Here's hoping there's more to come!
November 4, 2017
This book delivers on story and art. It’s a little juvenile in its attempts to gross-out the reader and in the exaggerated ways in which females are portrayed, but the art bowled me over. And the story is fun and complex. I’ll be reading the next installments.
February 18, 2017
If you're looking for a new graphic novel series to read, pick this one up. It is so fucking incredible. I can't wait to read the next volumes.
March 6, 2016
I enjoyed the story more than the art. The art is unique.
May 2, 2019
Honestly, mid-way through the book, I wasn’t really feeling it. The world of Chew was so bizarre and outlandish to me. I mean, a world where the avian flu leads to the banning of poultry sales? A world where the FDA is one of the most powerful governing bodies? I had expected a gritty crime thriller where the detective solves mysteries—not this kinda campy comic where he solves mysteries about chicken.
By the end of the comic, though, it really won me over. There’s actually a really nice balance between the strangeness of the premise and how Layman grounds it by creating well thought out, interesting, multi-faceted characters. There’s a real humanity in Tony Chu, who’s forced to consume humans in order to do his job for the greater good. He’s a character you root for, that you identify with, and that you also think has really cool powers.
I wasn’t super into some of the storylines, but am definitely intrigued by the overall storyline it’s leading up to. The art is also really fun. I completely dig the style: clean and simple; slightly exaggerated; super distinct. Definitely interested in reading the next volume!
By the end of the comic, though, it really won me over. There’s actually a really nice balance between the strangeness of the premise and how Layman grounds it by creating well thought out, interesting, multi-faceted characters. There’s a real humanity in Tony Chu, who’s forced to consume humans in order to do his job for the greater good. He’s a character you root for, that you identify with, and that you also think has really cool powers.
I wasn’t super into some of the storylines, but am definitely intrigued by the overall storyline it’s leading up to. The art is also really fun. I completely dig the style: clean and simple; slightly exaggerated; super distinct. Definitely interested in reading the next volume!
May 27, 2025
While I was initially dubious about whether the food-based concept of this story was more than a gimmick, the story continued to improve with each issue to the point where the finale was rich and interesting-peaking. The lore and characters became more and more complex as the story went on, and the variety of food-focused powers was so weirdly unique that I was totally hooked by the world and its whacky rules. The book also finds the perfect balance between taking itself seriously (providing worthwhile stakes) and being funny and self-satirising. While the story ultimately came to nothing (it felt like the narrative was sacrificed for the sake of world-building, which I’m actually fine with since the result was a success), I’m eager to know what happens next. Hopefully the groundwork here builds to something epic.
July 25, 2017
So much fun! The world of Chew is a wild and strange one, where chicken eating is illegal, a rooster named Poyo is the greatest warrior that several worlds have ever known, and Tony Chu, FDA agent, is just one of those gifted with a strange array of food-related superpowers. There is no summary that can do this series justice - it's the kind of thing that William Burroughs might have devised after a particularly strong hit of morphine and a nice chicken dinner. It's funny as hell, but also oddly poignant in places. It will even bring a tear or two to your eyes between bursts of explosive laughter. Do not miss it!
April 5, 2025
In a future America where chicken has been outlawed it is up to the most powerful agency in government to ensure those laws are upheld. The FDA knows no rules and it is to Special agents like Tony Chu to track down the law breakers.
Chu you see is a Cibopathic who can receive psychic impressions from whatever he eats. Unfortunately his bosses what him to taste some unsavory things and people.
Contains issues 1-10 of the series.
Chu you see is a Cibopathic who can receive psychic impressions from whatever he eats. Unfortunately his bosses what him to taste some unsavory things and people.
Contains issues 1-10 of the series.
April 8, 2018
This book is a feast for the eyes. I absolutely devoured book 2 (International Flavor). The art style is half the treat, and the writing has a flavor all of its own. The texture of the world-building and the perfect balance of super-powered characters keeps Chew fresh, all the way down. I can't wait for another helping... okay, I've finished my puns, haha.
November 21, 2017
Although a dark premise, it is also delightfully humorous and the art is essential for the tone of what should be a much more grisly story. Tony is likable and develops over the course of the two beginning story arcs and the secondary characters are interesting and well drawn (both literally and figuratively) as well.
May 7, 2021
I’ve read the entire series and wowza. Tony Chu, a cop, and a cibopath - which means he can eat things (apples, blood, body parts) and get a psychic reading of that things history - what a power! The series is hilarious, strangely moving at times, great characters, bonkers but awesome plot. Chicken is doom!
November 1, 2020
Skemmtileg sería sem lætur grunnhugmyndina bera fullmikinn þunga eftir því sem á líður. Langdregin á köflum þegar hugmyndir eru endurnýttar, en heildarupplifunin er góð. Skrítin og ógeðsleg á mjög góðan hátt.
January 31, 2021
Second reading (first in print format) and still just as enjoyable. It's fun to see all the small things that one forgets over the course of 60 issues. Also enjoying seeing all the players, both big and small, who play roles that are unexpected.
October 13, 2021
Дуже гідний комікс з високим градусом вивіреного трешу. Він не для всіх, до нього треба звикнути, але як тільки період адаптації проходить - все, ти підсів. Таких раптових сюжетних поворотів ще пошукати! Шкода, що українською його досі не видали.
March 15, 2019
ممتع جدا و مثير للاهتمام
الشخصيات محبوكة صح
الشخصيات محبوكة صح
March 15, 2022
I was hooked from the first page. The concept is whacky, the characters are over the top and the art and style is reminiscent of the cartoons you watched as a kid but for a much more mature audience. The story itself is compelling enough and keeps you wanting more. I can't wait to read more of this series.
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